Everything you need to plan your trip to Rochester is below. Choose a category to start your journey.
Rochester, MN: Meet the "Best Small City in America"
Money Magazine recently said it best, "One thing to remember about Rochester 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: 100,000
Olmsted County: 137,521
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.
January: 20/4
February: 26/11
March: 39/23
April: 55/35
May: 68/46
June: 77/56
July: 80/60
August: 78/58
September: 69/49
October: 57/37
November: 39/24
December: 24/10
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.
Taxes - In Minnesota you can enjoy no sales tax on clothing, groceries, or medicine. The current state sales tax on other items is 6.5%, in addition to a local sales tax of .5% and lodging tax of 4%.
Smoking - Minnesota's Freedom to Breathe Act and Olmsted County's Smoke-Free Workplace Ordinance prohibits smoking in virtually all indoor workplaces. Smoking is not allowed in any enclosed, indoor area used by the public or serving as a place of work. This includes, but is not limited to restaurants, bars, stores, offices, factories, and home businesses if there are two or more employees. In order to prevent smoke from entering the building, smoking is also not permitted within 15 feet of entrances, exits, open windows and ventilation intakes of public places and places of work according to the Olmsted County ordinance. The Freedom to Breath Act does not address any smoking set-backs, leaving further protections up to local governments.
