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Quick Facts
Austin, with a population of 23,314, is the county seat of Mower County. The City was founded in 1858. Austin is best known as the home of the Hormel Foods Corporation, and claims the title of SPAMTown™USA in honor of one of the company’s world-renowned products.
Located 95 miles south of Minneapolis-St. Paul, and 12 miles north of the Iowa border, Austin lies at the junction of Interstate 90 and U.S. 218. Seven entrances to the city off I-90 serve the community.
Austin is . . .
- 45 minutes west of Rochester, MN
- 2 hours south of Minneapolis-St. Paul
- 2-1/2 hours north of Des Moines
- 5-1/2 hours west of Milwaukee
Distinctive Qualities
- Home of Hormel Foods Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, their Corporate Headquarters and flagship plant.
- Located on I-90, 15 minutes east of I-35, 95 miles south of Minneapolis-St. Paul.
- Home to the Austin Medical Center, part of the world-famous Mayo Clinic/Mayo Health System.
- Home of the University of Minnesota Hormel Institute, an internationally recognized laboratory for biochemistry research; additionally offers space and counsel to emerging biotechnology companies.
- Home of Riverland Community College, which serves more than 4,000 students at campuses in Austin, Albert Lea and Owatonna. Part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System, Riverland provides more than 50 career options for students entering the workforce directly after graduation . . . and 32 training & development transfer degrees. The customized training division works with business and industry to assess and train their employees.
- Austin’s airport currently accommodates corporate jets with a 4,800 foot runway, and plans are underway to expand to 6,500 feet. I&M Rail Link serves Austin and six carriers offer truck transportation services.
- Over 1100 businesses offer residents a wide selection of quality services and products. Austin’s retail community is wide-spread, but major retail areas include the mall area in NW Austin, Main Street, the Sterling Shopping Center and East Side.
- Austin Utilities serves the City of Austin and surrounding area with water, gas and electricity.
- The Paramount Theatre, Hormel Historic Home and Austin High School are examples of beautifully preserved historic buildings. The award-winning Austin Public Library demonstrates current architecture at its best.
- Agriculture remains the base for the area economy. Agricultural sales totaled over $160 million in 1997. Corn and soybeans are the major field crops. Hogs are the major livestock.
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