Sartell is a city in
Benton and
Stearns Counties in the U.S. state of
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 ...
that straddles 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 ...
. It is part of the
St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 19,351 at the
2020 census,
making it
St. Cloud's most populous suburb and the fourth-largest city in
central Minnesota, after
St. Cloud,
Elk River, and
Willmar.
History
The first known Native American tribe in the area now known as Sartell were the
Dakota.
Greysolon du Luht ("
Duluth
Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...
") visited the large
Mdewakantonwan village
Izatys on
Mille Lacs Lake in 1679. As the
Anishinaabe people
The Anishinaabe (alternatively spelled Anishinabe, Anicinape, Nishnaabe, Neshnabé, Anishinaabeg, Anishinabek, Aanishnaabe) are a group of culturally related Indigenous peoples in the Great Lakes region of Canada and the United States. They in ...
moved westward around
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. Lake Michigan–Huron has a larger combined surface area than Superior, but is normally considered tw ...
and into the interior away from the Europeans in the 18th century, they pushed the neighboring
Sioux/Dakota people to their west—in present-day
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 ...
—farther south and west away from them. By 1820 the
Chippewa/Anishinaabe controlled all of northern Minnesota, but raids between them and the Dakota to the south continued. The area later named Sartell was an intertribal
no man's land when French fur traders and British geographers first descended 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 ...
from the
Anishinaabe
The Anishinaabe (alternatively spelled Anishinabe, Anicinape, Nishnaabe, Neshnabé, Anishinaabeg, Anishinabek, Aanishnaabe) are a group of culturally related Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples in the Great Lakes region of C ...
north (Jean-Baptiste Perrault 1789,
David Thompson 1798), and American explorers ascended the river from the
Sioux
The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin ( ; Dakota/ Lakota: ) are groups of Native American tribes and First Nations people from the Great Plains of North America. The Sioux have two major linguistic divisions: the Dakota and Lakota peoples (translati ...
south (
Zebulon Pike
Zebulon Montgomery Pike (January 5, 1779 – April 27, 1813) was an American brigadier general and explorer for whom Pikes Peak in Colorado is named. As a U.S. Army officer he led two expeditions through the Louisiana Purchase territory, first ...
1805,
Lewis Cass
Lewis Cass (October 9, 1782June 17, 1866) was a United States Army officer and politician. He represented Michigan in the United States Senate and served in the Cabinets of two U.S. Presidents, Andrew Jackson and James Buchanan. He was also the 1 ...
1820,
Henry Schoolcraft
Henry Rowe Schoolcraft (March 28, 1793 – December 10, 1864) was an American geographer, geologist, and ethnologist, noted for his early studies of Native American cultures, as well as for his 1832 expedition to the source of the Mississippi ...
1832,
Joseph Nicollet 1836).
The
Watab Creek in Sartell marked part of the border between the
Anishinaabe
The Anishinaabe (alternatively spelled Anishinabe, Anicinape, Nishnaabe, Neshnabé, Anishinaabeg, Anishinabek, Aanishnaabe) are a group of culturally related Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples in the Great Lakes region of C ...
to the north and the
Dakota to the south, who had lived farther north and east before the Anishinaabe's westward migrations. The U.S. legally established this border in its 1825 Treaty with the tribes at Prairie du Chien, which established a demarcation line between the Sioux and the Ojibwe at "the mouth of the first river which enters the Mississippi on its west side above the mouth of
Sac (Sauk) river; thence ascending the said river (above the mouth of Sac river)".
In 1846, 1,300
Ho-Chunk
The Ho-Chunk, also known as Hocąk, Hoocągra, or Winnebago are a Siouan languages, Siouan-speaking Native Americans in the United States, Native American people whose historic territory includes parts of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois ...
people were moved to the Sartell area, followed by the Chippewa/Anishinaabe sale of the area north of the
Watab River and west of the Mississippi to the U.S. In 1848, more members of the Ho-Chunk/Winnebago tribe (related
Dakotan speakers) were moved by order of the
U.S. government to the mouth of the
Watab Creek, now called the
Long Prairie reservation, to serve as a human buffer between the warring Dakota and Anishinaabe. Unhappy living between two warring tribes, the Ho-Chunk stayed less than five years, moving again in 1853 to more peaceful territory 50 miles south on the Mississippi. Three years later they sold their grist and saw mills and moved south of
Mankato
Mankato ( ) is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is the county seat of Blue Earth County, Minnesota. The population was 44,488 at the 2020 census, making it the 21st-largest city in Mi ...
. A 100-yard section of the old "Indian Trail" still remains just north of the creek's mouth albeit overgrown. The area was known as "Winnebago" at the time of the 1866 ribbon map of the Mississippi River.
Sartell got its start as a small American town on the Mississippi River with lumber and a paper company as its main industries. The city's present site was originally called "The Third Rapids", as it was the third set of rough waters that French fur traders encountered as they traveled north from
Saint Anthony Falls
Saint Anthony Falls, or the Falls of Saint Anthony (), located at the northeastern edge of downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, was the only natural major waterfall on the Mississippi River. Throughout the mid-to-late 1800s, various dams were built ...
in
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 ...
.
One of the first
white people
White is a Race (human categorization), racial classification of people generally used for those of predominantly Ethnic groups in Europe, European ancestry. It is also a Human skin color, skin color specifier, although the definition can var ...
to settle in the fledgling town was Joseph B. Sartell, who arrived in 1854 and worked as a
millwright
A millwright is a craftsman or skilled tradesman who installs, dismantles, maintains, repairs, reassembles, and moves machinery in factories, power plants, and construction sites.
The term ''millwright'' (also known as ''industrial mechanic'') ...
at a local
sawmill
A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...
. In 1877, he opened a
flour mill at the nearby Watab River, and in 1884 he started Sartell Brothers Lumber Company with his sons.
In 1905, construction began on both the Sartell Pulp and Paper Company and the
Sartell Dam across the Mississippi, near the "third rapids". Both were completed in 1907, the dam project having claimed the lives of seven workers. Watab Pulp and Paper was rebuilt and expanded through the years, passing through multiple ownerships and eventually emerging as
Verso Paper's Sartell mill, the city's largest employer.
In 1907, residents of the town decided to
incorporate. Several influential people felt the town ought to be named Wengert, after a local businessman. But because of Joseph Sartell's many relatives and generous contributions to the community, the town was incorporated as "The Village of Sartell" in his honor. From 1907 until 1973 there was a Sartell on nearly every City Council, the most prominent being Ripley "Rip" B. Sartell, store owner and mayor for 31 years.
The village continued to grow slowly, developing a number of businesses and a downtown on the east side of the Mississippi along
U.S. Highway 10. In the 1960s, the highway was rerouted farther east, contributing to the downtown's demise. In 1973 the Minnesota Legislature required all municipal designations be changed to "city", so "the Village of Sartell" became "the City of Sartell".
The construction of the
Sartell Bridge over the Mississippi in the early 1980s replaced the remaining businesses. This and Sartell's location near
St. Cloud's major retail center account for its lack of a traditional "downtown".
Independent School District 748, Sartell-
St. Stephen, was created in 1969 because residents wanted to educate their children locally. Despite the lack of a downtown, the city continued to grow at an increasing pace in the 1970s. From 1960 to the present, the city's population has gone from 700 to over 18,000.
Economy
Sartell's largest employers have been the paper mill that started in 1907 as Watab Pulp & Paper, became St. Regis Paper Company in 1947, and then
Verso Paper Sartell Mill, and DeZurik Water Controls, whose valve production plant is in Sartell. The city also hosts a number of small businesses, including gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores, and salons. In 2012 the Verso Paper mill was severely damaged by an explosion and, due also to decreasing paper demand, was shut down and sold for parts. More recently the city has begun to urbanize, adding larger chain businesses in a newly developed area eventually to be a new downtown.
Law and government
Sartell's city council consists of a mayor and four members elected at large. Sartell's mayor is Ryan Fitzthum, and the council members are Jill Smith, Alex Lewandowski, Tim Elness, and Jeff Kolb. They possess the authority to pass and enforce
ordinances, establish public and administrative policies, create advisory boards and commissions, and manage the city's financial operations, including preparing a budget, auditing expenditures, and transacting other city business as required by law. The city council also appoints a city administrator, who oversees the city's daily operation and implements the policies of the council.
City recreational facilities include 24 parks, miles of paved walking paths, playgrounds, a bike lane, tennis courts, baseball and soccer fields, ice rinks, a golf course and a wading pool.
Religion
The Sartell family was largely
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
, and helped organize the first church in the town, Riverside Presbyterian, on the west bank of the Mississippi River about one mile north of the town's (then) sole stop sign, to serve the Sunday interests of local
Protestants
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
. Saint
Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier, Jesuits, SJ (born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta; ; ; ; ; ; 7 April 15063 December 1552), venerated as Saint Francis Xavier, was a Kingdom of Navarre, Navarrese cleric and missionary. He co-founded the Society of Jesus ...
Church,
Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
, was founded in 1948, named after
Francis Xavier Pierz, a Slovenian missionary to
Native Americans in the area, and largely responsible for attracting the large population of Slovenian, Polish,
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...
n, Slovakian and especially German farmers to the area.
Transportation
Transportation to and from Sartell is limited to surface roads, mainly
U.S. Highway 10 and
Minnesota State Highway 15, both of which pass along the outskirts of the city. St. Cloud Metro Bus service runs to destinations in Sartell and neighboring
Sauk Rapids.
The city's proximity to St. Cloud allows for convenient access to
St. Cloud Regional Airport, as well as the city's
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
and
Greyhound
The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a dog breed, breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Some are kept as show dogs or pets.
Greyhounds are defined as a tall, muscular, smooth-c ...
stations.
The dams along the Mississippi River and the waterway's relative shallowness render it useless for anything more than recreational
watercraft
A watercraft or waterborne vessel is any vehicle designed for travel across or through water bodies, such as a boat, ship, hovercraft, submersible or submarine.
Types
Historically, watercraft have been divided into two main categories.
*Raf ...
traffic. Sartell's location on the river facilitated the construction of the
Old Sartell Bridge in 1914, which was replaced by the current
Sartell Bridge in 1984.
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 an area of ; is land and is water.
U.S. Highway 10,
Minnesota State Highway 15, and County 1 are three of Sartell's main routes. Other nearby routes in the St. Cloud area include
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 ...
/
U.S. Highway 52,
Minnesota State Highway 23
Minnesota State Highway 23 (MN 23) is a state highway that stretches from southwestern to northeastern Minnesota. At in length, it is the second longest state route in Minnesota, after MN 1.
This route, signed east–west, runs roug ...
, and County 75. Sartell is immediately north of St. Cloud.
The city is on the Mississippi River, with the surrounding undeveloped property composed mainly of woodlands and farmland.
Demographics
2020 census
''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''
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 15,876 people, 5,859 households, and 4,060 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 6,123 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.5%
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 ...
, 0.9%
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 ...
, 0.2%
Native American, 1.5%
Asian, 0.5% from
other races, and 1.4% 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 1.4% of the population.
There were 5,859 households, of which 42.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.0% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.7% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.16.
The median age in the city was 32.7 years. 30.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 31.9% were from 25 to 44; 20.8% were from 45 to 64; and 10.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.
2000 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 2000, there were 9,641 people, 3,443 households, and 2,513 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,531 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.42%
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 ...
, 0.29%
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 ...
, 0.17%
Native American, 1.21%
Asian, 0.01%
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 ...
, 0.21% from
other races, and 0.69% 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 0.87% of the population.
There were 3,443 households, out of which 46.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 32.0% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 35.5% from 25 to 44, 15.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $52,531, and the median income for a family was $61,056. Males had a median income of $39,834 versus $27,476 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,667. About 3.0% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.7% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Most of Sartell in Stearns County is in the
Sartell-St. Stephen School District. Portions in that county are in the
St. Cloud Area School District. Most of Sartell's Benton County sections are in
Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools, with the rest in the Sartell-St. Stephen district.
Sartell's St. Cloud school district sections are zoned to Westwood Elementary School, North Middle School, and
Apollo High School.
List of mayors
*Charles Sartell, 1907–1923
*C.L. Witherell, 1924–1928, 1932–1936
*Norris Sartell, 1929–1931
*Ripley Sartell Sr, 1937–1943, 1960–1973
*Elmer Thornton, 1944–1947
*Peter Pikus, 1948–1949
*Joseph Gallus, 1950–1955
*Darrel Hurd, 1956–1959
*Tony Zakrajshek, 1974–1978
*Robert C. Bogard, 1979–1990
*Robert Pogatshnik, 1991–2006
*Tim O'Driscoll 2007–2011
*Joe Perske, 2011–2014
*Sarah Nicoll, 2015–2018
*Ryan Fitzthum, 2019–term expires 2026
Notable people
*
Al Patton, Minnesota state representative, 1973–1980
*
Craig Sauer, linebacker for the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
*
For All Those Sleeping, metalcore band
*
Kurt Sauer, defenseman for the
Phoenix Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes are an inactive professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. They competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division (1996–1998, 2021–2024) and ...
*
Michael Sauer, drafted by the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...
in July 2005
References
External links
City WebsiteSartell Historical SocietySartell ''Newsleader'' newspaper siteSartell St. Stephen School District
{{Authority control
Cities in Minnesota
Cities in Stearns County, Minnesota
Cities in Benton County, Minnesota
Minnesota populated places on the Mississippi River
St. Cloud, Minnesota metropolitan area
Populated places established in 1854
1854 establishments in Minnesota Territory