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Monticello, Minnesota

16 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1953 and the latest in 1991. It stands in Monticello City. It lies in ZIP code area 55362. It stands on Otter Creek. The Survey maps it on the Monticello quadrangle. 14,455 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 925 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Monticello within Wright County

On record in Monticello

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 4 records

Population over time

2 figures

Monticello grew from 12,759 to 14,455 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.

YearPeople Change
201012,759
202014,455+1,696 (+13%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

10 surveys from 16 printed sheets

Matched 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.

In the county-history sources

5,017 words on this township

History of Wright County, Minnesota Volume II, published 1915 names this settlement in its chapter on Monticello City. These are the passages that mention it, exactly as the scans read.

Monticello is an irregular shaped township on the Mississippi river in the northeastern part of the county. It embraces township 121, range 25, fractional township 122, range 25, and the west fractional half of township 121, range 24. It is bounded on the north by the Mississippi river, on the east by Otsego township, on the south by Frankfort and Buffalo townships, and on the west by Maple Lake and Silver Creek townships.

Passage source: History of Wright County, Minnesota Volume II, published 1915.

The surface is nearly level and slightly rolling, not hilly or broken. About one-half of the town was originally prairie, the remainder brush land and timber. When the first settlers came there was more prairie land in this township than in any other in the county. The soil that was originally covered with brush and timber is a deep, dark loam with clay subsoil. The prairie land does not differ much except that it is more sandy, and in places sand and the hard gravelly subsoil is found on the surface.

Passage source: History of Wright County, Minnesota Volume II, published 1915.

The experiences of the pioneers were similar to those of the early settlers in other parts of the county, except that those who located on the prairie did not have to clear the land as did those who took up their home in the Big Woods. When the great grasshopper plague arrived August 20, 1856, they suffered somewhat more than the other people in the county by reason that they had a great acreage of crops planted. In the spring of 1857, about half the crop was destroyed. It was about the middle of July, 1857, when the insects left this region headed toward the southwest, In 1858 and 1859 the people of Monticello were somewhat better prepared to meet the financial depression than some of the people in other parts of the county, for while they had no money, they had larger farms under cultivation and had raised larger crops.

Passage source: History of Wright County, Minnesota Volume II, published 1915.

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 Monticello City - it names this place 18 more 18 times.

Fires near this place

71 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 71 fires within 5 miles of Monticello between 1992 and 2018, burning about 90 acres in total. None started naturally. 10 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
Debris and open burning22
Railroad operations and maintenance18
Arson/incendiarism10
Missing data/not specified/undetermined8
Equipment and vehicle use7
Smoking3
Misuse of fire by a minor1
Other causes1
Recreation and ceremony1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
1 August 2008Equipment and vehicle use13 acresMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
4 June 1994Smoking2.0 acresMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
25 June 1996Railroad operations and maintenanceunder an acreMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
12 June 2009Debris and open burningunder an acreMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
6 May 2013Railroad operations and maintenanceunder an acreMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
6 May 2013Railroad operations and maintenanceunder an acreMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
6 May 2013Railroad operations and maintenanceunder an acreMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
3 May 1997Arson/incendiarismunder an acreMinnesota Department of Natural Resourcesnot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Wright County

Mines and quarries near this place

2 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 2 workings within 5 miles of Monticello: 2 producers. All of them still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Big Lake Pit and MillSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Gullings PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every working recorded in Wright County

Storms near this place

60 of 74 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Monticello in 74 storm reports between 1995 and 2024: 39 hail, 24 thunderstorm wind, 3 lightning, 2 tornado. The reports record 2 injuries. 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
July 2008LightningMonticello1 hurtMan struck and injured by lightning while accomplishing construction work on the roof of a home.
August 1995Thunderstorm WindMonticello1 hurtTree fell on house injuring one person.
July 1997Thunderstorm WindMonticello$20,000,000While several tornadoes converged on the southern edge of town, hurricane force winds battered the northern portions. The intersection of Interstate 94 and highway 25 was hardest hit by downburst winds resulting in extensive roof damage. Every tree in Ellison Park damaged. Roof ripped off automobile dealership flung into new car area destroying 75 new cars and trucks. Numerous recreational vehicles at RV dealership totaled. Over 200 structures significantly damaged. 61 homes and apartment buildings declared uninhabitable. 30 factories closed. Northern States Power transmission towers blown down. 2500 trees lost. Air conditioning unit blown off high school roof. Parked truck blown two thirds of a block. $100 million dollars damage estimate in Wright county. Called worst storm in 60 year history of Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association.
July 2016LightningMonticello$500,000The Wright County Sheriffs Office said that several people had to be evacuated from their homes, and three townhouses were damaged in the fire-related lightning strike. The lightning struck a home and spread to three different townhouses near the area. No one was injured.
July 2016Thunderstorm WindMonticello$250,000A pole barn was destroyed west of Monticello, on County Road 39.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindMonticello$15,000Several trees and power lines were blown down in Monticello, Minnesota.
July 2024HailMonticello-Additionally sent in a photo with hail size measurement.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindMonticello-Power lines and large branches were blown down via social media.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindMonticello-A cinder block dugout was destroyed at a high school ballpark.
July 2016Heavy RainMonticello-A trained spotter measured 3.75 inches of rain near Monticello.
July 2016Flash FloodMonticello-The ramp from southbound Highway 25, to eastbound Interstate 94 was completed flooded. One car was stranded and had to be towed due to the flooded roadway.
July 2016Heavy RainMonticello-A trained spotter measured 4.22 inches of rain east of Monticello.
July 2016Thunderstorm WindMonticello-A large 14 inch diameter tree was blown down between Buffalo and Monticello near Highway 25.
June 2013Thunderstorm WindMonticello-A large 30 inch diameter tree was blown down in Monticello, with other smaller trees blown down in Monticello as well.
September 2013HailMonticello-Quarter size hail was reported near interstate 94, and Highway 118.
July 2012Thunderstorm WindMonticello-A 22-inch diameter tree blew down near Monticello, Minnesota.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindMonticello-Several power poles were blown down near Monticello, Minnesota.
July 2011HailMonticello-Several reports of baseball size hail occurred in the city of Monticello, Minnesota.
August 2010Thunderstorm WindMonticello-A 14 inch diameter tree was uprooted near Monticello, Minnesota.
July 2010Thunderstorm WindMonticello-A trained spotter measured a wind gust of 70 mph.
July 2008Thunderstorm WindMonticello-Seventeen inch and fifteen inch diameter trees felled. A total of 5 trees downed.
July 2008Thunderstorm WindMonticello-Debris observed on road, large branches also felled.
July 2008HailMonticello-Hail occurred at intersection of 25th and 137th.
May 2008HailMonticello-Widespread damage to houses and vehicles.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindMonticello-Eleven inch diameter branches down.
July 2008Thunderstorm WindMonticello-Sixteen inch box elder tree toppled. Eighty pound dog house tossed 50 feet across yard.
May 2006HailMonticello-Ground covered with hail. Scattered leaves torn off trees.
June 2005LightningMonticello-Lightning struck a TV antenna on top of a house on Meadow Lane. The bolt traveled into the garage where it started a fire. After the roof of the garage caught fire, the flames moved onto the roof of the home and produced significant damage.
September 2005Flash FloodMonticello-Torrential rain produced over four inches of rain in less than two hours. Two county roads northwest of Monticello were covered with water, and intersections in Monticello were flooded with water two feet deep. Streets and intersections flooded in Albertville and St. Michael.
September 2005Thunderstorm WindMonticello-Siding ripped off some homes. Scattered trees and large branches down.
July 2003Thunderstorm WindMonticello-Numerous trees and power lines down.
June 2003Thunderstorm WindMonticello-Few trees down.
June 1999HailMonticello-Strong winds also blew scaffolding down at high school.
June 1999Thunderstorm WindMonticello-Large Tree toppled near home. Estimated wind speed.
June 1998Thunderstorm WindMonticello-Trees blown down. Estimated windspeed.
July 1997Tornado (F2)Monticello-Two tornadoes converged on the Prairie Acres housing development 1 south of Monticello at about the same time. Extensive damage in area.
August 1997Thunderstorm WindMonticello-Power line poles broken in half. Estimated windspeed.
July 2024HailMonticello-no account filed
July 2023HailMonticello-no account filed
April 2021HailMonticello-no account filed
June 2019HailMonticello-no account filed
July 2019HailMonticello-no account filed
March 2017HailMonticello-no account filed
July 2016Funnel CloudMonticello-no account filed
July 2016HailMonticello-no account filed
July 2016HailMonticello-no account filed
July 2016HailMonticello-no account filed
July 2011HailMonticello-no account filed
June 2010HailMonticello-no account filed
July 2008Funnel CloudMonticello-no account filed
May 2008HailMonticello-no account filed
May 2008HailMonticello-no account filed
May 2008HailMonticello-no account filed
June 2008Thunderstorm WindMonticello-no account filed
July 2007HailMonticello-no account filed
July 2007HailMonticello-no account filed
July 2007HailMonticello-no account filed
September 2007HailMonticello-no account filed
April 2007HailMonticello-no account filed
August 2006HailMonticello-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Wright County

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 PlaceDistance Sheets
Enfield8.1 miles15
Albertville8.8 miles15
Saint Michael9.5 miles15
Buffalo Manor East9.6 miles12
Bufflao Manor9.6 miles12
Silver Creek9.9 miles15
Buffalo10.2 miles12
Hasty10.5 miles15

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 MonticelloAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q1913775The 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 648048. 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.