Chief is a township in Mahnomen County, Minnesota, home to about 128 people across 35 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 56516 and 56557.
Homes sold for a median of $82 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Bejou City; part is in Chief
Mostly Mahnomen; part is in Chief
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Chief. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Chief’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP)213 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Thief River Falls Regional Airport (TVF)51 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Minneapolis, MN207 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL555 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Chief; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Chief had 176 residents in the 2020 census, up 33% since 2000.
It’s the 2202nd largest of 2,727 towns in Minnesota by population.
Mahnomen County grew from 3,249 residents in 1910 to 5,411 in 2020.
Mahnomen County, 1910–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 79°F in summer, and winter lows average -2°F. About 26.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Mahnomen, MN weather station (4 miles away).
1,458 jobs at 98 businesses in Mahnomen County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
23 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Chief’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 14 |
|---|---|
| Physical and occupational therapists | 6 |
| Optometrists | 2 |
| Chiropractors | 1 |
| Pharmacies | 1 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Grocery stores
Libraries
Counts are within about 4 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Mahnomen Public School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mahnomen ElementaryMahnomen | Pre-K–6 | 319 | Public | 4.4 mi |
| Mahnomen Area Learning CenterMahnomen | 6–12 | 43 | Alternative Education | 4.4 mi |
| Mahnomen SecondaryMahnomen | 7–12 | 312 | Public | 4.4 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Michael's SchoolMahnomen | Pre-K–6 | 33 | Roman Catholic | 4.5 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Mahnomen, Pembina, Twin Lakes Township (Mahnomen County), Bejou City, La Garde, Rosedale, Beaulieu, Marsh Creek, Bejou Township, Gregory, Bear Park and Clover Township (Mahnomen County).
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.