Princeton, Minnesota facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Princeton, Minnesota
City
The Great Northern Depot served Princeton on the Great Northern Railway until 1976.
Motto(s):  "A Growing Community on the Rum River"
Location within Mille Lacs County in the state of Minnesota
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
Counties	Mille Lacs, Sherburne
Incorporated	March 3, 1877
Area
• Total	5.15 sq mi (13.3 km2)
• Land	4.93 sq mi (12.8 km2)
• Water	0.22 sq mi (0.6 km2)
Elevation	981 ft (299 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,819
• Estimate  (2022)	5,311
• Density	1,076.8/sq mi (415.8/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	55371
Area code(s)	763
FIPS code	27-52522
GNIS feature ID	2396279

Princeton is a city in Minnesota, located where the Rum River meets its West Branch. It's about 50 miles north of Minneapolis and 30 miles east of St. Cloud. The city is split between Mille Lacs and Sherburne counties. Most of its residents live in Mille Lacs County.

In 2020, Princeton had a population of 4,819 people. By 2022, this number was estimated to be around 5,311.

Princeton's Early Days: A Look at History

Princeton was officially started on April 19, 1856. It was planned out in the winter of 1855 by several people, including Samuel Ross and John S. Prince.

Lumbering: A Key Industry

Princeton's location was perfect for the lumber business. It sits near where the Rum River and its West Branch meet. In 1847, explorers found huge forests of white pine trees upstream from where Princeton would be built.

Between 1856 and 1867, three sawmills were built in Princeton. Lumberjacks would float logs down the Rum River to these mills. Many logs also continued past Princeton to bigger mills in Minneapolis.

Brickmaking: Building the Future

Making bricks was another very important industry in the Princeton area. This business grew about two miles northeast of the city, where there were large beds of clay. A small community called Brickton even formed there.

From 1889 to the late 1920s, several brickyards operated in Brickton. Together, they made as many as 20 million bricks each year! When the demand for bricks went down, Brickton disappeared. For many years, building contracts for public buildings would specifically ask for "Princeton brick" because it was known for its high quality.

Other Important Industries

Besides lumber and bricks, Princeton had other key industries in its early years. These included:

• Growing wheat, which later changed to growing potatoes.
• Producing starch from potatoes.
• Dairy farming.
• Making distilled spirits, which is still an important industry in the city today.

Geography: Where Princeton Is Located

Princeton is in the southern part of Mille Lacs County. It also stretches a bit into the northeast corner of Sherburne County. The main part of the city is just north of the county line.

U.S. Highway 169 runs along the west side of Princeton. This highway goes north 14 miles to Milaca, which is the county seat for Mille Lacs County. It goes south 19 miles to Elk River, the county seat for Sherburne County. State Highway 95 goes through the north side of the city. It leads east 18 miles to Cambridge and west to St. Cloud.

Princeton covers about 5.15 square miles. Most of this area (4.93 square miles) is land, and a smaller part (0.22 square miles) is water. The Rum River and its West Branch meet in the northeast part of the city. The Rum River then flows south along the east side of Princeton and eventually joins the Mississippi River in Anoka.

Population Changes in Princeton

Princeton's Population in 2010

In 2010, there were 4,698 people living in Princeton. These people lived in 1,926 households, and 1,176 of those were families. The city had about 947 people per square mile.

Most of the people in Princeton were White (96.5%). Smaller groups included African American (0.4%), Native American (0.7%), and Asian (0.3%). About 1.7% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

About 31.7% of households had children under 18 living with them. Around 41.1% were married couples. The average household had 2.35 people, and the average family had 2.92 people.

The average age in Princeton was 38.7 years old. About 24.5% of residents were under 18. Around 19.4% were 65 years old or older. Slightly more than half of the population (53.3%) was female.

Notable People from Princeton

Many interesting people have connections to Princeton. Here are a few:

Princeton High School's "Coke Geysers" Event

On May 27, 2011, the Princeton High School Student Council tried to break a world record. They wanted to set off the most coke geysers at the same time. The old record was 2,854 bottles, set in the Philippines in 2010.

Hundreds of students took part. Their goal was to set off 3,000 geysers. They actually went beyond that, with 3,051 geysers erupting all at once! However, officials from Guinness World Records were not there to confirm the event. So, the record was never made official.

Students said the idea started as a graduation prank. It grew into a fun way to get their small town noticed. A video of the event was shown on the Minnesota NBC News channel KARE 11.

Transportation in Princeton

Princeton has its own airport, the Princeton Municipal Airport.

Major Highways Near Princeton

These important roads pass through or near the city:

• U.S. Highway 169
• Minnesota State Highway 95

See also

In Spanish: Princeton (Minnesota) para niños