Monticello ( ) is a city next to the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

in Wright County,

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 ...

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

Geography

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 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, 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 304.8 cm (6 ft 2 in ...

s nest near Mississippi Drive in Monticello, as the Mississippi River is heated from warm water discharged by the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant. 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 Survey System, Public Lands Surveys to ...

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. In 1971, the Monticello Nuclear Plant began operation. In May 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. The World population, global population has grown from 1 billion in 1800 to 8.2 billion in 2025. Actual global human population growth amounts to aroun ...

, 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 from Wright County Road 18. Since 2002, many retail outlets have been constructed. This planned growth has also brought new auto dealerships, hotels, and industrial development. A 2004

annexation Annexation, in international law, is the forcible acquisition and assertion of legal title over one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. In current international law, it is generally held t ...

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

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 12,759 people, 4,693 households, and 3,164 families residing 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 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 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 ...

, 1.5%

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 ...

, 0.5% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 2.3% from other races, and 2.1% 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 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 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, 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.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 7,868 people, 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 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 $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 ...

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

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 Lloyd Hilgart, who took office in January 2023.

Media

Newspapers

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

Notable people

* Tobias Mealey – early Minnesota pioneer and politician. A significant reason that the Rand House was built in Monticello (for his daughter). * Joel Przybilla – 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 composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

. He is a Monticello High School alumnus.