About Rochester
Rochester is a mid-size city in southeastern Minnesota counting 123,624 people who proudly call it home. It ranks as the 3rd largest city in Minnesota.
Officially, Rochester is an incorporated city with its own municipal government. The community covers 56.67 square miles, giving it a balanced suburban layout with room to breathe at roughly 2,181 residents per square mile.
📰 Rochester News Today
Live headlines via Google News — updates through the day.
What Makes Rochester Unique
- One of the 5 largest cities in Minnesota (#3 statewide).
- One of 14 places in the US named Rochester — but the Minnesota one has a character all its own.
- Positioned in southeastern Minnesota, convenient to the region's corridors and crossings.
Why People Love It Here
- Full urban amenities: dining, healthcare, education, and employment in one place.
- Serious economic gravity — one of the region's employment and cultural hubs.
- Well connected: 3+ neighboring communities within 11 miles.
🍽️ Where to Eat in Rochester
- Applebee's — american
- Broadway Bar & Pizza — pizza
- Café Aquí — coffee shop (café)
- Cantonese Wong's Cafe — asian
- Caribou Coffee — coffee shop (café)
- Club Cafe & Deli — american
- Crave American Kitchen & Sushi Bar — american
- Fat Willy's — burger
- Fuzzy's Italian Ice — dessert
- Gilberto's Mexican Taco — mexican
Local spots mapped by the OpenStreetMap community.
🎡 Fun Things to Do
- Cascade Environmental Science Center · Museum
- Charles E. Gagnon Museum & Sculpture Garden · Museum
- Heritage House · Museum
- Historic Mayowood Mansion · Museum
- History Center of Olmsted County · Museum
- Rochester Art Center · Art gallery
- Spark · Museum
- 4-H Building · Attraction
- Animal Exhibit · Attraction
- County Fair Midway · Theme park
Attractions mapped by the OpenStreetMap community.
🏞️ Parks & Outdoors in Rochester
Parks mapped by the OpenStreetMap community · "reviews" opens each park's live Google reviews.
🏫 Schools in Rochester
- BAMBER VALLEY ELEMENTARY
- BISHOP ELEMENTARY
- CHURCHILL ELEMENTARY
- ELTON HILLS ELEMENTARY
- FOLWELL ELEMENTARY
- FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY
- GAGE ELEMENTARY
- Montessori at Franklin Elementary
- ROCHESTER MATH AND SCIENCE ACADEMY
- ROCHESTER STEM ACADEMY
- RSTEM Online
- Rochester Beacon Academy
- Rochester Phoenix Academy
- Rosa Parks Charter High School
Public schools, U.S. Dept. of Education (NCES) 2023–24 directory.
🏥 Hospitals & Healthcare
- Mayo Clinic Hospital Rochester ★★★★★ (5/5 CMS rating) · 24/7 ER
- Olmsted Medical Center ★★★★ (4/5 CMS rating) · 24/7 ER
- Community Behavioral Health Hospital Rochester · Psychiatric
Medicare-registered hospitals with official CMS star ratings.