Medford, MN

Medford is a Steele County city on the Straight River, with Interstate 35 and county roads feeding into town from the surrounding farm country. The 2020 census counted 1,315 residents. It was platted in 1856 and named for Medford Colling, the son of an early settler; the post office has been here since 1855. Those dates make Medford feel older than its size, a place that took shape early and kept the river running through it.

The Medford Bridge crosses over Medford Park near the end of Steele County Road 45, giving the city a local landmark that is easy to picture from the road. The old school building used until 2003 is gone as a school, with an apartment complex now occupying the site. Medford’s story is modest but well-defined: a river, a bridge, a post office, and a road network that keeps a small Steele County city connected to everything around it. Interstate 35 puts the wider region within reach, while the Straight River keeps the town’s name tied to the ground beneath it.