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History
The city of Rice is located in northwestern Benton County in the heart of Central Minnesota. In 1849, the territory of Minnesota was established with Benton County names as one of the nine organized counties. Rice was officially incorporated as the Village of Rice on July 18th, 1890.
Rice was originally open prairie, populated by Ojibwa, bordered by the Mississippi River on the West and Little Rock Lake on the East. This land, first known as Sand Prairie, was populated by pioneers in the autumn of 1844. At one time, Rice was a farming community, dependent on and being depended upon, by the area farmers. Today farming is still important, but there are also businesses which employ a few hundred people and put out millions of dollars of product per week.
In 1990 Rice celebrated its centennial.
Topography
Rice consists of relatively flat land. The soils in the Rice area are mostly sandy soil. The area holds many irrigation systems with corn and potatoes the primary crop in the area. Numerous stand of pines and popple intersperse rolling farm fields.
The Mississippi River and Little Rock Lake are dominant geographic features of Rice. These areas provide natural beauty and recreational activities which offers a vast opportunity for businesses or industry in the recreational area.
Climate
Average Summer Temperature 69 degrees Fahrenheit
Hottest Month (July) Average High 83 degrees Fahrenheit
Average Low 60 degrees FahrenheitAverage Winter Temperature 15 degrees Fahrenheit
Coldest Month (January) Average High 20 degrees Fahrenheit
Average Low 0 degrees FahrenheitFrost-Free Season Average 143 days
Annual Snowfall Average 38 inches
Annual Precipitation Average 17 inches
© City of Rice, MN
A past with pride ... a future with promise
We are looking for old photos of the City of Rice. If you would like to share yours stop by Rice City Hall during normal business hours and we will make a copy of it and return your original immediately.
