St. Francis, Minnesota
St. Francis is a city of 8,372 people in Anoka County, Minnesota.
Why visit St. Francis
Townapedia lists 4 museums and landmarks, 14 parks and trails, 6 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Henry G. Leathers House and Riverside Hotel.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 80°F; January lows average 6°F, and about 64 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in St. Francis
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About St. Francis
St. Francis is a city in Anoka and Isanti counties, Minnesota, United States. The population was 8,142 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article St. Francis, Minnesota (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks4
Henry G. Leathers House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Historic house in St. Francis, Minnesota
Riverside Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Historic former hotel in St. Francis, Minnesota
Sparre Barn
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.5 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds14
2 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes6
Taco John's
Fast food · Mexican · 2.4 mi
22945 Lake George Boulevard, St. Francis
Mo-Fr 07:00-22:00, Sa 08:00-22:00, Su 08:00-21:00
History
In 1855 Dwight Woodbury built a dam, grist and saw mill, and the first house, which later became the Riverside Hotel. George Armsby and E. Fowler are considered the first settlers in the area.
St. Francis Township was settled in 1855 and organized in 1857. The name St. Francis comes from Louis Hennepin, who named the Rum River after Francis of Assisi in 1680.
The first doctor to practice in St. Francis arrived in 1857 and was known as Dr. Marshall. In the same year, school was started at the home of M. Fowler, and Hattie Waterhouse became the first teacher.
In 1869, Burns Township (Nowthen) broke off from St. Francis Township.
In 1879, a general store was started by Pelutiar McClure. In 1888, Dwight Woodbury built a large mill called St. Francis Milling Co. A starch and canning factory was built in 1893. In the early 1890s, Blanchette's Sample Room Beer Parlour opened, and was turned into an ice cream parlor when the school was consolidated. The ice cream parlor was run until the owner died in 1933. On July 18, 1933, the mill burned down and the dam was destroyed. By this time, there was also a blacksmith shop, drugstore, and a meat market that was later turned into a livery stable.
St. Francis was incorporated on May 16, 1962, and became a statutory city in 1974 when villages were removed as a subdivision in Minnesota.
From the History section of St. Francis, Minnesota on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship2
Shopping3
Saint Francis True Value Hardware
Hardware store · 1.8 mi
3645 Bridge Street Northwest, Saint Francis
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries16
Saints Online Middle School
School · 1.2 mi
4111 Ambassador Blvd Nw, Saint Francis
Healthcare1
Map of St. Francis
53 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23°F | 6°F | 0.9 in | 13.8 in |
| Feb | 28°F | 10°F | 1.0 in | 10.7 in |
| Mar | 41°F | 22°F | 1.8 in | 11.2 in |
| Apr | 56°F | 34°F | 3.3 in | 4.1 in |
| May | 69°F | 47°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 77°F | 56°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 80°F | 62°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 78°F | 59°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 71°F | 51°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 57°F | 39°F | 3.1 in | 0.9 in |
| Nov | 41°F | 25°F | 1.9 in | 12.7 in |
| Dec | 27°F | 13°F | 1.5 in | 10.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Cedar (7 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
Anoka County has had 6 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2020-04-07: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2011-06-07: Severe Storms And Tornadoes (Severe Storm)
- 2005-09-13: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
- 2001-05-16: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes (Flood)
- 2000-10-20: Mn - Carlos Edge Fire Complex - 10/19/2000 (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Crystal Airport (MIC) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 23 miles away.
- Nowthen 4 mi southwest, about 7 min by car
- Oak Grove 5 mi southeast, about 7 min by car
- Elk River 9 mi southwest, about 15 min by car
- East Bethel 9 mi east, about 15 min by car
- Ramsey 10 mi south, about 16 min by car
- Andover 10 mi south, about 16 min by car
- Isanti 10 mi northeast, about 16 min by car
- Anoka 12 mi south, about 20 min by car
- Ham Lake 14 mi southeast, about 22 min by car
- Coon Rapids 16 mi south, about 25 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
- Sparre Barn, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
- ISS030-E-91927 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS030-E-91928 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Rum River Inn, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 3.0
- H. G. Leathers House, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Riverside Hotel 1, Elkman, CC BY-SA 3.0
- HG Leathers House 1, Elkman, CC BY-SA 3.0
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