Austin, Minnesota#Parks and recreation

File:SMNC1907.jpg

File:HormelPlantAustinMNpostcard.jpg meatpacking plant]]

Fertile land, trapping, and ease of access brought first trappers and then the early pioneers to this region. The rich gameland attracted Austin Nichols, a trapper who built the first log cabin in 1853.{{cite book|last=Upham|first=Warren|title=Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance|url=https://archive.org/details/minnesotageogra00uphagoog|year=1920|publisher=Minnesota Historical Society|page=[https://archive.org/details/minnesotageogra00uphagoog/page/n378 359]}} At that time there were "about twenty families in the area." More settlers began to arrive by wagon train in 1855, and by 1856 enough people were present to organize Mower County.{{cite web|title=City of Austin City Council, History |access-date=March 3, 2012 |url=http://www.ci.austin.mn.us/mayors/history.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220001151/http://www.ci.austin.mn.us/mayors/history.html |archive-date=February 20, 2012}} In 1856 the settlement adopted the name "Austin", in honor of its first settler. That year the first hotel opened to travelers and the first physician, Dr. Ormanzo Allen, moved to town. The first newspaper, the Mower County Mirror, was started in 1858.

Mills, powered by the Cedar River, were the first industries in Austin. They provided much-needed flour and lumber. Growth was slow during the first two decades, but the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad arrived in the late 1860s, hastening economic development. The town's first schoolhouse was constructed in 1865, and the first bank opened the following year.

In 1891 George A. Hormel opened a small family-owned butcher shop in Austin,{{cite web |url=http://www.hormelfoods.com/About/History/Company-History |title=Milestones in Our History |author= |website=Hormel |access-date=March 22, 2016}} which eventually grew into today's Fortune 500 company, Hormel Foods. By 1896 area doctors, with the help of local Lutheran congregations, formed the Austin Hospital Association, later becoming St. Olaf Hospital, and (since 1995) part of Mayo Clinic Health System.{{cite web |url=http://mayoclinichealthsystem.org/locations/austin/about-us/history |title=History |author= |website=Mayo Clinic Health System - Austin |access-date=March 22, 2016}}

In 1897 Charles Boostrom opened Austin's first college, the Southern Minnesota Normal College and Austin School of Commerce. It closed in 1925, and the city was without an institution of higher education until Austin Junior College opened in 1940. In 1964 it became part of the State College and University System and is now Riverland Community College.

In 1913 the Minnesota Legislature made a {{convert|50|acre|adj=on}} parcel of land into Horace Austin State Park. At the time, the land was "one of the beauty spots of Southern Minnesota, but of late years has not been cared for and in places the banks have been disfigured by dumping along the shore of the stream," according to the bill's author, Senator Charles F. Cook.{{cite web |url=http://www.postbulletin.com/austin/news/horace-austin-state-park-beginnings-at-the-minnesota-legislature/article_2294cd3c-08aa-5844-83e5-f5610232da9d.html |title=Horace Austin State Park beginnings at the Minnesota Legislature |author= |website=Rochester Post-Bulletin |date=January 16, 2012 |access-date=March 23, 2016}} The park was converted to a state "scenic wayside" in 1937, then transferred to city ownership in 1949.

In the 1930s Austin Acres was built with funding from the Subsistence Homesteads Division of the Department of the Interior.{{Cite news|title=A return to Austin Acres |work=The Austin Daily Herald |location=Austin, MN |access-date=March 3, 2012 |date=May 14, 2011 |url=http://www.austindailyherald.com/2011/05/14/a-return-to-austin-acres/}} The Austin Parks Board was formed in the 1940s to oversee the growing number of green spaces within the city.

File:Spam Museum in evening.jpg]]

In 1971 the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center, a {{convert|500|acre|adj=on}} nature preserve also including the {{convert|60|acre|adj=on}} Hormel Arboretum, was purchased from Geordie Hormel with a state grant. In 1973 the city opened Riverside Arena, the city's first indoor ice arena, now home to a variety of ice activities including the Austin Bruins junior hockey team.

In August 1985, 1,500 Hormel meatpackers went on strike at the Austin plant after management demanded a 23% cut in wages. In the early 1980s, recession had impacted several meatpacking companies, decreasing demand and increasing competition which led smaller and less-efficient companies to go out of business. In an effort to keep plants from closing, many instituted wage cuts. Wilson Food Company declared bankruptcy in 1983, allowing them to cut wages from $10.69 to $6.50 and significantly reduce benefits. Hormel Foods had avoided such drastic action, but by 1985, pressure to stay competitive remained.{{cite book |last1=Hage |first1=Dave |last2=Klauda |first2=Paul |title=No retreat, no surrender: labor's war at Hormel |date=1989 |publisher=W. Morrow |isbn=0688077455 |language=en |oclc=19325023 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780688077457 }} A protracted battle between union employees and Hormel continued until June 1986, one of the longest labor struggles of the 1980s. In January 1986 some workers crossed the picket lines, leading to riots; the conflict escalated to such a point that Governor Rudy Perpich called in the National Guard to keep the peace.{{cite web |url=http://www.mprnews.org/story/2010/08/17/austin-hormel-strike |title=25 years ago, Hormel strike changed Austin, industry |last1=Baier |first1=Elizabeth |date=August 17, 2010 |website=Minnesota Public Radio |access-date=March 21, 2016}} The strike received national attention and a documentary, American Dream, was filmed during the 10-month conflict. The movie was released in 1990 and won Best Documentary Feature at the 63rd Annual Academy Awards.{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099028/ |title=American Dream (1990) |author= |website=IMDB |access-date=23 March 2016 }} Dave Pirner of the Minneapolis band Soul Asylum wrote a song about the strike, "P-9". It is on the band's 1989 album Clam Dip & Other Delights. Hormel never gave in to the workers' demands, and when the strike ended in June 1986, 700 employees were left without work.{{cite news |last=Risen |first=James |date=1 September 1986 |title=Despite Settlement, It's Still Not Over : Hormel Strike May Divide Town for Years to Come |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-09-01-mn-12918-story.html |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |location=Los Angeles, CA |access-date=September 4, 2016}}

File:Hormel Institute.jpg and Mayo Clinic. It was significantly expanded in 2015–16.]]

Austin completed a new $28 million courthouse and jail in 2010, a new intermediate school in 2013, and has a major redevelopment project at the site of the former Oak Park Mall.{{cite web |url=http://www.startribune.com/deal-to-remake-oak-park-mall-in-austin-moves-forward-after-year/339133731 |title=Austin moves forward after year |last1=Ross |first1=Jenna |website=Minneapolis StarTribune |access-date=March 24, 2016}}/

The city is embarking on a community development project, Vision 2020. This grassroots movement was chartered in 2011 to implement ten major new community initiatives that could be completed by 2020. It includes a variety of projects related to economic development, heath and wellness, education, and tourism. A community recreation center is in progress, as is a tourism and visitor center.{{cite web |url=http://www.vision2020austin.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105140928/http://vision2020austin.com/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=November 5, 2011 |title=Vision 2020 Austin |author= |access-date=March 22, 2016}} One goal is to make the downtown business district more of a destination, aided in part by the Spam Museum's relocation to Main Street in 2016.{{cite web |url=http://www.austindailyherald.com/2016/03/austin-primed-for-a-new-future/ |title=Austin primed for a new future |last1=Schoonover |first1=Jason |date=March 25, 2016 |access-date=March 25, 2016}}

In 2015 the National Association of Realtors named Austin one of the "Top 10 Affordable Small Towns Where You'd Actually Want to Live."{{cite web |url=http://www.realtor.com/news/trends/top-10-affordable-small-towns-you-actually-want-to-live/ |title=Top 10 Affordable Small Towns Where You'd Actually Want to Live |last1=Pan |first1=Yuqing |website=Realtor.com |date=October 5, 2015 |access-date=March 21, 2016}}

File:Cedar River.jpg

Austin has a long history of flooding. The Cedar River, along with Dobbins Creek and Turtle Creek, flow through Austin, and many homes and businesses were constructed in floodplains. A series of floods between 1978 and 2010 resulted in a major flood mitigation program. This involved the purchase and demolition of buildings within the floodplain, converting low-lying areas of town to parks, and the installation of a flood wall to protect downtown.

After two major floods in July 1978, city officials and local residents decided to take action. Locals organized the Floodway Action Citizens Task Source (FACTS), which met with local and state leaders, as well as members of the Army Corps of Engineers, but it was decided that major flood prevention measures would not be cost-effective. A Community Development Block Grant was won from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, allowing for the buyout of homes lying in the flood plain. City planners also vowed to no longer build new structures in the existing flood plains. In 1983 and 1993 major floods again damaged many Austin homes and businesses. Over 400 homes were affected and a new round of buyouts took place through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP).

The worst flooding on record came when the Cedar River crested at {{convert|23.4|ft}} in the spring of 2000. Many of the worst-hit parts of town were now void of homes and businesses, but there was still damage and extensive clean-up was required. Flooding came again in September 2004, resulting in two fatalities. Additional protection (dikes) were added along the Cedar River as a result.

The most recent round of serious flooding came in 2010, after which a plan was developed for a permanent flood wall to protect downtown from the floodwaters of the Cedar River and Mill Pond. The wall was completed in 2014.{{cite web |url=https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/hsem/hazard-mitigation/Documents/bestPracticeDetailmowerPDF.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408235501/https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/hsem/hazard-mitigation/Documents/bestPracticeDetailmowerPDF.pdf |archive-date=April 8, 2016 |url-status=live |title=On the Move: A Minnesota City Creatively Battles Repetitive Flooding |author= |website=Federal Emergency Management Agency |access-date=March 23, 2016}}{{cite web |url=http://www.ci.austin.mn.us/public-works/flood-mitigation-program |title=Flood Mitigation Program |author= |website=City of Austin |access-date=March 23, 2016}}{{cite web |url=http://www.austindailyherald.com/2013/09/council-moves-ahead-on-flood-project/ |title=Council moves ahead on flood project |last1=Mewes |first1=Trey |date=September 18, 2013 |website=Austin Daily Herald |access-date=March 23, 2016}}

File:Austinmn tornado damage.jpg

On Monday, August 20, 1928, an F-2 sized tornado touched down on Winona Street (1st Avenue). The damage ran from the southern edge of Austin High School to the Milwaukee Road railyards on the city's east side. St. Olaf Lutheran Church, Carnegie Library, Main Street, the spire on Austin's former courthouse, Grand Theatre (replaced in 1929 by the Paramount Theatre), Austin Utilities, Lincoln School, and several boxcars at the Milwaukee railyards were damaged or destroyed. Austin residents noticed debris raining out of the sky, such as straw and laundry.

Another F-2 touched down in August 1961, at 808 18th Street SW. It quickly gained strength once on the ground, becoming an F-3 at 17th Street SW, where it destroyed a garage. The twister lifted briefly, touching down in the city fairgrounds and hitting the grandstand roof, tearing off parts and damaging beams.

In the summer of 1984, a tornado destroyed Echo Lanes Bowling Alley as it swept through southeast Austin. Neighboring Bo-Dee Campers also suffered considerable damage, and Schmidt TV was destroyed.

A tornado or straight-line winds took down massive amounts of branches and trees on Saturday, June 27, 1998, uprooting smaller trees and knocking large branches across streets. Several side streets in northwest Austin became impassable, including 8th Avenue NW (near Sumner Elementary School) and 14th Street NW (between I-90 and 8th Avenue). The event caused disruption in Sunday church services the next morning, and many congregations organized cleanup activities instead of regularly scheduled events.

A tornado touched down in Glenville on May 1, 2001, gaining strength before it turned into a F-3 headed for Austin. The twister dissipated shortly after hitting town, but did notable damage in both cities.

On Wednesday, June 17, 2009, an EF2 tornado touched down outside Austin and moved across the northwest and northern parts of the city, gradually weakening as it moved east. The worst damage in Austin was about {{convert|3|mi|0}} north of downtown. The visitors center at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center sustained damage, losing 300 trees. There were a few minor injuries.[http://www.crh.noaa.gov/arx/?n=jun1709 Austin, MN Tornado of June 17 2009]. Crh.noaa.gov. Retrieved on July 21, 2013.{{cite web |url=http://www.austindailyherald.com/2011/06/a%E2%80%88date-to-remember/ |title=A Date to Remember |last1=Peterson |first1=Matt |date=June 17, 2011 |website=Austin Daily Herald |access-date=March 24, 2016}}

{{wide image|Austin Minnesota downtown power plant.jpg|750px|alt=Downtown Power Plant, Mill Pond, and Horace Austin Park|Downtown Power Plant, Mill Pond, and Horace Austin Park}}

File:Austin, Minnesota.jpg on the east side
by the Austin Municipal Airport]]

Austin is in western Mower County in southeastern Minnesota. It is {{convert|20|mi}} east of Albert Lea, {{convert|41|mi}} southwest of Rochester, {{convert|100|mi|-1}} south of Minneapolis, and {{convert|12|mi}} north of the Iowa border. The city is bordered to the south by Austin Township, to the east by Windom and Red Rock townships, and to the north by Lansing Township and the city of Mapleview. Austin is bordered to the west by Oakland Township in Freeborn County.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Austin has a total area of {{convert|13.39|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|13.29|sqmi|sqkm|2}} are land and {{convert|0.11|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, or 0.79%, are water. Its elevation is approximately {{convert|1200|ft|m|abbr=on}}. The Cedar River, a tributary of the Iowa River, flows southward through the east side of the city. Tributaries within the city include Turtle Creek from the west and Dobbins Creek from the east.

Austin has a humid continental climate typical of the Upper Midwest. Winters are cold and snowy; summers are warm with moderate to high humidity. On the Köppen climate classification, Austin falls in the humid continental climate zone (Dfb) and is in USDA plant hardiness zone 4b.{{cite web |url=http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/162285/ |title=Moist Continental Mid-latitude Climates - D Climate Type |author= |website=The Encyclopedia of Earth |access-date=March 26, 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/# |title=USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map |author= |website=US Department of Agriculture |access-date=March 26, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227032333/http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/ |archive-date=February 27, 2014}} Below is a table of average high and low temperatures in Austin.

{{Weather box

|location = Austin, Minnesota (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1938–present)

|collapsed =

|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 62

|Feb record high F = 71

|Mar record high F = 80

|Apr record high F = 91

|May record high F = 100

|Jun record high F = 100

|Jul record high F = 102

|Aug record high F = 101

|Sep record high F = 97

|Oct record high F = 92

|Nov record high F = 79

|Dec record high F = 65

|year record high F = 102

|Jan avg record high F = 40.9

|Feb avg record high F = 45.0

|Mar avg record high F = 63.8

|Apr avg record high F = 79.1

|May avg record high F = 86.8

|Jun avg record high F = 91.4

|Jul avg record high F = 90.5

|Aug avg record high F = 88.7

|Sep avg record high F = 87.0

|Oct avg record high F = 80.8

|Nov avg record high F = 63.0

|Dec avg record high F = 45.8

|year avg record high F = 93.6

|Jan high F = 21.9

|Feb high F = 26.4

|Mar high F = 39.2

|Apr high F = 54.9

|May high F = 67.5

|Jun high F = 77.6

|Jul high F = 80.8

|Aug high F = 78.7

|Sep high F = 72.2

|Oct high F = 58.3

|Nov high F = 41.5

|Dec high F = 27.9

|year high F = 53.9

|Jan mean F = 13.7

|Feb mean F = 17.8

|Mar mean F = 31.0

|Apr mean F = 45.0

|May mean F = 57.5

|Jun mean F = 67.9

|Jul mean F = 71.0

|Aug mean F = 68.7

|Sep mean F = 61.1

|Oct mean F = 47.9

|Nov mean F = 33.1

|Dec mean F = 20.5

|year mean F = 44.6

|Jan low F = 5.4

|Feb low F = 9.1

|Mar low F = 22.7

|Apr low F = 35.2

|May low F = 47.5

|Jun low F = 58.2

|Jul low F = 61.2

|Aug low F = 58.7

|Sep low F = 50.0

|Oct low F = 37.5

|Nov low F = 24.7

|Dec low F = 13.0

|year low F = 35.3

|Jan avg record low F = -18.6

|Feb avg record low F = -13.2

|Mar avg record low F = -1.5

|Apr avg record low F = 19.2

|May avg record low F = 31.9

|Jun avg record low F = 44.9

|Jul avg record low F = 49.4

|Aug avg record low F = 46.7

|Sep avg record low F = 33.3

|Oct avg record low F = 20.9

|Nov avg record low F = 6.2

|Dec avg record low F = -10.2

|year avg record low F = -21.4

|Jan record low F = −42

|Feb record low F = −34

|Mar record low F = −34

|Apr record low F = 5

|May record low F = 22

|Jun record low F = 31

|Jul record low F = 41

|Aug record low F = 34

|Sep record low F = 20

|Oct record low F = 10

|Nov record low F = −25

|Dec record low F = −33

|year record low F = -42

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 1.12

|Feb precipitation inch = 1.10

|Mar precipitation inch = 2.03

|Apr precipitation inch = 3.67

|May precipitation inch = 4.99

|Jun precipitation inch = 5.07

|Jul precipitation inch = 4.85

|Aug precipitation inch = 4.07

|Sep precipitation inch = 3.60

|Oct precipitation inch = 2.63

|Nov precipitation inch = 1.84

|Dec precipitation inch = 1.25

|year precipitation inch = 36.22

|Jan snow inch = 11.0

|Feb snow inch = 10.4

|Mar snow inch = 7.5

|Apr snow inch = 2.2

|May snow inch = 0.3

|Jun snow inch = 0.0

|Jul snow inch = 0.0

|Aug snow inch = 0.0

|Sep snow inch = 0.0

|Oct snow inch = 0.4

|Nov snow inch = 2.3

|Dec snow inch = 9.3

|year snow inch = 43.4

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 5.9

|Feb precipitation days = 5.3

|Mar precipitation days = 7.1

|Apr precipitation days = 10.9

|May precipitation days = 13.0

|Jun precipitation days = 11.7

|Jul precipitation days = 10.7

|Aug precipitation days = 10.3

|Sep precipitation days = 9.3

|Oct precipitation days = 9.4

|Nov precipitation days = 6.1

|Dec precipitation days = 6.6

|year precipitation days = 106.3

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days = 6.4

|Feb snow days = 5.5

|Mar snow days = 3.5

|Apr snow days = 1.2

|May snow days = 0.1

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.0

|Oct snow days = 0.4

|Nov snow days = 2.5

|Dec snow days = 6.0

|year snow days = 25.6

|Jan snow depth inch = 9.5

|Feb snow depth inch = 12.5

|Mar snow depth inch = 10.0

|Apr snow depth inch = 1.6

|May snow depth inch = 0.3

|Jun snow depth inch = 0.0

|Jul snow depth inch = 0.0

|Aug snow depth inch = 0.0

|Sep snow depth inch = 0.0

|Oct snow depth inch = 0.0

|Nov snow depth inch = 1.5

|Dec snow depth inch = 8.2

|year snow depth inch = 16.3

|source 1 = NOAA

{{cite web

| url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=arx

| title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = June 24, 2021}}

{{cite web

| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00210355&format=pdf

| title = Station: Austin Waste WTP Facility, MN

| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020)

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = June 24, 2021}}

}}

{{US Census population

|1860= 200

|1870= 2039

|1880= 2305

|1890= 3901

|1900= 5474

|1910= 6960

|1920= 10118

|1930= 12276

|1940= 18307

|1950= 23100

|1960= 27908

|1970= 25074

|1980= 23020

|1990= 21907

|2000= 23314

|2010= 24718

|2020= 26174

|estyear=2022

|estimate=26208

|estref={{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html |date=November 20, 2023|title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2022|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=November 20, 2023}}

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|author=United States Census Bureau|author-link=United States Census Bureau|access-date=November 2, 2014}}
2020 Census

}}

As of the census of 2020 there were 26,174 people, 10,980 households, and 10,181 families residing in the city.

As of the census of 2010 there were 24,718 people, 10,131 households, and 6,114 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|2096.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 10,870 housing units at an average density of {{convert|922.0|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 86.8% White, 3.0% African American, 0.3% Native American, 2.4% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 4.8% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.4% of the population.

There were 10,131 households, of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.9% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.7% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.05.

The median age in the city was 37. 25.6% of residents were under 18; 8.8% were between 18 and 24; 24.3% were from 25 to 44; 23.5% were from 45 to 64; and 17.7% were 65 or older. The city was 49.2% male and 50.8% female.

As of the census of 2000, there were 23,314 people, 9,897 households, and 6,076 families residing in the city and 10,261 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 92.6% White, 0.81% African American, 0.18% Native American, 2.22% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.09% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 6.12% of the population. There were 9,897 households, out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18. The average household size was 2.29; the average family size was 2.90. The median income for a household in the city was $33,750, and the median income for a family was $42,691. Males had a median income of $31,787 versus $23,158 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,651. About 7.5% of families and 10.9% of the population were below the poverty line.

File:Downtown Austin MN looking south.jpg

With Hormel's corporate headquarters and main production facility in Austin, food processing plays a dominant role in the city's economy. Hormel and Quality Pork Processors, a contract food processing firm serving Hormel, are by far the city's largest private employers.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ci.austin.mn.us/Econdev/major.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517063604/http://www.ci.austin.mn.us/Econdev/major.htm|url-status=dead|title=City of Austin, Minnesota - Major Employers & Workforce|date=April 2004|archivedate=May 17, 2008}} Though most famous for SPAM, Hormel also produces many other brands, such as Jennie-O turkey, Muscle Milk, Skippy peanut butter, and Dinty Moore beef stew.{{cite web |url=https://www.hormelfoods.com/About/DivisionsLocations/Business-Divisions.aspx |title=Business Divisions |author= |website=Hormel Foods |access-date=September 4, 2016}}

The government, education, hospitality, and retail sectors comprise much of the remainder of Austin's employment base.

Hormel's consistent and steady growth have resulted in below-average unemployment rates for Austin and Mower County in recent years. As of February 2016 the unemployment rate was 3.7% in Austin and Mower County, below both the state and national average.{{cite web |url=http://www.southernminn.com/owatonna_peoples_press/news/local/article_1734cb0a-096b-5415-9546-60c6c3c38db0.html |title=Unemployment inches up across the region |last1=Jackson |first1=Jeffrey |date=March 17, 2016 |website=Austin Daily Herald |access-date=March 23, 2016}}{{cite web |url=http://www.austindailyherald.com/2016/03/jobless-rate-remains-flat-in-region/ |title=Jobless rate remains flat in region |last1=Jackson |first1=Jeffrey |date=March 31, 2016 |website=Austin Daily Herald |access-date=March 23, 2016}}

Austin-area businesses and community actively supported an application to participate as a test community in the Google Fiber project, begun in 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.austindailyherald.com/2011/03/24/austin-high-rallies-for-google-fiber/|title=Austin High Rallies for Google Fiber|website=austindailyherald.com|date=March 24, 2011|access-date=May 12, 2019}} Though unsuccessful in their bid, the adoption of high-speed fiber optic and wireless internet throughout Austin is one of the Vision 2020 committee's goals.{{cite web |url=http://www.gigaustin.org/ |title=GigAustin-Home |author= |website=Gig Austin |access-date=March 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160110101823/http://gigaustin.org/ |archive-date=January 10, 2016 |url-status=dead}}

Austin's retail business struggled during the Great Recession, including the demise of the Oak Park Mall. As of 2017 the business climate had improved, including a major redevelopment of the former mall site. Downtown remains vibrant as well, including construction of a new SPAM Museum in 2016.

File:Riverland Community College - Austin campus.jpg is one of Austin's top employers.]]

According to Austin's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (2022),{{cite web|title=Comprehensive Annual Financial Report |page=188 |url=https://www.ci.austin.mn.us/Administration/pdf/2022ACFR.pdf |access-date=November 20, 2023}} the top employers in the city are:

File:Paramount Theater Austin MN.jpg]]

File:St_Augustine's_Church_(Austin)_nave.jpg (2015)]]

Music

Austin is home to several long-standing performing arts organizations, including the Austin Symphony Orchestra, which was established in 1957.{{cite web |url=http://www.austinmnsymphony.org/ |title=Austin Symphony Orchestra |author= |website=Austin Symphony Orchestra |access-date=March 22, 2016}} The Austin Artist Series, one of the Midwest's largest and longest-running concert and performance series, was established in 1945.{{cite web |url=http://www.austinartistseries.org/ |title=Austin Artist Series |author= |website=Austin Artist Series |access-date=March 22, 2016}} The Historic Paramount Theatre hosts a variety of local and regional performances,{{cite web |url=http://www.austinareaarts.org/ |title=Paramount Theater |author= |website=Austin Area Commission for the Arts |access-date=March 22, 2016}} and Austin High School's music programs have been recognized for decades as among the state's best. Austin is also home to a community choir (Northwestern Singers{{cite web |url=http://www.northwesternsingers.org/ |title=Northwestern Singers |author= |access-date=March 22, 2016}}) and several community bands (Austin Community Band, Austin Community Jazz Band,{{cite web |url=http://www.austindailyherald.com/2015/06/boughton-community-band-brings-sound-of-summer/ |title=Community Band brings sound of summer |author= |website=Austin Daily Herald |date=June 6, 2015 |access-date=March 22, 2016}} and the Austin Big Band{{cite web |url=http://www.austinbigband.com/ |title=Austin Big Band |author= |access-date=March 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160405015044/http://www.austinbigband.com/ |archive-date=April 5, 2016 |url-status=dead }}). Austin has produced many professional musicians of regional and national acclaim, including John Maus, Trace Bundy, Charlie Parr, Martin Zellar, Matthew Griswold, and Molly Kate Kestner.

In 2015 the MacPhail Center for Music, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, opened its first outstate location in Austin, at Riverland Community College. MacPhail's Austin campus provides individual instruction on nearly a dozen musical instruments for adults and children, as well as large ensembles and early childhood music instruction.{{cite web |url=http://www.macphail.org/austin/ |title=MacPhail Center for Music - Austin |author= |access-date=March 22, 2016}}

Theater

The Frank W. Bridges Theatre is home to an active theatre program at Riverland Community College, while Matchbox Children's Theatre, established in 1975, provides shows year-round for both adults and children.{{cite web |url=http://www.matchboxchildrenstheatre.org/ |title=Matchbox Children's Theatre |author= |website=Matchbox Children's Theatre |access-date=March 22, 2016}} Summerset Theatre, a community theater company organized in 1968, also presents several shows per year.{{cite web |url=http://www.summersettheatre.org/ |title=Summerset Theatre |author= |website=Summerset Theatre |access-date=March 22, 2016}}

ArtWorks Center

The Austin ArtWorks Center, established in 2014, hosts gallery exhibits, educational classes, performance space, and a retail gallery. It is operated by the Austin Area Commission for the Arts, which also sponsors the Austin ArtWorks Festival, an annual celebration of visual, performing, and literary arts.{{cite web |url=http://www.austinareaarts.org/ |title=Austin Area Commission for the Arts |author= |website=Austin Area Commission for the Arts |access-date=March 22, 2016}} The center is in the First National Bank Building, which opened in 1896.{{cite web|url=http://www.austindailyherald.com/2012/06/a-history-of-the-first-national-bank/|title=A history of the First National Bank - Austin Daily Herald|date=June 30, 2012|website=austindailyherald.com|access-date=May 12, 2019}}

Architecture

File:2020-0609-Austin-SPElamResidence.jpg

Austin has several historically and architecturally significant buildings, including Austin High School, St. Augustine's Church, Roosevelt Bridge, the Historic Paramount Theatre, the Hormel Historic Home, the Arthur W. Wright House, and several blocks of buildings on Main Street.

The S. P. Elam Residence (1950) was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and is the second largest example of his Usonian style of architecture.{{cite web |url=http://theelamhouse.com/ |title=The Elam House |author= |website=The Elam House |access-date=March 22, 2016}}

Literature

Austin is the setting of Allen Eskens' novel The Life We Bury, published in 2014 by Seventh Street Books in New York.

File:St. Augustine Church east exterior (Austin, Minnesota).jpg

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• Mower County Fairgrounds and Mower County Fair
• Buffy the Cow
• SPAM Museum
• Jay C. Hormel Nature Center
• Hormel Historic Home
• St. Augustine's Church
• Austin ArtWorks Center
• Austin High School and Knowlton Auditorium
• Mower County Historical Society
• Historic Paramount Theatre
• Sola Fide Observatory
• East Side Lake
• Bandshell Community Park
• Todd Park
• Austin Country Club (private)
• Meadow Greens Golf Course (public)
• The Elam House (Frank Lloyd Wright home)
• Christ Episcopal Church
• Packer Dome (seasonal)
• Vintage Bicycle Collection at Rydjor Bike Shop
• Hormel Institute
• Roosevelt Bridge

{{Div col end}}

File:Packer Dome in Austin, Minnesota.jpg

The Austin Bruins are a North American Hockey League team that began play during the 2010–11 season. The team finished 1st in the Central Division in the 2012–13, 2013–14, and 2014–15 seasons, and advanced to the Robertson Cup Finals in 2014 and 2015, though ultimately losing the championship both times. The Bruins play their home games at Riverside Arena. Austin previously was represented in Junior hockey by the Austin Mavericks, a team that first participated in the Midwest Junior Hockey League from 1974 to 1977 and following a league merger competed in the United States Hockey League from 1977 to 1985.

Austin is home to two amateur baseball clubs, the Austin Blue Sox and Austin Greyhounds. The Riverland Community College Blue Devils field six intercollegiate athletic teams.{{cite web |url=http://www.riverland.edu/athletics/ |title=Blue Devils Athletics |author= |website=Riverland Community College |access-date=March 24, 2016}}

Several other teams, clubs, and activities are prominent in Austin, including the Southern Minnesota Bicycling Club,{{cite web |url=http://www.usacycling.org/clubs/clubsearch.php?club=15152 |title=Southern Minnesota Bicycling Club |author= |website=USA Cycling Clubs |access-date=March 24, 2016}} the Austin Curling Club,{{cite web |url=http://www.austindailyherald.com/2015/03/stones-and-ice/ |title=Stones and ice; Austin Curling Club slides into Riverside Arena |last1=Hulne |first1=Rocky |date=March 23, 2015 |publisher=Austin Daily Herald |access-date=March 24, 2016}} the Minnesota Southbound Rollers (female roller derby),{{cite web |url=http://www.austindailyherald.com/2015/07/rolling-to-new-levels-southbound-rollers-have-their-first-win-and-will-host-a-bout-july-25/ |title=Rolling to new levels |last1=Hulne |first1=Rocky |date=July 14, 2015 |access-date=March 24, 2016}} and the Southeast Minnesota Warhawks of the Southern Plains Football League.{{cite web |url=http://www.myspfl.com/teams/?u=SPFLFOOTBALL&s=football |title=Southern Plains Football League |author= |access-date=March 24, 2016}}

File:Riverside Arena in Austin, MN and its Spam zamboni.jpg]]

The Riverside Arena is a 2,500-seat multipurpose arena which opened in 1973.Austin Daily Herald Newspaper Archives December 20, 1973 Page 8 It is home to the Austin High School Packers boys' and girls' ice hockey teams as well as the Austin Bruins.

In 2010, a Jumbotron, lasers and upgraded lighting were installed.{{Cite web |last=amandalillie |date=September 22, 2010 |title=Riverside Arena makes its debut |url=https://www.austindailyherald.com/2010/09/riverside-arena-makes-its-debut/ |access-date=July 20, 2023 |website=Austin Daily Herald |language=en}} The rink underwent a major overhaul in 2015 when the concrete surface was relaid and the original cooling and dehumidifying equipment replaced.{{Cite web |last=treymewes |date=July 17, 2015 |title=Riverside on schedule; Rink should be ready for hockey this fall |url=https://www.austindailyherald.com/2015/07/riverside-on-schedule-rink-should-be-ready-for-hockey-this-fall/ |access-date=July 19, 2023 |website=Austin Daily Herald |language=en}}

Packer Dome, a seasonal athletic facility built in 2015, provides sport and recreation facilities in Austin. It is operated by Austin Public Schools and was funded in large part by the Hormel Foundation as part of the Vision 2020 community development project.{{cite web |url=https://www.austin.k12.mn.us/Pages/activities/activities-dome.aspx |title=Packer Dome |author= |website=Austin Public Schools |access-date=March 24, 2016}}{{cite web |url=http://www.austindailyherald.com/2015/12/public-invited-to-check-out-the-new-dome/ |title=Public invited to check out the new dome |last1=Underwood |first1=Kim |date=December 6, 2015 |website=Austin Daily Herald |access-date=March 24, 2016}}

Austin has an extensive network of 28 parks and green spaces, which the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Forestry oversees. These range from small, passive spaces like Sterling Park (manicured but lacking recreational equipment) to the 507-acre Jay C. Hormel Nature Center.

File:Monarchs.jpg]]

{{main|Jay C. Hormel Nature Center}}

Established in 1971, the Hormel Nature Center is in western Mower County, within Austin's city limits. It features restored and remnant prairie, hardwood forest, wetlands and meandering streams. There are more than ten miles of trail, giving visitors the opportunity to see deer, mink, raccoons, salamanders, many different birds and other native wildlife. It features an Interpretive Center, open daily, where visitors can learn about the history and biology of the area through hands-on exhibits, interactive displays and live educational animals. The Nature Center offers equipment rental throughout most of the year: canoes and kayaks in the summer and cross-country skis and snowshoes while snow conditions are good.{{cite web |url=http://www.hormelnaturecenter.org/about.html |title=About |author= |website=Jay C. Hormel Nature Center |access-date=March 25, 2016}}

Horace Austin Park, in downtown, is the most centrally located and has a blend of modern amenities, including playground equipment, the municipal pool, and trails and green spaces surrounding Mill Pond.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ci.austin.mn.us/park-recreation/park-information/horace-park|title=Horace Park}} Austin has parks in all four of its quadrants and many are connected by a trail system, including three of the largest: Bandshell Community Park, Driesner Park, and Todd Park. Todd Park is a popular summer recreation space, with several sand volleyball courts and 11 softball and baseball diamonds.

Bandshell Community Park is the site of Austin's annual Independence Day celebration, which draws thousands of residents for two days of music, carnival games, and evening fireworks.{{cite web |url=http://www.ci.austin.mn.us/park-recreation/park-information |title=Park Information |author= |website=City of Austin - Department of Parks, Recreation, & Forestry |access-date=March 23, 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.austincoc.com/parks.htm |title=Parks and Recreation |author= |website=Austin Chamber of Commerce |access-date=March 25, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235250/http://www.austincoc.com/parks.htm |archive-date=March 3, 2016}}{{cite web |url=http://www.austindailyherald.com/2015/07/freedom-fest-schedule-parade-lineup-saturday-july-4/ |title=Freedom Fest Schedule |author= |website=Austin Daily Herald |date=July 4, 2015 |access-date=March 24, 2016}}

File:CityHall3.jpg

The city is independent from Austin Township to the south and Lansing Township to the north.

Austin is in Minnesota's 1st congressional district, represented by Brad Finstad, a Republican.{{cite web | url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3598486-republican-rep-brad-finstad-sworn-in-to-finish-hagedorns-house-term/ | title=Republican Rep. Brad Finstad sworn in to finish Hagedorn's House term | date=August 12, 2022}} It is in Minnesota Senate District 27, represented by Republican Gene Dornink,{{Cite web|last=Stultz|first=Sarah|date=November 5, 2020|title=Dornink wins District 27 Senate seat|url=https://www.albertleatribune.com/2020/11/dornink-wins-27-senate-seat/|access-date=October 18, 2021|website=Albert Lea Tribune|language=en}} and House District 27B, represented by Republican Patricia Mueller. Mueller is an Austin resident.

Austin is the seat of Mower County and home to the Mower County Justice Center (courthouse) and Jail. Two new buildings were completed in 2010, a $28 million campus in downtown Austin.{{cite web |url=http://www.austindailyherald.com/2011/01/10-year-in-review/ |title=2010: Year in Review |author= |date=January 1, 2011 |website=Austin Daily Herald |access-date=March 21, 2016}}

The city of Austin is led by a mayor-council form of government. All terms are four years.{{cite web |url=http://www.ci.austin.mn.us/ |title=City of Austin, Mn |author= |access-date=March 22, 2016}}

{{Hidden begin|titlestyle=background:#ccccff|title=Presidential election results}}

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Image:Austin High School.jpg]]

Austin Public Schools (Independent School District 492) serves more than 4,700 students in the Austin area. Pacelli Catholic Schools also provides a PreK-12 private education option. Austin High School, much of which was built in 1919, is well known for its distinctive architecture. A 1939 addition to the school includes Knowlton Auditorium, one of the largest high school auditoriums in Minnesota, seating 1,850. Post-secondary education is available at Riverland Community College, first established as Austin Junior College in 1940.

• Colleges
• Riverland Community College
• Maranatha Bible School (Lansing)
• High Schools
• Austin High School and Area Learning Center (Grades 9–12)
• Pacelli High School (Grades 9–12)
• Middle Schools (Junior High)
• Ellis Middle School [Grades 7–8]
• I.J Holton Intermediate School [Grades 5–6]
• Pacelli Middle School (Grades 6–8)
• Elementary Schools
• Pacelli Elementary School (Grades PreK-5)
• Banfield Elementary School (Grades 1–4)
• Neveln Elementary School (Grades 1–4)
• Southgate Elementary School (Grades 1–4)
• Sumner Elementary School (Grades 1–4)
• Woodson School (Kindergarten only)
• Oakland Education Center (special services coop with Albert Lea Public Schools; formerly St. Edward's School)
• Other schools
• Austin Area Catholic Schools
• Gerard Academy (ages 6–19)
• Oakland Baptist School
• Former school buildings
• Franklin School (original built in 1869, burned in 1890; new Franklin High School opened in 1891)
• Shaw Elementary School (opened, 1916; last year of operation, 1992; demolished, 1993)
• Webster School (Built in 1891, functions today as apartment homes)
• Lincoln Elementary School (Built in 1887; last year of operation, 1977); functions today as apartment homes)
• Queen of Angels School (now home to Community Learning Center and Early Childhood Family Education Center)

File:CarnegieLibraryAustinMN.jpg

The Austin Public Library opened in 1884 in the basement of the Mower County Courthouse. In 1904 the city opened a newly constructed Carnegie Library. This building was demolished in 1996 when a new library was opened at 323 4th Ave. NE. It holds over 80,000 volumes.{{cite web |url=http://austinpubliclibrary.org/about-the-library/ |title=About the Library |author= |website=Austin Public Library |access-date=March 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160401082752/http://austinpubliclibrary.org/about-the-library/ |archive-date=April 1, 2016 |url-status=dead}}

Austin is part of Nielsen's Rochester-Mason City-Austin designated market area.{{cite web|url=http://www.tvb.org/media/file/2015-2016-dma-ranks.pdf |title=Local Television Market Universe Estimates |website=Nielsen |access-date=March 22, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160412161129/http://www.tvb.org/media/file/2015-2016-dma-ranks.pdf |archive-date=April 12, 2016}} Austin has two television studios, KAAL channel 6 (ABC), and KSMQ-TV channel 15 (PBS). Other stations in the area include Rochester stations KTTC channel 10 (NBC) and KXLT-TV channel 47, plus KIMT Channel 3 (CBS) from Mason City, Iowa.

A daily newspaper, the Austin Daily Herald, serves the community and has a circulation of approximately 7,000. Austin Living is a bimonthly magazine featuring culture and lifestyle stories about Austin.{{cite web |url=http://www.austindailyherald.com/2016/01/herald-staff-take-home-mna-awards-austin-living-takes-third-staff-notches-5-awards/ |title=Herald staff take home MNA awards |author= |date=January 29, 2016 |publisher=Austin Daily Herald |access-date=March 24, 2016}} The Post-Bulletin, a daily newspaper from Rochester, is also widely read and distributed in Austin.

The documentary film American Dream was filmed in Austin during the 1985–86 Hormel strike. It was released in 1990 and won Best Documentary Feature at the 63rd Annual Academy Awards.

Image:I90AustinMN2006-05-20.JPG Business Loop (Oakland Avenue) runs through the center of Austin.]]

Austin is served by Austin Municipal Airport, a public-owned, public-use airport located on the east edge of the city.{{cite web |url=https://www.airnav.com/airport/KAUM |title=KAUM - Austin Municipal Airport |author= |website=AirNav.com |access-date=March 22, 2016}} The nearest commercial international airports are located in Rochester (RST), {{convert|35|mi}} to the northeast, and the Twin Cities (MSP), {{convert|95|mi}} to the north.

Southern Minnesota Area Rural Transit (SMART) provides bus transit within Austin and Mower County; daily routes, as well as on-demand pick-up and drop-off service is available.{{cite web |url=http://smartbusmn.org/ |title=SMART |author= |access-date=March 22, 2016}} Rochester City Lines provides daily bus transportation between Austin and Rochester. For travel within the city, there is also local taxi service available.

Austin is located at the intersection of Interstate 90 and U.S. Route 218. Minnesota State Highway 105 runs from Austin south to Iowa.

• 20px Interstate 90 runs east-west through the north side of the city. The highway leads west to Albert Lea and northeast to the Rochester area.
• 20px U.S. Route 218 passes through the east side of the city as 21st Street, joins I-90 through the north side of the city between exits 180 and 177, and leaves through the northwest part of the city on 14th Street.
• 20px Minnesota State Highway 105 passes through the southern and western sides of the city as 12th Street SW and West Oakland Avenue. It terminates at I-90 in the western end of the city.

File:Milwdepot-austinmn.jpg, and on to Madison, Wisconsin.]]

Austin was once a railroad town. It was a division point and the site of car shops for the Milwaukee Road, five lines of which met in Austin.Curtiss-Wedge, Franklyn, [https://archive.org/details/historyofmowerco00curt The History of Mower County, Minnesota]. Chicago: H. C. Cooper & Co., 1911. pp. 99-102, 221, 236, 242. The community was also served by the Chicago Great Western's north–south mainline for trains between the Twin Cities and Omaha. All lines served passengers, and the Milwaukee Road Depot was a busy station ferrying travelers to and from Austin. Passenger rail service on the Milwaukee Road through Austin between Calmar, Iowa and St. Paul ended in 1953, and Pullman sleeper service on the Milwaukee between Austin and Chicago ended in 1960. An overnight train on the Chicago Great Western between the Twin Cities and Omaha called at Austin, with the southbound coming through late in the evening and the northbound train stopping early in the morning.Official Guide, April 1965, p. 688. This train last ran on September 30, 1965, ending all passenger train service to Austin.{{cite book | title=The Chicago Great Western Railway| last=Fiore | first=David J.| publisher=Arcadia Publishing | year=2006| isbn= 0-7385-4048-X | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9oK-GKk71rUC | page=68}} Freight service continues on the former Milwaukee Road mainline on that railroad's successor, the Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad, a subsidiary of Canadian Pacific, but the Chicago Great Western was abandoned and torn up after the Chicago and North Western Railway acquired it in 1968.

Austin has an extensive network of paved recreational trails for biking and hiking. There are several miles of bike paths extending north to Todd Park and the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center. There is also a mountain biking trail, completed in 2015, that hosted a Minnesota High School Cycling League competition in its inaugural year.

Extensions to these existing non-motorized trails will connect Austin to the Blazing Star Trail (west toward Albert Lea and Myre-Big Island State Park) and the Shooting Star State Trail (east toward Rose Creek, Adams, and Leroy).{{cite web|url=https://havefunbiking.com/blazing-star-trail/|title=Hayward waits for bridge to complete Blazing Star Trail|first=Russ|last=Lowthian|date=July 22, 2016|website=havefunbiking.com|access-date=May 12, 2019}}

File:Austin Medical Center - Mayo Clinic Health System.jpg

The Mayo Clinic Health system operates a full-service hospital and clinic in Austin, the Austin Medical Center. Both primary care and specialty care services are available locally. The campus also provides emergency and urgent care services, a complete pharmacy, and a recently expanded pediatrics department. Before joining the Mayo system, Austin Medical Center was St. Olaf Hospital.{{cite web |url=http://mayoclinichealthsystem.org/locations/austin/about-us/history |title=History |author= |website=Mayo Clinic Health System |access-date=September 5, 2016}}

The [http://www.hi.umn.edu/ Hormel Institute] is a medical research branch of the University of Minnesota. Established in 1942, it has become one of the world's leading cancer research facilities. In 2016 the institute was expanded to twice its original size.{{cite web |url=http://www.postbulletin.com/news/local/hormel-institute-expansion-includes-new-learning-center/article_d44d260b-8ae9-5992-afc7-7b96d6f75aa3.html |title=Hormel Institute expansion includes new learning center |last1=Yang |first1=Hannah |date=August 11, 2015 |website=Rochester Post-Bulletin |access-date=March 25, 2016}} Tours of the institute are available but must be arranged through Discover Austin, the local convention and visitors bureau.

{{Div col}}

• Marc Anderson, musician{{cite web |url=http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2003/11/14_williamsb_drummer/ |title=Drummer follows musical path from Austin to Africa |last1=Williams |first1=Brandt |website=Minnesota Public Radio |access-date=March 22, 2016}}
• Josh Braaten, actor{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1168813/ |title=Josh Braaten - Actor |author= |website=IMDB |access-date=March 22, 2016}}
• Philip Brunelle, conductor, primarily of choral music{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/philip-brunelle-mn0000152695/biography |title=Philip Brunelle - Artist Biography |last1=Cummings |first1=Robert |website=Allmusic |access-date=March 22, 2016}}
• Trace Bundy, instrumental acoustic guitar player{{cite web |url=http://www.purevolume.com/tracebundy |title=Trace Bundy |author= |website=Pure Volume |access-date=March 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120910170930/http://www.purevolume.com/tracebundy |archive-date=September 10, 2012 |url-status=dead}}
• James W. Davidson, explorer, writer, diplomat, and philanthropist{{cite web |url=http://www.robertlampard.ca/Books/James_Davidson/james_davidson.html |title=The Life and Times of Rotarian James Wheeler Davidson, FRGS |last1=Lampard |first1=Robert |access-date=March 23, 2016}}
• Richard Eberhart, United States Poet Laureate{{cite web |url=https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/richard-eberhart |title=Richard Eberhart |author= |website=Poets.org |access-date=March 23, 2016}}
• Shannon Frid-Rubin, violinist in Cloud Cult[https://www.npr.org/buckets/music/women/artist.php?artistId=121 Shannon Frid, Cloud Cult]. Npr.org. Retrieved on July 21, 2013.
• Jason Gerhardt, actor{{cite web |url=http://celebritybabies.people.com/2007/11/05/jason-gerhardt-2/ |title=Jason Gerhardt excited about upcoming birth of son |author= |website=People Magazine (online) |access-date=March 23, 2016}}
• Jackie Graves, boxer{{cite web |url=http://www.austindailyherald.com/2011/07/honoring-jackie-graves/ |title=Honoring Jackie Graves |last1=Harringa |first1=Adam |website=Austin Daily Herald |date=July 30, 2011 |access-date=March 22, 2016}}
• Matthew Griswold, songwriter and musician{{cite web

|url=http://m.startribune.com/songs-for-and-by-soldiers/95032409/

|title=Matthew Griswold writes songs about war |author= |website=Star Tribune |access-date=March 23, 2016}}

• Burdette Haldorson, basketball player and Olympian{{cite web|url=http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ha/burdie-haldorson-1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418000452/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ha/burdie-haldorson-1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 18, 2020|title=Burdie Haldorson Bio, Stats, and Results|website=Olympics at Sports-Reference.com|access-date=May 12, 2019}}
• Charles Robert Hansen, businessman, mayor of Austin, Minnesota, and Minnesota state senator'Charles (Baldy) Hansen dies, was senator, Austin mayor,' Minneapolis State Tribune, Terry Collins, May 24, 2000
• Vince Hanson, basketball player{{cite web |url=http://www.wsucougars.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=30400&ATCLID=207874522 |title=Cougar Great Vince Hanson Passes Away |author= |website=Washington State Cougars |access-date=March 23, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404195730/http://www.wsucougars.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=30400&ATCLID=207874522 |archive-date=April 4, 2016}}
• Amanda Hocking, writer of paranormal romance young adult fiction{{cite news|last=Vezner|first=Tad|title=Young Austin, Minn., author finds fame — and fortune — publishing her work online|url=http://www.twincities.com/ci_17569329?nclick_check=1|access-date=April 5, 2011|newspaper=St. Paul Pioneer Press|date=April 5, 2011}}
• Geordie Hormel, musician, composer, founder/owner of The Village Recorder music studio in Los Angeles{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0394780/ |title=Geordie Hormel |author= |website=IMDB |access-date=March 23, 2016}}
• George A. Hormel, founder of Hormel Foods{{cite web|url=https://www.hormelfoods.com/about/our-history/|title=Our History - About|website=Hormel Foods|access-date=May 12, 2019}}
• James C. Hormel, United States ambassador to Luxembourg, philanthropist, author{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/hormel_jc.html |title=Hormel, James C. (b. 1931) |author=Rapp, Linda |encyclopedia=glbtq: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Culture |date=March 1, 2004 |access-date=April 6, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090414150718/http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/hormel_jc.html |archive-date=April 14, 2009}}
• Jay Catherwood Hormel, president of Hormel Foods 1929–1954; son of founder George A. Hormel{{cite web |url=http://www.austindailyherald.com/2002/10/life-behind-the-mansion-doors/ |title=Life behind the mansion doors |last1=Bonorden |first1=Lee |date=October 5, 2002 |website=Austin Daily Herald |access-date=March 23, 2016}}
• Craig Hutchinson, film director and screenwriter{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0404327/ |title=Craig Hutchinson |author= |website=IMDB |access-date=March 23, 2016}}
• Hope Jahren, geochemist and geobiologist{{Cite web|url=https://www.austindailyherald.com/2016/05/a-lasting-impact-austin-native-making-waves-in-science/|title=A lasting impact; Austin native making waves in science|date=May 13, 2016|website=Austin Daily Herald}}
• Lee Janzen, professional golfer{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0418431/ |title=Lee Janzen |author= |website=IMDB |access-date=March 23, 2016}}
• Molly Kate Kestner, musician{{cite web |url=http://blog.thecurrent.org/2014/08/molly-kate-kestner-talks-about-staying-grounded-and-starting-college-after-10-million-youtube-views/ |title=Molly Kate Kestner talks about staying grounded |last1=Gabler |first1=Jay |date=August 22, 2014 |website=The Current |publisher=Minnesota Public Radio |access-date=March 23, 2016}}
• Jennie Ellis Keysor, educator, writer{{cite book |last1=Willard |first1=Frances Elizabeth |author1-link=Frances Willard |last2=Livermore |first2=Mary Ashton Rice |author2-link=Mary Livermore |title=A Woman of the Century: Fourteen Hundred-seventy Biographical Sketches Accompanied by Portraits of Leading American Women in All Walks of Life |year=1893 |publisher=Charles Wells Moulton |url=https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Woman_of_the_Century/Jennie_Ellis_Keysor |page=435 |chapter=KEYSOR, Mrs. Jennie Ellis }}
• Larry Kramer, football player and coach{{cite web |url=http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=925954 |title=Larry Kramer |author= |website=University of Nebraska |access-date=March 23, 2016}}
• Tom Lehman, professional golfer{{cite web |url=http://www.pgatour.com/players/player.01677.html |title=Tom Lehman |author= |website=PGA Tour |access-date=March 23, 2016}}
• John Madden, former Oakland Raiders head coach, NFL commentator, and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame{{cite web|url= http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.aspx?PLAYER_ID=255|title=John Madden |publisher=Pro Football Hall of Fame |access-date=December 27, 2012}}
• John Maus, musician[http://www.mpls.tv/2011/06/23/john-maus-the-sound-of-the-north/ John Maus: The Sound of the North]. Mpls.Tv (June 23, 2011). Retrieved on July 21, 2013.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/30/magazine/the-orchestral-maneuvers-of-john-maus.html?_r=0 |title=The Orchestral Maneuvers of John Maus |last1=Ferguson |first1=Wm. |work=The New York Times |date=October 28, 2011 |access-date=March 22, 2016}}
• Helen E. McMillan, Minnesota state legislator'Former Legislator McMillan, 74, Dies,' Minnesota Star-Tribune, January 30, 1984
• Patrick Moore, professional golfer{{cite web |url=http://www.pgatour.com/players/player.20676.patrick-moore.html |title=Patrick Moore |author= |website=PGA Tour |access-date=March 23, 2016}}
• Wilbur Moore, professional football player{{cite web |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MoorWi20.htm |title=Wilbur Moore |author= |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |access-date=March 23, 2016}}
• Barry Morrow, screenwriter and producer
• Bob Motzko, University of Minnesota head men's ice hockey coach{{cite web |url=http://scsuhuskies.com/coaches.aspx?rc=5 |title=Bob Motzko: Head Men's Hockey Coach |author= |website=St. Cloud State University |access-date=March 23, 2016}}
• Tim O'Brien, novelist{{cite web |url=http://collections.mnhs.org/mnauthors/index.php/10001257 |title=Minnesota Author Biographies Project : mnhs.org |publisher=People.mnhs.org |access-date=August 19, 2011 |archive-date=December 31, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231124042/http://collections.mnhs.org/mnauthors/index.php/10001257 |url-status=dead}}
• Charlie Parr, musician{{cite web |url=http://www.austindailyherald.com/2012/05/charlie-parr-plans-homecoming/ |title=Charlie Parr plans homecoming |last1=Mewes |first1=Trey |date=May 17, 2012 |website=Austin Daily Herald |access-date=March 22, 2016}}
• Pat Piper, politician{{cite web|url=http://mayerfh.com/obituaries/Patricia-Piper/#!/Obituary|title=Patricia Kathryn Piper|work=Patricia Kathryn Piper Obituary}}
• Jeanne Poppe, member of the Minnesota House of Representatives{{cite web|url=http://minnesota.publicradio.org/projects/ongoing/votetracker/legislator_view.php?id=132|title=Rep. Jeanne Poppe|publisher=Minnesota Public Radio |access-date=October 8, 2012}}
• Leo J. Reding, politician{{cite web|url=https://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail?ID=10552|title=Reding, Leo John - Legislator Record - Minnesota Legislators Past & Present|website=www.leg.state.mn.us|access-date=May 12, 2019}}
• William Pitt Root, poet{{cite web |url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/article-1G2-3401600620/root-william-pitt.html |title=William Pitt Root |author= |website=Encyclopedia.com |access-date=March 23, 2016}}
• Paul Michael Stephani, serial killer{{Cite web|url=https://heavy.com/entertainment/2020/04/paul-michael-stephani-weepy-voice-killer/ |title=Paul Michael Stephani 'The Weepy-Voice Killer': 5 Fast Facts |date=April 9, 2020}}
• Frank Twedell, professional football player{{cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/T/TwedFr20.htm|title=Frank Twedell|website=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=December 24, 2010}}
• Wally Ulrich, professional golfer{{cite news|title=Ulrich Was No Fair-Weather Golfer |author=Gregg Wong |work=St. Paul Pioneer Press |location=St. Paul, Minnesota |date=May 21, 1995 |page=14C}}
• Sheldon B. Vance, U.S. ambassador to Zaire{{cite web|url=https://www.nndb.com/people/958/000120598/|title=Sheldon B. Vance|website=www.nndb.com|access-date=May 12, 2019}}
• Bree Walker, radio talk show host, actress, and disability-rights activist{{cite web |url=http://www.abilitymagazine.com/walker_interview.html |title=Bree Walker Interview |author= |website=Ability Magazine (online) |access-date=March 24, 2016}}
• Robert B. Westbrook, historian
• Sandy Wollschlager, chemist and Minnesota state representative[https://www.lrl.mn.gov/legdb/fulldetail?ID=15262 Minnesota Legislators: Past & Present-Sandy Wollschlager]
• Michael Wuertz, former Major League Baseball pitcher with the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wuertmi01.shtml |title=Michael Wuertz Statistics |author= |website=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=March 23, 2016}}
• Martin Zellar, musician and songwriter{{cite web |url=http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2005/02/10_galballye_zellar/ |title=Martin Zellar gets political |last1=Galbally |first1=Erin |date=February 10, 2005 |access-date=March 23, 2016}}

{{Div col end}}

{{reflist|30em}}

{{commons category|Austin, Minnesota}}

• {{Official|www.ci.austin.mn.us}}
• [http://www.austinmn.com/ Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau]
• [http://www.austincoc.com/ Austin Area Chamber of Commerce]
• {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Austin (Minnesota)|display=Austin, a city and the county-seat of Mower county, Minnesota, U.S.A.|short=x}}

• {{cite book|title=Mill on the Willow: A History of Mower County, Minnesota|year=1984|author=Mower County History Committee|publisher=Graphic Pub. Co.|publication-place=Lake Mills, Iowa|lccn=84-062356|oclc=13009348}}
• The 1985–1986 Hormel Meat Packers Strike in Austin, Minnesota by Frank Halstead. Pathfinder Press, 1985. {{ISBN|0-87348-489-4}}.
• City of Austin: 150th Anniversary Pictorial. Turner Publishing Company, 2005. {{ISBN|978-1-59652-189-6}}.
• Remembering Austin's yester years by Richard Hall. Mower County Historical Society, 1995.
• Once around the Mill Pond and Cedar River by Richard Hall. Mower County Historical Society, 2009.

{{Austin, Minnesota}}

{{Mower County, Minnesota}}

{{Minnesota}}

{{Minnesota county seats}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Cities in Minnesota

Category:Cities in Mower County, Minnesota

Category:County seats in Minnesota

Category:Populated places established in 1853

Category:1853 establishments in Minnesota Territory