The boundary line between Lake and Saint Louis counties is nearby. Knife River is located 8 miles southwest of the city of Two Harbors. The community is located between Duluth and Two Harbors on the North Shore Scenic Drive ( County 61), at the mouth of the Knife River, from which it gets its name.

Knife River is an unincorporated community in Lake County, Minnesota, United States located on the North Shore of Lake Superior.