Elk River is a city and the county seat of Sherburne County, Minnesota, United States, about 34 miles northwest of Minneapolis. It is at the confluence of the Mississippi and Elk Rivers. The population was 25,835 at the 2020 census, making Elk River the second-largest city in the Central Minnesota region after St. Cloud. U.S. Highways 10 and 169 and State Highway 101 are three of the main routes in Elk River. Elk River is 33.2 miles northwest of Minneapolis and 37.4 miles southeast of St. Cloud.