About the City of Rochester, MN

Money Magazine said it best: "One thing to remember about Rochester, Minnesota is that it has the sophistication of a larger metro area, but not the congestion or the complications." Named "Best Small City" in America by the nationally recognized magazine, Rochester merges a cosmopolitan atmosphere with Midwestern hospitality giving convention attendees a most memorable experience.

About Rochester

Population
Rochester: 121,395
Olmsted County: 162,847

Time Zone
Minnesota is in the Central Standard Time (CST -6:00 GMT) zone and central daylight time.

Climate and Average Weather
Below is a list of average high and low temperatures throughout the year in Rochester. Learn how to dress Minnesotan here.

January: 21°/3°
February: 26°/8°
March: 38°/20°
April: 55°/34° 
May: 68°/46°
June: 78°/56° 
July: 82°/60°
August: 79°/58°
September: 70°/48°
October: 59°/38°
November: 40°/24°
December: 26°/10°

City, County & State Laws

Alcohol Laws - The drinking age in Minnesota is 21 years of age. Supermarkets and grocery stores sell 3.2 beer. Bars stop serving alcohol at 2:00 a.m. Monday-Saturday, and at midnight on Sundays.

Sales Taxes - In Rochester you can enjoy no sales tax on clothing, groceries, or medicine. The current state sales tax on other items is 6.875%.

Additional Sales Taxes in Rochester - In addition to the state sales tax, in the City of Rochester a local sales tax of 0.75% will be imposed on all sales except clothing, groceries, or medicine. The City of Rochester falls within Olmsted County where an additional sales tax of 0.50% is imposed making the current total local sales tax an additional 1.25%.

Sales Tax on Lodging - The total tax on lodging is 15.125%. This is applicable to all lodging and all lodging-related services. The individual components of this total tax on lodging is: city lodging tax of 7%, state sales tax 6.875 and local Rochester City/County sales tax of 1.25%.

Smoking - Minnesota's Clean Indoor Air Act with Freedom to Breathe Amendments and Olmsted County's Smoke-Free Workplace Ordinance protect employees and the general public from the hazards of secondhand smoke by eliminating smoking in public places, places of employment, public transportation, and at public meetings. For more information, contact the Olmsted County Public Health department.