Montevideo ( ) is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Chippewa County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 5,398 at the 2020 census. The area around Montevideo was populated by Native Americans and fur traders during the first half of the 19th Century. After the

Dakota War of 1862 The Dakota War of 1862, also known as the Sioux Uprising, the Dakota Uprising, the Sioux Outbreak of 1862, the Dakota Conflict, or Little Crow's War, was an armed conflict between the United States and several eastern bands of Dakota people, Da ...

, the US government opened the area to homesteaders. Railroads were built, and settlers followed, including Civil War veterans, Norwegians, Germans, Swedes, Dutch, and Irish. Montevideo was incorporated in 1879.

Geography

Montevideo is in a double river valley where the

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

and Chippewa

river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...

s converge, about west of

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

, at the junction of U.S. Highways 59 and 212 with Minnesota State Highways 7 and 29. The surrounding topography is dominated by farmland and prairies, as well as river valleys with many scenic overlooks and small bluffs. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has an area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

Montevideo, like the rest of Minnesota, has a four-season

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

with great differences between summer and winter. The average July high is with the average January high being . The station recorded data from 1891 to 2019.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 5,383 people, 2,326 households, and 1,404 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 2,510 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.0%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.6%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.7% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 4.6% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 8.4% of the population. There were 2,326 households, of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.6% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age in the city was 41 years. 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.1% were from 25 to 44; 25% were from 45 to 64; and 20.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.0% male and 53.0% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 5,346 people, 2,353 households, and 1,444 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 2,551 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.10%

, 0.11%

, 0.41% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.06%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.80% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.00% of the population. There were 2,353 households, out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were

living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.6% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.89. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.5% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $32,447, and the median income for a family was $44,706. Males had a median income of $30,838 versus $19,013 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $18,025. About 4.7% of families and 10.1% 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 ...

, including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.

Sister City relationship

The relationship with Montevideo, Uruguay, began in 1905 when the mayor of each city sent a national flag to the other.

Local media

KDMA, KKRC, and KMGM are local radio stations owned by Iowa City Broadcasting Company, Inc. KRAM-LP is owned by Thunderhawk Broadcasting, Inc.

Notable people

* Wayne Brabender (1945–), professional basketball player for Real Madrid and the Spanish National Basketball team * Alfred M. Falkenhagen, Minnesota state legislator and farmer * Paul Gruchow (1947–2004), professor at St. Olaf and Concordia colleges * Vernon K. Jensen (1912–1982), veterinarian and Minnesota state senator * David Minge (1942–), U.S. representative and

Minnesota Court of Appeals The Minnesota Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It began operating on November 1, 1983. Jurisdiction The Court of Appeals has jurisdiction over most appeals from the State court (United State ...

judge * Molly Schuyler, competitive eater * Emily Temple-Wood (1994–), physician and Wikipedia editor

References

External links

City of Montevideo, MN – Official Website

Montevideo, MN Chamber of Commerce

Montevideo Public Schools

''Montevideo American-News'' site

''Milwaukee Road Heritage Center'' site

Montevideo Industrial Development Corporation

"Verdi Gilbertson History

Montevideo, Minnesota Police Department
{{authority control * Cities in Chippewa County, Minnesota Cities in Minnesota County seats in Minnesota 1870 establishments in Minnesota