Warroad, MN

Warroad is the only American city on Lake of the Woods, set on the lake's southwest shore at Muskeg Bay in Roseau County. About five miles of Canadian border lie north, Roseau is west, and Baudette is east along the same northern Minnesota corridor. The Warroad River reaches the lake here, and Minnesota State Highways 11 and 313 carry the town's road traffic. The 2020 census counted 1,830 residents. Long before the modern city, this was one of the largest Ojibwe villages on Lake of the Woods, with the river and lake serving as routes for fishing, hunting, and travel.

Warroad's present-day character comes from two unusually strong local threads: hockey and windows. The town's youth programs and long-running Lakers tradition have earned it the nickname Hockeytown USA, and hockey is woven into school and community routines. Marvin Windows and Doors is headquartered here and remains one of northern Minnesota's major employers. Lake of the Woods adds a working outdoor edge, with fishing, boating, and seasonal travel shaping the calendar. The result is a place where an arena, a factory, and a big border lake all sit inside the same small-town map.