[8] The area developed as a stagecoach stop between Saint Paul, Minnesota, and Dubuque, Iowa near the Zumbro River.

[9] When the Winona and St Peter Railroad initiated service in October 1864, it brought new residents and business opportunities and spurred growth.

Donations of US$60,000 (US$1,932,562 in 2022) were collected and the Sisters of St. Francis, assisted by Mayo, opened a new facility named St. Marys Hospital in 1889.

[10] Rochester lies alongside the South Fork of the Zumbro River which is 57.6 miles (92.7 km) long[11] and is ringed by gentle hills and largely surrounded by farmland within a deciduous forest biome.

Located in southeast Minnesota, the City of Rochester lies at the western edge of the Driftless Area, a region that was never glaciated and contains deeply-carved river valleys.

The rugged terrain is due both to the lack of glacial deposits, or drift, and to the incision of the upper Mississippi River and its tributaries into bedrock.

When operational, the RPU coal plant's heated water output prevented the lake from generally freezing over during the winter months, attracting large numbers of migrating giant Canada geese.

[15] Rochester has an extensive parks system, the largest of which are Silver Lake and Soldiers Field in the central part of the city.

A major flood in 1978 led the city to embark on an expensive and successful flood-control project that involved altering many nearby rivers and streams.

On June 17, 2010, a tornado hit the city's northwest side, damaging or destroying several homes and businesses around the Lincolnshire neighborhood.

Cathleen Jo Faruque, author of "Migration of Hmong to Rochester, Minnesota: Life in the Midwest," wrote in 2003 that there was "every indication that this trend will continue".

ft. leasable facility with uses ranging from office space, manufacturing, warehousing, data centers, and laboratories.

In addition, Kerry Flavours and Ingredients, a subsidiary of the global Irish company called Kerry Group, maintains a production plant in Rochester that specializes in fermented ingredients, found in breads, meats and other processed foods.

It intends to increase Minnesota's tax base, and promote business and economic growth throughout the state.

The Heart of the City will feature the Mayo Clinic campus and major residential, commercial, and retail companies.

Lastly, The UMR and Recreation district will feature Soldiers Field and the University of Minnesota Rochester campus.

In the early years, the Orchestra appeared in the former Chateau Theatre where they performed background music for silent movies.

[51] The foundation of Rochester State Hospital began in 1875 as the Minnesota Inebriate Asylum funded by a tax on liquor dealers.

Land was purchased in 1876 and construction began in 1877, including the building of a hospital and the park nearby which was used by the patients and their families.

The 329-acre (133 ha) park contains over 8 mi (13 km) of paved and hiking trails, a pond, and a historical sandstone cave carved in 1882.

This soft St. Peter sand stone cave was dug in the late 1800's to store food for the patients of the state hospital.

Rochester is located in Minnesota's 1st congressional district, represented by Brad Finstad, a member of the Republican Party.

[62] Rochester continues to trend Democratic in local and federal elections which has resulted in Olmsted County also seeing a shifting electorate.

[65] The city is divided into three public high school attendance zones: John Marshall, Mayo and Century.

According to the United States Census Bureau 2011–2015, the number of high school graduates or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+ was 94.1%.

The stations share studios as part of a special agreement between Gray Television and SagamoreHill Broadcasting.

Indiana-based Metronet is currently in the process of developing the fiber-optic network to provide cable service to Rochester.

A combination of skyways and subterranean walkways link most downtown buildings, which residents often use to avoid harsh winter weather conditions.

Rochester's last passenger rail service, to Chicago to the southeast and Rapid City, South Dakota to the west, ended when the Chicago and North Western Railway's Rochester 400 streamliner ended service in 1963.

Travelers are able to purchase tickets from Amtrak for a shuttle bus that connects with the daily Empire Builder at La Crosse, Wisconsin.