Hinckley is a city in Pine County, Minnesota, United States, located at the junction of Interstate 35 and Minnesota State Highway 48. The population was 1,904 at the 2020 census. Hinckley's name in the Ojibwe language is Gaa-zhiigwanaabikokaag, meaning "the place abundant with grindstones" due to being located along the Grindstone River. Portions of the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation are located within and adjacent to Hinckley. On September 1, 1894, the Great Hinckley Fire killed more than 400 people. Hinckley is generally considered the halfway point on Interstate 35 between Minneapolis–Saint Paul and Duluth.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Town numbers

ZIP code55037

Area code320

Living in Hinckley

Work & commute in Hinckley

Full picture →

About one in 4 of Hinckley’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Pine City (9%), Sandstone (5%) and Mora (5%). Half commute less than 19 miles.

Pine City

Sandstone

Mora

Rush City

25%Work in townlive and work in Hinckley 19 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 1,741Jobs based herea job hub

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Hinckley →

Health in Hinckley

C⁻

Health Grade C−

Healthier than 18% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates, and 41% of towns with similar incomes.

Compared with Minnesota

20worse than MN

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 12 are too close to call.

Conditions 8▼ 4 close Habits 2▼ 2 close Care 3▼ 4 close Mind 3▼ 2 close Everyday needs 4▼ 0 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

17.1%More older adults who have lost all their teethMN 8.9% · worse 18.6%More adults facing food insecurityMN 11.4% · worse 20.9%More smokersMN 13.1% · worse

Care nearby

Essentia Health SandstoneSandstone · 7.6 mi · ER · rural critical access

Lake Superior Community Health Center White Pine ClinicCarlton · 50.7 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Hinckley · CMS · HRSAHealth in Hinckley →

Natural hazards in Hinckley

Low

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 37% of U.S. communities.

🌊 Inland flooding🥶 Cold waves🌪️ Tornadoes

0Does Hinckley flood?no paid flood claims on record 1Disasters that paid out herefederal disaster sent FEMA money to Hinckley MapHinckley vs. its neighborsnearby towns shaded by rating

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Hinckley →

Climate in Hinckley

Full climate →

Hinckley has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 2°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

25° / 6°Winter

53° / 31°Spring

78° / 55°Summer

55° / 35°Fall

How much snow does Hinckley get?About 45 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Sep 24, with the last in spring around May 16.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+2.0° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Hinckley →

Schools in Hinckley

All Hinckley schools →

School Grade C

The public schools Hinckley’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 75% of Minnesota’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

DistrictHINCKLEY-FINLAYSON SCHOOL DISTRICTSchools5

Hinckley Elementary CElementary · Grades PK–6 · 395 students Hinckley-Finlayson Secondary DHigh · Grades 7–12 · 398 students Pine County Transition ProgramHigh · Grades 9–12 · 19 students Empower Learning CenterHigh · Grades 9–12 · 18 students Pine County Transition ProgramHigh · Grades 12

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within MN. Ratings are from neighbors.