Brainerd, Minnesota

Brainerd, Minnesota
Location within Crow Wing County
Brainerd
Location within Minnesota
Brainerd
Location within the United States
Coordinates: 46°21′29″N 94°12′03″W / 46.35806°N 94.20083°W / 46.35806; -94.20083
CountryUnited States
StateMinnesota
CountyCrow Wing
Founded1870
IncorporatedMarch 6, 1873
Government
 • MayorDave Badeaux
Area
 • Total
12.82 sq mi (33.21 km2)
 • Land12.13 sq mi (31.42 km2)
 • Water0.69 sq mi (1.79 km2)  5.78%
Elevation
1,217 ft (371 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
14,395
 • Estimate 
(2022)
14,580
 • Density1,187/sq mi (458.2/km2)
DemonymBrainerdier
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
56401
Area code218
FIPS code27-07300
GNIS feature ID2394238
WebsiteOfficial website

Brainerd (/ˈbrnərd/ BRAY-nərd) is a city in and the county seat of Crow Wing County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was 14,395 at the 2020 census. Brainerd straddles the Mississippi River several miles upstream from its confluence with the Crow Wing River, having been founded as a site for a railroad crossing above the confluence.

The Brainerd micropolitan area includes Cass and Crow Wing counties and had a population of 96,189 at the 2020 census. The city is well known for being the partial setting of the 1996 film Fargo.