Babbitt

History

The city grew out of the formation of a taconite mine built by Armco and Republic Steel starting in 1944. The company town was built near the eastern edge of the Mesabi Iron Range. The city of Silver Bay was built simultaneously along Lake Superior (60 miles to the southeast), and connected by train, for transportation of iron ore to cities along the Great Lakes. Babbitt is named after Judge Kurnal R. Babbitt of New York City. Judge Babbitt, who died on February 15, 1920, was general counsel for and a director of several mining companies. Before removing to New York in 1908, he practiced law in Colorado at Aspen, Cripple Creek and Colorado Springs.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of ; is land and is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  216
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  176
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  171
• Red-breasted Nuthatch

  Sitta canadensis Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  167
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  166
• White-throated Sparrow

  Zonotrichia albicollis (J.F.Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  165
• Red-eyed Vireo

  Vireo olivaceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  129
• Ovenbird

  Seiurus aurocapilla (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  124

Most recent

• M 2.8 — 2026-07-02
  11 km NNE of Parkville, Minnesota
• M 2.5 — 2026-06-05
  5 km NW of Biwabik, Minnesota
• M 3.3 — 2026-04-30
  3 km SW of Babbitt, Minnesota
• M 2.6 — 2025-08-06
  6 km NW of Mountain Iron, Minnesota
• M 2.7 — 2025-07-02
  4 km NW of Leonidas, Minnesota
• M 2.6 — 2025-03-27
  4 km NNE of Virginia, Minnesota