Small Town Charm, Big Opportunities

The City of Sartell Embraces What Makes Central Minnesota Special

Many people might not be aware of how government entities truly work—like, what does a city do other than collect utility payments from residents, participate in parades, and offer a place to hold voting? In a word: connect. In a sentiment: provide and promote opportunities for people and places to call home. For the City of Sartell, connecting, providing, and promoting is what its mission is all about.

A River Runs Through It

The Village of Sartell was officially incorporated in 1907. Its roots began as a small river town relying on lumber and a paper company to carve out its place and economic niche. Originally dubbed “The Third Rapids” by French fur traders who traveled north up the Mississippi River from St. Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, Sartell’s first settlers included the Joseph B. Sartell family who further developed the city into a booming river town it still is today. When it came time for naming rights, residents recognized the Sartell family as generous contributors to the village community (fun fact: from 1907 to 1973, there was a Sartell on nearly every City Council) and officially gave Sartell its name. Ripley B. Sartell was mayor for over three decades.

Growth-Minded, Get Outside

Sartell is the little city that could. Recent demographic data shows a population of just over 19,000 people, which reflects a 24% increase in households since 2010. Why the allure? As a suburb of St. Cloud, Sartell offers the growth and amenities many people seek when deciding where to call home. Its proximity to St. Cloud and logistics of the I-94 and Highway 10 connectivity, the Mississippi and Watab Rivers that dissect the city, 40 parks and recreation areas, and the highly-ranked school district all add benefits to life as a Sartell resident. In fact, the city just hired its first park supervisor in response to the imminent creation of the Sartell Parks Department. Tony Krueger began his role the first week of October, and the eventual Parks Department plans to collaborate on behalf of its parks and trails system with the Sartell-St. Stephen School District into the year 2024. The 40 parks comprise 30 neighborhood parks and five regional parks.

Making the Case for Central Minnesota

Anna Gruber is the City Administrator of Sartell and shared its belief in uniting the community from every angle possible across this river region. “We have an incredible region with access to community partnerships and resources that ensure business success. We recognize the importance of regional partnerships and efforts that advance our communities. We are all better together and St. Cloud Shines is a way for us to show this.”

She continued, “As local government, we know that economic development creates opportunities that advance our community and provide resources to residents and visitors. Without supporting our local businesses, we know Sartell becomes a less desirable place to live, work, and play.  Creating stability for our businesses, while also growing new businesses, is and always will be a priority for Sartell.”

That Sartell Special Sauce

Gruber shared the city’s belief in what makes it so appealing and primed for growth. “The City of Sartell is home to the region’s only Central MN Healthcare Hub, as well as a Top 10 School District in the state of Minnesota, (Sartell-St. Stephen currently ranks 8th) and one of the most family-friendly and safest communities. Regional efforts like St. Cloud Shines are exciting for the future of Central Minnesota. The more we can work together, support each other, and unify our efforts the more our region benefits.”

She concluded, “We know that Sartell is one of the most desired places to live in Central Minnesota, primarily due to the success of our school district, as well as our family-friendly and safe culture. Creating this culture and providing stability around this culture is one of the most important things to our city. This creates business growth and expansion, residential development, multi-family opportunities, and regional or statewide tournaments and events that showcase our culture.  We continue to look for ways that build off of Sartell’s culture of being family-friendly, safe, and academically sound.”