Small town, mighty community.

Be home earlier, cheer for your kids’ teams, be involved in the community, and carve out a life you love.

Our welcoming Staples community values education, economic development, healthcare, and improving the lives of those live, work and play, here. We’re proud of our rich arts community, businesses of all shapes and sizes, top-rated healthcare system, and school system with a history of academic and athletic excellence. And this is just the start of what makes our small town special.

Conveniently located in the heart of Minnesota at the intersections of Highways 10 and 210, Staples, MN offers easy access to larger, metropolitan areas while maintaining small-town charm. Come see for yourself, and discover Staples!

Education

Staples-Motley School District serves approximately 1,000 students in their elementary and middle/high schools. At just the “right” size, the district offers diverse opportunities for students of all ages. At the Middle/High School, each student can find a class or activity where they belong, whether it’s singing in state-recognized choirs, working on a project in the welding shop, or sharpening their pencil for a College in the Schools class for dual credit! Elementary school students thrive with smart schedules, creating ample time to excel in core areas, while ensuring all students experience specials like physical education, music and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math). When the school day ends, the fun continues in our many after school activities, fine arts concerts, and Community Education classes for learners of all ages. Whether you’re just passing through, or in the Staples-Motley area to stay, we hope you’ll don your red and black, and join our flock to experience true Cardinal PRIDE!

Sacred Heart Area School (SHAS) has been a part of the Staples community since 1914. Sacred Heart Area School offers a high-quality, Catholic education to all families in the greater Staples area. SHAS is proud of its academic rigor and is the alma mater of four of the last five salutatorians/valedictorians at Staples-Motley High School.

The school maintains two community parks and boasts one of the largest and oldest terrazzo floors in central Minnesota. Sacred Heart stays involved in our community by hosting its famous fish fry each Friday of Lent, as well as an annual cleaning of the local Evergreen Hill Cemetery and our neighborhood. Join them in August for RailRoad Days as they host the state’s tallest Plinko board (unconfirmed, but we are pretty confident!) or stop in during the town’s Halloween celebration for some hot chocolate and hot dogs!

Central Lakes College (CLC) – Brainerd and Staples is one of 37 Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, offering excellent, affordable education in 54 communities across the state. CLC roots are deep in a tradition dating to 1938 in Brainerd and 1950 in Staples.

CLC is a comprehensive community and technical college serving about 5,500 students per year. With a knowledgeable, caring faculty and modern, results-oriented programs in comfortable facilities, CLC is the college of choice for seekers of success. Communities across central Minnesota are filled with CLC graduates!

FED provides early childhood education classes (ECFE) for families and children ages birth to age 5. Their Area Learning Center (ALC) serves as an alternative to traditional schools with targeted learning for students from Kindergarten to adult.

Economic Development

The Staples Economic Development Authority (SEDA) was created on April 14, 1992 by the Staples City Council to promote the economic, commercial, housing, and industrial development and redevelopment of the City. SEDA is overseen by a seven-member board comprised of the Mayor and two council members as well as business representatives from education, health care, retail/commercial and industrial sectors.

SEDA actively works to attract, develop, and support economic growth within the community. They work with all businesses including retail, commercial, industrial, and manufacturing in a variety of objectives including startup, relocations, company expansions and everything in-between.

The Economic Alliance (the Alliance) was formed in 2011 as a private, not-for-profit, to fulfill the need for a voice for economic development in West Central Minnesota. With the goal of collaboration and flexibility in mind, the Alliance was organized to represent both public and private interests and not to be confined to a defined governmental boundary. The Alliance consists of an Executive Board of volunteers representing banking, government, non-profit, and private industry interests, and a full-time Executive Director who carries out the day-to-day operations and strategic mission of the Alliance. The Alliance currently serves all of Wadena County and the City of New York Mills.

Todd County Development Corporation (TCDC) is a county-wide, 501(c)(3) non-profit economic and community development organization that encourages growth from within. TCDC operates a Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Outreach Office, providing free education, training and technical assistance to entrepreneurs, businesses, and organizations. TCDC additionally provides site selection assistance and administers a revolving loan fund to financially assist business development projects in Todd County.

Community

Attend a city council meeting. Register for city services. Obtain a pet license. Ask questions, receive helpful information about Staples, and set up utility service for your home. Located in the middle of town, the beautiful City Hall building houses city administrative offices, the public library, and a large conference room.

The Staples Public Library is a member of the Great River Regional Library (GRRL) System. Library patrons have access to materials—books, DVDs, CDs, audiobooks, and much more—from across the state with GRRL’s huge 900,000-item collection.

The library has a wonderful children’s area with child size tables and chairs, boxes of puzzles and games they can play while listening to a book. The Staples Library hosts story times throughout the year, meet-the-author events, hands-on and interactive programing, LEGO build challenges, and other dynamic library activities. Their schedule can be found on their website, Facebook page and the community calendar website. 

The library also offers WiFi access, public workstations, online catalog access, and programming for all ages throughout the year. Need help finding something? Ask one of the friendly, helpful staff.

The Staples Area Chamber is a non-profit focused on strengthening the local business community and improving the quality of life for all residents. The Chamber is comprised of dues-paying business owners and individuals from Staples and the surrounding area. They are an active advocate for local businesses and represent their interests at the local, state, and national level. The Chamber concentrates its work primarily on community events, business-to-business networking, and promoting both its member businesses and Staples as a whole.

Sourcewell is the regional service cooperative for Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena counties. As a service cooperative, Sourcewell is a self-sustaining government organization charged by Minnesota state statute to partner with education, government, and nonprofits to boost student and community success. Locally, Sourcewell delivers training and contracted services. Statewide, Sourcewell provides a self-funded group health insurance option for public agencies. Throughout North America, Sourcewell offers a cooperative purchasing program and technology solutions for schools. Sourcewell staff aim to be force multipliers, empowering public employees as they fulfill their public service mission.

The Region Five Development Commission’s purpose is to enhance the vitality and quality of life for all people in Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena counties by bridging resources and relationships. Region Five addresses regional critical issues without duplicating private, public and non-profit entities. They ask residents “what keeps you up at night” and address those issues by partnering and collaborating with other organizations, businesses, non-profits, and local units of government.

Established in 1977, the Five Wings Art Council is one of 11 designated Regional Arts Councils in the state of Minnesota that provide grants and services to nonprofit arts organizations, and individual artists.

The Five Wings Art Council was formed as a response to a legislative initiative that called for more development of the arts in Minnesota at the local level. FWAC is funded through appropriations from the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the State’s general fund and Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund (Legacy Amendment) as provided by the Minnesota State Legislature through the vote of the people to pass funding for the arts. FWAC also receives a generous grant from the McKnight Foundation.

The Staples Motley Area Community Foundation is a partner fund of the Initiative Foundation, established with the mission to develop and strengthen community resources and to enhance the quality of life of individuals, families, and organizations in the Staples-Motley School District. They use local dollars to provide direct grants to projects within the community that:

Strengthen Youth and Families: Supplementing the endeavors of others in developing and implementing positive opportunities for youth and families.

Improve Community Appearance: Making our community attractive and inviting to visitors and improving the appearance of the community to make residents proud to live here.

Increase Community Involvement and Leadership: Promoting citizen community involvement by developing and identifying leaders within the community in order to instill a sense of solidarity based on the assets of our community.

Health & Wellness

Staples is proud to be home to the award-winning, nationally recognized Lakewood Health System. Lakewood is made up of a critical access hospital, five primary care clinics, an array of senior housing and services, pharmacy, and a medical supply store and gift shop.

In addition, our residents have access to a full complement of service providers including dentistry (Lakeland Dental, Staples Smiles, Brenny Dental), orthodontics (Colby-Meuller Orthodontics), pharmacy services (Longbella Drug Store), eye care (Staples Eye Clinic), and more right here in town. These healthcare professionals care for the whole family and welcome new patients.

Childcare

Small fingers smushing play-doh. Listening to a favorite book. Climbing up a slide and zooming down. Experiencing the joy of being a child is also the best learning environment.

Dependable childcare and preschool options are a cornerstone of a thriving community. Our families have a variety of choices for their young children. In-home daycares, daycare centers, Head Start, and school readiness programs are all available to families living in Staples.

To learn more about local daycare options or to find out about openings, please call (888) 291-9811 or visit childcareawaremn.org.

For preschool and Head Start options, please visit the Staples-Motley School District website.

Housing

Kids riding bikes down tree-lined streets. Backyards big enough for the dog to run. Time to visit with your neighbor as you take your morning walk.  Make your vision for your family a reality.

Staples offers a wide range of quality housing choices to fit your lifestyle: single-family homes, townhomes, and apartments.

Whether you buy or rent, living in town ensures easy access to everything in town from grocery stores to restaurants. Ride a bike or walk to just about anywhere in town.

Need more space? Choose to live just outside of town and find the breathing room you desire. Land is available to build your dream home.

Religious Community

Worship in a way that’s meaningful for you. Find your church home here. From small, intimate gatherings to large, energetic congregations, Staples’ strong and vibrant religious community welcomes you. Staples is served by many faith denominations. Take part in religious study, service projects, youth programs, and congregational events.

View Church Directory