Community Profile

At A Glance

St. Peter is a community of 11,854 people, located in south central Minnesota in the fast growing Mankato/North Mankato Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is 70 miles southwest of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, and 12 miles north of Mankato along Hwy. 169.

St. Peter, the Nicollet County seat, is home to the historic Nicollet County courthouse, Gustavus Adolphus College, the state’s Regional Treatment Center and Minnesota School Boards Association. It is also recognized as a center for the arts as well as for its rich heritage, historic structures, natural resources, educational facilities, industries, unique character and quality of life.

The city is situated on the eastern edge of Nicollet County, which boasts approximately 245,000 acres of some of the state’s richest farmland. Agriculture remains a key component of the regional economy.

There are five cities in the county: St. Peter, North Mankato, Nicollet, Courtland and Lafayette, as well as 13 townships.

Get to know St. Peter

Located in the beautiful Minnesota River Valley, the community is generally bounded by the Minnesota River and is surrounded by scenic bluffs. The areas along the valley are covered by both woodlands and natural prairie, which provide an excellent habitat for a variety of wildlife.

St. Peter’s downtown, with an array of retail shops and historic buildings, is on the National Register of Historic Places. It includes the 1881

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St. Peter Regional Treatment Center Gustavus Adolphus College St. Peter Public Schools Nicollet County Alumacraft Boat Co. Creation Technologies Scholarship America River’s Edge Hospital Benedictine Living Community Family Fresh Foods Ecumen, St. Peter City of St. Peter EMPloyEES InduSTry

1,396 725 322 269 240 220 138 180 168 138 100 85 Government Higher Education Education Government Boat Manufacturer Semiconductors, devices Education Health Care Health Care Grocery Health Care Government

brick Romanesque Revival Nicollet County Courthouse with a three-and-a-half story bell tower that dominates the city skyline. The city has in excess of 40 historic sites on the National Register.

Eight miles to the west lies the Swan Lake Wildlife area, one of the finest natural wildlife preserves in the nation. St. Peter is adjacent to Le Sueur County, where several nearby lakes offer fishing, camping, boating and hunting as well as other year-round recreational activities. The Minnesota River Valley also contains abundant deposits of silica and Kasota Stone used in commercial facades nationwide, including at Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins.

The city of St. Peter, founded in 1853 by Captain William D. Dodd and incorporated in 1873, is governed by a mayor and council. Elections are nonpartisan. The city’s day-to-day operations are managed by an appointed administrator who oversees city staff. The city also has an Economic Development Authority, Planning and Zoning Commission, Housing and Redevelopment Authority and a Hospital Commission.

A $34 million expansion was recently completed at River’s Edge Hospital. The organization aims to be a model community hospital for the future.

Find information on St. Peter online at saintpetermn.gov or on Facebook at City of Saint Peter, Minnesota. The city’s Police Department is also on Facebook at Saint Peter Police Department.

Business & Industry

Nicollet County’s unemployment rate (2.8 percent at the end of 2020) remains among the lowest in the state. The city of St. Peter benefits from a diverse labor pool, led by its two largest employers – the St. Peter Regional Treatment Center and Gustavus Adolphus College. Neither of those employers is required to pay property taxes, due to their status as state and education institutions respectively.

St. Peter’s city staff and its Economic Development Authority works to develop and expand new and existing businesses.

Financial assistance may be provided by the city through tax increment financing and a revolving loan fund, and programs offered by the Small Business Administration. Other public/ private incentives are available for qualified projects.

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