Living and Working in Austin
Austin is a small yet diverse and progressive community of more than 25,000 with excellent public schools, a vibrant arts community, and an abundance of attractions and recreation. Home of Hormel Foods, a Fortune 500 company, living in Austin allows you to enjoy the perks and conveniences of small town living while still having access to many of the amenities a larger city has to offer.
Austin Public Schools
Austin Public Schools is a public school district in southeastern Minnesota that serves approximately 5200 students and employs over 800 staff and faculty. APS provides a rich educational experience for all students. The district prides itself on its strong community partnerships.
Austin Public Schools has a focus on STEAM (Science, Technology, Education, Arts, and Math) curriculum and also offers Gifted and Talented programming to enrich students’ educational experiences at all grade levels. That includes PI Academy, a program for students intellectually gifted in both reading and math (based on standardized assessment scores) and perform in the top stanines on the CogAT (Cognitive Abilities Test) ability test. PI Academy offers complex, challenging instruction through increased pace, depth, and complexity.
Learn more: https://www.austin.k12.mn.us/austin-is
Activities and Recreation
Austin offers an abundance of activities and recreational opportunities:
- Artworks Center, Artworks Festival, Paramount Theatre
- Biking on over 13 miles of city trails and access to the Shooting Star State Trail
- Canoeing on the Cedar River
- Ice skating at Skinners Hill
- Hiking at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center
- Fishing at Mill Pond, Eastside Lake or on the Cedar River
- 28 parks to explore
- Wide variety of Community Education classes and opportunities
- Austin Community Recreation Center
Learn more: View 2021-22 Austin Visitors Guide
Austin Chamber of Commerce Programs and Resources
Community Concierge Program- Ready, Set, Tour!
The Community Concierge program promotes Austin as a great place to live, work, and play, and provides new and prospective residents the information and connections they need to quickly assimilate to the community. Community Concierge, Kristen Olson, works with more than 200 newcomer families each year to help them navigate through all aspects of settling into life in Austin. She also assists trailing spouses in finding jobs. Throughout the year, Kristen hosts a number of Awesome Austin networking and engagement events and also a book club designed to highlight different parts of SE Minnesota and Minnesota authors.
Awesome Austin Events
So you’ve moved to Austin – congratulations, and welcome! As a newcomer, participating in Awesome Austin events will help you better connect with fellow newcomers and get introduced to different aspects of our community. You’ll get to visit some of the places that make Austin unique, enjoy some great food, and have some fun in the process. If you have been in Austin two years or less, you are eligible to participate in these group events. And the service is FREE!
For more information contact Kristen Olson – kristen@austincoc.com
Connecting Young Professionals Group
Our mission is connecting young professionals in the Austin area and empowering their growth and success in the community.
We offer young professionals the opportunity to network with other young professionals in the Austin business community through various professional development, social and community engagement activity offerings.
For more information visit the Chamber website or contact the Austin Chamber of Commerce at – info@austincoc.com
Location
Austin is conveniently located just 40 minutes west of Rochester and 90 minutes south of Minneapolis/St. Paul