
St. Cloud is a
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be de ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
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 List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minne ...
and the largest population center in the state's
central region. The population was 68,881 at the
2020 census,
making it Minnesota's 12th-largest city. St. Cloud is the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...
of
Stearns County
Stearns County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 158,292. Its county seat and largest city is St. Cloud. The county was founded in 1855. It was originally named for Isaac Ingalls Stevens, the ...
and was named after the city of
Saint-Cloud
Saint-Cloud () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France, from the centre of Paris. Like other communes of Hauts-de-Seine such as Marnes-la-Coquette, Neuilly-sur-Seine and Vaucresson, Saint-Cloud is one of France's wealthiest to ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
(in Île-de-France, near Paris), which was named after the 6th-century French monk
Clodoald
Saint Clodoald ( la, C(h)lodoaldus, Cloudus; reconstructed Frankish: ''*Hlōdōwald''; 522 – 560 AD), better known as Saint Cloud (), was a Merovingian prince, grandson of Clovis I and son of Chlodomer, who preferred to renounce royalty and ...
.
Though mostly in Stearns County, St. Cloud also extends into
Benton Benton may refer to:
Places
Canada
*Benton, a local service district south of Woodstock, New Brunswick
*Benton, Newfoundland and Labrador
United Kingdom
* Benton, Devon, near Bratton Fleming
* Benton, Tyne and Wear
United States
*Benton, Alabam ...
and
Sherburne counties, and straddles 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 ...
. It is the center of a contiguous
urban area
An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities, ...
, with
Waite Park,
Sauk Rapids,
Sartell
Sartell is a city in Benton and Stearns Counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota that straddles the Mississippi River. It is part of the St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 19,351 at the 2020 census, making it St. Clo ...
,
St. Joseph
Joseph (; el, Ἰωσήφ, translit=Ioséph) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who, according to the canonical Gospels, was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. The Gospels also name some brothers o ...
,
Rockville, and
St. Augusta directly bordering the city, and
Foley,
Rice
Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly '' Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and ''Porteresia'', both wild and domestica ...
,
Kimball,
Clearwater,
Clear Lake, and
Cold Spring nearby. The St. Cloud metropolitan area had a population of 199,671 at the 2020 census. It has been listed as the fifth-largest metro with a presence in Minnesota, behind
Minneapolis–St. Paul,
Duluth–Superior
The Duluth MN-WI Metropolitan Area, commonly called the Twin Ports, is a small metropolitan area centered around the cities of Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin. The Twin Ports are located at the western part of Lake Superior (the weste ...
,
Fargo-Moorhead, and
Rochester
Rochester may refer to:
Places Australia
* Rochester, Victoria
Canada
* Rochester, Alberta
United Kingdom
*Rochester, Kent
** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area
** History of Rochester, Kent
** HM Prison ...
. But the entire St. Cloud area is entirely in Minnesota, while most of Fargo-Moorhead's population is in North Dakota and Superior, Wisconsin, contributes significant population to the Duluth area.
St. Cloud is northwest of the Twin Cities of
Minneapolis–St. Paul along
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 (conjoined with I-94),
U.S. Highway 10
U.S. Route 10 or U.S. Highway 10 (US 10) is an east–west United States highway located in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions of the United States. Unlike most U.S. routes with "0" as the last digit of its route number, US 10 ...
,
Minnesota State Highway 15
Minnesota State Highway 15 (MN 15) is a highway in south-central and central Minnesota, which runs from Iowa Highway 15 at the Iowa state line and continues north to its northern terminus at its interchange with U.S. Highway 10 outside of Sarte ...
, and
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 rough ...
. The St. Cloud
Metropolitan Statistical Area
In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...
(MSA) is made up of Stearns and Benton Counties. The city was included in a newly defined Minneapolis–St. Paul–St. Cloud Combined Statistical Area (CSA) in 2000. St. Cloud as a whole has never been part of the 13-county MSA comprising
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with list of lakes in Minneapolis, thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. ...
,
St. Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
,
Bloomington and parts of western
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
.
St. Cloud State University, Minnesota's third-largest public university, is located between the downtown area and the Beaver Islands, which form a maze for a two-mile stretch of the Mississippi. The approximately 30 undeveloped islands are a popular destination for kayak and canoe enthusiasts and are part of a state-designated 12-mile stretch of wild and scenic river.
St. Cloud owns and operates a
hydroelectric dam on the Mississippi, the state's largest city-owned hydro facility, that can produce almost nine
megawatts
The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James ...
of electricity, about 10% of the total electricity generated by 11 Mississippi hydro dams in Minnesota.
History
What is now the St. Cloud area was occupied by various indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Europeans encountered the
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
,
Ojibwe
The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains.
According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...
, and
Winnebago when they started to trade with Native American peoples.
Minnesota was organized as a territory in 1849. The St. Cloud area was opened up to settlers in 1851 after treaty negotiations with the
Winnebago (Ho-Chunk) tribe in 1851 and 1852. John Wilson, a
Maine
Maine () is a U.S. state, state in the New England and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and territories of Canad ...
native with French
Huguenot
The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Bez ...
ancestry and an interest in
Napoleon, named the settlement St. Cloud after
Saint-Cloud
Saint-Cloud () is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France, from the centre of Paris. Like other communes of Hauts-de-Seine such as Marnes-la-Coquette, Neuilly-sur-Seine and Vaucresson, Saint-Cloud is one of France's wealthiest to ...
, the
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...
suburb where Napoleon had his favorite palace.
St. Cloud was a waystation on the Middle and Woods branches of the
Red River Trails
The Red River Trails were a network of ox cart routes connecting the Red River Colony (the "Selkirk Settlement") and Fort Garry in British North America with the head of navigation on the Mississippi River in the United States. These trade routes ...
used by
Métis
The Métis ( ; Canadian ) are Indigenous peoples who inhabit Canada's three Prairie Provinces, as well as parts of British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and the Northern United States. They have a shared history and culture which deri ...
traders between the Canada–US border at
Pembina, North Dakota and
St. Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
. The cart trains often consisted of hundreds of
oxcarts. The Métis, bringing furs to trade for supplies to take back to their rural settlements, would camp west of the city and cross the Mississippi in St. Cloud or just to the north in Sauk Rapids
The City of St. Cloud was incorporated in 1856. It developed from three distinct settlements, known as Upper Town, Middle Town, and Lower Town, that were established by European-American settlers starting in 1853. Remnants of the deep ravines that separated the three are still visible today. Middle Town was settled primarily by Catholic
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
immigrants and migrants from eastern states, who were recruited to the region by Father
Francis Xavier Pierz
Francis Xavier Pierz ( sl, Franc Pirc or ''Franc Pirec''; german: link=no, Franz Pierz) (November 20, 1785 – January 22, 1880) was a Roman Catholic priest and missionary to the Ottawa and Ojibwe Indians in present-day Michigan, Wisconsin, O ...
, a Catholic priest who also ministered as a
missionary
A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...
to Native Americans.
Lower Town was founded by settlers from the
Northern Tier of
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian province ...
and the
mid-Atlantic states, including former residents of upstate New York. Lower Town's Protestant settlers opposed slavery.
Upper Town, or Arcadia, was plotted by
General
A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...
Sylvanus Lowry
Sylvanus B. Lowry (July 24, 1824 – 1865) was an American Democratic political boss, newspaper publisher and pioneer in St. Cloud, Minnesota before the American Civil War. He moved there from Kentucky, bringing slaves with him as laborers. He was ...
, a slaveholder and trader from
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virgini ...
who brought
slaves with him, although Minnesota was organized as a free territory.
["Sylvanus Lowry"](_blank)
, Minnesota Legislators Past and Present, accessed July 4, 2012 He served on the territorial Council from 1852 to 1853 and was elected president of the newly formed town council in 1856, serving for one year (the office of mayor did not yet exist).
Jane Grey Swisshelm
Jane Grey Cannon Swisshelm (December 6, 1815 – July 22, 1884) was an American Radical Republican journalist, publisher, abolitionist, and women's rights advocate. She was one of America's first female journalists hired by Horace Greeley at his ...
, an abolitionist newspaper editor who had migrated from
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
, repeatedly attacked Lowry in print. At one point Lowry organized a "Committee of Vigilance" that broke into Swisshelm's newspaper office and removed her press, throwing it into 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 ...
. Lowry started a rival paper, ''The Union''.
[Ambar Espinoza, "St. Cloud professor unearths history of slavery in Minnesota"](_blank)
, Minnesota Public Radio, May 7, 2010, accessed July 4, 2012
The US Supreme Court's 1857 decision in ''
Dred Scott
Dred Scott (c. 1799 – September 17, 1858) was an enslaved African American man who, along with his wife, Harriet, unsuccessfully sued for freedom for themselves and their two daughters in the ''Dred Scott v. Sandford'' case of 1857, popular ...
'' ruled that slaves could not file
freedom suits
Freedom suits were lawsuits in the Thirteen Colonies and the United States filed by slaves against slaveholders to assert claims to freedom, often based on descent from a free maternal ancestor, or time held as a resident in a free state or te ...
and found the
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was a federal legislation of the United States that balanced desires of northern states to prevent expansion of slavery in the country with those of southern states to expand it. It admitted Missouri as a slave state an ...
unconstitutional, so the territory's prohibition against slavery became unenforceable. Nearly all Southerners left the St. Cloud area when the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polic ...
broke out, taking their slaves with them.
Lowry died in the city in 1865.
Beginning in 1864,
Stephen Miller served a two-year term as Minnesota governor, the only citizen of St. Cloud ever to hold the office. Miller was a "
Pennsylvania German
The Pennsylvania Dutch ( Pennsylvania Dutch: ), also known as Pennsylvania Germans, are a cultural group formed by German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. They emigrated primarily from German-sp ...
businessman", lawyer, writer, active abolitionist, and personal friend of
Alexander Ramsey
Alexander Ramsey (September 8, 1815 April 22, 1903) was an American politician. He served as a Whig and Republican over a variety of offices between the 1840s and the 1880s. He was the first Minnesota Territorial Governor.
Early years and f ...
. He was on the state's Republican electoral ticket with Abraham Lincoln in 1860.
Steamboats regularly docked at St. Cloud as part of the fur trade and other commerce, although river levels were not reliable. This ended with the construction of the
Coon Rapids Dam
Coon Rapids is a northern suburb of Minneapolis, and is the largest city in Anoka County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 63,599 at the 2020 census, making it the fifteenth largest city in Minnesota and the seventh largest Twin Ci ...
in 1912–14.
Granite
Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies und ...
quarries have operated in the area since the 1880s, giving St. Cloud its nickname, "The Granite City."
In 1917,
Samuel Pandolfo started the Pan Motor Company in St. Cloud. Pandolfo claimed his Pan-Cars would make St. Cloud the new
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...
but the company failed at a time when resources were directed toward the
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
effort. He was later convicted and imprisoned for attempting to defraud investors.
Geography
According to the
United States 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
An economy is an area of th ...
, the city has an area of ; is land and is water.
The city is bisected by 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 ...
, and part of the
Sauk River runs along its northern edge.
Just south of downtown is the 7-acre, 35-feet-deep Lake George. In 2021, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) credited decade long-city investments in stormwater filtration with reducing Lake George's phosphorus levels well below the state standard. It called Lake George one of three "success stories" in the state, and planned to remove it from a list of impaired waters.
Granite bedrock quarried in the area has been estimated to be 1.7 billion years old and was exposed after several miles of rock above it eroded. The city lies on a band of modern Mississippi river sediment surrounded by land scoured several times by Wisconsin Age glaciers beginning about 35,000 years ago, ending with the Lake Superior St. Croix lobe. The later Des Moines lobe created glacial moraines and drift south and east of the city.
Climate
St. Cloud lies in the warm summer
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 freez ...
zone (
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...
: ''Dfb''), with warm summers and cold winters with moderate to heavy snowfall. The monthly normal daily mean temperature ranges from in January to in July. The record high temperature is 107 °F (42 °C). The record low temperature is -43 °F (-42 °C).
Demographics
2020 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 in ...
of 2020,
there were 68,881 people and 26,374 households residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical ...
was . The racial makeup of the city was 77.1% White, 14.6% African American, 0.6% Native American, 3.4% Asian, and 3.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.2% of the population.
St. Cloud is the principal city of the
St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area, a
metropolitan area that covers Sherburne, Benton and Stearns counties and had a combined population of 199,671 at the
2020 census, an increase of 5.59% since 2010.
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 in ...
of 2010, there were 65,842 people, 25,439 households, and 13,348 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical ...
was . There were 27,338 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 84.6%
White
White is the lightness, 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 diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...
, 7.8%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
, 0.7%
Native American, 3.7%
Asian, 0.8% from
other races, and 2.5% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...
or
Latino of any race were 2.4% of the population.
There were 25,439 households, of which 25.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.6% 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, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 47.5% were non-families. 30.8% 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 2.37 and the average family size was 2.95.
The median age in the city was 28.8 years. 18.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 23.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.5% were from 25 to 44; 21.5% were from 45 to 64; and 10.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.5% male and 48.5% female.
2000 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 in ...
of 2000, 27.3% of St. Cloud households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% 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, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.9% were non-families. 30.2% 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 2.40 and the average family size was 3.00.
The racial makeup of the city was 91.7%
White
White is the lightness, 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 diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...
, 2.4%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
, 0.7%
Native American, 3.1%
Asian, 0.7%
other races, and 1.4% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...
or
Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population.
Average income
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2020 the annual mean wage for 99,600 employees across all occupations in St. Cloud was $50,800. The median hourly wage was $24.42.
Top employers
According to St. Cloud's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,
the top employers in the city are:
Arts, culture and events
In 2019 the city of
Saint Cloud, Minnesota
St. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's central region. The population was 68,881 at the 2020 census, making it Minnesota's 12th-largest city. St. Cloud is the county seat of Stea ...
was awarded three first places awards from the
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus ( legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
based International Awards for Liveable Communities (LivCom), one of several ''
most livable cities'' awards. The city won the first-place whole city award for its size and first-place for cities of all sizes for Enhancement of landscapes and public spaces, Arts, culture and heritage management and Community participation and empowerment. The international organization praised the city for its focus on improving parkland and trails, as well as its enhancements and maintenace of 96 parks. The city has been a finalist at the LivCom awards four times since 2007.
The St. Cloud Area Convention and Visitors Bureau promotes an area events calendar, dining and lodging information. The city-owned St. Cloud River's Edge Convention Center hosts a variety of events including regional conferences, consumer/trade shows, small group meetings and social events.
Sites of interest
*
Cathedral of Saint Mary, the largest church serving the oldest
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...
in the community, built in the 1920s in the Italian Romanesque style. The cathedral is the mother church of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud ( la, Dioecesis Sancti Clodoaldi) is a Roman Catholic diocese in Minnesota, United States. This diocese covers Benton, Douglas, Grant, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Otter Tail, Pope, Sherb ...
.
* The
St. Cloud Commercial Historic District is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...
. St. Cloud is a
Preserve America Community.
*
St. Cloud State University.
*
Great River Regional Library, a six-county regional system serving 32 communities. The system houses nearly 1 million books, CDs and DVDs and 250 public computers and schedules a list of events.
*
Munsinger Gardens and Clemens Gardens, extensive flower gardens dating from the 1930s.
* Quarry Park and Nature Preserve, a public park that features 20 granite quarries, hiking, biking and ski trails. Part of the Stearns County park system.
* Paramount Theatre and Visual Arts Center, a restored 706-seat theater, built in 1921.
*
St. Cloud Hospital
St. Cloud Hospital is a hospital in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States. It is a Catholic-affiliated, not-for-profit institution and part of the CentraCare Health System. The hospital has more than 9,000 employees, 400 physicians and 1,200 ...
, part of
CentraCare Health, was founded in 1886 as St. Benedict's Hospital. The regional health system also includes six
Critical Access hospitalsRice Memorial Hospitalin Willmar and numerous outreach and outpatient clinics and services.
* Stearns History Museum, with two floors of exhibits, a research area, a museum store, and a nature park. The only county museum in
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 List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minne ...
accredited by the
American Alliance of Museums
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, p ...
.
* Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame, dedicated to preserving Minnesota's baseball history.
* St. Cloud River's Edge Convention Center, a meeting center overlooking 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 ...
.
*
St. Cloud Regional Airport, providing scheduled commercial turboprop passenger service, private, corporate, cargo and military operations.
*
St. Cloud Technical and Community College, a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System.
*
Minnesota Correctional Facility – St. Cloud, built in 1889, housing nearly 1,000 prisoners.
*
Midtown Square Mall, a shopping mall with more than 50 tenants
*
Crossroads Center, a shopping mall with more than 100 tenants
File:Stearns County Courthouse.jpg, Stearns County Courthouse, 2013.
File:Cathedral of St Mary.jpg, Cathedral of Saint Mary (St. Cloud, Minnesota), 2013.
File:Clemens Gardens.JPG, Munsinger and Clemens Gardens, 1997.
File:StGermain Paramount.jp
The Paramount Theater on Saint Germain Street
2008.
File:2013-0408-StCloudVA.jp
The St. Cloud VA Medical Center
File:Great River Regional Library St. Cloud Minnesota.jpg, Great River Regional Library GRRL, 2020
File:First National Bank, St Cloud MN.jpg, First National Bank, 2013.
File:Michael Majerus House.jpg, alt=Michael Majerus House, Michael Majerus House (now Victorian Oaks Bed & Breakfast), 2016
Sports
The city is home to:
*the
St. Cloud State University Division I ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two o ...
teams. Men's Husky Hockey competes in the
National Collegiate Hockey Conference
The National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) is an NCAA men's Division I hockey conference formed on July 9, 2011. The league began playing for the 2013–14 season, the same season that the Big Ten Conference began competition, as a combina ...
. Women's Husky Hockey competes in the
Western Collegiate Hockey Association
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) is a college athletic conference which operates in the Midwestern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a women's ice hockey-only conference. From 1951 to 1999, it operated a ...
. The men's team has made nine
NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship
''NCAA men's ice hockey championship'' refers to either of the two tournaments in men's ice hockey – one in Division I and one in Division III – contested by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) since 1971. The NCAA Divisi ...
appearances, notably advancing to the 2013 Frozen Four in Pittsburgh, Penn. The 2012-13 team's co-captain and fifth-year forward,
Drew LeBlanc, was named WCHA Player of the Year and earned numerous national honors, including the
Hobey Baker Award
The Hobey Baker Award is an annual award given to the top National Collegiate Athletic Association men's ice hockey player. It has been awarded 41 times. It is named for Hall of Famer Hobey Baker, who played college hockey at Princeton University ...
, the most prestigious award in men's college hockey. The 2013 team also earned a share of the WCHA league title and its symbol, the century-old
MacNaughton Cup. The Huskies play in the 5,763-seat
Herb Brooks National Hockey Center
The Herb Brooks National Hockey Center, also known as the Brooks Center, is a 5,159-seat hockey arena in St. Cloud, Minnesota. It is home to the St. Cloud State University Huskies men's & women's ice hockey teams, and the Saint John's University ...
, which underwent a $18 million renovation and expansion in 2012–13.
*the
St. Cloud Norsemen
The St. Cloud Norsemen is a Tier II junior ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League's (NAHL) Central Division. The Norsemen play out of the St. Cloud Municipal Athletic Complex in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The team consists of players ran ...
, a
Tier II junior hockey team at the Municipal Athletic Complex.
*the
Granite City Lumberjacks
The Granite City Lumberjacks are a Tier III Junior A ice hockey team playing in the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) and plays their home games at the Armadillo Deck Sports Arena, located in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota. The Lumberjacks play 4 ...
, a
Tier III junior hockey team in nearby
Sauk Rapids.
*the
St. Cloud Rox (formerly the River Bats) of the
Northwoods League
The Northwoods League is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league. All players in the league must have NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate. The league is amateur, and players are not paid, so as to maintain their college el ...
, a
collegiate summer baseball league. The Rox play at
Joe Faber Field
Joe Faber Field is a baseball venue located in St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States. It is the home of the St. Cloud Rox of the Northwoods League, a collegiate summer baseball league. in St. Cloud and were founded in 2012.
*the Saint Cloud Area Roller Dolls, a flat-track roller derby league founded in 2011.
*the Saint Cloud River Runners club, who put on the
Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon, an annual event in central Minnesota. The race is used as a Boston-qualifying event for runners who want a straight, quiet, scenic, mostly flat route in the early spring.
*the Granite City FC is a minor league soccer team founded in 2016. It currently plays in the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL).
Parks and recreation
The city maintains 95 parks, totaling more than and ranging in size from "neighborhood and mini parks" to . The largest developed park, Whitney Memorial Park, is the former location of the city airport. It features a recreation center for senior citizens, a dog park, and numerous softball, baseball, and soccer fields.
Government
Since 2005, St. Cloud's mayor has been
Dave Kleis
Dave Kleis (born January 21, 1964) is a Minnesota small business owner and politician serving as the mayor of St. Cloud, Minnesota
St. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's centra ...
. He was reelected to a fifth term in 2020.
St. Cloud has been moved by Congressional redistricting to a wide variety of Minnesota regions, including northern, south central, northwest and southwest. In Congressional district maps in effect since 2003, it has been grouped with rural areas and suburbs north and west of the Twin Cities. The district had only minor changes in a 2022 map drawn by a five-judge panel based on the 2020 census. St. Cloud is the largest city in
Minnesota's 6th congressional district
Minnesota's 6th congressional district includes most or all of Benton, Carver, Sherburne, Stearns, Wright, Anoka, and Washington counties. Many of the Twin Cities' northern and northwestern suburbs are included within the boundaries of t ...
, represented by Republican
Tom Emmer
Thomas Earl Emmer Jr.Helgeson, Baird, ''Star Tribune'', July 11, 2010. (born March 3, 1961) is an American attorney and politician who has been the U.S. representative for since 2015. The district includes most of the Twin Cities' far northern ...
.
The city makes up the majority of population of Minnesota State Senate District 14, which straddles the Mississippi River and includes parts of three counties, represented by
Aric Putnam. Minnesota House District 14A includes generally western parts of the city as well as
Waite Park,
St. Augusta and adjacent rural areas, represented by
Dan Wolgamott
Dan Wolgamott (born October 24, 1990) is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2019. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Wolgamott represents District 14B in central Minnesota ...
. District 14B includes east central and northeast St. Cloud, neighboring
Sauk Rapids and parts of rural Benton and Sherburne Counties, represented by
Tama Theis.
In 2016, St. Cloud converted from 5% to 80% renewable energy by using solar gardens, street light improvements, bio-gas, and other energy efficiency initiatives. St. Cloud's wastewater plant converts sugar-laden liquids from local food and beer manufacturers into fuel and fertilizer. Since 2020, the city has produced more energy than it consumes.
Past
mayors of St. Cloud include:
*Sylvanus B. Lowry (1856), selected by town council members as council president (office of mayor did not yet exist)
*John L. Wilson (1857–1858)
*E. O. Hamlin (1868)
*J. A. McDonald (1900)
*J. R. Boyd (1901)
*J. E. C. Robinson (1902–1905 and 1906)
*J. N. Bensen (1905)
*David McCarty (1907)
*Louis Brown (1907)
*Hugh Evans (1908–1909)
*D. H. Freeman (1910 and 1916–1919)
*P. J. Seberger (1911–1912)
*H. J. Limperich (1919)
*W. W. Matson (1920–1924). 19th Amendment gives women the right to vote.
*J. Arthur Bensen (1924–1928)
*James H. Murphy (1928–1932, 1945–1948)
*Phil Collignon (1932–1945)
*Mathew Malisheski (1948–1952)
*Lawrence A. Borgert (1952). City Charter revised, creating current "standard mayor form" of government.
*George Byers (1953–1960)
*Thomas E. Mealey (1960–1964)
*
Ed Henry
Edward Michael Henry Jr. (born July 20, 1971) is an American journalist. Henry was the co-host of '' America's Newsroom'' on the Fox News Channel, along with Sandra Smith. On June 20, 2011, he left CNN, to become the Fox News White House Corres ...
(1964–1971)
*
Al Loehr (1971–1980)
*Sam Huston (1980–1989)
*Chuck Winkelman (1989–1997)
*Larry Meyer (1997–2001)
*John Ellenbecker (2001–2005)
Politics
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris won St. Cloud's votes in the
2020 presidential election by a margin of 9%, higher than the state margin of 7.12%. In
2016, former President Donald Trump won St. Cloud by 1.75% over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
Education
Almost all of St. Cloud, including the portions in Stearns and Sherburne Counties, and much the portion in Benton County, is in the
St. Cloud Public School District St. Cloud Area School District 742 is a school district headquartered in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
It is also known as District 742 Community Schools.
History
In 2016 the district had about 10,000 students.
From 2001 to 2016, the number of students ...
. A portion of Benton County St. Cloud is in the Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools district.
The St. Cloud Area School District serves St. Cloud, St. Augusta, Clearwater, Waite Park, St. Joseph, Haven Township, and parts of Sauk Rapids. It has eight elementary schools, a new K-8 school in St. Joseph, and two major public high schools, St. Cloud
Technical High School and St. Cloud
Apollo High School. St. Cloud also has a major private high school,
Cathedral High School. Both public high schools offer a broad selection of Advanced Placement courses and rank high in the state in the number of AP tests taken and of test takers. St. Cloud Tech opened in 1917 across from a city park and Lake George. In 2019, it moved to a new 69-acre, $104 million facility on the southwest edge of the city. The historic 1917 building has been acquired for use by city government. Apollo opened in 1970 and serves the expanding north side of the city. Other high schools and secondary schools that serve St. Cloud include St. Robert Bellarmine's Academy, St. Cloud Christian School, Immaculate Conception Academy,
St. John's Preparatory School, St. Cloud Alternative Learning Center, and the charter school STRIDE Academy, which is K-8. The nearby cities of Sauk Rapids and Sartell also have their own school districts and high schools, bringing the number of public high schools in the metropolitan area to four.
Colleges
St. Cloud is home to several higher education institutions, including Minnesota's third-largest university,
St. Cloud State University. St. Cloud State's fall 2020 enrollment was 12,607, in a year affected by the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
.
St. Cloud's other post-secondary institutions and campuses include
St. Cloud Technical and Community College (SCTCC) and
Rasmussen College
Rasmussen University is a private for-profit university with multiple locations throughout the United States. It offers associate's, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees at 23 campuses in Minnesota, Illinois, North Dakota, Florida, Wisconsi ...
. Neighboring
Sartell
Sartell is a city in Benton and Stearns Counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota that straddles the Mississippi River. It is part of the St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 19,351 at the 2020 census, making it St. Clo ...
is home to a campus of the
Duluth
, settlement_type = City
, nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City
, motto =
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...
-based
College of St. Scholastica
The College of St. Scholastica (CSS) is a private Benedictine college in Duluth, Minnesota. Founded in 1912 by a group of pioneering Benedictine Sisters, today St. Scholastica educates almost 4,000 students annually and has graduated more than 29, ...
, and the
College of St. Benedict and St. John's University are in neighboring St. Joseph and nearby Collegeville, respectively.
Media
The main
newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sport ...
is the ''
St. Cloud Times'', a
Gannett
Gannett Co., Inc. () is an American mass media holding company headquartered in McLean, Virginia, in the Greater Washington DC, Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.[Ion
An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge.
The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by conven ...]
-owned
KPXM-TV (channel 41), is licensed to the city, but moved its transmitter to the Twin Cities in 2009 as part of the digital transition, and maintains no presence in the city.
WCMN-LD (channel 13) is a
low-power station licensed to St. Cloud that broadcasts in
ATSC 3.0
ATSC 3.0 is a major version of the ATSC standards for television broadcasting created by the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC).
The standards are designed to offer support for newer technologies, including HEVC for video channels of up ...
. Additionally,
St. Cloud State University students operate cable-only UTVS (channel 180), which includes local news and broadcasts from a studio on campus.
Radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transm ...
stations include:
FM
AM
Infrastructure
Transportation
St. Cloud is a regional transportation hub within Minnesota. Major roadways including
Interstate Highway 94,
U.S. Highway 10
U.S. Route 10 or U.S. Highway 10 (US 10) is an east–west United States highway located in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions of the United States. Unlike most U.S. routes with "0" as the last digit of its route number, US 10 ...
, and Minnesota State Highways
15 and
23 pass through the city.
Bus
A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
service within the city and to neighboring
Sartell
Sartell is a city in Benton and Stearns Counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota that straddles the Mississippi River. It is part of the St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 19,351 at the 2020 census, making it St. Clo ...
,
Sauk Rapids, and
Waite Park is offered through
St. Cloud Metro Bus, which was recognized in 2007 as the best transit system of its size in North America. An innovative system gives transit buses a slight advantage at stoplights in order to improve efficiency and on-time performance. Th
Metro Bus Transit Centerin the downtown area is also shared with
Jefferson Lines
Jefferson Lines (JL or JLI) is a regional intercity bus company operating in the United States. Their current operations expands over 14 states throughout the Midwest.
Background
The company is operated by Jefferson Partners L.P., located in Mi ...
, providing national bus service.
Bus service links downtown St. Cloud and St. Cloud State University with the western terminus of the
Northstar Commuter Rail
The Northstar Line is a commuter rail route in the US state of Minnesota. Northstar runs from Big Lake to downtown Minneapolis at Target Field using existing track and right-of-way owned by the BNSF Railway. Passenger service began on Novem ...
line in
Big Lake, by the way of Northstar Link Commuter Bus, which in turn links to the
Metro Transit bus and light rail system at
Target Field Station in downtown
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with list of lakes in Minneapolis, thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. ...
.
Several rail lines run through the city, which is
a stop on
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...
's ''
Empire Builder
The ''Empire Builder'' is an Amtrak long-distance passenger train that operates daily between Chicago and either Seattle or Portland via two sections west of Spokane. Introduced in 1929, it was the flagship passenger train of the Great Norther ...
'' passenger rail line.
St. Cloud is home to
St. Cloud Regional Airport, from which daily connecting flights to
Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport
Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport , also less commonly known as Wold-Chamberlain Field, is a joint civil-military public-use international airport located in Fort Snelling Unorganized Territory, Minnesota, United States. Although s ...
were made on
Delta Connection
Delta Connection is a regional airline brand name for Delta Air Lines, under which a number of individually owned regional airlines primarily operate short- and medium-haul routes. Mainline major air carriers often use regional airlines to oper ...
, operated by
Mesaba Airlines
Mesaba Aviation, Inc. (operating as Mesaba Airlines) was an American regional airline based in Eagan, Minnesota From 2010 to 2012 the airline was a wholly owned subsidiary of Pinnacle Airlines Corporation with code sharing flights operated as ...
, until January 1, 2010, when the service was discontinued. On December 15, 2012, Allegiant Air began nonstop flights between St. Cloud Regional Airport and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, on McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft.
Major highways
*
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 10
U.S. Route 10 or U.S. Highway 10 (US 10) is an east–west United States highway located in the Midwest and Great Lakes regions of the United States. Unlike most U.S. routes with "0" as the last digit of its route number, US 10 ...
*
Minnesota State Highway 15
Minnesota State Highway 15 (MN 15) is a highway in south-central and central Minnesota, which runs from Iowa Highway 15 at the Iowa state line and continues north to its northern terminus at its interchange with U.S. Highway 10 outside of Sarte ...
*
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 rough ...
Notable people
*
Halima Aden
Halima Aden is a Somali-American fashion model. She is noted for being the first woman to wear a hijab in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant, where she was a semi-finalist. Following her participation in the pageant, Halima received national attent ...
, model and first
Somali-American
Somali Americans are Americans of Somali ancestry. The first ethnic Somalis to arrive in the U.S. were sailors who came in the 1920s from British Somaliland. They were followed by students pursuing higher studies in the 1960s and 1970s, by the la ...
to compete for
Miss Minnesota
The Miss Minnesota competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Minnesota in the Miss America pageant. Women from Minnesota have won the Miss America crown on three occasions. The most recent winner was Gretchen ...
; worked alongside
Gigi Hadid
Jelena Noura "Gigi" Hadid ( ; born April 23, 1995) is an American model and television personality. In November 2014, she made her debut in the Top 50 Models ranking at Models.com. In 2016, she was named International Model of the Year by the ...
, and modeled for
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
's fashion brand
Yeezy Season 5
*
Mathew Ahmann, civil rights activist
*
Raymond H. Bares, Minnesota state senator and educator
*
Tom Burgmeier
Thomas Henry Burgmeier (born August 2, 1943) is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played for the California Angels, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox and Oakland A's from 1968 to 1984. He has also served as the p ...
, Major League Baseball player; grew up in St. Cloud and attended Cathedral High School
*
Loren W. Collins
Loren Warren "L.W." Collins (August 7, 1838 – September 27, 1912) was an American jurist and politician.
Early life and education
Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, Collins moved with his family to Eden Prairie, Minnesota Territory, in 1853. ...
, Minnesota jurist and legislator; mayor of St. Cloud
*
David Durenberger
David Ferdinand Durenberger (born August 19, 1934) is a retired American politician and attorney. Durenberger represented Minnesota in the United States Senate as a Republican from 1978 to 1995. He left the Republican Party in 2005 and has becom ...
, former United States Senator from Minnesota
*
Jim Eisenreich
James Michael Eisenreich (; born April 18, 1959) is an American former Major League Baseball player with a 15-year career from 1982 to 1984 and 1987–1998. He played for the Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals of the American League, and the ...
, Major League Baseball player for
1997 World Series
The 1997 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1997 season. The 93rd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Cleveland Indians and the National L ...
champion
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park.
The fra ...
*
Janice Ettle, five-time competitor at the woman's US Olympic Marathon Trials, two-time winner of
Grandma's Marathon
Grandma's Marathon is an annual road race held each June in Duluth, Minnesota, in the United States. The course runs point-to-point from the city of Two Harbors on Scenic Route 61 and continues along Lake Superior into the city of Duluth. Th ...
and winner of the 1985
Twin Cities Marathon
The Twin Cities Marathon (TCM) is an annual marathon in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area which normally takes place the first weekend in October. The race is often called "The Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America" due to a course that wind ...
*
Howard M. Fish, retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant general, former assistant vice chief of staff of Air Force
*
Charles A. Gilman
Charles Andrew Gilman (February 9, 1833 – June 7, 1927) was a Republican legislator, Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, and the ninth Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota.
Life and career
Gilman was born in 1833 in Gilmanto ...
,
ninth Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota
*
Janey Gohl
Janey Lee Gohl (born August 18, 1956) is a beauty queen from St. Cloud, Minnesota who has competed in the Miss USA pageant.
Gohl was born to Roger and Bernice Bromenschenkel Gohl. She has three sisters, Diane, Sandra, and Sharon, and two brothe ...
, 1978
Miss Minnesota USA
The Miss Minnesota USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Minnesota in the Miss USA pageant. It is directed by Future Productions based in Savage, Minnesota since its inception in 1995, which also direc ...
*
Lawrence M. Hall, longest-serving
Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives
*
Keith F. Hughes
Keith F. Hughes (July 27, 1936 – September 21, 2021) was an American politician and lawyer.
Hughes was born in St. Cloud, Minnesota and graduated the Cathedral High School in St. Cloud. Hughes served in the Reserve Officers' Training Corp ...
, Minnesota state senator and lawyer
*
Jack I. Kleinbaum, businessman, St. Cloud City Council member, and Minnesota state legislator
*
Dave Kleis
Dave Kleis (born January 21, 1964) is a Minnesota small business owner and politician serving as the mayor of St. Cloud, Minnesota
St. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's centra ...
, mayor of St. Cloud
*
Jim Knoblach
Jim Knoblach (born November 5, 1957) is an American politician and former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, he represented District 14B in central Minnesota.
Early life and educati ...
, Republican member of the
Minnesota House of Representatives
The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house of the Minnesota Legislature, Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. There are 134 members, twice as many as the Minnesota Senate. Floor sessions are held in the north wing of the Min ...
*
Franklin J. Knoll, Minnesota state legislator, lawyer, and judge
*
June Marlowe
June Marlowe (born Gisela Valaria Goetten, November 6, 1903 – March 10, 1984) was an American film actress who began her career during the silent film era. She was best known for her performance of "Miss Crabtree" in the ''Our Gang'' sho ...
, actress notable for playing Miss Crabtree in short-film series ''
Our Gang
''Our Gang'' (also known as ''The Little Rascals'' or ''Hal Roach's Rascals'') is an American series of comedy short films chronicling a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. Created by film producer Hal Roach, also the ...
''
*
John McMartin
John Francis McMartin (August 21, 1929 – July 6, 2016) was an American actor of stage, film and television.
Life and career
McMartin was born in Warsaw, Indiana, on August 21, 1929, and raised in St. Cloud, Minnesota. After graduating fro ...
, film, television and stage actor
*
Stephen Miller, abolitionist, Civil War veteran, Republican politician, fourth
Governor of Minnesota
The governor of Minnesota is the head of government of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty people have been governor of Minnesota, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. ...
*
Edgar G. Mills
Edgar G. Mills (born September 15, 1860; died after 1921) was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and the Wisconsin State Senate.
Biography
Born in Aurora, Waushara County, Wisconsin, Mills was educated in the public schools and then bega ...
, Wisconsin State Assemblyman and Senator
*
William P. Murphy, former Associate Justice of
Minnesota Supreme Court
The Minnesota Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The court hears cases in the Supreme Court chamber in the Minnesota State Capitol or in the nearby Minnesota Judicial Center.
History
The court was first asse ...
*
Jim Pehler, Minnesota state legislator
*
Tom Petters
Thomas Joseph Petters is a former American businessman and chairman and CEO of Petters Group Worldwide, a company which stole over $2 billion in a Ponzi scheme. He was convicted of massive business fraud in 2009 and is now imprisoned at the Un ...
, former CEO and chairman of
Petters Group Worldwide Petters Group Worldwide was an American diversified company based in Minnetonka, Minnesota that was turned into a $3.65 billion Ponzi scheme by its founder and CEO, Tom Petters. It had 3,200 employees and investments or full ownership in 60 compan ...
,
[Nicole Muehlhausen]
BIO: Tom Petters
, KSTP.com, September 24, 2008, Accessed October 8, 2008, convicted for involvement in a $3.65 billion
Ponzi scheme
A Ponzi scheme (, ) is a form of fraud that lures investors and pays profits to earlier investors with funds from more recent investors. Named after Italian businessman Charles Ponzi, the scheme leads victims to believe that profits are comi ...
*Reynold Philipsek, gypsy jazz guitarist
*Dewey H. Reed, educator and politician
*Alise Willoughby, BMX racer and Olympic silver medalist.
*Michael Sauer (ice hockey), Michael Sauer, professional ice hockey player for New York Rangers
* Anne Schleper, women's hockey Olympic silver medalist, 2014
*Nate Schmidt, professional ice hockey player for NHL's Vegas Golden Knights, Washington Capitals, Winnipeg Jets
*Stephen Sommers, film director and alumnus of
Cathedral High School and College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University, St. John's University
*Charles Thomas Stearns, politician
*Jane Swisshelm, newspaper owner, editor and abolitionist
*Craig Thomas (screenwriter), Craig Thomas, television writer and producer, co-creator of ''How I Met Your Mother''
*Gene Waldorf, electrical engineer and politician
*Nate Wolters, professional basketball player
*Gig Young, Academy Award-winning actor, film and television star; born in St. Cloud
Sister cities
* Spalt, Bavaria, Germany
* Akita, Akita, Akita, Japan
In popular culture
*Season 3 of FX (TV channel), FX's ''Fargo (TV series), Fargo'' depicts St. Cloud as the residence of both Ray Stussy (Ewan McGregor) and Nikki Swango (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), but was not filmed there.
*Courtroom scenes in the Disney Film ''The Mighty Ducks (film), The Mighty Ducks'' were filmed in St. Cloud, and a few scenes were filmed at the Municipal Athletic Complex (MAC) but did not make the final film.
*Al Franken and Tom Davis (comedian), Tom Davis's ''One More Saturday Night (film), One More Saturday Night'' is set in St. Cloud, but was not filmed there.
*''Juno (film), Juno'' was partially set in St. Cloud, which is referred to as "East Jesus Nowhere", though no filming took place in the city.
*The song "On a Bus to St. Cloud", by Gretchen Peters, is on Trisha Yearwood's 1995 album ''Thinkin' About You''.
*In 2005, Penn & Teller: Bullshit! shot an episode on the SCSU campus.
*In the 2007 horror movie ''1408 (film), 1408'', St. Cloud is mentioned as one of the scariest places the protagonist has visited while investigating haunted houses.
*Judith Guest and Rebecca Hill's novel ''Killing Time in St. Cloud'' is set in the eponymous city.
*John Bellairs's character Mr. Emerson is from St. Cloud.
*In the novel ''The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud'' by Ben Sherwood, the main character's mother grew up in the city.
*In the sitcom ''How I Met Your Mother'', Marshall Eriksen is from St. Cloud. Throughout the series, St. Cloud is visited by several characters several times, but is portrayed as a much smaller town than it is in reality.
*The 1989 film ''Catch Me If You Can (1989 film), Catch Me If You Can'' was shot in St. Cloud
* In the 1990 children's book, ''Blumpoe the Grumpoe Meets Arnold the Cat'', protagonist Horace P. Blumpoe's sister Edith lives in St. Cloud, and Horace visits her every year in November.
See also
* 1998 St. Cloud explosion
* Dave Torrey Arena
References
External links
City WebsiteSt. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Cloud, Minnesota
St. Cloud, Minnesota,
Cities in Benton County, Minnesota
Cities in Minnesota
Cities in Sherburne County, Minnesota
Cities in Stearns County, Minnesota
County seats in Minnesota
Minnesota populated places on the Mississippi River
Populated places established in 1853
St. Cloud, Minnesota metropolitan area
1853 establishments in Minnesota Territory