Faribault, Minnesota
10 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1953 and the latest in 1991. It stands in Faribault City. It lies in ZIP code area 55021. It stands on Straight River. The Survey maps it on the Faribault quadrangle. 24,453 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 994 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in Faribault
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 12 of 45 shown
Administration Building-Girls' Dormitory, Minnesota School for the Deaflisted 1986
W. Roby Allen Oral Home Schoollisted 1990
Batchelder's Blocklisted 1990
Berry, Frank A., and Elizabeth, Houselisted 1990
Blind Department Building and Dow Hall, State School for the Blind
Cassius Buck Houselisted 1982
Thomas Scott Buckham Memorial Librarylisted 1982
Carufel, Louis, and E. LaRose, Houselisted 1990
Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviourlisted 1979
Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour and Guild House (Boundary Increase)listed 1982
Chapel of the Good Sheperdlisted 1975
Cole, Gordon, and Kate D. Turner, Houselisted 1990
Population over time
2 figuresFaribault grew from 23,352 to 24,453 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 23,352 | |
| 2020 | 24,453 | +1,101 (+5%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
7 surveys from 10 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1953 USGS Saint Paul quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1953 USGS St. Paul quadrangle1:250000
- 1959 USGS Saint Paul quadrangle1:250000
- 1959 USGS St. Paul quadrangle1:250000
- 1960 USGS Faribault quadrangle1:24000
- 1985 USGS Faribault quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
- 1991 USGS Faribault quadrangle1:24000
In the county-history sources
24,569 words on this townshipHistory of Rice County, published 1882 names this settlement in its chapter on Faribault City. These are the passages that mention it, exactly as the scans read.
The Faribault elevator was burned on the 10th of June, at a loss of !?65,000. It was built in the winter of 1865, was 52x162 feet, and had a storage capacity of 100,000 bushels. The losers were A. W. Pratt, Pratt and Eobinson. Hartford Brothers ife Tennaut, .T. D. Greene * Co., .lames Murphy, with numbers of farmers who lost from one to two hundred dollars worth each.
Passage source: History of Rice County, published 1882.
Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Winter were treated to a surprise silver weddmg on the 20th of January. They were married in Amherst, Massachusetts, on the 20th of January, 1856, Miss Harriet N. Kellogg being the name of the bride. Several who were present at the original wedding were here at the ipiarter century reunion, amimg them being Mrs. Levi Nutting, James A. Winter, and Mrs. E. N. Leavens.
Passage source: History of Rice County, published 1882.
Faribault was at first a town embracing perhaps a half of Cannon City, defined by an irregular line running diagonally across the original government township in a southeast and northwest direction. But, as elsewhere mentioned, it was finally, for the most part, restored to Cannon Cit-y, and three miles square was determined as the form and size of the city. In this way the government went on in an uneventful manner until the growing town began to realize that a city government was recjuired.
Passage source: History of Rice County, published 1882.
Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.
Read the whole chapter on Faribault City - it names this place 109 more 109 times.
Fires near this place
2 since 2004Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 2 fires within 5 miles of Faribault between 2004 and 2007, burning about 80 acres in total. None started naturally. 2 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Arson/incendiarism | 2 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 April 2007 | Arson/incendiarism | 20 acres | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 1 April 2004 | Arson/incendiarism | 60 acres | Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge | WOLF |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
7 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 7 workings within 5 miles of Faribault: 7 producers. All of them still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Dimension. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B H Heselton Ls Quarry | Stone, Dimension | Producer | ||
| Bauer Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| De Groat Pit & Mill | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Kielmeyer Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Maas Pit & Mill | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Solberg Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Swedberg Quarry | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Storms near this place
60 of 71 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Faribault in 71 storm reports between 1994 and 2026: 31 hail, 31 thunderstorm wind, 5 flash flood, 3 funnel cloud. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2012 | Flash Flood | Faribault | $100,000 | Heavy rainfall fell during the evening of May 2nd. Flooding was observed in the town of Faribault, especially in the southeast part of town where flood waters rose up to 5 feet in some residential areas. A local campground had flood waters close both their entrance and exit roads during the height of the storm. |
| June 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | $25,000 | The local emergency manager surveyed an area from mile east of Faribault, on Minnesota Highway 60, southeast to approximately near 260th St E and Irwin Ave. The NWS also surveyed this area. Several areas in this 7 mile stretch had trees blown down or snapped off. Some of the trees were 80 feet tall, and snapped off 5 feet above the ground. There were also numerous power lines blown down in this location. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | $10,000 | Power lines were blown down in the city of Faribault, Minnesota. |
| April 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | - | Large tree branch snapped on the southern side of the Faribault Golf Course. |
| August 2025 | Funnel Cloud | Faribault | - | There was a report of a funnel cloud southwest of Faribault relayed via HAM radio. |
| June 2025 | Flash Flood | Faribault | - | Street flooding in the 1500 block of 2nd Ave NW reported by county dispatch. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | - | A large tree was down and blocking a road. An 18 inch diameter branch fell onto a vehicle. |
| August 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | - | Multiple large trees down with some landing on power lines and resulting in power outages across north Faribault. |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | - | An eight inch diameter tree was blown down in Faribault. |
| July 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | - | There were numerous blown down large tree limbs on the southwest corner of County Road 45, and 250th street south of Faribault. |
| May 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | - | A few trees and power lines were blown down near Faribault. |
| May 2018 | Hail | Faribault | - | There was also a report of several small tree limbs blown down in Faribault. |
| September 2018 | Tornado (EF1) | Faribault | - | A NWS storm survey, plus areal footage of drone and satellite data, concluded that an EF1 tornado tracked 9.1 miles from northeast of Medford, near the Rice, Steele County line, then northeast to just north of Highway 60 before lifting in a corn field. ||This tornado tracked mainly through corn and soy bean fields, but several homes, silos and grain bins were damaged, or destroyed along the tornado's path. The damage was consistent with EF1 damage with maximum wind speeds of 105 mph and a width of 500 yards. |
| August 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | - | A large tree was blown down in Faribault. |
| June 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | - | A large tree blew down in Faribault near 6th Street and 2nd Avenue. |
| June 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | - | A large two foot diameter tree was blown down in Faribault. |
| June 2014 | Hail | Faribault | - | There were several reports of large hail throughout the city of Faribault as it lasted for around 15 minutes. |
| June 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | - | A one foot diameter tree branch blew down in the Faribault downtown courtyard. |
| August 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | - | A two foot diameter tree was blown down across 4th Street and 2nd Avenue. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | - | A two foot diameter tree was blown down in Faribault, Minnesota. |
| August 2011 | Funnel Cloud | Faribault | - | A trained spotter reported a funnel cloud south of Faribault at the intersection of 230th and Albers Avenue. |
| June 2010 | Flash Flood | Faribault | - | Significant street flooding was reported in Faribault, Minnesota. Water was up to two foot in some locations, and covering major intersections. |
| August 2010 | Flash Flood | Faribault | - | Several inches of rain fell across a large portion of Rice County between 2 and 5 AM CST. Some areas in the town of Faribault, Minnesota had significant street flooding during the height of the storm. Some areas of Rice County measured between three and 4.50 inches of rainfall overnight. |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | - | Numerous large trees downed, some taking power line with them. Chimney blown over, then went through roof of building causing structural damage. Rubber roofing blown off roof. Few trees, (some about 2 feet in diameter), blown over onto homes, or vehicles. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | - | Downed trees and powerlines. Xcel Energy reported sixteen hundred customers lost power from about 9:30 AM to 10:28 AM. Information about the power outage supplied by Faribault Daily newspaper. |
| August 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | - | Roof blown off mobile home in Faribault; ten inch tree down beside Highway 60 east of Faribault. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | - | At least two trees and power lines were downed. One felled tree blocked Second Street Northeast and the top of the tree landed on a vehicle. A flag pole was also knocked down. |
| June 2005 | Hail | Faribault | - | Small branches were downed by nickel to quarter sized hail. |
| June 2005 | Hail | Faribault | - | Tree branches and leaves were downed by penny sized hail. |
| August 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | - | Tree branches were downed onto power lines north of town. |
| September 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | - | Hangars were damaged at the city airport. About 100 trees, some greater than 1 foot in diameter, were downed onto houses, power lines, yards, and cars across town. A gazebo on First Street NE was also destroyed. Many nature paths at River Bend Nature Center were blocked by downed trees. |
| September 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | - | Two boats on area lakes were flipped and lost. |
| September 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | - | Three inch diameter tree limbs were downed. |
| September 2005 | Flash Flood | Faribault | - | Up to three feet of water flowed across roads in town. |
| April 2004 | Hail | Faribault | - | Penny to half dollar sized hail fell. |
| June 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | - | A 4-foot diameter tree was downed onto a cabin. |
| July 2004 | Hail | Faribault | - | Dime to quarter sized hail fell in Faribault and at the fairgrounds just north of town. Gusty winds also damaged small tents at the fairgrounds. The time was estimated. |
| August 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | - | Scattered trees toppled. |
| August 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | - | Scattered trees snapped. |
| August 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | - | Several trees toppled. |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | - | Several semi trucks rolled over on Interstate 35. Roofs torn off, Barn and shed flattened. Silos, trees and power lines down. Tree fell through one house. Downburst was 3 miles long and 1/2 mile wide. |
| June 1998 | Hail | Faribault | - | Windshields broken. |
| July 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | - | Trees down across county per sheriffs department. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | - | Trees and small bldg blown down near Roberds Lake. Estimated windspeed. |
| July 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Faribault | - | Trees blown down. Estimated windspeed. |
| August 1994 | Hail | Faribault | - | Golfball size hail was reported just 2 miles west of Faribault. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Faribault | - | no account filed |
| April 2026 | Hail | Faribault | - | no account filed |
| April 2026 | Hail | Faribault | - | no account filed |
| April 2026 | Hail | Faribault | - | no account filed |
| August 2025 | Hail | Faribault | - | no account filed |
| August 2023 | Hail | Faribault | - | no account filed |
| August 2023 | Hail | Faribault | - | no account filed |
| August 2023 | Hail | Faribault | - | no account filed |
| April 2022 | Hail | Faribault | - | no account filed |
| March 2017 | Hail | Faribault | - | no account filed |
| May 2012 | Hail | Faribault | - | no account filed |
| June 2012 | Funnel Cloud | Faribault | - | no account filed |
| August 2011 | Hail | Faribault | - | no account filed |
| May 2007 | Hail | Faribault | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannon City | 3.9 miles | 11 | |
| Prairieville | 4.1 miles | 11 | |
| Ruskin | 6.0 miles | 11 | |
| Walcott | 6.2 miles | 9 | |
| Comus | 6.2 miles | 10 | |
| Warsaw | 7.3 miles | 10 | |
| Shieldsville | 8.9 miles | 12 | |
| Millersburg | 9.8 miles | 10 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Faribault | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q177861 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 643560. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.






