Sauk Centre, Minnesota
Sauk Centre is a city of 4,621 people in Stearns County, Minnesota.
Why visit Sauk Centre
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 9 parks and trails, 10 places to eat, 5 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Main Street Theatre, Original Main Street Historic District, Sinclair Lewis Boyhood Home and Old Course Sauk Centre.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 81°F; January lows average 0°F, and about 39 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Sauk Centre
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Sauk Centre
Sauk Centre is a city in Stearns County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 4,555 at the 2020 census. Sauk Centre is part of the St. Cloud metropolitan area.
From the Wikipedia article Sauk Centre, Minnesota (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks6
Original Main Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, United States
Sinclair Lewis Boyhood Home
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic house in Minnesota, United States
The Palmer House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Hotel in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, United States
Minnesota Home School for Girls Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Saint Cloud and Red River Valley Stage Road–Kandota Section
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.6 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds9
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Restaurants and cafes10
Caribou Coffee
Cafe · 0.9 mi
533 12th Street South
Mo-Su 06:00-18:00
History
The town was originally named by a lottery. The eight original town shareholders submitted suggestions for a name, and Sauk Centre was selected. The name was submitted by Alexander Moore, who originally bought and platted the town. Sauk refers to the many place names associated with the Sauk tribe (Sauk River, Sauk Rapids, Little Sauk, Osakis, etc). Centre (the British spelling of "center") refers to the town's central location between Sauk Rapids and Lake Osakis. When the Sauk Centre post office was established, it used the spelling "Sauk Center", until 1936 when the city won its fight to spell the name as Moore suggested. Local lore has it that five refugees from the Sauk tribe had been killed by settlers in an ambush on the shores of Lake Osakis 17 miles (27 km) away.
From the History section of Sauk Centre, Minnesota on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay5
Americas Best Value Inn Sauk Centre
Motel and hotel · 0.9 mi
322 12th Street South
Churches and places of worship3
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries4
Healthcare1
Map of Sauk Centre
42 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20°F | 0°F | 0.7 in | 5.0 in |
| Feb | 25°F | 3°F | 0.7 in | 9.0 in |
| Mar | 37°F | 17°F | 1.4 in | 7.2 in |
| Apr | 53°F | 31°F | 2.6 in | 5.1 in |
| May | 67°F | 45°F | 3.6 in | 0.2 in |
| Jun | 77°F | 56°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 81°F | 60°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 79°F | 58°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 70°F | 48°F | 2.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 56°F | 35°F | 2.8 in | 0.4 in |
| Nov | 39°F | 21°F | 1.2 in | 4.0 in |
| Dec | 25°F | 8°F | 0.9 in | 8.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Melrose (8 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
Stearns County has had 7 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2022-07-08: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 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)
- 2011-07-28: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes (Severe Storm)
- 2005-09-13: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Chandler Field (AXN) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 23 miles away.
- Melrose 8 mi southeast, about 13 min by car
- Osakis 13 mi northwest, about 21 min by car
- Long Prairie 17 mi north, about 27 min by car
- Albany 20 mi east, about 33 min by car
- Glenwood 22 mi west, about 35 min by car
- Alexandria 23 mi northwest, about 36 min by car
- Paynesville 27 mi southeast, about 44 min by car
- Richmond 29 mi southeast, about 46 min by car
- Cold Spring 32 mi southeast, about 51 min by car
- Little Falls 34 mi northeast, about 54 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, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Main Street Sauk Centre MN, Kirs10, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Palmer House Hotel 2015, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sinclair Lewis Boyhood Home, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Original Main Street HD, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St Cloud & Red River Valley Stage Rd, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Minnesota Home School for Girls Historic District (Mary Lyon Annex), Gobonobo, CC BY-SA 3.0
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