Mora is a city and the county seat of Kanabec County, Minnesota. It is at the junction of Minnesota highways 23 and 65 and is along the Snake River. The population was 3,665 at the 2020 census.
History
Mora was platted in 1882 by Myron Kent. The city was named after Mora, Sweden, when Israel Israelson suggested his hometown's name in Dalarna County, Sweden.
Geography
thumb|left|The [[Kanabec County Courthouse in 2007]]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of , of which is land and is water.
Mora is 72 miles north of Minneapolis-St. Paul at the intersection of Minnesota highways 23 and 65. It is 52 miles northeast of St. Cloud and 91 miles southwest of Duluth.
Mora is along the Snake River.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Mora had a population of 3,665. The median age was 42.1 years. 20.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 24.7% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 86.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 82.0 males age 18 and over.
0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 1,555 households, of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 33.6% were married-couple households, 19.9% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present, and 35.9% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 39.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. of 2010, there were 3,571 people, 1,513 households, and 857 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,684 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.4% White, 0.2% African American, 0.3% Native American 0.3% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.2% of the population.
There were 1,513 households, of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.6% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.4% were non-families. 37.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.87.
The median age in the city was 39.6 years. 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23% were from 25 to 44; 23.3% were from 45 to 64; and 21.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.2% male and 52.8% female.
2000 Census
As of the census
Transportation
Mora is served by the Mora Municipal Airport and Timber Trails Transit, a bus service in Kanabec and Mille Lacs counties.
Major highways
The following routes run through Mora:
- 20px Minnesota State Highway 23
- 20px Minnesota State Highway 65
The following county roads also serve as important routes in Mora:
- frameless|20x20px Kanabec County Road 1
- frameless|20x20px Kanabec County Road 6
- frameless|20x20px Kanabec County Road 27
Arts and Culture
thumb|right|Mora's [[Dalecarlian horse emulates the large Swedish horse]]
Mora is the home of a gigantic Dala horse and a Mora clock commemorating the town's Swedish roots. Mora's sister city and namesake is Mora, Sweden, known as the endpoint of the Vasaloppet. They became sister cities in 1972 when the Dala horse was dedicated.
Each February, Mora hosts the Vasaloppet USA, Minnesota's largest cross-country skiing event. Mora also hosts the Snake River Canoe Race, the Mora Half-Marathon, and the Mora Bicycle Tour.
Economy
Top employers
According to the city's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR), its top employers are:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! #
! Employer
! # of Employees
|-
| 1
|Welia Health
|589
|-
|2
|Mora Public Schools
|354
|-
|3
|Commercial Plastics
|254
|-
|4
|Kanabec County
|217
|-
|5
|St. Clare Living Community
|125
|-
|6
|Coborns, Inc.
|121
|-
|7
|Lakes & Pines Community Action Council
|109
|-
|8
|Recovering Hope Treatment Center
|82
|-
|9
|OlymPak
|76
|-
|10
|RJ Mechanical
|76
|}
Climate
Notable people
- Roger Crawford, Minnesota state representative
- Bill Diessner, Minnesota state senator
- Alice Frost, actress
- Gladys Nordenstrom, contemporary classical composer
- Henry Rines, Minnesota state treasurer and speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives
- Judy Soderstrom, Minnesota state representative
- Dan Stevens, Minnesota state senator
References
External links
- City of Mora – Official Website
- dala.mn – Mora's community portal
- Mora, Sweden, about Mora Minnesota