Monticello ( ) is a city next to the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

in Wright County,

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, United States. The population was 14,455 at the 2020 census.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , all land. The city's latitude is 45.305 degrees North and its longitude is 93.793 degrees West. Its elevation is 922 feet. Monticello is in the Central time zone.

Parks

Monticello has an extensive parks and pathway system, including 28 city-owned parks and miles of winding trails.

Lake Maria State Park Lake Maria State Park ( ) is a state park of Minnesota, United States, created to provide a wilderness area within an easy drive of Minneapolis–Saint Paul. The park's amenities are designed primarily for hikers, backpackers, and horseback r ...

, Montissippi Regional Park and the Harry Larsen Memorial Park are three of the largest. At Swan Park, each winter between December and March, as many as 2,700

trumpeter swan The trumpeter swan (''Cygnus buccinator'') is a species of swan found in North America. The heaviest living bird native to North America, it is also the largest extant species of waterfowl, with a wingspan of 185 to 250 cm (6 ft 2 in to 8 ft 2 ...

s nest near Mississippi Drive in Monticello, as the Mississippi River is heated from warm water discharged by the

Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant The Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant is a nuclear power plant located in Monticello, Minnesota, along the Mississippi River. The site, which began operating in 1971, has a single nuclear reactor (boiling water reactor) of the General Electri ...

. The City of Monticello and Wright County partnered and acquired 1,200 acres of open space in Wright County, known as the Bertram Chain of Lakes. The Bertram Chain includes four lakes and acres of undisturbed shoreline, natural habitat, and oak forest, 812 of which are open for public enjoyment. It provides users access to 4 miles of hiking trails, 10 miles of single-track mountain biking trails, beach at Bertram Lake for swimming, and carry-in access to Long Lake, which allow the opportunity to paddle Long, Mud and First Lakes. Winter activities include fat-biking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. Summer activities include paddleboard classes, canoeing excursions, kids fishing programs, and guided moonlight hiking.

History

Monticello was

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bear ...

ted in 1854. A post office has been in operation at Monticello since 1855. Monticello was incorporated in 1856. The nearby village of Moritzious merged with Monticello in 1891. On May 3, 2006, the Monticello Middle School had an electrical fire from the large amount of rain settling on the roof. The smoke damage to the school caused the school to be closed for the rest of the school year. As a result, middle school and high school students had to share usage of the high school building on an alternate-day schedule. The school year did not get extended, and the clean up was completed in time for the 2006–07 school year

Economy

In anticipation of rapid

population growth Population growth is the increase in the number of people in a population or dispersed group. Actual global human population growth amounts to around 83 million annually, or 1.1% per year. The global population has grown from 1 billion in 1800 to ...

, Monticello created a comprehensive growth plan in 1996. A new high school was constructed in 1999. A new highway interchange was completed in 2006 on the east end of town, allowing residents full access to

Interstate 94 Interstate 94 (I-94) is an east–west Interstate Highway connecting the Great Lakes and northern Great Plains regions of the United States. Its western terminus is just east of Billings, Montana, at a junction with I-90; its eastern ter ...

from Wright County Road 18. Since 2002, many retail outlets have been constructed, including Fleet Farm, Wal-Mart Supercenter, SuperTarget store, Muller Family Movie Theatre, River City Extreme Bowling & Restaurant, Home Depot, Marshalls, Applebee's, Taco John's, Arby's, Dollar Tree, Auto Zone, Aldi and Goodwill. This planned growth has also brought new auto dealerships, hotels, and industrial development. A 2004

annexation Annexation (Latin ''ad'', to, and ''nexus'', joining), in international law, is the forcible acquisition of one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. It is generally held to be an illegal act ...

agreement with Monticello Township is expected to help sustain Monticello's growth for the next twenty years.

Top employers

According to Monticello's 2021 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR), its top employers are: * denotes tied ranks

Education

Monticello is in the Monticello School District. Parts of nearby Monticello Township are in St. Michael-Albertville Schools. Monticello High School is Wright County's third-largest school, with an estimated attendance of 1,314. The school's athletic teams were formerly known as the Redmen and are now the Magic.

Demographics

As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $45,384, and the median income for a family was $53,566. Males had a median income of $41,057 versus $25,854 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $19,229. About 4.2% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 12,759 people, 4,693 households, and 3,164 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 4,973 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.6%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 1.5%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.5% Native American, 1.0%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 2.3% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2.1% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 5.4% of the population. There were 4,693 households, of which 43.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.6% were non-families. 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.23. The median age in the city was 31.4 years. 30.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 33.3% were from 25 to 44; 18.7% were from 45 to 64; and 9.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.2% male and 50.8% female.

Government

The City Council of Monticello consists of the mayor and four councilmembers, with the mayor serving an elected two-year and councilmembers serving four-year staggered terms. The current mayor is Brian Stumpf, who took office in January 2019.

Media

Newspapers

The local newspaper is ''The Monticello Times''.

Notable people

Tobias Mealey Tobias Gilmore "T.G." Mealey (August 5, 1823 – April 27, 1904) was a Canadian-born American entrepreneur, politician, and early settler of Minnesota. He grew up in New Brunswick, made his fortune in the California Gold Rush, and became an influ ...

– early Minnesota pioneer and politician. A significant reason that the Rand House was built in Monticello (for his daughter). *

Joel Przybilla Joel Przybilla (; born October 10, 1979) is an American retired professional basketball player who played the center position for 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professiona ...

– an American professional basketball player, who last played for the Milwaukee Bucks of the

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

. He is a Monticello High School alumnus.