Explore Northfield, Minnesota, with this interactive street and satellite map.
This page also offers TOPO MAPS — the official USGS topographic sheets — plus USGS aerial imagery, a labelled USNG grid overlay, a distance and bearing tool, and a GPS grid-reference readout. See How to Use This Map below.
This interactive map shows the street layout and satellite imagery for Northfield, Minnesota. Use the Map and Satellite buttons above to switch between street map and aerial imagery views. Use the + and − buttons to zoom in or out, or scroll your mouse wheel while holding the Control key to zoom. On a touchscreen, use a two-finger pinch gesture. Drag the map to pan to any area of Minnesota or beyond.
Click ⛶ Fullscreen to expand the map to fill your screen. To return to the normal page view, press the Escape key, click the ✕ Exit Fullscreen button that appears above the map, or on a mobile device tap the back button (Android) or the close icon (iOS).
TOPO MAPS — NEW. Click the green 🔍 Search Maps button below the map to open a second map with a Base map row offering three choices. OSM is the standard OpenStreetMap street map. Topo shows the official USGS topographic maps from The National Map — contours, hydrography, land cover and shaded relief, the same mapping used for hiking, hunting and back-country navigation in the Adirondacks, the Catskills and the Finger Lakes. Imagery shows USGS aerial photography, mostly 1-metre NAIP. The search box finds any US town, county or landmark by name, so you are not limited to Northfield.
Reading the map like a paper quad. Click Grid to overlay the U.S. National Grid (USNG), labelled along the edges exactly as a printed topographic sheet is — at normal zoom the squares are one kilometre across, so you can read a six-figure grid reference by eye and judge distance directly off the map. Click Measure, then tap two points, to get the distance between them together with the grid bearing in degrees and mils, the true bearing, and the magnetic bearing to set on a compass.
Click 📍 My position to take a single GPS reading from your device. It marks where you are and reports your position as a USNG grid reference as well as plain latitude and longitude — USNG being the format FEMA and US search and rescue teams work from — with a Copy position button so you can paste it straight into a text message. It takes one reading and stops, rather than tracking continuously, to conserve your battery. Note that map tiles need cell coverage, but a GPS reading does not — your coordinates stay correct even where the map itself cannot load.
| City | Northfield |
| State | Minnesota (MN) |
| County | Rice County |
| Country | United States of America |
| Timezone | Central Time (America/Chicago) |
| Latitude | 44.452669 |
| Longitude | -93.175688 |
| Population | 20,790 |
| Density | 943.6 /km² |
| Incorporated | Yes |
| ZIP Code | 55057 |
| Area Code | 612, 952 |
| County Seat | Faribault |
| School District | Northfield Public School District |
Northfield occupies a landscape defined by the persistent, rhythmic movement of the Cannon River as it carves a path through the rich, fertile soil of the region. It lies 12.5 miles north-northeast of Faribault, MN (from Faribault, MN: bearing 25°T), and is situated 13.8 miles south-southeast of Lakeville. The land surrounding Northfield unfolds in a series of gentle, open expanses that catch the golden, slant light of late afternoon, casting long shadows across the prairie grasses. To the north, the waters of Lyman Lakes provide a quiet reflection of the shifting Midwestern sky, while the terrain remains firmly planted far from the reach of any distant coastline. The air here holds a crisp, clean quality that sharpens the edges of the horizon, where the distant silhouette of Buck Hill rises as a singular mark against the vast, atmospheric dome. It is a place where the geography feels deliberate, grounded in the quiet endurance of the earth and the steady flow of its primary waterway.
Northfield grew from the ambitions of early settlers who recognized the potential of the river’s power to sustain a developing economy. Agriculture has long served as the bedrock of the local industry, with the surrounding fields producing abundant harvests that have fed the community for generations. As the years progressed, Northfield transitioned into a hub for education and specialized commerce, creating a stable economic environment that balances traditional production with intellectual pursuit. The rhythm of daily life is dictated not by the frenetic pace of a metropolis, but by the steady, measured output of its mills and regional businesses. This economic foundation remains deeply tied to the land, ensuring that the prosperity of Northfield stays rooted in the productivity of the soil and the ingenuity of its people.
Northfield possesses a distinct cultural identity shaped by the presence of its two prominent liberal arts colleges, which infuse the streets with a youthful, inquiring spirit. Bridge Square serves as the central gathering point, a place where the pulse of the community is felt most acutely during the annual Defeat of Jesse James Days celebration. This event commemorates a historical moment of local resistance that is remembered with both pride and communal spirit, marking a defining chapter in the collective memory of the residents. The town has been home to notable figures, including the influential economist Thorstein Veblen, whose intellectual contributions emerged from the quietude of this academic environment. Life in Northfield maintains a thoughtful, deliberate pace, where the architectural heritage of the downtown district stands in quiet harmony with the ongoing academic life that defines the character of the population.
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This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Northfield, Minnesota. Coordinates: 44.452669, -93.175688. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service. Real-time local and world news feeds keep the page current.
Detailed location data for Northfield includes the ZIP code (55057), telephone area code (612, 952), county seat of Rice County (Faribault), and school district assignment (Northfield Public School District).
Search Maps opens a second, independent map. It searches OpenStreetMap for any US town, county or landmark by name; offers USGS topographic maps and USGS aerial imagery as base layers; overlays a labelled U.S. National Grid (USNG) so the map can be read like a printed topographic quad; measures distance and grid, true and magnetic bearings between any two points; and takes a single GPS fix reporting your position as a USNG grid reference and as latitude and longitude. Map tiles require cell coverage, but a GPS position does not, so the coordinates remain correct even where the map cannot load.
Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.
| Page generated | September 2026 |
| Location data | SimpleMaps US Cities Database; coordinates matched to USGS GNIS definitive data |
| Map layers | Google Maps; © OpenStreetMap contributors; USGS The National Map topographic and aerial imagery (public domain); magnetic declination from NOAA NCEI (World Magnetic Model) |
| Wikipedia validation | Article content matched to USGS GNIS coordinates via Wikipedia geosearch API. |