kids encyclopedia robot

St. James, Minnesota facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
St. James, Minnesota
The Watonwan County Courthouse in St. James
Location of St. Jameswithin Watonwan County and state of Minnesota
Location of St. James
within Watonwan County and state of Minnesota
Country United States
State Minnesota
County Watonwan
Government
 • Type Mayor - Council
Area
 • Total 2.36 sq mi (6.10 km2)
 • Land 2.33 sq mi (6.04 km2)
 • Water 0.02 sq mi (0.06 km2)
Elevation
1,073 ft (327 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 4,793
 • Density 2,054.44/sq mi (793.34/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code
56081
FIPS code 27-57040
GNIS feature ID 2396493

St. James or Saint James is a city in and the county seat of Watonwan County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 4,793 at the 2020 census.

Minnesota State Highways 4, 30, and 60 are three of the main routes in the city.

History

In 1870, the directors of the St. Paul and Sioux City railroads chose the future townsite of St. James as the midpoint for a new railroad linking the two cities. Named for James Purington, an early settler, the new city was incorporated in 1871. It was the hometown of Minnesota Governor Winfield Scott Hammond, a Democrat who served in 1915. In the 1940s, Theodore S. Mondale, the father of future Vice President of the United States Walter Mondale, was the pastor at First Methodist Church of St. James. Tony Downs Foods Co. has been a major employer since 1947, processing poultry and frozen meals.

St. James has two properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places: the Grand Opera House, completed in 1892, and the Watonwan County Courthouse, completed in 1896.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 2.43 square miles (6.29 km2); 2.40 square miles (6.22 km2) is land and 0.03 square miles (0.08 km2) is water.

Climate

Climate data for St. James, Minnesota, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1958–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 64
(18)
67
(19)
84
(29)
93
(34)
102
(39)
104
(40)
105
(41)
101
(38)
98
(37)
92
(33)
82
(28)
68
(20)
105
(41)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 42.8
(6.0)
47.9
(8.8)
65.4
(18.6)
80.3
(26.8)
89.4
(31.9)
93.5
(34.2)
93.3
(34.1)
91.5
(33.1)
89.2
(31.8)
81.7
(27.6)
65.5
(18.6)
47.6
(8.7)
96.3
(35.7)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 23.5
(−4.7)
28.2
(−2.1)
40.4
(4.7)
56.2
(13.4)
69.3
(20.7)
79.5
(26.4)
82.8
(28.2)
80.4
(26.9)
74.2
(23.4)
60.0
(15.6)
43.1
(6.2)
29.0
(−1.7)
55.6
(13.1)
Daily mean °F (°C) 14.3
(−9.8)
19.1
(−7.2)
31.3
(−0.4)
45.4
(7.4)
58.4
(14.7)
68.9
(20.5)
72.4
(22.4)
69.7
(20.9)
62.4
(16.9)
48.6
(9.2)
33.9
(1.1)
20.5
(−6.4)
45.4
(7.4)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 5.2
(−14.9)
9.9
(−12.3)
22.2
(−5.4)
34.6
(1.4)
47.6
(8.7)
58.3
(14.6)
61.9
(16.6)
59.1
(15.1)
50.6
(10.3)
37.1
(2.8)
24.6
(−4.1)
12.0
(−11.1)
35.3
(1.8)
Mean minimum °F (°C) −15.2
(−26.2)
−9.9
(−23.3)
−0.7
(−18.2)
19.1
(−7.2)
33.5
(0.8)
46.4
(8.0)
51.1
(10.6)
48.2
(9.0)
35.2
(1.8)
21.6
(−5.8)
6.2
(−14.3)
−8.7
(−22.6)
−18.1
(−27.8)
Record low °F (°C) −30
(−34)
−30
(−34)
−26
(−32)
6
(−14)
19
(−7)
36
(2)
40
(4)
36
(2)
25
(−4)
10
(−12)
−13
(−25)
−27
(−33)
−30
(−34)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.09
(28)
0.80
(20)
1.82
(46)
3.14
(80)
4.65
(118)
4.89
(124)
4.12
(105)
3.95
(100)
3.43
(87)
2.52
(64)
1.58
(40)
1.13
(29)
33.12
(841)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 10.8
(27)
11.0
(28)
8.2
(21)
3.5
(8.9)
0.1
(0.25)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.6
(1.5)
4.9
(12)
11.2
(28)
50.3
(126.65)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 5.8 3.9 5.7 10.3 13.1 12.1 9.6 9.5 8.0 8.4 5.1 7.2 98.7
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 5.4 4.6 3.1 1.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 2.7 5.6 22.9
Source 1: NOAA
Source 2: National Weather Service

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 444
1890 939 111.5%
1900 2,607 177.6%
1910 2,102 −19.4%
1920 2,673 27.2%
1930 2,808 5.1%
1940 3,400 21.1%
1950 3,861 13.6%
1960 4,174 8.1%
1970 4,027 −3.5%
1980 4,346 7.9%
1990 4,364 0.4%
2000 4,695 7.6%
2010 4,605 −1.9%
2020 4,793 4.1%
U.S. Decennial Census
2020 Census

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 4,605 people, 1,839 households, and 1,145 families living in the city. The population density was 1,918.8 inhabitants per square mile (740.9/km2). There were 2,039 housing units at an average density of 849.6 units per square mile (328.0 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.8% White, 0.7% African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 14.9% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 31.0% of the population.

There were 1,839 households, of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.8% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.7% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.17.

The median age in the city was 37.8 years. 27.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.6% were from 25 to 44; 23.3% were from 45 to 64; and 17.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.7% male and 51.3% female.

Transport

The city owns and operates the St. James Municipal Airport.

Notable people

  • Moses K. Armstrong, businessman and legislator
  • Becky Buller, bluegrass musician
  • Peter Eckerstrom, Arizona Court of Appeals judge
  • Henry Norman Graven, United States District Court judge, born in St. James
  • Winfield Scott Hammond, 18th Minnesota governor, established his home and his law practice in St. James
  • Mac Hegstrom, businessman and politician, born in St. James
  • Carl L. Johnson, businessman and legislator
  • Mike Kingery, professional baseball player, born in St. James
  • Gary Mielke, professional baseball player, born in St. James
  • Carl G. Olson, farmer and politician, born in St. James

Media

Television

Channel Callsign Affiliation Branding Subchannels Owner
(Virtual) Channel Programming
2.1 K26CS-D
(KTCA Translator)
PBS TPT 2 2.2
2.4
Minnesota Channel
PBS Kids
Cooperative Television Association of Southern Minnesota
2.3 K29IE-D
(KTCI Translator)
PBS TPT Life 2.5 TPT Now Cooperative Television Association of Southern Minnesota
4.2 K35KI-D Start TV Cooperative Television Association of Southern Minnesota
5.1 K30FN-D
(KSTP Translator)
ABC 5 Eyewitness News 5.7 Heroes & Icons Cooperative Television Association of Southern Minnesota
5.2 K14KE-D
(KSTC Translator)
Ind. 45 TV 5.3
5.4
5.6
Me-TV
Antenna TV
This TV
Cooperative Television Association of Southern Minnesota
7.1 KMNF-LD NBC KEYC 7.2 The CW+ Gray Television
9.2 K23MF-D
(WFTC Translator)
Ind. FOX 9 Plus 9.3
9.1
Movies!
FOX
Cooperative Television Association of Southern Minnesota
9.9 K35KI-D
(KMSP Translator)
FOX FOX 9 9.4
9.5
Buzzr
Light TV
Cooperative Television Association of Southern Minnesota
11.4 K32GX-D
(KARE Translator)
NBC KARE 11 11.5
11.6
11.7
Court TV
True Crime Network
Quest
Cooperative Television Association of Southern Minnesota
12.1 KEYC-TV CBS KEYC 12.2 Fox Gray Television
16.1 K31KV-D CTV 16.2
16.3
16.4
16.5
23.5
Action
Heartland
AMG
Biz
Grit
Cooperative Television Association of Southern Minnesota
17.1 K17MW-D Youtoo America Cooperative Television Association of Southern Minnesota
18.1 K18NE-D Cooperative Television Association of Southern Minnesota
19.1 K19LI-D Laff Cooperative Television Association of Southern Minnesota
23.1 K34JX-D
(WUCW Translator)
CW CW 23 23.2
23.3
23.4
Comet
Charge!
TBD
Cooperative Television Association of Southern Minnesota
23.6 K21DG-D CTV 2 Cooperative Television Association of Southern Minnesota
24.1 K24JV-D Retro TV Cooperative Television Association of Southern Minnesota
28.1 K28OH-D Cooperative Television Association of Southern Minnesota
41.1 K20LP-D
(KPXM Translator)
ION ION 41.2
41.3
41.4
41.5
41.6
Qubo
Ion Plus
ION Shop
QVC
HSN
Cooperative Television Association of Southern Minnesota
45.1 K22MQ-D TBN 45.2
45.3
45.4
45.5
Hillsong Channel
JUCE TV
Smile
Enlace
Cooperative Television Association of Southern Minnesota

See also

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

kids search engine
St. James, Minnesota Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.