Welcome to Wadena ...
The city of Wadena is primarily located in Otter Tail County<1> and is the County Seat for Otter Tail County. A portion of Wadena extends into Wadena County.
The location of Wadena has been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (ie- the GNIS).<2>
The pronunciation of Wadena: wah-DEEN-uh<3>
While we don't have a date for the founding of Wadena, you might get a feel for it by knowing that during our research the earliest mention that we found (so far) was in a book dated 1895.
From the Census Estimates for 2019, Wadena has a population of 4,096 people<4> (see below for details).
Wadena is 1,340 feet [408 m] above sea level.<5>.
Time Zone: Wadena lies in the Central Time Zone (CST/CDT) and observes daylight saving time
Wadena is located in the (218) area code.
The ZIP code for Wadena: 56482<6>
Websites for Wadena ...
Official Website: www.wadena.org/
Population Details ...
Taken from the 2019 Census Estimates, Wadena had an population of 4,096 people. This is an increase of 0.2% since the 2010 Census (or a decrease of 4.61% since the 2000 Census).
At the time of the 2010 Census, Wadena had a population of 4,088 people (or 7.13% of the total population of Otter Tail County). This makes Wadena the county's most populous community.
The population of Wadena represents 0.08% of the total population of Minnesota (which has 5,303,925 people), making it the state's 165th most populous community.
With a 2010 count of 4,088 people, the population of Wadena decreased 4.8% from the 2000 Census (with a count of 4,294 people).
More information can be found on the Census Page for Wadena.
Communities Also Named Wadena ...
Using our Gazetteer, we found that there are two Minnesota communities named Wadena: This one is located in Otter Tail County and the other is located in Wadena County.
Beyond Minnesota, there are 5 communities that are also named Wadena - they are located in Indiana, Iowa, Oklahoma and Saskatchewan.
For more information, see our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Wadena.
Communities near Wadena ...
We have created a list of 10 communities that are near Wadena.
- Staples
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Staples have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Staples
- Staples is located in Todd County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 3,068 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Staples <7>
- New York Mills
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New York Mills
- New York Mills is located in Otter Tail County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,220 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for New York Mills <7>
- Henning
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the southwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Henning have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Henning
- Henning is located in Otter Tail County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 806 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Henning <7>
- Sebeka
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the north)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sebeka have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sebeka
- Sebeka is located in Wadena County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 668 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Sebeka <7>
- Verndale
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Verndale have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Verndale
- Verndale is located in Wadena County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 576 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Verndale <7>
- Eagle Bend
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eagle Bend have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eagle Bend
- Eagle Bend is located in Todd County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 518 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Eagle Bend <7>
- Bertha
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bertha have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bertha
- Bertha is located in Todd County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 481 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bertha <7>
- Deer Creek
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deer Creek
- Deer Creek is located in Otter Tail County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 321 people
- Hewitt
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south) - Bluffton
(5 miles [8 km] to the west)
To Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
We have a couple of sections for those tracing their genealogy.
We created a list of cemeteries that are in the area around Wadena. Our list includes the location of those cemeteries and we provide an overhead view. See our Cemetery List for Wadena.
Using the information from an 1895 Atlas, we've created a list of communities that were in the area of Wadena. Our list includes information such as whether the 1895 community had a post office or railroad service. See our List of 1890's Communities around Wadena.
We also have a detailed list of newspapers that have been published in the area around Wadena. See our Newspapers Page for Wadena.
TripAdvisor Tourism Pages for Wadena ...
Looking for more information about Wadena? A wonderful source is the TripAdvisor website. We always start with the TripAdvisor Tourism page, where you can read an overview with links that will help you find lodging, restaurants and attractions.
In addition to the Tourism page for Wadena, there are neighboring communities that also have Tourism pages. More information about those communities can be found on our TripAdvisor Page for Wadena.
Adding Wadena to Our Gazetteer ...
We originally found mention of Wadena in both the FIPS-55 and the GNIS. For more information, see the FIPS and GNIS Codes sections on our Miscellaneous Page.
From our notes, the earliest published mention we've found for Wadena was in the book titled Business Atlas and Shippers' Guide (1895).
For more details, see References and Mentions for Wadena.
Off-the-Road Links ...
The official website for Wadena: www.wadena.org/
The official website for Otter Tail County: www.co.otter-tail.mn.us/
The official website for State of Minnesota: https://mn.gov/
Footnotes ...
| <1> | If you're interested in how the shape of Minnesota's counties, including Otter Tail, have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. |
| <2> | The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required. |
| <3> | The pronunciation we've provided is our attempt to give a phonetic pronunciation for Wadena. While it might not be exactly right, hopefully it will be close. If we have it wrong or there's a better way to pronounce the name, please contact us through our Feedback Page. |
| <4> | Population counts have been provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. For more detail, please visit our Census Page for Wadena. |
| <5> | The elevation is an estimate for the area around Wadena - it will be higher in some places and lower in others. |
| <6> | ZIP Codes have been created by the United States Postal Service (USPS) as a way of grouping addresses to make delivery more efficient. The boundaries of the ZIP Code can be changed, re-assigned, eliminated or overlapped with other ZIP Codes. So keep in mind that any given ZIP Code is only 'loosely' associated with a city (such as Wadena). When looking for a ZIP Code, whether Wadena or elsewhere, it's always best to check the website of the United States Postal Service (USPS). |
| <7> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |