Ranier ) is a city in Koochiching County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 569 at the 2020 census.
Ranier is located east of the city of International Falls, along State Highway 11 (MN 11). Fort Frances, Ontario is located directly across the river.
Incorporated in 1908, the small village of Ranier began as a lively pioneer town filled with people eager to make their mark in the northland. Businesses sprang up all over Ranier, including hotels, grocers, saloons, and brothels. During prohibition, this little boom town gained a gnarly reputation. Illegal booze was the name of the game and everyone in Ranier was playing. Being the port of entry into Canada and being situated on Rainy Lake made for a prime playing field for bootleggers.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.
The Rainy River and Rainy Lake meet at Ranier beneath the oldest cantilevered bridge in North America built in 1908. The Ranier Railroad Bridge (Canadian National (CN) River Bridge) was constructed in 1908. The single-track lift bridge crosses Rainy River between Ranier, Minnesota, and Fort Frances, Ontario, and is one of the busiest ports of entry for international rail freight in the United States.