Rice, Minnesota
Rice is a city of 2,085 people in Benton County, Minnesota, founded in July 18, 1890.
Why visit Rice
Townapedia lists 3 parks and trails and 7 places to eat in and around town.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 80°F; January lows average 0°F.
Weather in Rice
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Rice
Rice is a city in Benton County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,975 at the 2020 census. Its zip code also encompasses Graham, Langola, and Watab townships.
From the Wikipedia article Rice, Minnesota (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes7
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Churches and places of worship1
Gas and EV charging2
History
Originally an Ojibwe territory, Sand Prairie, saw its first settlers of European origin in the autumn of 1844.
Under a mandate of the United States government and after the Ojibwe ceded their land in the Treaty of 1837, the Territory of Minnesota was established in 1849. Benton County became one of nine organized counties. The village of Rice was named after Massachusetts born hotelier and mill owner, George T. Rice. Rice migrated to the village of Langola in 1864 to develop the area. In 1877, the Northern Pacific Railroad came through, and George T. Rice hired F.W. Earl to build the Luther hotel. The village of Rice became officially incorporated within Benton County, on July 18, 1890, as a farming community.
On April 14, 1886, Rice, along with Sauk Rapids and St Cloud, were hit by the Sauk Rapids Tornado. It is the deadliest in the history of Minnesota.
In 1993, Rice was named a Tree City USA by The National Arbor Day Foundation.
Rice has been awarded the "Minnesota Star City" designation for economic development.
From the History section of Rice, Minnesota on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Schools, colleges and libraries5
Map of Rice
18 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20°F | 0°F | 0.7 in |
| Feb | 25°F | 3°F | 0.8 in |
| Mar | 38°F | 17°F | 1.5 in |
| Apr | 54°F | 29°F | 2.6 in |
| May | 67°F | 42°F | 3.5 in |
| Jun | 76°F | 54°F | 4.6 in |
| Jul | 80°F | 58°F | 4.1 in |
| Aug | 78°F | 55°F | 3.9 in |
| Sep | 71°F | 47°F | 3.1 in |
| Oct | 56°F | 35°F | 2.7 in |
| Nov | 39°F | 21°F | 1.5 in |
| Dec | 25°F | 8°F | 1.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Rice (2 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Benton County has had 5 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2020-04-07: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2013-07-25: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2005-09-13: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
- 2001-05-16: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Saint Cloud Regional Airport (STC) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 17 miles away.
- Sartell 10 mi south, about 16 min by car
- Sauk Rapids 12 mi south, about 20 min by car
- St. Cloud 16 mi south, about 26 min by car
- Little Falls 17 mi north, about 27 min by car
- Foley 17 mi east, about 28 min by car
- Pierz 17 mi northeast, about 27 min by car
- Albany 18 mi southwest, about 29 min by car
- Cold Spring 23 mi southwest, about 36 min by car
- Richmond 25 mi southwest, about 40 min by car
- Clearwater 26 mi south, about 42 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Downtown Rice MN, Vas Littlecrow Wojtanowicz, Public domain
- City of Rice, Minnesota - Water Tower (43540155681), Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
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