Rochester, Minnesota

Rochester is a city located in Olmsted County, Minnesota. As of 2005 census estimates, the city had a total population of 97,806, and is Minnesota's third largest city, Rochester is best known as the home of the Mayo Clinic medical center, which now has satellite clinics in several other American cities. The clinic and IBM's Rochester campus are the two biggest private employers in the city. Rochester is the county seat of Olmsted County6. The city is about 80 miles southeast of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 103.0 km² (39.8 mi²). 102.6 km² (39.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.35% water. Rochester is in Olmsted County, one of the few counties in Minnesota without a natural lake, although artificial lakes exist in the area. The most famous of these is named Silver Lake, a dammed portion of the South Fork Zumbro River just below the convergence with Silver Creek near the city center. The lake was used as a cooling pond for the nearby electrical power plant for many years, although the amount of water used for this purpose has been significantly reduced. Heated water in the lake prevented it from freezing over even during cold Minnesota winters, attracting migrating giant Canada geese, which have become symbols of the city.

Related Topics:
United States Census Bureau - Km² - Mi² - Olmsted County - Minnesota - Lake - Artificial lake - Dam - Cooling pond - Electrical - Power plant - Migrating - Giant Canada geese

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A major flood in 1978 led the city to embark on an expansive flood-control project that involved altering many nearby rivers and streams.

Related Topics:
Flood - 1978

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