Ely, Minnesota

Ely
City
Location of the city of Ely within Saint Louis County, Minnesota
Coordinates: 47°54′8″N 91°51′21″W / 47.90222°N 91.85583°W / 47.90222; -91.85583
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
County	Saint Louis
Area [1]
• Total	2.93 sq mi (7.59 km2)
• Land	2.92 sq mi (7.57 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation [2]	1,434 ft (437 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,268
• Density	1,117.65/sq mi (431.51/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Code	55731
Area code	218
FIPS code	27-19142[3]
GNIS feature ID	0661205[2]
Website	www.ely.mn.us

Ely (/ˈiːli/ EE-lee)^[4] is a city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,268 at the 2020 census.^[5]

Located on the Vermilion iron range, Ely once had several iron ore mines. It is an entry point for campers and canoers into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Canada's Quetico Provincial Park wilderness area. The International Wolf Center and the North American Bear Center are nearby.

Ely's main street has nature outfitters, outdoor clothing stores, and restaurants. State Highway 1 (MN 1), State Highway 169 (MN 169) and County Road 21 (Central Avenue) are Ely's main routes. The city is 16 mi (26 km) south of the Canada–United States border and is within the Superior National Forest.