BlockRochester, Minnesota
18 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1935 and the latest in 1989. It stands in Rochester City. It lies in ZIP code area 55902. It stands on Bear Creek. The Survey maps it on the Rochester quadrangle. 121,395 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,030 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in Rochester
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 16 shown
Mayo Clinic BuildingsNational Historic Landmark · listed 1969
Avalon Hotellisted 1982
Dr. Donald C. Balfour Houselisted 2004
Pill Hill Residential Historic Districtlisted 1990
Henry S. Plummer Houselisted 1975
Rochester Armorylisted 1980
Rochester Public Librarylisted 1980
George Stoppel Farmsteadlisted 1975
Toogood Barnslisted 1975- Chateau Dodge Theatrelisted 1980
- Maass and McAndrew Company Buildinglisted 2016
- Dr. William J. Mayo Houselisted 1975
Population over time
2 figuresRochester grew from 106,769 to 121,395 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 | 106,769 | |
| 2020 | 121,395 | +14,626 (+14%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
9 surveys from 18 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.
- 1935 USGS Rochester quadrangle1:48000
- 1939 USGS Rochester quadrangle1:62500, 4 printings
- 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
- 1972 USGS Rochester quadrangle1:24000, 4 printings
- 1985 USGS Rochester quadrangle1:100000
- 1989 USGS Rochester quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
In the county-history sources
51,537 words on this townshipHistory of Olmsted County, Minnesota, published 1910 names this settlement in its chapter on Rochester City. These are the passages that mention it, exactly as the scans read.
THE first known discovery of the site of Rochester was by a party of United States surveyors, under charge of Thomas Simpson, a well-known resident, for years, of Winona, who were running the line and setting the stakes marking the townships, but not subdividing them into sections. Mr. Simpson says :
Passage source: History of Olmsted County, Minnesota, published 1910.
That same spring, but probably later than the discovery by the surveying party, Robert H. McReady, with his family, and Thomas C. Cummings, both from Herkimer county, New York, looking for new homes on the frontier, located farms of a quarter section each on what is now the western edge of the city of Rochester, McReady's being outside the city, afterward the home of M. VV. Leland, and recently of Philip D. Manley. Cunimings' claim was south of McReady's, and part of it was, later, platted as Cummings' addition to the city, and includes the district extending from the court house to the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad and west to the city limits.
Passage source: History of Olmsted County, Minnesota, published 1910.
In those days the townsite speculator was abroad in the land and at home in Winona. Some of the enterprising settlers of that town made journeys of discovery into the back country in search of the best localities for founding future cities and making present fortunes. Such a party started from Winona in the summer of 1854, with the idea of locating a townsite somewhere in the valley of the Zumbro. The party consisted of Edward S. Smith, M. Wheeler Sargeant, Charles Eaton, and others whose names have not been preserved. In passing through St. Charles, which was already a settlement of at least one house, the party seems to have been joined by L. H. Springer, who was one of the town proprietors, and a hotel-keeper there, and who afterward was for years one of the best known residents of Rochester. The late Elder Ely, of Winona, in a reminiscence, says : "They first made a claim where they struck the river and intended to lay out a town, but Smith, in traveling down the river, heard the roar of the falls, and continued his journey until he came in sight of the present site of the stone mill. They abandoned the place they had fixed upon up the river and made a claim, fixing a site for a log shanty at the head of Main street. They immediately returned to Winona and hired George Wiltsee to go out and build the shanty. Smith & Co. held the claim without anybody to disturb them until about the 12th of July following, when George and Jonathan Head and their father came from Wisconsin and made their claim. They disregarded the claim and improvements of Smith & Co. ; indeed, they began to tear down the log shanty built by the first claimants. Smith, however, was on hand before the destruction was completed, and with revolver in hand drove away the intruders. Subsequently the matter was settled by the payment of money. Smith and Eaton each received $1,800, but Springer and Sargeant got nothing. Smith and Eaton showed fight."
Passage source: History of Olmsted County, Minnesota, published 1910.
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 Rochester City - it names this place 218 more 218 times.
Fires near this place
1 since 2000Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 1 fire within 5 miles of Rochester in 2000, burning under an acre in total. None started naturally. None was 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 |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 May 2000 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources | not named |
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 Rochester: 7 producers. All of them still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Crushed/Broken. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maywood Quarry & Mill | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| West River Road Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Q & A Club Mill | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Quarve & Anderson Club M | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Rochester Sand & Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Rochester Sand and Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| South Pit & Mill | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Storms near this place
60 of 218 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Rochester in 218 storm reports between 1993 and 2026: 104 hail, 64 thunderstorm wind, 15 flood, 13 lightning. The reports record 1 death. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rochester | 1 killed, $10,000 | One person was killed east of Rochester when a 40 foot pine tree was snapped off, fell and landed on the individual and his pickup truck. |
| August 2007 | Flash Flood | Rochester | $35,000,000 | Heavy thunderstorm rains caused widespread flash flooding in Rochester and surrounding areas across the county. Extensive damage was caused to sewer systems, water wells, roadways, parks, and flood control reservoirs.||Highway 14 was closed east of Rochester due to wash outs and flash flooding. A mudslide hit the Ronald McDonald house in Rochester with evacuations around 6 a.m. Red Cross shelters were set up. Flooding reports began around 915 p.m. Saturday August 18. |
| August 1999 | Hail | Rochester | $1,500,000 | no account filed |
| August 1999 | Hail | Rochester | $1,250,000 | no account filed |
| August 1999 | Hail | Rochester | $1,000,000 | no account filed |
| August 1999 | Hail | Rochester | $750,000 | no account filed |
| September 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rochester | $500,000 | Over 175 trees were blown down across Rochester. Numerous homes and cars were damaged when the trees landed on them. Power lines were also blown down or came down with the fallen trees, knocking out the power to 4,800 customers across the city. |
| August 1999 | Hail | Rochester | $500,000 | no account filed |
| August 2013 | Flash Flood | Rochester | $400,000 | Locally heavy rains in Rochester produced flash flooding that inundated several street intersections causing numerous vehicles to become stranded. Some of the stranded vehicles had water up to their windows. The heavy rain also caused water to cascade into a below ground entrance of a Mayo Health building. Trash cans put out to be picked up floated down the streets, often spilling their contents. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rochester | $320,000 | no account filed |
| March 1998 | Hail | Rochester | $250,000 | no account filed |
| July 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rochester | $160,000 | Numerous trees were blown down across Rochester. Power poles were snapped, creating several power outages across the city that affected more than 3,500 customers. One tree fell on a church, causing roof damage that allowed water to leak into the building. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Rochester | $150,000 | A trained spotter reported golf ball sized hail 4 miles north of Rochester. |
| June 2017 | Hail | Rochester | $100,000 | Golfball sized hail was reported on the southeast side of Rochester. |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rochester | $100,000 | no account filed |
| April 2026 | Tornado (EF1) | Rochester | $87,000 | This EF-1 tornado began in northeast portions of Rochester resulting in minor roof damage to a couple of homes before moving northeast through rural portions of Olmsted County, damaging trees and a few electrical poles before moving into Wabasha County. |
| August 2000 | Hail | Rochester | $75,000 | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rochester | $75,000 | no account filed |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rochester | $70,000 | Trees were blown down on the southwest side of Rochester that also brought down some power lines. Over 1,200 customers lost power. The frame of a house was broken by the impact of a tree falling on it. |
| August 1995 | Tornado (F0) | Rochester | $70,000 | Brief tornado touchdown resulted in extensive damage to office plaza roof. Several large trees uprooted. Numerous power lines down. |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rochester | $70,000 | no account filed |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rochester | $55,000 | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Hail | Rochester | $50,000 | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Hail | Rochester | $50,000 | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Hail | Rochester | $50,000 | no account filed |
| March 1998 | Hail | Rochester | $50,000 | no account filed |
| September 2012 | Lightning | Rochester | $45,000 | The roof of a home on the southeast side of Rochester was destroyed by a fire that was ignited by a lightning strike. |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rochester | $45,000 | no account filed |
| June 2019 | Tornado (EF1) | Rochester | $40,000 | A short-lived tornado moved through the southwest portions of Rochester. The roof of one home was partially removed and numerous trees were damaged along the path of the tornado. |
| September 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rochester | $40,000 | Several trees were blown down across Rochester. A few homes were damaged when trees landed on them. |
| September 2012 | Lightning | Rochester | $40,000 | A house on the southeast side of Rochester was struck by lightning which started a fire in the attic. The fire was quickly brought under control but the lightning strike created a serious electrical problem in the house and two firefighters received minor shocks but were not injured. |
| August 2013 | Flood | Rochester | $35,000 | Locally heavy rain produced street flooding on the southwest side of Rochester. One vehicle became stranded in a flooded intersection. |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rochester | $35,000 | no account filed |
| May 2022 | Hail | Rochester | $30,000 | Ping pong sized hail fell east of Rochester. Several cars were damaged by the hail. |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rochester | $30,000 | An estimated 60 mph wind gust occurred in the Apache Mall area in Rochester. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across the southwest part of the city. At one point, up to 2,000 customers were without power. |
| June 2005 | Hail | Rochester | $30,000 | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Hail | Rochester | $30,000 | no account filed |
| June 2020 | Lightning | Rochester | $25,000 | A lightning strike started a fire at an apartment building on the east side of Rochester. |
| May 2000 | Hail | Rochester | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 1999 | Lightning | Rochester | $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rochester | $25,000 | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rochester | $25,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Hail | Rochester | $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 1997 | Hail | Rochester | $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 2016 | Lightning | Rochester | $20,000 | A fire was started in a house on the northwest side of Rochester from a lightning strike. The fire caused damaged to the roof and trusses of the house. |
| August 2007 | Flood | Rochester | $20,000 | Law enforcement officials reported some roads washed out or still under water. |
| August 2007 | Flood | Rochester | $20,000 | Cascade Creek and the South Fork of the Zumbro River responded to excessive rainfall by rising quickly above flood stage. Cascade Creek reached a crest of 16.52 feet. Flood stage is 13.0 feet. The Zumbro River crested at 16.64 feet. Flood stage is 14.0 feet. |
| May 2008 | Hail | Rochester | $20,000 | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Hail | Rochester | $20,000 | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Hail | Rochester | $20,000 | no account filed |
| March 1998 | Hail | Rochester | $20,000 | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Hail | Rochester | $18,000 | no account filed |
| June 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rochester | $15,000 | Trained spotters in Rochester reported a 62 mph wind gust with a tree down on a powerline as well. |
| June 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rochester | $15,000 | Part of a large tree was blown down onto a house on the north side of Rochester. |
| May 2000 | Hail | Rochester | $15,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Flash Flood | Rochester | $15,000 | no account filed |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rochester | $14,000 | no account filed |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rochester | $12,500 | no account filed |
| June 2014 | Flood | Rochester | $10,000 | Heavy rain caused a mall parking lot on the southwest side of Rochester to flood. Several cars became partially submerged in the water. |
| June 2013 | Lightning | Rochester | $10,000 | The corner of a house on the northeast side of Rochester was started on fire by a lightning strike. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Hill | 2.3 miles | 10 | |
| Oak Terrace Estates | 2.5 miles | 18 | |
| Rocky Creek Estates | 2.5 miles | 18 | |
| Hallmark Terrace | 4.1 miles | 18 | |
| Zumbro Ridge Estates | 4.2 miles | 18 | |
| Chester | 6.7 miles | 15 | |
| Ringe | 7.0 miles | 18 | |
| Simpson | 7.5 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 Rochester | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q486479 | 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 650180. 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.