Climax, Minnesota

Climax
City
Broadway (Highway 220) in Climax, including City Hall (2021)
Location of Climax, Minnesota
Coordinates: 47°36′32″N96°48′56″W / 47.60889°N 96.81556°W / 47.60889; -96.81556
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
County	Polk
Area [1]
• Total	0.94 sq mi (2.43 km2)
• Land	0.94 sq mi (2.43 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	866 ft (264 m)
Population  (2020) [2]
• Total	243
• Estimate  (2021) [3]	244
• Density	259.06/sq mi (100.05/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	56523
Area code	218
FIPS code	27-11962
GNIS feature ID	0655757 [4]

Climax is a city in Polk County, Minnesota, United States. It is part of the Grand Forks, ND-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 243 at the 2020 census. ^[2]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.14 square miles (2.95 km²), all land. ^[5] It is located on the Sand Hill River, which joins the Red River of the North about two miles (3 km) to the west.

U.S. Highway 75 and Minnesota Highway 220 are two of the main routes in the community.

Sign welcoming visitors to Climax.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1900	259		—
1910	269		3.9%
1920	274		1.9%
1930	239		−12.8%
1940	253		5.9%
1950	271		7.1%
1960	310		14.4%
1970	255		−17.7%
1980	273		7.1%
1990	264		−3.3%
2000	243		−8.0%
2010	267		9.9%
2020	243		−9.0%
2021 (est.)	244	[3]	0.4%
U.S. Decennial Census [6] 2020 Census [2]

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 267 people, 112 households, and 63 families living in the city. The population density was 234.2 inhabitants per square mile (90.4/km²). There were 118 housing units at an average density of 103.5 per square mile (40.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.4% White, 1.9% African American, 0.7% Native American, 1.1% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.7% of the population.

There were 112 households, of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.3% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.8% were non-families. 39.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.30.

The median age in the city was 32.1 years. 31.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.6% were from 25 to 44; 25.1% were from 45 to 64; and 10.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.3% male and 48.7% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 243 people, 113 households, and 68 families living in the city. The population density was 212.2 inhabitants per square mile (81.9/km²). There were 124 housing units at an average density of 108.3 per square mile (41.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.00% White, 1.65% Native American, 4.12% from other races, and 1.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.58% of the population.

There were 113 households, out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% were non-families. 38.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.82.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.2% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 25.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $24,688, and the median income for a family was $30,625. Males had a median income of $38,438 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,320. About 5.1% of families and 11.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.1% of those under the age of eighteen and 20.3% of those 65 or over.

Name

Climax, founded in 1896, was named after a chewing tobacco company. ^[7] The town's name has been a source of humor, and the slogan selected for the centennial was "Climax. More than just a feeling." ^[8] Less well attested is the assertion that some unnamed local newspaper, reporting the death of a resident of a nearby town, ran a report of her passing under the headline Fertile Woman dies in Climax. ^[9]

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
2. "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved April 14, 2022.
3. "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2021". United States Census Bureau. June 16, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
4. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
5. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 2, 2012. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
6. United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing" . Retrieved September 11, 2013.
7. Upham, Warren, Minnesota Geographic Names, Collections of the Minnesota Historical Society Volume XVII (1920), p. 422: "CLIMAX, a railway village in Vineland, is named with an ancient Greek word, meaning a ladder or a stairway, hence the highest point attained in an oration or in any series of endeavors, chosen here from its use in an advertisement of “Climax Tobacco.”
8. Nesvig, Clara, "I'm from Climax, Minnesota, and I'm sick of your dumb jokes." Archived November 27, 2020, at the Wayback Machine , Minneapolis Star Tribune , April 6, 2016.
9. "on the virtual highway", St. Paul Pioneer Press , December 8, 2006; updated November 14, 2015

47°36′28″N96°49′01″W / 47.60778°N 96.81694°W / 47.60778; -96.81694