Page 62 Area Community Guide • March 2026
325 S. Eliot Avenue P. O. Box 556 Rush City, MN 55069 320-358-4743 Email: cityhall @ ci. rush-city. mn. us Web: www. rushcitymn. us
Hours: 8 a. m. to 4:30 p. m. Monday through Friday
Some in Rush City like to say:“ Up north starts here.” The Chisago County city has a population of about 3,300 residents who can enjoy the best of many worlds – smalltown life, access to major amenities and many options for interacting with nature.
Rush City hosts or is home to several big events and annual activities throughout the year, including the Airport Fly-In, the Big Splash Aquatic Center fundraiser, the Chisago County Fair, Community Appreciation Night, Santa Day, Rockin’ Rush City Music Fest, snowmobile races and more.
Dakota and Chippewa American Indians first inhabited the area now known as Rush City, attracted to its bountiful hunting and fishing opportunities. Later, pioneers came for the logging, fur trapping, and farming opportunities.
Settlers first incorporated as a village in 1883, choosing the name Rush because of the abundance of bulrushes, cattails and other aquatic plants found in the area. The railroad spurred Rush City’ s growth, carrying folks back and forth across the St. Croix River to and from Grantsburg, Wis. That railroad trip developed a reputation as the‘ blueberry special’ because passengers on it would stop at a famous blueberry patch and picnic near the river.
CITY OF RUSH CITY
A combination of efforts from Rush City’ s municipal staff, Economic Development Authority and Chamber of Commerce work to build business and economic strength, while helping residents enjoy a good quality of life.
Outdoor-recreation options abound with easy access to such stunning natural features as the St. Croix and Snake rivers, municipal and county parks, as well as community fun at the aquatic center, golf course, bowling alley and nearby wineries.
AIRPORT
The city’ s airport features a 4,400- foot paved and lighted runway with a full-length taxiway; services such as 24-hour fuel, flight planning, maintenance and repair; courtesy car for pilots; and the Hawk Aviation flight school, charter and supply company. Businesses in the industrial park and other parts of town help create jobs and strengthen the local economy, including agri-business, health care, education, manufacturing, retail, corrections and tourism.
CITY COUNCIL
A five-member city council includes the mayor and meets every second and fourth Monday at city hall. Rush City departments include administration, parks and recreation, fire, police, public works, zoning and utilities; commissions include airport advisory, economic development and planning.
The council members and their term-expiration dates: Mayor Alan Johnson, 2026, 320-358-3933; Dan Meyer, 2026, 651-249-9041; Frank Storm, 2026, 320-566-1109; Diana Flaten, 2026, 651-334-1989; and Linda Fraley, 2028, 651-270-6379. The mayor serves a two-year term, and the councilors serve four-year terms.
COMMUNITY CENTER
Rush City has a community center that is available for rent by reservation. It comes equipped with a kitchen, tables, chairs, tableware and utensils. Adjacent to the community center is Rushseba Landing and the new Rushseba Station assisted living facility.
REFUSE / COMPOSTING
Residents can get curbside trash-hauling and recycling service, and the city maintains a compost site near the public works garage, open for city
residents to drop off leaves and grass and take free compost.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
Rush City’ s 26-person volunteer fire department provides fire protection from a local station. Fire Chief Bob Carlson says the members are very dedicated and do a great job. The department welcomes new, qualified applicants who are at least 18 years old, live within 10 minutes of the station, and are physically able to respond to the job’ s demands. A new recruit must complete Firefighter I and II during the first year. Funding for firefighter training is provided by MBFTE.
Training sessions keep firefighters up to date on the latest firefighting techniques, and they share a lot of what they know with the community at different times of the year, especially during National Fire Safety Week in October. Rush City’ s Fire Department also goes to local schools and senior-housing apartments to teach about fire prevention and safety.
Carlson says all the firefighters are also trained in CPR and other first-aid, so the department can conduct training classes within the
RUSH CITY see page 63