St. Cloud, Minnesota
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| St. Cloud, Minnesota | |
| Nickname: The Granite City | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Minnesota |
| Counties | Stearns, Benton & Sherburne |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Dave Kleis |
| Area | |
| - City | 30.9 sq mi (80.1 km²) |
| - Land | 30.2 sq mi (78.1 km²) |
| - Water | 0.8 sq mi (2.0 km²) |
| Population (2005) | |
| - City | 64,232 |
| - Density | 1,959.9/sq mi (756.7/km²) |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) |
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Website: http://ci.stcloud.mn.us/ | |
St. Cloud (IPA: [seɪnt'klaʊd]) is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is a major place in the state's central region. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 59,107. It is the county seat of Stearns County6. Although mainly located in Stearns County, the city extends into Benton County and Sherburne County. The population in 2005 is estimated to be 64,232, broken down: 6726 in Benton County, 6629 in Sherburne County, and 50,877 in Stearns County. [1] It is the main city of a small metropolitan area, with Waite Park, Sauk Rapids, Sartell, Rockville, and St. Augusta directly bordering the city, and others such as Kimball, Clearwater, Clear Lake, St. Joseph, and Cold Spring nearby. The Mississippi River flows through the city.
St. Cloud is 65 miles northwest of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area along Interstate 94, U.S. Highway 10, and State Highway 23. It is sometimes considered to be part of the Twin Cities region, and the media markets for the two areas overlap. A commuter rail line running from the Twin Cities known as the Northstar Corridor will reach the city in a second phase.
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[edit] History
The City of St. Cloud was incorporated in 1856. It developed from three distinct settlements, known as Upper Town, Middle Town and Lower Town that were established beginning in 1853[2] The remnants of deep ravines that separated the three are still visible today. Middle Town was settled primarily by Catholic German-Americans, who were attracted to the region by Father Francis Xavier Pierz.
Lower Town was founded by settlers from New England and the mid-Atlantic states. Upper Town, or Arcadia, was platted by General Sylvanus Lowry, a slave-holding Southerner from Kentucky.
Lowry battled Abolitionist newspaper editor Jane Grey Swisshelm. At one point Swisshelm's newspaper office was broken into and the press thrown into the Mississippi river. St. Cloud's experience with slavery was brief. Lowry left St.Cloud when the Civil War broke out, and died in 1865.
Minnesota had previously been organized as a territory in 1849. The area had been opened to legal ownership by non-Native Americans following treaty negotiations with the Winnebago tribe in 1851 and 1852.
St. Cloud was named after Saint-Cloud, the Paris suburb, by John Wilson, a Maine native with French Huguenot ancestry. Wilson would later relate that his decision to name the town was drawn from his interest in Napoleon, whose favorite palace was located in Saint-Cloud.
In its early years it was a major trading post and transportation hub for oxcarts on the Pembina Trail between Saint Paul and Winnipeg. Steamboats once docked at St. Cloud, although river levels were not reliable. Granite quarries have operated in the area since the 1880s, leading to the the nickname, "The Nitty Gritty Granite City."
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 80.1 km² (30.9 mi²). 78.1 km² (30.2 mi²) of it is land and 2.0 km² (0.8 mi²) of it (2.62%) is water.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high °F (°C) | 19 (-7) | 26 (-3) | 38 (3) | 55 (13) | 69 (21) | 77 (25) | 82 (28) | 79 (26) | 69 (21) | 56 (13) | 37 (3) | 23 (-5) |
| Avg low temperature °F (°C) | -1 (-18) | 7 (-14) | 19 (-7) | 32 (0) | 44 (7) | 53 (12) | 58 (14) | 55 (13) | 46 (8) | 34 (1) | 20 (-7) | 5 (-15) |
[edit] Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 59,107 people, 22,652 households, and 12,254 families residing in the city. The population density was 756.7/km² (1,959.9/mi²). There were 23,249 housing units at an average density of 297.6/km² (770.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.75% White, 2.37% African American, 0.72% Native American, 3.11% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.58% from other races, and 1.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.33% of the population.
There were 22,652 households out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.9% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.8% under the age of 18, 24.1% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 17.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 101.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,346, and the median income for a family was $50,460. Males had a median income of $33,670 versus $23,759 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,769. About 5.0% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Sites of interest
- Cathedral of Saint Mary, the largest church serving the oldest parish in the community, built in the 1920s in the Italian Romanesque style.
- The St. Cloud Central Business District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. St. Cloud is a Preserve America Community.
- Great River Regional Library, a six-county regional system serving 32 communities.
- Munsinger Gardens and Clemens Gardens, extensive flower gardens dating from the 1930s. See Munsinger Clemons Botanical Society.
- Quarry Park, a unique public park that features 20 granite quarries, hiking, biking and ski trails. Part of the Stearns County park system.
- Paramount Theatre and Visual Arts Center, restored 1,700 seat theater, built in 1921.
- Stearns County History Museum, two floors of exhibits, research area, museum store and 100 acre nature park. The only county museum in Minnesota accredited by the American Association of Museums.
- St. Cloud Civic Center, 100,000 square foot meeting center overlooking the Mississippi River.
- St. Cloud Regional Airport, providing scheduled commercial jet passenger service, private, corporate, cargo and military operations.
- St. Cloud State University, with 16,000 students including international students from 84 countries.
- St. Cloud Technical College, a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System.
[edit] Media
The main newspaper is the St. Cloud Times. ion (previously PAX) network affiliate KPXM (channel 41) is licensed to serve the city, though the signal also covers the Twin Cities region. It carries a lot of news programming from Minneapolis-St. Paul station KARE (channel 11), which has a marketing agreement with channel 41. Radio stations include:
- WBHR 660 AM "The Bear" (sports), Tri-County Broadcasting
- WVAL 800 AM (classic country), Tri-County Broadcasting
- WJON 1240 AM (news/talk), Regent Communications
- KXSS 1390 AM (sports), Regent Communications (affiliated with KFAN-AM)
- KNSI 1450 AM (news/talk), Leighton Broadcasting
- KVSC 88.1 FM (college radio), St. Cloud State University
- K208DV 89.5 "Air 1" (Contemporary Christian music), Educational Media Foundation
- KNSR 88.9 FM (news/talk), Minnesota Public Radio
- KSJR 90.1 FM (classical music), Minnesota Public Radio
- KCFB 91.5 FM "Spirit 92.9" (Christian radio), Minnesota Christian Broadcasters
- KKJM 92.9 FM (Contemporary Christian music), Gabriel Communications
- KMXK 94.9 FM "Mix 94.9" (Adult Contemporary), Regent Communications
- KKSR 96.7 FM "KISS 96" (Top 40), Regent Communications
- WWJO 98.1 FM "98 Country" (country music), Regent Communications
- KZPK 98.9 FM "Wild Country 99" (country music), Leighton Broadcasting
- KCML 99.9 FM "Lite 99.9" (Adult Contemporary), Leighton Broadcasting
- WHMH 101.7 FM "Rockin' 101" (active rock), Tri-County Broadcasting
- KLZZ 103.7 FM "The Loon" (classic rock), Regent Communications
- KCLD 104.7 FM (Top 40), Leighton Broadcasting
Minnesota Public Radio began in nearby Collegeville at St. John's University.
[edit] Politics
St. Cloud is in Minnesota's 6th congressional district and is currently represented by Michele Bachmann (R).
[edit] Sister cities
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Minnesota population estimates: number and characteristics of the current population. Minnesota Department of Administration. Retrieved on November 14, 2006.
- ^ 3 Towns Into 1 City, A Narrative Record of Significant Factors in The Story Of St. Cloud Minnesota.
[edit] External links
- St. Cloud official city website
- St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce
- St. Cloud Daily Times
- Public School District 742
- St. Cloud Symphony Orchestra, performing concerts since 1975.
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
