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Montgomery, Minnesota
City
The Westerman Lumber Office and House structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Nickname(s): 
Kolacky Capital of the World
Motto(s): 
Vitame Vas
Location of Montgomery, Minnesota
Location of Montgomery, Minnesota
Country United States
State Minnesota
County Le Sueur
Government
 • Type Mayor - Council
Area
 • Total 2.51 sq mi (6.50 km2)
 • Land 2.51 sq mi (6.50 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
1,093 ft (333 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 3,249
 • Density 1,293.91/sq mi (499.55/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
56069
Area code(s) 507
FIPS code 27-43738
GNIS feature ID 2395381

Montgomery is a city in Le Sueur County, Minnesota, United States. It is located about 45 miles south of Minneapolis. The city was named after Richard Montgomery. He was an Irish-American soldier who became a major general during the Revolutionary War. In 2010, the population was 2,956 people.

History of Montgomery

Montgomery was officially planned out in 1877. This happened when the railroad lines were extended to reach the area. A famous politician and businessman, Martin M. Malone (1888-1962), was born in Montgomery.

Geography and Location

According to the United States Census Bureau, Montgomery covers a total area of about 2.62 square miles (6.79 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

Main Roads and Nearby Towns

Several important roads pass through Montgomery:

  • Minnesota State Highway 13
  • Minnesota State Highway 21
  • Minnesota State Highway 99 is just south of the city.

Montgomery is about 15 miles from Interstate 35.

Here are the closest towns to Montgomery:

The closest larger city is Faribault, located to the southeast.

Climate in Montgomery

Climate data for Montgomery, Minnesota
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 19
(−7)		 26
(−3)		 38
(3)		 55
(13)		 68
(20)		 77
(25)		 81
(27)		 78
(26)		 70
(21)		 58
(14)		 39
(4)		 24
(−4)		 53
(12)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) −1
(−18)		 6
(−14)		 19
(−7)		 31
(−1)		 45
(7)		 55
(13)		 58
(14)		 56
(13)		 45
(7)		 34
(1)		 20
(−7)		 5
(−15)		 31
(−1)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.76
(19)		 0.52
(13)		 1.62
(41)		 2.34
(59)		 3.40
(86)		 4.42
(112)		 3.86
(98)		 4.68
(119)		 2.97
(75)		 2.14
(54)		 1.71
(43)		 0.72
(18)		 29.14
(737)
Source: The Weather Channel

Population and People

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1880 261 —
1890 1,086 316.1%
1900 979 −9.9%
1910 1,267 29.4%
1920 1,297 2.4%
1930 1,570 21.0%
1940 1,741 10.9%
1950 1,913 9.9%
1960 2,118 10.7%
1970 2,281 7.7%
1980 2,349 3.0%
1990 2,399 2.1%
2000 2,794 16.5%
2010 2,956 5.8%
2020 3,249 9.9%
U.S. Decennial Census
2018 Estimate

Facts from the 2010 Census

In 2010, Montgomery had 2,956 residents living in 1,185 households. About 760 of these were families. The city had a population density of about 1,128 people per square mile (435 per square kilometer).

Most of the people living in Montgomery were White (94.4%). About 6.4% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

  • About 33.5% of households had children under 18.
  • 47.4% were married couples living together.
  • The average household had 2.49 people.
  • The average family had 3.07 people.

The median age in Montgomery was 35.1 years old.

  • 27.3% of residents were under 18.
  • 13.4% were 65 years or older.
  • The population was almost evenly split between males (50.6%) and females (49.4%).

Economy and Jobs

Montgomery's economy is largely based on agriculture. Many jobs in the area are related to farming and other hands-on work.

Two major companies have facilities in Montgomery:

  • Seneca Foods (formerly known as Green Giant) has a factory that freezes and cans food.
  • United Steel Products also has a large facility in town.

Education in Montgomery

2009-0805-Montgomery-HilltopHall
Hilltop Hall is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Montgomery is part of the Tri-City United School District, known as ISD #2905. This district serves students from several towns.

The district includes:

  • A high school for grades 9-12, Tri-City United High School, located in Montgomery.
  • Schools for grades K-8 in both Montgomery and Le Center.
  • An elementary school for grades K-6 in Lonsdale.

The district's sports teams are called the Titans. They play in the Minnesota River Conference. Students can join many sports, including baseball, softball, basketball, football, hockey, and volleyball.

There is also a private school, Most Holy Redeemer Catholic School, for students from pre-kindergarten to 8th grade. Their sports teams are called the Raiders. They compete in sports like volleyball, basketball, baseball, and softball.

Arts and Culture

Downtown-monty-kdays
Downtown Montgomery during the 74th Annual Kolacky Days Festival

Montgomery is proud of its Czech heritage. Every year, at the end of July, the city hosts Kolacky Days. This is one of Minnesota's oldest festivals, celebrating the city's Czechoslovakian roots.

Kolacky Days Festival

The first Kolacky Day festival took place in 1929. About 6,000 people came to Montgomery for the celebration. A local newspaper reported that over 1,600 "celebrated delicacies" (kolacky pastries) were eaten!

Early Kolacky Day events included:

  • A trap shooting tournament.
  • A big parade.
  • Various sports and races.
  • A football game between Montgomery and Le Sueur Center (now Le Center).

In 1931, Miss Leatta Ehmke was crowned the first Kolacky Queen. In 1934, special novelty buttons were sold by "Kolacky girls," a tradition that continues today. The festival paused during World War II but was brought back in 1948.

Kolacky Day became a summer festival in 1966. The date was moved from September to August to enjoy warmer weather and attract more visitors. In 1975, it became "Kolacky Days" and was moved to the fourth full weekend of July. This change was made to avoid conflicts with the busy corn-processing season at the Green Giant factory.

Other Annual Events

Other fun events in Montgomery include:

  • The Torchlight Parade & Fireworks.
  • The Masopust Festival, also known as "The Czech Mardi Gras."
  • The Miss Czech-Slovak MN Pageant.

Parks and Recreation

Baseball in Montgomery

Montgomery has a strong baseball tradition.

  • The city's amateur baseball team is called the Mallards. They play in the Dakota Rice Scott Amateur Baseball League (DRS). The Mallards have played in the State Tournament several times, including in 1998, 1999, 2002, 2016, and 2022. They play their home games at Memorial Field.
  • The former high school team, the Montgomery-Lonsdale Redbirds, won the Class A State Championship in 1998-1999.
  • Now, the Tri-City United School District continues this tradition with their Titans teams.

Recreational Activities

The Tri-City United Community Education Office offers many recreational activities for people of all ages in Montgomery and the surrounding school district.

City Parks

Montgomery has several parks for outdoor fun:

  • Memorial Park
  • North Side Park
  • West Side Park
  • Veteran's Memorial Park

Nearby Lakes

There are also several lakes close to Montgomery where people can enjoy nature:

  • Lake Pepin
  • Lake Dora
  • Clear Lake
  • Gorman Lake

Images for kids

  • Downtown-monty-kdays

    Downtown Montgomery during the 74th Annual Kolacky Days Festival

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Montgomery (Minnesota) para niños

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