Mountain Lake is a city in Cottonwood County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,999 as of the 2020 census. Mountain Lake was initially populated mostly by 1,800 Low German (or more specifically, Plautdietsch) speaking Mennonites from Russia who settled there between 1873 and 1880. The city has become more diverse, with the more recent addition of immigrant groups including Lao, Hmong, and Hispanic people, but a significant proportion of its inhabitants still have Mennonite surnames.

Official town website ↗

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

Town numbers

ZIP code56159

Area code507

Living in Mountain Lake

Safety in Mountain Lake

B⁺

Safety Grade B+

Mountain Lake reports less crime per resident than 73% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.

Violent crime per 1,000

Mountain Lake 1

Minnesota 2.3

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Mountain Lake 6.7

Minnesota 14.3

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Work & commute in Mountain Lake

Full picture →

About one in 4 of Mountain Lake’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Windom (17%), Mountain Lake (6%) and St. James (5%). Half commute less than 11 miles.

Windom

17%

Mountain Lake

St. James

Jackson

23%Work in townlive and work in Mountain Lake 11 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 627Jobs based herea commuter town

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Mountain Lake →

Health in Mountain Lake

C⁺

Health Grade C+

Healthier than 43% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates, and 58% of towns with similar incomes.

Compared with Minnesota

1better than MN·14worse

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 17 are too close to call.

Conditions 7▼ 5 close Habits 1▼ 3 close Care 1▲ 2▼ 4 close Mind 2▼ 3 close Everyday needs 2▼ 2 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

79.1%More adults treating high blood pressureMN 76.1% · better 11.1%More uninsured adultsMN 7.5% · worse

Care nearby

Windom Area HealthWindom · 11.2 mi · ER · rural critical access

Access Health - WindomWindom · 10.4 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 Mountain Lake · CMS · HRSAHealth in Mountain Lake →

Natural hazards in Mountain Lake

Low

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 27% of U.S. communities.

🥶 Cold waves🌊 Inland flooding🌪️ Tornadoes

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

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Mountain Lake →

Climate in Mountain Lake

Full climate →

Mountain Lake has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 6°, and about 44 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

26° / 10°Winter

55° / 35°Spring

80° / 59°Summer

58° / 37°Fall

How much snow does Mountain Lake get?About 44 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Oct 10, with the last in spring around Apr 30.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+1.1° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

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

Schools in Mountain Lake

All Mountain Lake schools →

School Grade B

The public schools Mountain Lake’s kids attend outperform 57% of Minnesota’s districts on state tests. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.

DistrictMOUNTAIN LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOLSSchools3

Mountain Lake Elementary C+Elementary · Grades PK–6 · 257 students Mountain Lake Secondary B+High · Grades 7–12 · 241 students Mountain Lake Christian SchoolOther · Grades PK–12 · 83 students

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