Rochester is a city in and the county seat of Olmsted County, Minnesota, United States. It is located along rolling bluffs on the Zumbro River's south fork in Southeast Minnesota. The population was 121,395 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 124,292 in 2025, making it the third-most populous city in Minnesota. The Rochester metropolitan area has an estimated 230,000 residents. The city is the home and birthplace of Mayo Clinic.
Rochester first developed as a stagecoach stop between Dubuque, Iowa, and Saint Paul, Minnesota. With the creation of the Mayo Clinic in 1864, Rochester became a national center for healthcare, as well as a hub for regional agriculture. For higher education needs the University of Minnesota Rochester, Rochester Community and Technical College, and Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine are located in the city.
History
Several indigenous peoples such as Dakota, Ojibway, and Ho-Chunk inhabited the Rochester area. The community was founded by George Head and his wife Henrietta, who built a log cabin named Head's Tavern in 1854. It was named for Head's hometown of Rochester, New York. The city developed as a stagecoach stop along the Zumbro River on a route between Dubuque, Iowa, and Saint Paul, Minnesota. When the Winona and St. Peter Railroad initiated service in October 1864, it brought new residents and business opportunities and spurred growth.
In 1863, William W. Mayo arrived as the examining surgeon for Union draftees in the Civil War. The 1883 Rochester Tornado demolished much of Rochester, leaving 37 dead and approximately 200 injured. As there was no medical facility in the immediate area at the time, Mayo and his two sons worked together to care for the wounded. Donations of US$60,000 (US$1,932,562 in 2022) were collected and the Sisters of St. Francis, assisted by Mayo, opened a new facility named St. Marys Hospital in 1889.
Geography
Rochester lies alongside the South Fork of the Zumbro River which is long and is ringed by gentle hills and largely surrounded by farmland within a deciduous forest biome. The Zumbro Watershed flows through of agricultural and urban lands. Located in southeast Minnesota, the City of Rochester lies at the western edge of the Driftless Area, a region that was never glaciated and contains deeply-carved river valleys. The rugged terrain is due both to the lack of glacial deposits, or drift, and to the incision of the upper Mississippi River and its tributaries into bedrock. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.6%) is water. The city is located southeast of Minneapolis–Saint Paul.Faruque, p. 1.
Rochester is in Olmsted County, one of only four counties in Minnesota without a natural lake. Artificial lakes exist in the area, including Silver Lake, a dammed portion of the South Fork Zumbro River just below the convergence with Silver Creek near the city center. Silver Lake was once used as a cooling pond when the coal-burning power plant was operated by Rochester Public Utilities at the lake. When operational, the RPU coal plant's heated water output prevented the lake from generally freezing over during the winter months, attracting large numbers of migrating giant Canada geese. Large murders of crows are known to flock to Rochester during winter, including the Rochester cemetery downtown.
Rochester has an extensive parks system, the largest of which are Silver Lake and Soldiers Field in the central part of the city. A major flood in 1978 led the city to embark on an expensive and successful flood-control project that involved altering many nearby rivers and streams. The Zumbro River flowing through the center of the city is presently being readdressed for increased development and use as part of city planning in conjunction with funding from the Destination Medical Center project.
Climate With a slightly higher altitude and without the same Urban heat island effect as the Twin Cities, the climate is warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfb), which is cooler than the Twin Cities, despite being further south, with warm summers and cold winters. The city features four distinct seasons. Rochester sees on average of rainfall and of snowfall per year. Significant snow accumulation is common during the winter months. Spring and fall are transitional seasons, with a general warming trend during the spring and a general cooling trend during the fall. However, it is not uncommon to see some snowfall during the early month of spring and the later month of fall. Rochester is the second windiest city in the United States, with wind speeds averaging . January to April are the windiest months on average, according to The Weather Channel. Rochester has been hit by two F4 tornadoes since 1950 (the first on May 10, 1953, and the other on September 16, 1962). The city has also been hit by two tornadoes in the past decade. On June 17, 2010, a tornado hit the city's northwest side, damaging or destroying several homes and businesses around the Lincolnshire neighborhood. Another tornado struck the city on June 4, 2019, causing damage to parts of Southwest Rochester.
Notes
Demographics
As of the 2024 American Community Survey, there are 51,882 estimated households in Rochester with an average of 2.33 persons per household. The city has a median household income of $90,020. Approximately 6.4% of the city's population lives at or below the poverty line. Rochester has an estimated 69.9% employment rate, with 53.5% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 95.8% holding a high school diploma. There were 56,179 housing units at an average density of .
The top five reported languages (people were allowed to report up to two languages, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (86.2%), Spanish (3.8%), Indo-European (2.6%), Asian and Pacific Islander (4.3%), and Other (3.1%).
The median age in the city was 37.0 years.
+Rochester, Minnesota – racial and ethnic compositionRace / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic)Population1990Population2000Population2010Population2020 Number Percent Number Percent Number PercentNumberPercent White alone (NH) 66,125 93.47% 73,656 85.84% 84,608 79.24% 87,180 71.82% Black or African American alone (NH) 708 1.00% 3,034 3.54% 6,586 6.17% 10,661 8.78% Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 203 0.29% 232 0.27% 251 0.24% 323 0.27% Asian alone (NH) 2,849 4.03% 4,796 5.59% 7,212 6.76% 9,469 7.80% Pacific Islander alone (NH) — — 32 0.04% 38 0.04% 56 0.05% Other race alone (NH) 38 0.05% 103 0.12% 212 0.20% 429 0.35% Mixed race or multiracial (NH) — — 1,388 1.62% 2,354 2.21% 5,293 4.36% Hispanic or Latino (any race) 822 1.16% 2,565 2.99% 5,508 5.16% 7,984 6.58% Total 70,745 100.00% 85,806 100.00% 106,769 100.00% 121,395 100.00%
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 121,395 people, 49,904 households, and 29,487 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 53,210 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 73.23% White, 8.89% African American, 0.44% Native American, 7.86% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 2.93% from some other races and 6.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 6.58% of the population.
2010 census As of the 2010 census, there were 106,769 people, 43,025 households, and 26,853 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 45,683 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 81.95% White, 6.28% African American, 0.28% Native American, 6.79% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.05% from some other races and 2.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 5.16% of the population.
There were 43,025 households of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.6% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.04.
The median age in the city was 35 years. 24.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.4% were from 25 to 44; 24.8% were from 45 to 64; and 12.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.
Economy Mayo Clinic forms the core of Rochester's economy. As of 2016, it employs 51,000 people and draws more than 2 million visitors annually.Mayo Clinic Facts. Retrieved June 28, 2017. The clinic's many facilities, along with hotels, restaurants and retail stores, comprise nearly all of the city's downtown. Excluding the state government, Mayo Clinic is the largest employer in Minnesota. Other care providers, including the Rochester Federal Medical Center, are significant employers.
The Rochester Technology Campus is a sprawling 2.56 million sq. ft. leasable facility with uses ranging from office space, manufacturing, warehousing, data centers, and laboratories. It has been home to several technology companies. This is where IBM designed and produced its midrange computer series. It was also the home of the first Blue Gene prototype and contributed the servers for Roadrunner.Roadrunner . Top500 Supercomputing Sites.
The economy of Rochester is also influenced by the agricultural nature of the region. There are multiple dairy producers that are active in the area. In addition, Kerry Flavours and Ingredients, a subsidiary of the global Irish company called Kerry Group, maintains a production plant in Rochester that specializes in fermented ingredients, found in breads, meats and other processed foods.
Number Employer Number of Employees 1Mayo Clinic51,0002Rochester Public Schools2,8723IBM2,7914Olmsted County1,3715Olmsted Medical Center1,3216City of Rochester1,1667McNeilus Truck & Manuf.7918Benchmark Electronics6259Spectrum57710Rochester Community and Technical College49211McNeilus Steel, Inc.49012Federal Medical Center, Rochester45213Crenlo45014Cardinal of Minnesota42515Reichel Foods42316Geotek41717Halcon400
Destination Medical Center
In 2013, Governor Mark Dayton signed a bill known as Destination Medical Center (DMC). It intends to increase Minnesota's tax base, and promote business and economic growth throughout the state. Because of this legislation, The Mayo Clinic will invest in $3.5 billion to upgrade patient rooms, add additional workspace, and build research and administrative buildings.
The main developments of this plan will be in the DMC sub-districts. The Downtown Waterfront district will cover The Government Center, The Civic Center, and most areas near the Zumbro River. The Central Station district includes Central Park and most of Civic Center Drive, aimed to become a transportation hub of the city. St. Marys Place will cover St. Marys hospital and St. Marys Park, as well as most of 2nd Street. The Heart of the City will feature the Mayo Clinic campus and major residential, commercial, and retail companies. The Discovery Square area will include scientific and technology research facilities. Lastly, The UMR and Recreation district will feature Soldiers Field and the University of Minnesota Rochester campus.
Arts and culture A number of Rochester buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places, including the historic Chateau Theatre, which the city purchased in 2015 for preservation, and Avalon Music, formerly a hotel important in the local civil rights movement. In 2019, after renovations and a public RFP, the Chateau Theatre has re-opened as an exhibition venue.