Fort Ripley Minnesota Map

About Fort Ripley, Minnesota

Fort Ripley is a locality in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, United States. It is a small community with a population of 68. The population density is 18.9 people per km². Fort Ripley is located at 46.1661°N, 94.3603°W. It observes the Central Time (America/Chicago) timezone. ZIP code: 56449.

Fort Ripley lies at the confluence of the mighty Mississippi River and the smaller Crow Wing River, a place where the currents of history and nature meet. It lies 42.9 miles north-north-west of St. Cloud, MN (from St. Cloud, MN: bearing 347°T), and is situated 8.6 miles north-east of Randall. The land here is a gentle rise, a broad shoulder of earth overlooking the broad sweep of the Mississippi, its banks fringed with the sturdy, stoic presence of northern hardwoods and pines. Sunlight, when it breaks through the often-clouded Minnesota sky, falls in broad, golden shafts, illuminating the moss-laden bark of ancient oaks and the emerald sheen of the river water. The air itself, especially after a rain, carries the clean, sharp scent of pine needles and damp earth, a fragrance that whispers of the wildness that still holds sway in these northern reaches. The historical significance of Fort Ripley is deeply entwined with the strategic importance of its riverine location, a point of convergence that drew both military presence and the burgeoning commerce of the 19th century. Established as a military post, it served as a bulwark and a hub for exploration and settlement in the nascent territory, its echoes of marching boots and bugle calls now softened by the passage of time and the encroaching embrace of the natural world. The local economy, once shaped by the demands of the fort and the timber trade that followed, has since transitioned, finding its sustenance in the agricultural bounty of Crow Wing County and the quiet tourism drawn to its scenic waterways and historical remnants. The legacy of Fort Ripley endures, not as a bustling center, but as a quiet testament to the ebb and flow of human endeavor against the enduring backdrop of the Minnesota wilderness.

About This Fort Ripley Map Page

This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Fort Ripley, Minnesota — switch between views using the small square in the bottom left-hand corner of the map. Coordinates: 46.166078, -94.360281. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service, with current observations and a 7-day forecast also powered by Open-Meteo. Real-time local news and world news feeds keep the page current, while a Wikipedia summary or an editorially written description provides background on Fort Ripley and Crow Wing County.

Detailed location data for Fort Ripley includes the ZIP code (56449), telephone area code (320), county seat of Crow Wing County (Brainerd), and school district assignment (Brainerd Public School District). These are among the most commonly searched location details for any US city or town.

Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity — ensuring the correct Fort Ripley is identified even where the name is shared across multiple counties or states. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.