Spirit Lake is considered the gateway to the Iowa Great Lakes region. This small but vibrant city is located in northwestern Iowa, less than 10 miles from the Minnesota state border and 100 miles east of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.The town, founded in 1879, derives its name from the Dakota Sioux word for the large lake to the north – “Minnewaukon” or “Lake of the Spirit.” Easily accessible by car, Spirit Lake, Iowa, sits at the cross-section of Interstates 71 and 9.