Long Prairie is a city in Todd County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,661 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 3,710 in 2024. and the oldest town in the county.
History
thumbnail|The Long Prairie Winnebago/Ho-Chunk Reservation of 1845
Long Prairie's history dates back to the time when the land was inhabited first by the Sioux/Dakota and then Anishinaabe/Ojibwe Native American tribes. In an 1846 treaty, the U.S. government gave a vast area in what is now central Minnesota to the Winnebago Indians (Ho-Chunk), known as the Long Prairie Reservation. A site at Long Prairie was chosen as headquarters for the tribe. In 1848, the tribe was resettled from the Neutral Ground in northeast Iowa to the Long Prairie Reservation. The journey North was a difficult and long trip, but once at the Long Prairie Reservation, the tribe built a functioning village with homes, a school, and a church. A subsequent treaty in 1855 again resettled the tribe in southern Minnesota.
Long Prairie was platted in May 1867, and named after the Long Prairie River. The river was originally given its name by the Ojibwe/Anishinaabe people. There is a United States Geological Survey stream flow monitoring gauge in the river in Long Prairie.
Marshal George Williams
thumb|Memorial to Long Prairie Village Marshal George H. William who was shot while duty on July 29, 1922
In July 1922 Long Prairie Village Marshal George Williams was shot and killed by men fleeing a botched bank robbery in Hewitt. The killing took place at a late-night roadblock near the current municipal liquor store.
The text on William's memorial reads as follows: "This monument honors George H. Williams who was village Marshal of Long Prairie. He was awakened by a ringing telephone in the early hours of July 29, 1922. The call was a summons from Todd County Deputy Sheriff Seely Adams. An attempt had been made to rob the Hewitt bank and a roadblock was needed at the bridge over the Long Prairie River. George kissed his wife Kathryn, goodbye. Minutes later, he was shot dead on the railroad tracks near the bridge, just north of this monument.
George Williams was a leader in the community. In addition to being village marshal he served as fire chief and was active in a number of community service organizations.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (2.60%) is water. Venewitz Creek flows from Lake Charlotte and joins the Long Prairie River in the town. Long Prairie is located in the North Central Hardwood Forest Region of Central Minnesota.
U.S. Highway 71 and Minnesota State Highways 27 and 287 are three of the main routes in the city. Todd County Roads 5 and 38 originate in the town.
Climate
Long Prairie has a continental climate with long, cold winters and generally warm summers. During spring and fall seasons the weather is moderate, with temperatures varying considerably day-to-day. Temperatures can, at the extreme, reach -40 degrees Fahrenheit during the winter and above 90 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer. The growing season is about 115 days.
Lake Charlotte
thumb|Banded Killifix live in Lake Charlotte.
Lake Charlotte is a 144.32 acre lake on the southern boundary of Long Prairie. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources the lake is 84 feet deep at its deepest. The DNR's fish survey states that the fish species in the lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, lake whitefish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, sunfish, tullibee (cisco), walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch, bowfin (dogfish), common carp, white sucker, banded killifish, blackchin shiner, blacknose shiner, bluntnose minnow, central mudminnow, common shiner, fantail darter, golden shiner, Iowa darter, Johnny darter, and least darter. A swimming beach and large park, maintained by the city, are located on the north end of the Lake.
Government
Jim Kreemer is the city's mayor as of 2025. The mayor serves a two-year term. City council members serve a four-year term. Long Prairie is in Minnesota Senate District 11 and Minnesota House of Representatives District 11B. It is in US Congressional District 7. The city is in Todd County Commissioner District 3 which also includes Long Prairie and Reynolds townships.
The city co-owns an airport, known as Todd Field, with Todd County. The airport, which is five miles south of the city, is also known as Long Prairie Municipal Airport. The runway is 3,000 feet long.
Great River Regional Library
Long Prairie hosts one of the 32 public branch libraries of the Great River Regional Library. Great River Regional Library is a library system serving Benton, Morrison, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd and Wright Counties in central Minnesota. It is a consolidated library system consisting of 32 branch libraries, with a headquarters at the St. Cloud Public Library. In addition to the Long Prairie branch, Todd County has branches in Grey Eagle, Eagle Bend, and Staples.
Parks
thumb|Stone wall, dated 1936, in Riverside Park.
Long Prairie's park system is overseen by a seven-member park board. The following parks are in the city:
- Soldier's Field
- Westside Park
- Locke Park
- Water Tower Hill
- Lake Charlotte Park
- Harmony Park
- Riverside Park
Industry and media
Long Prairie is a food processing center with major food processing employers operating plants in the town. The Long Prairie Leader, which publishes a monthly Spanish publication, is the weekly newspaper. KEYL/KXDL operates an AM and FM radio station in Long Prairie and the surrounding area.
Culture
Todd County Museum
thumb|The Christie House
The Todd County Historical Society, a tax exempt non-profit, operates the Todd County museum on the east end of the town's commercial district. The building, located on the site of the former Winnebago Indian Agency, also serves as a research and learning center about the county's past. It houses a collection of artifacts, photographs, and documents that illustrate the life, industry, and natural environment of the area.
Dr. George R. Christie House museum
The Dr. George R. Christie House is a historic house museum on the west end of the town's business district. The house was built in 1901 to serve as the family home and office of Dr. George R. Christie (1858–1947), the first licensed physician in Todd County. After housing two generations of the Christie family, the building along with its original furnishings, was donated to the city of Long Prairie in 1976. Its purpose was to serve as a public museum. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006 for having local significance in the theme of health and medicine. Occasional tours are given and, in recent years, the museum's board of directors has collaborated with the Minnesota Paranormal Research Society.