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Rice, Minnesota

City of Rice, Minnesota
City
Downtown Rice
Downtown Rice
Official seal of City of Rice, Minnesota
Seal
Motto: A past with pride ... a future with promise
Location of Ricewithin Benton County and state of Minnesota
Location of Rice
within Benton County and state of Minnesota
Coordinates: 45°45′N 94°13′W / 45.750°N 94.217°W / 45.750; -94.217
Country United States
State Minnesota
County Benton
Incorporated July 18, 1890
Government
 • Mayor Micheal "Mitch" Fiedler
 • City Council Members Lyn Mohs, Dave Thene, Brian Skroch, Joseph Voigt
Area
 • Total 5.71 sq mi (14.79 km2)
 • Land 5.67 sq mi (14.69 km2)
 • Water 0.04 sq mi (0.10 km2)
Elevation 1,063 ft (324 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 1,275
 • Estimate (2012) 1,320
 • Density 224.9/sq mi (86.8/km2)
Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code 56367
Area code(s) 320
FIPS code 27-53998
GNIS feature ID 0649962
Website www.cityofrice.com

Rice is a city in Benton County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,275 at the 2010 census. Its zip code also encompasses Graham, Langola, and Watab townships.

Rice is part of the St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.71 square miles (14.79 km2), of which, 5.67 square miles (14.69 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) is water.

U.S. Highway 10 serves as a main route in the community.

The Mississippi River is located west of Rice, and Little Rock Lake is located east.

The terrain is largely sandy and flat and was historically prairie grassland and oak savannah. Today, numerous pine and poplar intersperse irrigated farm fields with small areas of prairie terrain.

Originally an Ojibway 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 Ojibway 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.


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