Walk or ride the Heartland Trail
The paved Detroit Lakes to Frazee extension offers 7.5 miles for a walk, jog, or bike ride through the lakes area.
Heartland trail map and detailsDetroit Lakes reference page
Detroit Lakes housing and community facts.
Get to know the lakes, trails, golf, and outdoor experiences that make life here enjoyable, alongside a practical snapshot of Detroit Lakes housing and community facts.
Recreation added October 31, 2026. Housing data updated October 27, 2026; reporting periods vary.
Life around the lakes
More ways to enjoy your days.
Choose a lakeside afternoon, a wooded walk, or a round of golf. There is plenty to explore around Detroit Lakes.
See the Detroit Lakes location mapHike at Dunton Locks
Explore wooded trails beside Lake Sallie and Muskrat Lake, with fishing piers and picnic shelters. Winter brings cross-country skiing on the park’s trails.
Dunton Locks County ParkTake a nature break
Walk through grasslands and look for wildlife at the Detroit Lakes Wetland Management District. The easy, 1.5-mile Headquarters Trail starts near 1732 North Tower Road.
Trail details and accessMake time for golf
Explore Wildflower Golf Course outside Detroit Lakes, or enjoy a shorter round at Fair Hills Resort’s public executive nine-hole course across the highway.
Wildflower and Fair Hills golfSpend a day by the lake
City Beach stretches along Little Detroit Lake on West Lake Drive, with public swimming, boat accesses, a fishing pier, and adjacent City Park.
City Beach and public accessFind art along the trail
Ortenstone Gardens & Sculpture Park brings walking trails and outdoor art together, including Barefoot Frida, one of the Detroit Lakes trolls. Admission is free.
Explore Ortenstone GardensThese are public destinations in the Detroit Lakes area, separate from The Reserve. Check each destination for seasonal access, conditions, hours, and any fees.
At a glance
The numbers behind the everyday.
These figures describe the city, not a promise about any individual home, neighborhood, or future result.
10,025
residents
Detroit Lakes' estimated population in the 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey period.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 to 20244,455
households
Households reported for Detroit Lakes in the 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey period.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 to 20245,137
housing units
Total housing units reported in the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
U.S. Census Bureau, 202456.1%
owner occupied
Share of occupied homes that were owner occupied in the 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey period.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 to 2024$265,800
median home value
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, expressed in 2024 dollars.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 to 2024$1,636
median monthly owner cost
Median selected monthly owner costs for homes with a mortgage, expressed in 2024 dollars.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 to 202414.2 min.
mean commute
Mean travel time to work for workers age 16 and older in the 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey period.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 to 20243,067 acres
Detroit Lake surface area
Reported surface area for Detroit Lake in the Minnesota lake risk assessment.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 2014Sources and methodology
Built to be easy to check and cite.
Most housing, household, value, and commute figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's Detroit Lakes QuickFacts profile, using its cited 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey period. The lake figure comes from a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources assessment published in 2014.
- U.S. Census Bureau: Detroit Lakes city, Minnesota QuickFacts
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: Detroit Lake risk assessment
Suggested citation
“Detroit Lakes Housing and Community Facts.” The Reserve at Providence Lakes, updated October 27, 2026, providencelakesmn.com/detroit-lakes-housing-facts.
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