Bemidji, Minnesota

Bemidji (/bəˈmɪdʒiː/ bə-MIJ-ee) is a city in Beltrami County (and county seat), in north west Minnesota, United States. With a population of 13,431 at the 2010 census, it is the largest commercial center between Grand Forks, North Dakota and Duluth, Minnesota. Bemidji houses many Native American services, which includes the Indian Health Service. The city is the central hub of the Red Lake Indian Reservation, White Earth Indian Reservation and the Leech Lake Indian Reservation. Bemidji lies on the south west shore of Lake Bemidji, the northernmost lake feeding the Mississippi River and as such is deemed "the first city on the Mississippi." Bemidji is also called the "curling capital" of the U.S.