Morris is a city and the county seat of Stevens County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 5,105 at the 2020 census.
Morris is surrounded by some of the nation's richest agricultural land, and agribusiness is important to the local economy. Headquartered in Morris, Riverview LLP is Minnesota's largest dairy milking operation and one of the largest in the nation. Other large economic contributors are beef feedlots and swine producers, manufacturing, education, and healthcare industries.
The town is home to the University of Minnesota Morris (UMM), part of the University of Minnesota system. It was established as a public college in 1960 on the grounds of a former industrial school for Native Americans. Today the campus has a population of approximately 1,900 and is ranked as a "Top 10 Public Liberal Arts College" by U.S. News & World Report and one of "America's Top Colleges" by Forbes.
History
thumb|left|Stevens County Historical Museum, former Carnegie LibraryMorris was platted in 1869 and named for Charles F. Morris<!-- not the Wisconsin politician --> (1827–1903), a railroad engineer. A post office has been in operation at Morris since 1871, when Morris township was organized. It was incorporated as a village in 1878 and as a city in 1902.
The federal government then appointed staff to manage the school into the early 20th century, before transferring it to the state. After the state took over the school in the early 20th century for general education, it taught agricultural topics. Agriculture has continued to be a major part of the economy. In 1909 the University of Minnesota established the West Central School of Agriculture (WCSA), and Morris closed. even though it was demolished in 2013.
The 1975 Morris earthquake occurred on July 9, and was the state's largest 20th-century earthquake, rated at 4.6 M<sub>n</sub>. On June 4, 1993, another quake slightly shook the community. This one measured 4.1 in magnitude and was the third-largest earthquake in Minnesota in the 20th century.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, Morris has an area of ; is land and is water. Lake Crystal is in the southwestern part of town; the Pomme de Terre River flows through the town's eastern extremity. U.S. Highway 59 and Minnesota State Highways 9 and 28 are three of the main routes in the town.
Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Morris has a warm-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Morris was on July 18, 1940, while the coldest temperature recorded was on February 16, 1936.
|source 2 = National Weather Service