St. Cloud, Minnesota

St. Cloud or Saint Cloud (Template:IPAc-en; Template:IPA) is a city in Stearns County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 68,881 at the 2020 census, making it Minnesota's 12th-most populous city.<ref name="2020 Census (City)">Template:Cite web</ref> St. Cloud is the county seat of Stearns County,<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> though it also extends into Benton and Sherburne counties. The city lies along the Mississippi River and is named after Saint-Cloud, a suburb of Paris named for the 6th-century monk Clodoald.

The St. Cloud metropolitan area has an estimated 206,000 residents and is Minnesota's fifth-largest metropolitan statistical area. St. Cloud is Template:Convert northwest of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis–St. Paul along Interstate 94, U.S. Highway 52 (conjoined with I-94), U.S. Highway 10, Minnesota State Highway 15, and Minnesota State Highway 23. The St. Cloud metropolitan area is included in the greater Minneapolis–St. Paul combined statistical area.

St. Cloud is home to St. Cloud State University, Minnesota's third-largest public university, located near the Beaver Islands, a group of around 30 undeveloped islands in the Mississippi River. These islands, part of a 12-mile designated wild and scenic river segment, attract kayakers and canoeists.<ref>Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, "Mississippi River", "St. Cloud to Anoka" Template:Webarchive</ref><ref>National Weather Service, Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service, Mississippi River at St. Cloud</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The city also owns and operates Minnesota's largest municipally managed hydroelectric dam on the Mississippi River, which generates nearly nine megawatts of electricity, about 10% of the total output from the state's 11 hydroelectric dams on the river.<ref>City of St. Cloud, Public Utilities,</ref><ref>Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) "Operating Hydropower Sites In Minnesota"</ref><ref>John Weeks, John Weeks, The Bridges and Structures of the Mississippi River Headwaters Template:Webarchive, A Detailed Look At The Bridges, Dams And Other Structures On The Mississippi River In The Headwaters Region From Lake Itasca To Minneapolis, November 2007.</ref>

History

File:Red River cart in Saint Cloud, Minnesota.jpg

Red River cart at Saint Cloud, 1887

What is now the St. Cloud area was occupied by various indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Voyageurs and coureurs des bois from New France first encountered the Ojibwe and Dakota through the highly profitable North American fur trade with local Native American peoples.<ref>New historic marker at Riverside Park honors Dakota and Ojibwe, Jenny Berg, SCTimes, June 28, 2019</ref><ref>William Bell Mitchell (1915), History of Stearns County; Volume I, H.R. Cooper & Co. Chicago. Pages 26-35.</ref>

The Minnesota Territory was organized in 1849. The St. Cloud area opened up to homesteading<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> after the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux was signed with the Dakota people in 1851.<ref>William Bell Mitchell (1915), History of Stearns County; Volume I, H.R. Cooper & Co. Chicago. Pages 35-38.</ref> John L. Wilson, a Yankee homesteader from Columbia, Maine, with French Huguenot ancestry and an interest in Napoleon, named the settlement St. Cloud after Saint-Cloud, the Paris suburb where Napoleon had his favorite palace.<ref>How did St. Cloud get its name? It's a strange story, An inside joke in the 1850s had a lasting impact on central Minnesota's hub, Jenny Berg, Curious Minnesota, Star Tribune, July 23, 2021.</ref><ref>William Bell Mitchell (1915), History of Stearns County; Volume I, H.R. Cooper & Co. Chicago. Pages 645-646.</ref>

St. Cloud was a waystation on the Middle and Woods branches of the Red River Trails used by Métis traders between the Canada–U.S. border at Pembina, North Dakota, and Saint Paul, Minnesota. The cart trains often consisted of hundreds of oxcarts known as Red River carts. The Métis, bringing furs to trade for supplies to take back to their rural settlements, camped west of the city and crossed 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 European-American settlers established starting in 1853.<ref>"3 Towns Into 1 City, A Narrative Record of Significant Factors in The Story Of St. Cloud Minnesota."</ref> Remnants of the deep ravines that separated the three are still visible today. Middle Town was settled primarily by German Catholic immigrants and migrants from eastern states, who were recruited to the region by Father Francis Xavier Pierz, a Catholic priest who also ministered as a missionary to Native Americans.

Lower Town was founded by settlers from the Northern Tier of New England and the mid-Atlantic states, including former residents of upstate New York.<ref>The St Cloud Area Bicentennial Commission, "3 Towns Into 1 City, A Narrative Record of Significant Factors in THE STORY OF ST. CLOUD MINNESOTA", Compiled and Narrated by John J Dominik, Jr, Editor Ed L Stockinger, page 3.</ref> Its Protestant settlers opposed slavery.<ref>St. Cloud City website Document Center</ref> Upper Town, or Arcadia, was plotted by General Sylvanus Lowry, a slaveholder and trader from Kentucky who brought slaves with him, although Minnesota was organized as a free territory.<ref name="Leg">"Sylvanus Lowry" Template:Webarchive, Minnesota Legislators Past and Present, accessed July 4, 2012</ref> 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).<ref>https://www.ci.stcloud.mn.us/DocumentCenter/View/685/Newly-Elected-Orientation?bidId= Newly Elected Orientation, section (9) History of the City</ref><ref name="Leg"/><ref name="Espinoza"/>

Jane Grey Swisshelm, an abolitionist newspaper editor who had migrated from Pittsburgh, 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. Lowry started a rival paper, The Union.<ref name="Espinoza">Ambar Espinoza, "St. Cloud professor unearths history of slavery in Minnesota" Template:Webarchive, Minnesota Public Radio, May 7, 2010, accessed July 4, 2012</ref> In 1857, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Dred Scott that slaves could not file freedom suits and found the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional, so the territory's prohibition against slavery became unenforceable. Nearly all Southerners left the St. Cloud area when the Civil War broke out, taking their slaves with them. The number of slaves in the community was estimated in single digits at the 1860 census.<ref name="Espinoza"/><ref>Lincoln Mullen,These Maps Reveal How Slavery Expanded Across the United States, Smithsonian Magazine, May 15, 2014.</ref> Lowry died in the city in 1865.<ref>Our Gohman Story: The First and Second Generations Template:ISBN p. 173</ref>

Many young men from St. Cloud and the surrounding area served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.<ref>William Bell Mitchell (1915), History of Stearns County; Volume I, H.R. Cooper & Co. Chicago. Pages 628-635.</ref> After it ended, many local Civil War veterans remained heavily involved in St. Cloud's chapter of the Grand Army of the Republic, and raised money for the building of a statue in memory of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln that still stands near the St. Germain Street bridge.<ref>William Bell Mitchell (1915), History of Stearns County; Volume II, H.R. Cooper & Co. Chicago. Pages 1465-1467.</ref> 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 businessman", lawyer, writer, active abolitionist, and personal friend of Alexander Ramsey. He was on the state's Republican electoral ticket with Lincoln in 1860.<ref>John J. Dominik Jr., "Three Towns Into One City", St. Cloud, Minnesota: St Cloud Area Bicentennial Commission, 1976, p. 13</ref>

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 in 1912–14. Granite 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. He claimed his Pan-Cars would make St. Cloud the new Detroit, but the company failed at a time when resources were directed toward the World War I effort. He was later convicted and imprisoned for attempting to defraud investors.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

According to documents at the Stearns History Museum, more than 2,000 residents from the heavily German-American St. Cloud area served in the U.S. military against their ancestral homeland during World War I.<ref>Dunn, Mary Irene, "Stearns County in the World War, An Honor Roll of the Men and Women of this Community Who Served Their Country in the Period from 6 April 1917 to 11 November 1918, Compiled From State and National U.S. Military Records",manuscript dated 1932, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul.</ref> On 26 January 1918, President Woodrow Wilson wrote a letter to Bishop Joseph Francis Busch thanking him for his support of the war effort.<ref>Woodrow Wilson, photocopy of letter on White House stationery with note "Original in Chancery Archive vault", to Rt. Rev. J. F. Busch, Bishop of St. Cloud, 26 January 1918. Stearns History Museum</ref>

Geography

File:Stcloudaerial.JPG

Downtown Saint Cloud, 2007

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of Template:Convert; Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">Template:Cite web</ref>

The city developed on both sides of the Mississippi River. Part of the Sauk River runs along its northern edge.

Just south of downtown is the 7-acre, 35-feet-deep Lake George.<ref>LakeFinder, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.</ref> 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.<ref>Malakowsky, "Minnesota adds 305 streams and lakes to its impaired waters list, including new PFAS water in Greater Minnesota", Minnesota Pollution Control Agency November 8, 2021</ref>

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.<ref>Richard W. Ojakangas, Roadside Geology of Minnesota, 2009, glacial history of Minnesota, page 26, "Glacial geology of central Minnesota - modified from Hobbs and Goebel,1982, page 196, granite dating, page 204</ref>

Climate

File:Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020) - Saint Cloud Area, MN(ThreadEx).svg

Climate chart for St. Cloud

St. Cloud lies in the warm summer humid continental climate zone (Köppen climate classification: Dfb), with warm summers and cold winters with moderate to heavy snowfall. The monthly normal daily mean temperature ranges from Template:Convert in January to Template:Convert in July. The record high temperature is Template:Convert. The record low temperature is Template:Convert.<ref name="NOWData MPX"/>

Demographics

St. Cloud has been a significant destination for immigrants throughout its history, beginning with German settlers in the late 19th century, followed by waves of Polish, Irish, and other European immigrants in the early 20th century. Since the late 20th and early 21st century, new residents of the city have predominantly been from Africa, particularly Somalia.<ref name="CBS Minnesota 2019">Template:Cite web</ref> Unofficial estimates suggest that the number of Somalis in St. Cloud and the surrounding cities could be as high as 25,000, with approximately half of these having moved to the city between 2009 and 2013. About 15% of the local school district is Somali and many Somalis are enrolled in high schools, colleges, and universities as of 2023. Homeownership among St. Cloud's Somali community is considerably lower than other populations.<ref name="Marohn 2022">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="MPR News 2022">Template:Cite web</ref>

Over the past two decades, the racial and ethnic landscape of St. Cloud has experienced significant changes. In the year 2000, non-Hispanic White residents made up more than 90% of the population; by 2020, their share had dropped to 67%. Black residents, who accounted for 2% of the population in 2000, were nearly 20% in 2020, marking the most significant growth among all groups. Residents of Hispanic or Latino origin also increased dramatically, nearly quadrupling their numbers over that time.

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.<ref>U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates St. Cloud, MN</ref>

Race/ethnicity
	2000<ref name=2000Census>Template:Cite book</ref>		2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>		2020<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>
	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
White alone	53,857	91.12%	54,854	83.31%	46,641	67.71%
Black alone	1,378	2.33%	5,101	7.75%	13,180	19.13%
Native American alone	402	0.68%	398	0.61%	337	0.49%
Asian alone	1,833	3.10%	2,393	3.64%	2,404	3.49%
Pacific Islander alone	31	0.05%	16	0.03%	51	0.07%
Other race alone	60	0.10%	54	0.08%	314	0.46%
Two or more races	762	1.29%	1,429	2.17%	2,116	3.07%
Hispanic or Latino	784	1.33%	1,597	2.43%	2,838	4.12%
Total	59,107	100.00%	65,842	100.00%	68,881	100.00%

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 65,842 people, 25,439 households, and 13,348 families residing in the city. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 27,338 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the city was 84.6% White, 7.8% African American, 0.7% Native American, 3.7% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents 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 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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 of 2000, 27.3% of St. Cloud households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples 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, 2.4% African American, 0.7% Native American, 3.1% Asian, 0.7% other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population.

Economy

According to the 2024 City of St. Cloud Economic Development Authority Employment Report, the city's top employers are:<ref>City of St. Cloud Economic Development Authority Employment Report https://www.developstcloud.com/workforce/major-employers/</ref>

#	Employer	# of Employees
1	CentraCare Health System St. Cloud Hospital	6,121
2	State of Minnesota / St. Cloud State University	1,961
3	St. Cloud VA Health Care System	1,749
4	St. Cloud School District	1,247
5	New Flyer of America Inc.	887
6	Anderson Trucking	682
7	Stearns County	648
8	Essilor of America	580
9	Coborn's Inc	545
10	City of St. Cloud	473

St. Cloud Hospital, part of CentraCare Health, was founded in 1886 as St. Benedict's Hospital. The regional health system also includes six Critical Access hospitals, Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar, and numerous outreach and outpatient clinics and services.

Retail options in St. Cloud include Midtown Square Mall, which features more than 50 tenants, and Crossroads Center, a larger shopping complex with over 100 stores and services.

Arts and culture

St. Cloud is home to a variety of notable sites and institutions that reflect its cultural and recreational significance. 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.Template:Cn

The Cathedral of Saint Mary is the largest church in the area. Constructed in the 1920s in the Italian Romanesque style, it serves as the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud. The St. Cloud Commercial Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. St. Cloud is a Preserve America Community.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Paramount Theatre and Visual Arts Center, a restored 706-seat venue built in 1921, serves as a focal point for performing and visual arts in the region.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Great River Regional Library serves a six-county area and 32 communities. This expansive system houses nearly one million items—including books, CDs, and DVDs—and provides 250 public computers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It also hosts a wide array of public programs and events. The Stearns History Museum, accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, offers two floors of exhibits, a research area, a museum store, and is situated within a 100-acre nature park.Template:Cn Munsinger Gardens and Clemens Gardens features extensive floral displays that date back to the 1930s.<ref>Ranking of best public gardens in America includes 3 from Minnesota, BringMeTheNews, Mar 28, 2023</ref> The Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the state's history in amateur baseball.Template:Cn

Sports

The city is home to:

• the St. Cloud State University Division I ice hockey teams. Men's Husky Hockey competes in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. Women's Husky Hockey competes in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. The men's team has made nine NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship appearances, notably advancing to the 2021 championship game in Pittsburgh, Penn.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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 most prestigious award in men's college hockey.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The 2013 team also earned a share of the WCHA league title and its symbol, the century-old MacNaughton Cup.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Huskies play in the 5,763-seat Herb Brooks National Hockey Center, which underwent a $18 million renovation and expansion in 2012–13.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• the St. Cloud Norsemen, a Tier II junior hockey team at the Municipal Athletic Complex.
• the Granite City Lumberjacks, a Tier III junior hockey team in nearby Sauk Rapids.
• the St. Cloud Rox (formerly the River Bats) of the Northwoods League, a collegiate summer baseball league. The Rox play at Joe Faber Field in St. Cloud and were founded in 2012.
• the Saint Cloud Area Roller Dolls, a flat-track roller derby league founded in 2011.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 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 Template:Convert and ranging in size from Template:Convert "neighborhood and mini parks" to Template:Convert. 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

File:2013-0408-MNCorrectionalFacility–StCloud.jpg

Minnesota Correctional Facility – St. Cloud

Since 2025, St. Cloud's mayor has been Jake Anderson.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Minnesota Correctional Facility – St. Cloud, built in 1889, houses nearly 1,000 prisoners.

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.<ref>Minnesota's congressional districts</ref> The district had only minor changes in a 2022 map drawn by a five-judge panel based on the 2020 census.<ref>[1]|"Looking for Census 2020 data? Here is what you need to know" Minnesota State Demographic Center</ref><ref>Tim Pugmire, MInnesota Public Radio, "New political district maps shake up Minnesota politics", February 22, 2022</ref> As of the 2020 census, the city of St. Cloud is the second largest in Minnesota's 6th congressional district, represented by Republican Tom Emmer. The St. Cloud, Minnesota metropolitan area that includes adjacent communities has about a quarter of the 6th district population, though some of the area lies outside the district.

The city makes up the majority of the population of Minnesota State Senate District 14, which straddles the Mississippi River and includes parts of three counties,<ref>[2]|MN Secretary of State Election Administration</ref><ref>[3]|MN Secretary of State Legislative Maps Senate District 14 map</ref> 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,<ref>[4]|MN Secretary of State Legislative Maps Senate District 14A map</ref> represented by Bernie Perryman. District 14B includes east central and northeast St. Cloud, neighboring Sauk Rapids and parts of rural Benton and Sherburne Counties,<ref>[5]|MN Secretary of State Legislative Maps Senate District 14B map</ref> represented by Dan Wolgamott.

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.<ref>"St. Cloud will be powered by 80% renewable energy by 2018" Template:Webarchive, Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs), retrieved 9/7/2019.</ref><ref>"City of St. Cloud Minnesota, The Path to Energy Neutral", Patrick Shea, Public Services Director, Tracy Hodel, Assistant Public Utilities Director.</ref> 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.<ref>Jenny Berg, Innovation at wastewater plant propels St. Cloud to renewable energy leader, Start Tribune, May 21, 2022</ref>

Politics

Kamala Harris won St. Cloud in the 2024 presidential election, defeating Donald Trump, 48.69% to 46.64%. Trump's share of the city's vote was similar to his performance statewide. Harris's share of the city's vote was about two percentage points lower than her statewide performance.<ref>Minnesota Secretary of State, "2024 General Election Results", "2024 Precinct Results Spreadsheet"</ref> Joe Biden won St. Cloud in the 2020 presidential election by a margin of 9%, higher than his statewide margin of 7.12%. In 2016, Trump won St. Cloud by 1.75% over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.<ref>[6]|"Which St. Cloud suburb went for Democrat Joe Biden? And other election take-aways", Nora Hertel, Government Watchdog Report, St Cloud Times, 11/14/2020</ref>

Precinct General Election Results<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Year	Republican	Democratic	Third parties
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2020	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|43.9% 14,209	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|52.9% 17,149	3.2% 1,036
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|2016	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|45.7% 14,401	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|44.0% 13,850	10.3% 3,254
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2012	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|44.5% 14,295	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|52.3% 16,835	3.2% 1,032
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2008	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|43.9% 14,505	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|53.6% 17,688	2.5% 839
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2004	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|46.9% 14,909	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|51.5% 16,394	1.6% 506
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2000	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|43.9% 11,647	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|45.0% 11,958	11.1% 2,941
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|1996	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|38.0% 8,565	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|49.6% 11,169	12.4% 2,783
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|1992	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|34.9% 9,527	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|41.5% 11,331	23.6% 6,422
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|1988	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|46.1% 9,251	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|53.9% 10,823	0.0% 0
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|1984	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|51.0% 10,598	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|49.0% 10,189	0.0% 0
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|1980	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|42.4% 8,702	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|46.3% 9,487	11.3% 2,236
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|1976	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|40.1% 8,045	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|55.7% 11,176	4.2% 845
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|1972	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|43.0% 6,512	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|52.7% 7,970	4.3% 646
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|1968	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|40.6% 5,389	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|55.5% 7,378	3.9% 515
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|1964	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|36.4% 4,872	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|63.1% 8,439	0.5% 66
style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|1960	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Republican|41.5% 5,391	style="text-align:center;" Template:Party shading/Democratic|58.4% 7,589	0.1% 8

Education

Almost all of St. Cloud, including the portions in Stearns and Sherburne Counties,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and much the portion in Benton County, is in the St. Cloud Public School District. Part of the Benton County portion is in the Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools district.<ref name=BentonCountySchools>Template:Cite web</ref>

The St. Cloud Area School District serves St. Cloud, St. Augusta, Clearwater, Waite Park, St. Joseph, Haven Township, and parts of Sauk Rapids.Template:Citation needed 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.Template:Citation needed

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.<ref>[7]| Nora G. Hertel, "A How has COVID-19 has changed higher ed enrollment in St. Cloud?", St. Cloud Times, December 26, 2020.</ref>

St. Cloud's other post-secondary institutions and campuses include St. Cloud Technical and Community College (SCTCC) and Rasmussen College. Neighboring Sartell is home to a campus of the Duluth-based College of St. Scholastica, and the College of St. Benedict and St. John's University are in neighboring St. Joseph and nearby Collegeville, respectively.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Media

St. Cloud's main newspaper is St. Cloud LIVE, a weekly founded in February 2023. Its offices are in the old Davidson Opera House in downtown St. Cloud. The staff includes sports editor Andy Rennecke, sports writer Mick Hatten, business reporter Trent Abrego, and education/news reporter Lauren Breunig. St. Cloud LIVE's focus is reporting on news in St. Cloud, Sartell, Sauk Rapids, Waite Park, St. Joseph, and elsewhere within a 30-mile radius. Rennecke and Hatten are longtime sports writers in the area, having previously covered local high school sports and college sports for the St. Cloud Times.

St. Cloud is part of the Twin Cities television market. One full-power station, the Ion-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. Additionally, St. Cloud State University students operate cable-only UTVS (channel 180), which includes local news and broadcasts from a studio on campus.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Radio stations include:

FM

FM radio stations
Frequency	Call sign	Name	Format	Owner
88.1 88.1 HD-2	KVSC	Radio X	College Radio Alternative Rock	St. Cloud State University
88.9 88.9 HD-2	KNSR	MPR News 89.3 The Current	Public Radio Adult Album Alternative	Minnesota Public Radio
89.5	K208DV (KLRD-FM Translator)	Air 1	Contemporary Christian	Educational Media Foundation
90.1	KSJR	Classical MPR	Classical	Minnesota Public Radio
91.5	KCFB (KTIG-FM Simulcast)		Christian	Minnesota Christian Broadcasters
92.9	KKJM	Spirit 92.9	Contemporary Christian	Gabriel Media
93.5	K228FV (KYES-AM Translator)	Relevant Radio	Catholic
93.9	W230DG (KXSS-AM Translator)	1390 Granite City Sports	Sports	Townsquare Media
94.3	K232GA (WXYG-AM Translator)	Album Rock 540	Classic rock	Tri-County Broadcasting
94.9	KMXK	Mix 94.9	Adult Contemporary	Townsquare Media
95.3	W237EU (WJON-AM Translator)		News/Talk
95.7	W239CU (WBHR-AM Translator)	The Bear	Sports	Tri-County Broadcasting
96.1	WROJ (LPFM)	The Rock FM	Contemporary Christian	The Rock FM Communications, Inc.
96.7	KZRV	The River	Classic Hits	Townsquare Media
97.5	KVEX (LPFM)	RadioX	Alternative Rock	St. Cloud State University
98.1	WWJO	98-1 Minnesota's New Country	Country	Townsquare Media
98.9 98.9 HD-2 98.9 HD-3	KZPK	Wild Country 99 KNSI Z-Rock 103.3	Country News/Talk Classic Rock	Leighton Broadcasting
99.3	K257GK (KNSI-AM Translator)	KNSI	News/Talk
99.9	KCML	99.9 Lite FM	Adult Contemporary
101.1	W266DT (WMIN-AM Translator)	Uptown 1010	Adult Standards	Tri-County Broadcasting
101.7 101.7 HD-2 101.7 HD-3 101.7 HD-4	WHMH	Rockin' 101 Album Rock 540 106.5 The Point Uptown 1010	Active Rock Classic rock Alternative Adult Standards
102.3	W232EG (WVAL-AM Translator)		Classic Country
103.3	K277BS (KZPK HD-3 Translator)	Z-Rock 103.3	Classic rock	Leighton Broadcasting
103.7	KLZZ	The Loon	Classic rock	Townsquare Media
104.7	KCLD		Top 40	Leighton Broadcasting
105.1	KZYS (LPFM)		Somalian	Saint Cloud Area Somali Salvation Organization
106.5	W293CS (WHMH HD-3 Translator)	106.5 The Point	Alternative	Tri-County Broadcasting
107.3	W297BO (WXYG-AM Translator)	Album Rock 540	Classic rock

AM

AM radio stations
Frequency	Call sign	Name	Format	Owner
540 AM	WXYG	The Goat	Classic rock	Tri-County Broadcasting
660 AM	WBHR	The Bear	Sports
800 AM	WVAL		Classic Country
1010 AM	WMIN	Uptown 1010	Adult Standards
1180 AM	KYES	Relevant Radio	Catholic	Gabriel Media
1240 AM	WJON		News/Talk	Townsquare Media
1390 AM	KXSS	1390 Granite City Sports	Sports
1450 AM	KNSI		News/Talk	Leighton Broadcasting

Transportation

File:St. Cloud Amtrak station.jpg

St. Cloud station

St. Cloud is a regional transportation hub within Minnesota. Major roadways including Interstate 94, U.S. Highway 10, and Minnesota State Highways 15 and 23 pass through the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Bus service within the city and to neighboring Sartell, 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.<ref>WCCO News, "System Helps St. Cloud Buses Stay In The Green" Template:Webarchive, July 17, 2009.</ref> The Metro Bus Transit Center in the downtown area is also shared with Jefferson Lines, providing national bus service.

Bus service links downtown St. Cloud and St. Cloud State University with the western terminus of the Northstar Commuter Rail 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.

Several rail lines run through the city, which is a stop on Amtrak's Empire Builder passenger rail line.

St. Cloud is home to St. Cloud Regional Airport, from which daily connecting flights to Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport were made on Delta Connection, operated by Mesaba Airlines, 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 Airbus 319 aircraft.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Major highways

• File:I-94.svg Interstate 94
• File:US 10.svg U.S. Highway 10
• File:MN-15.svg Minnesota State Highway 15
• File:MN-23.svg Minnesota State Highway 23

Notable people

• Halima Aden, model and first Somali-American to compete for Miss Minnesota
• Mathew Ahmann, civil rights activist
• George Annas, Boston University Professor and Director of the Center for Health Law, Ethics & Human Rights
• Raymond H. Bares, Minnesota state senator and educator
• Tom Burgmeier, Major League Baseball player; grew up in St. Cloud and attended Cathedral High School<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Loren W. Collins, Minnesota jurist and legislator; mayor of St. Cloud
• David Durenberger, U.S. senator from Minnesota
• Jim Eisenreich, MLB player
• Janice Ettle, middle-distance and long-distance runner
• Jim Fahnhorst, NFL player
• Keith Fahnhorst, NFL player
• Howard M. Fish, retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant general, former assistant vice chief of staff of Air Force
• Charles A. Gilman, ninth lieutenant governor of Minnesota
• Janey Gohl, 1978 Miss Minnesota USA
• Lawrence M. Hall, longest-serving Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives
• Keith F. Hughes, Minnesota state senator and lawyer
• Jack I. Kleinbaum, businessman, St. Cloud City Council member, and Minnesota state legislator
• Dave Kleis, mayor of St. Cloud
• Jim Knoblach, Republican member of the Minnesota House of Representatives
• Franklin J. Knoll, Minnesota state legislator, lawyer, and judge
• June Marlowe, actress notable for playing Miss Crabtree in short-film series Our Gang
• John McMartin, film, television and stage actor
• Stephen Miller, abolitionist, Civil War veteran, Republican politician, fourth governor of Minnesota
• Edgar G. Mills, Wisconsin state assemblyman and senator
• William P. Murphy, associate justice of Minnesota Supreme Court
• Jim Pehler, Minnesota state legislator
• Tom Petters, former CEO and chair of Petters Group Worldwide<ref name="KSTP092408">Nicole Muehlhausen, BIO: Tom Petters Template:Webarchive, KSTP.com, September 24, 2008, Accessed October 8, 2008,</ref>
• Reynold Philipsek, gypsy jazz guitarist
• Dewey H. Reed, educator and politician
• Michael Sauer, NHL player
• Anne Schleper, women's hockey Olympic silver medalist, 2014<ref>"Olympian Anne Schleper Retires", USA Hockey 2/15/17</ref>
• Nate Schmidt, NHL player
• Stephen Sommers, film director, alumnus of Cathedral High School and St. John's University
• Charles Thomas Stearns, politician
• Jane Swisshelm, newspaper owner, editor and abolitionist
• Gene Waldorf, electrical engineer and politician
• Alise Willoughby, BMX racer and Olympic silver medalist.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Nate Wolters, professional basketball player
• Gig Young, Academy Award-winning actor, film and television star; born in St. Cloud

Sister cities

• Template:Flagdeco Spalt, Bavaria, Germany
• Template:Flagdeco Akita, Japan
• Template:Flagdeco Saint-Cloud, Ile-de-France, France

In popular culture

• Courtroom scenes in the Disney 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.<ref>Jim Maurice, This date in Central Minnesota History: Jan. 31st and Feb. 1st, 1992, WJON News, January 31, 2018.</ref>
• Al Franken and Tom Davis's One More Saturday Night is set in St. Cloud, but was not filmed there.
• The movie Juno was partially set in St. Cloud, which is referred to as "East Jesus Nowhere", though no filming took place in the city.<ref>Storytelling Tips From Juno (2007) Slap Happy Larry</ref>
• The 1989 drag-racing film Catch Me If You Can, directed by Stephen Sommers, was both set and filmed in St. Cloud.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Marshall Eriksen, one of the main characters in the sitcom How I Met Your Mother, was born and raised in St. Cloud. Many scenes detailing his childhood, as well as later visits to his hometown, are set in St. Cloud, though no filming occurred there.

See also

• 1998 St. Cloud explosion
• Dave Torrey Arena

External links

• City Website
• St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce
• St. Cloud News on WJON Radio
• St. Cloud News on KNSI Radio
• St. Cloud News online Minneapolis Star Tribune
• St. Cloud News on St Cloud Live
• St. Cloud News on Forth