Rochester, Minnesota

City of Rochester
Downtown Rochester reflected in Silver Lake
Downtown Rochester reflected in Silver Lake
Flag of City of Rochester
Flag
Olmsted County Minnesota Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Rochester Highlighted.svg
Coordinates:
Country United States
State Minnesota
County Olmsted
Founded 1854
Government
 - Mayor Ardell Brede
Area
 - Total 39.8 sq mi (103.0 km²)
 - Land 39.6 sq mi (102.6 km²)
 - Water 0.1 sq mi (0.4 km²)  0.35%
Elevation 1,317 ft (312 m)
Population (July 1, 2007)
 - Total 99,121
 - Density 2,454.3/sq mi (947.3/km²)
Time zone CST (UTC-6)
 - Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes 55901, 55902, 55903, 55904, 55906
Area code(s) 507
FIPS code 27-54880[1]
GNIS feature ID 0650180[2]
Website: www.rochestermn.gov

Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, it is perhaps best known as the home of Mayo Clinic and is also home to one of IBM's largest facilities. The city was estimated to have population of 99,121 as of July 1, 2007,[3] making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington Metropolitan Statistical Area. The Rochester Metropolitan Statistical Area, consisting of Olmsted, Dodge, and Wabasha counties, had an estimated population of 179,573 in 2006.[4] The city has long been a fixture on Money magazine's "Best Places to Live" index, and is ranked number 67 on the 2006 list.[5].

Contents

History

The area was home to nomadic Sioux, Ojibwa, and Winnebago tribes of Native Americans. In 1851, the Sioux ceded the land to Minnesota Territory in the treaties of Traverse des Sioux and Mendota. In 1853, the treaties were concluded by politician Michael Fedor, opening the land for settlement. Rochester was founded by George Head in 1854, his claim part of what is now the city's business district.[6] Originally from Rochester, New York, Head had settled in Waukesha, Wisconsin before moving west to Minnesota. He named the village on the South Fork of the Zumbro River after his New York hometown, and built a log cabin his family operated as Head's Tavern. By 1856, the population had grown to 50; and by 1858, it was 1,500. The Territorial Legislature created Olmsted County on February 20, 1855, with Rochester named county seat in 1857. Rochester developed as a stagecoach stop between Saint Paul, Minnesota, and Dubuque, Iowa. When the railroad arrived in the 1860s, it brought new residents and business opportunities. In 1863, Dr. William W. Mayo arrived as the examining surgeon for draftees in the Civil War.

On August 21, 1883, the Great Tornado demolished much of Rochester, leaving thirty-seven dead and several thousand wounded. There was no medical facility at the time, so Dr. Mayo and his two sons worked together to care for the wounded. $60,000 in donations were collected and the Sisters of St. Francis, assisted by Dr. Mayo, opened a new facility named St. Marys Hospital in 1889.[7] The Mayo practice grew and is today among the largest and most well-respected medical facilities in the world. Many famous people from around the world, including former Presidents George H.W. Bush, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan, and King Hussein of Jordan, have visited Rochester as patients of the Mayo Clinic.

City flag

In 1980 a competition was held to design a flag for the city of Rochester. Nearly 200 flag proposal entries were submitted to the citizen flag selection committee.[8] The design submitted by Laurie A. Muir, a fine arts student at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, was selected for the official city flag by the Rochester City Council at a council meeting on June 16, 1980.[9] Muir designed the flag with a white circle on a royal blue background, as a historical reference to the original Flag of Minnesota, which actually has a medium blue background. To represent the city's main industry, the flag design includes a city landscape in the background showing the main building of the Mayo Clinic, along with the Plummer Building, a U.S. National Historic Landmark. Another major employer, IBM is represented by a computer-styled font for the lettering. In the foreground is a blue lake representing Rochester's Silver Lake, an artificial lake in Rochester created by a dam and used to cool the electrical generating power plant. Because the power plant produces enough heat to keep the lake from freezing in the winter, Canada geese stay in Rochester year round. This is represented by the three Canada geese flying over the city on the flag. The first official flag was presented to its designer in a ceremony held at the Rochester Public Library on August 19, 1980. Making the presentation was City Council President Dick Postier and Mayor Chuck Hazama.[10] The center image from the flag is currently used as a logo in various renditions by city departments.

Geography

Downtown Rochester along the South Fork of the Zumbro River.

Rochester lies along the South Fork of the Zumbro River. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 39.8 square miles (103.0 km²) - 39.6 square miles (102.6 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (0.35%) is water.

Rochester is in Olmsted County, one of only four counties in Minnesota without a natural lake. Artificial lakes exist in the area, including Silver Lake, a dammed portion of the South Fork Zumbro River just below the convergence with Silver Creek near the city center. The lake was used as a cooling pond for the nearby electrical power plant for many years, although the amount of water used for this purpose has been significantly reduced. Heated water in the lake generally prevents it from freezing over even during Minnesota winters, attracting migrating giant Canada geese, which have become symbols of the city.

A major flood in 1978 led the city to embark on an expensive flood-control project that involved altering many nearby rivers and streams.

Minnesota is in the Central Standard Time (CST -6:00 GMT) zone and central daylight time.

Climate

Below is a table of average high and low temperatures throughout the year in Rochester.


Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Avg high °F (°C) 20 (-7) 26 (-3) 39 (4) 55 (13) 68 (20) 77 (25) 80 (27) 78 (26) 69 (21) 57 (14) 39 (4) 24 (-4)
Avg low temperature °F (°C) 4 (-16) 11 (-12) 23 (-5) 35 (2) 46 (8) 56 (13) 60 (16) 58 (14) 49 (9) 37 (3) 24 (-4) 10 (-12)

Demographics

Downtown as seen from the Rochester Art Center.

The 2000 census[1] counted 85,806 people, 34,116 households, and 21,493 families in Rochester. The population density was 2,166.3 people per square mile (836.4/km²). There were 35,346 housing units at an average density of 892.4/sq mi (344.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.7% White, 4.3% African American, 6.3% Asian, 3.0% Hispanic, 1.8% from two or more races, 1.9% from other races, 0.6% Native American, and 0.1% Pacific Islander.

Of the 34,116 households, 32.6% had children under the age of 18, 51.8% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.0% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.06.

Population is spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $49,090, and the median income for a family was $60,754. Males had a median income of $40,380 versus $30,136 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,811. About 4.7% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Downtown Rochester seen from the Mayo Clinic.

The Mayo Clinic forms the core of Rochester's economy, employing nearly a third of the city's population and drawing over 2 million visitors to the city each year.[11] The clinic's many facilities, along with hotels, restaurants and retail stores, comprise nearly all of the city's downtown. Other care providers, including the Rochester Federal Medical Center, are significant employers.

IBM's Rochester campus is one of the company's most important manufacturing centers. It produces the System i series,[12] was home to the first Blue Gene prototype, and contributed the servers for Roadrunner.[13]

The economy of Rochester is also influenced by the agricultural nature of the region. Seneca Foods has a processing plant in Rochester, and multiple dairy producers are active in the area.

Transportation

Rochester offers a skyway system, subterranean walkways (called the "subway" system), buses, car rentals, and airport shuttles.

Subway/Skyway - Rochester has climate controlled skyway and underground walkways known as subways. Downtown businesses, hotels, shops and dining are all accessible without having to step outdoors in the winter. A variety of shops and businesses are also located along the underground subways and skyways. The skyway and subway wheelchair accessibility is useful for patients of the Mayo Clinic.

Limousine Service The main company for VIP transportation is Med city Limousines [1] ] Bus Line - Rochester’s city-owned bus line connects many attractions, hotels, meeting facilities and major industries. It also provides commuter services for a number of surrounding communities.

Taxi Service - There are two taxi companies in Rochester. Med City Cab co.services the Mayo Clinic and surrounding areas and there is also RTS transportation.

Airport - Rochester International Airport is located eight miles (13 km) south of downtown Rochester and is accessible via Highway 63. Taxis and airport shuttles provide service between the airport and the city’s business centers. The airport features two runways and service terminals operated by American Airlines and Northwest Airlines. A large FedEx terminal, small DHL station and general aviation terminal are also on-site. The airport services flights from all over the world connected through American Eagle (American Airlines) and Northwest Airlines. The Rochester Airport Company (RAC) operates the airport, and is currently under an operating agreement with the City of Rochester. While RAC is a private company, the Mayo Clinic of Rochester oversees it, and has heavy influence at the airport (as noticed by the similarity of signs throughout the airport compared to the signs throughout the Mayo complex).

Many people traveling to Rochester use the Minneapolis St. Paul International (MSP) airport which is about 80 miles north of Rochester. Ground transportation is available between the MSP airport and Rochester from Go Rochester Direct.

As in most American cities, the primary mode of transportation in Rochester and the surrounding area is the automobile. The city is served by three U.S. highways (U.S. 14, U.S. 52, and U.S. 63), and the southern edge of Rochester is skirted by Interstate Highway 90 and State Highway 30.

Freight railroad service to and through the city is provided by the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad. Passenger trains by Amtrak service the area with a station in Winona which is about 45 miles East of Rochester and a van shuttle service is available from Go Carefree Shuttle.

Government

Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede reading a proclaimation.

The incumbent mayor of Rochester is Ardell Brede.

Rochester is located in Minnesota's 1st congressional district, represented by Mankato educator Tim Walz, a Democrat.

Education

The city is home to Rochester Community and Technical College, Winona State University-Rochester and a branch of St. Mary's University, co-located at a campus in southeast Rochester. In 2007, University of Minnesota Rochester became an official University of Minnesota campus. The campus is located downtown at University Square - 111 S. Broadway.

Rochester is also home to a branch of Cardinal Stritch University, Crossroads College (a four-year nondenominational Christian college) and Minnesota School of Business & Globe University (a private career college offering bachelor's and associate degree programs in business, health science, information technology, and legal science).

Graduate education is available through The Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, the research and education component of Mayo Clinic. The College of Medicine comprises Mayo Medical School, Mayo Graduate School, Mayo School of Continuing Medical Education, Mayo School of Health Sciences, and the Mayo Clinic Residency and Fellowship programs.

High schools

There are seven high schools in Rochester:

Sites of interest

Corn water tower being repainted.

Sports and recreation

Sports

Parks and recreation

Rochester has a network of bike and pedestrian paths.

Biking/Hiking Trails - There are many opportunities to enjoy running, hiking, inline skating, biking or walking throughout the city of Rochester. The city offers more than 60 miles (97 km) of city trails, all paved.

The Root River and Douglas State Trails combine for nearly 55 miles (89 km) in the near Rochester area. Developed on historic railroad passages, the trails provide rural scenery, with a combination of paved and unpaved surfaces for wheels, hooves and shoes. The Douglas Trail gently travels through a mix of forest and rolling fields, while the Root River Trail gives views of the soaring limestone bluffs of the Root River Valley. The latter was newly paved in 1999 and features a choice of less and more challenging areas. The Harmony-Preston Valley State Trail contributes 18 additional miles of trail, connecting with the Root River system. All state trails have convenient parking lots with rest facilities.

Quarry Hill Nature Center offers more than five miles (8 km) of trails covering 270 acres (1.1 km2). Like the state trails, Quarry Hill’s system links with the City Trail System.

There is a large park system in Rochester, with more than 100 sites covering 5 square miles (13 km²). There are several golf courses, including 2 disc golf courses, among many other athletic facilities.

Arts and entertainment

Mayowood Mansion c. 1914

Rochester Civic Music, presented by the City of Rochester, features free live music in their “Down By the Riverside” outdoor summer concert series. Artists have included Joan Baez, Three Dog Night, Peter Fischer, The Marshall Tucker Band, J. Daniel Aderton, and local acts. Concerts are held Sunday evenings at Mayo Park behind Mayo Civic Center along the Zumbro River. RiversideLive! and Cabaret Riverside are also presented by the City as a ticketed indoor concert series held from September to May. Additional publicly funded music entertainment includes the annual Youth Concert featuring the Southeastern Minnesota Youth Orchestra and Honors Choir of Southeastern Minnesota.

Each August, the Olmsted County Fair features a variety of musical entertainment, and the 1st Avenue Street Market & Concert Series highlights local musicians throughout the summer season. Among other seasonal entertainment options, four gardens in the Hawthorn Hills Neighborhood host the Rochester Orchestra and Chorale’s Annual Musical Garden Tour presented by the Eden Garden Club, featuring local music ensembles.

A variety of Rochester nightspots, restaurants and other venues provide free music and entertainment. Dunn Bros Coffee, the Redwood Room historic lounge, Shar’s Country Palace & Bar, CJ’s Midtown Lounge, and Whistle Binkies Old World Pub regularly feature musicians and DJs with no cover charge. The Plummer Building in downtown Rochester, Michelson Franchising, Leo’s Pizza Palace, Philbrick Fillibuster, the Calvary Episcopal Church, the Chateau Theatre, the Rochester Public Library, and the VFW hall are also venues for free concerts, including bands, carillon bells, movies, magicians, Emily's Film Studios of Greed, John's left pectoral, and other performances.

For five years running, Rochester has been labelled "America's finest city for Newlyweds".

Media

Newspaper

The city newspaper is the Post-Bulletin, an afternoon paper which publishes six days a week (no Sundays). Papers from the Twin Cities area are available as well. The city magazine is the monthly Rochester Magazine [2].

Television

There are two television stations based in Rochester, KTTC channel 10 (NBC) and KXLT-TV channel 47 (FOX). Both TV stations share studios as part of a special agreement between Quincy Newspapers and Shockley Broadcasting. KAAL channel 6 (ABC) in Austin, Minnesota and KIMT [3] channel 3 (CBS) in Mason City, Iowa are among the stations that serve the market. The Rochester stations put a focus on Rochester area news, while KAAL and KIMT emphasize Austin and Mason City news, respectively.

Rochester is on the fringe of the broadcast area of many Twin Cities radio and television stations, as well as the La Crosse and Eau Clare TV & Radio markets. Many local over the air viewers have reported regular and reliable reception of these markets. [4]

Radio

FM Radio
AM radio
NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards
Internet Radio

TV stations

Notable residents

Old Central Fire Station about 1910

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  2. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  3. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates
  4. "Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008 (CBSA-EST2006-01)" (CSV). 2006 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division (2007-04-05). Retrieved on 2007-12-30.
  5. Best Places to Live, Money Magazine, 2006, http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2006/top100/index3.html, retrieved on 2007-12-16 
  6. "History of Rochester". City of Rochester, MN.
  7. "Tornado Strikes Rochester". Mayo Foundation for Medical and Educational Research.
  8. "City Flag Entries Narrowed to 10" (fee required), Rochester Post-Bulletin, p. 6 date=1980-06-04. .
  9. Freeberg, Ron. "Official Rochester Flag Chosen" (fee required), Rochester Post-Bulletin, p. 1 date=1980-06-17. .
  10. "Designer Receives 1st Official City Flag" (fee required), Rochester Post-Bulletin, p. 1 date=1980-08-20. .
  11. City-Data, Rochester: Economy
  12. IBM, Rochester profile
  13. TOP500 Supercomputing Sites, Roadrunner

External links