View source for Sunrise Township, Chisago County, Minnesota

{{short description|Township in Minnesota, United States}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2026}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Sunrise Township
|settlement_type          = [[Township (United States)|Township]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

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||pushpin_map             = Minnesota
|pushpin_label            = Sunrise Township
|pushpin_label_position   = <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
|pushpin_map_caption      = Location within the state of Minnesota
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|subdivision_type         = Country
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Minnesota]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Minnesota|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Chisago County, Minnesota|Chisago]]

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|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           =
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 118.3
|area_land_km2            = 116.6
|area_water_km2           = 1.7
|area_total_sq_mi         = 
|area_land_sq_mi          = 
|area_water_sq_mi         =

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|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="Census 2020"/>
|population_total         = 2107
|population_density_km2   = 18.1
|population_density_sq_mi =

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|timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_m              = 258
|elevation_ft             = 846
|coordinates              = {{coord|45|32|32|N|92|53|18|W|region:US-MN|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 55056
|area_code                = [[Area code 651|651]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 27-63616<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0665745<ref name="GR3-u">{{cite gnis|665745|Township of Sunrise|2026-03-17}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|www.sunrisetownship.com}}
|footnotes                = 
}}
'''Sunrise Township''' is a township in [[Chisago County, Minnesota|Chisago County]], [[Minnesota]], United States. The population was 2,107 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]],<ref name="Census 2020">{{cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Sunrise_township,_Chisago_County,_Minnesota?g=060XX00US2702563616| title=Sunrise township, Chisago County, Minnesota - Census Bureau Profile| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| access-date=July 28, 2025}}</ref> up from 1,994 in 2010.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US2702563616| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212162221/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US2702563616| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Sunrise township, Chisago County, Minnesota| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| accessdate=October 2, 2014}}</ref>

==Geography==
Sunrise Township is located in east-central Chisago County, with its northeast border following the [[St. Croix River (Wisconsin–Minnesota)|St. Croix River]], which is also the state line between [[Minnesota]] and [[Wisconsin]]. The township is bordered to the west by the cities of [[Harris, Minnesota|Harris]] and [[North Branch, Minnesota|North Branch]], to the north by [[Rushseba Township, Chisago County, Minnesota|Rushseba Township]], to the south by [[Chisago Lake Township, Chisago County, Minnesota|Chisago Lake Township]], and to the east of its southern half by [[Amador Township, Chisago County, Minnesota|Amador Township]].

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the township has a total area of {{convert|118.3|sqkm|disp=flip}}, of which {{convert|116.6|sqkm|disp=flip}} is land and {{convert|1.7|sqkm|disp=flip}}, or 1.43%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010"/> The [[Sunrise River]] crosses the township from south to north, flowing into the St. Croix River. The unincorporated community of [[Sunrise, Minnesota|Sunrise]] is located along the river about a mile south of its mouth.

==History==
In 1852 or 1853, William Holmes, whose birthplace is unknown, established a farm on the Sunrise Prairie, located on the Sunrise River about a mile south of its mouth at the St. Croix River. John A. Brown from Pennsylvania and Patten W. Davis from Virginia started farming in the vicinity in 1853. That same year, Brown and Patten built a road to [[Saint Paul, Minnesota|St. Paul]] with the help of Henry L. Ingalls and his wife, Lavina. The couple were natives of [[Connecticut]] who had migrated to [[Illinois]] and then [[California]] before arriving in Sunrise. Mrs. Ingalls was likely the first white woman in Sunrise. Also in 1853, a [[circuit rider (religious)|circuit-riding]] preacher began holding services in the new settlement. His efforts resulted in the establishment of a congregation that remains to the present day as Sunrise Bible Church.

In 1852, John G. Mold arrived and built a [[sawmill]] (1854),<ref>"John G. Mold... was the proprietor of the Sunrise City mills, since burned." [http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/lhbum:@field(DOCID+@lit(lhbum01070div272)): from ''Pioneering the Upper Midwest: Books from Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, ca. 1820-1910'', p. 331]</ref> later establishing a store (1869)<ref>"The store was established in 1869 by John G. Mold", [http://www.usgennet.org/usa/mn/county/wilkin/bios/1904-w2.htm ''Compendium of History and Biography of Central and Northern Minnesota''] (Chicago, Geo. A Ogle & Co., 1904), Biographical Sketches. "W"</ref> and a hotel. By 1855, Brown had also established a store, hotel and sawmill. Brown platted the original town site of Sunrise City, comprising approximately {{convert|65|acre|m2}}, on June 6, 1856. George S. Frost established a post office the same year. Brown and others platted additional lands in the following years.

In 1857, a large colony of settlers from western [[New York (state)|New York]] state came to Sunrise and began establishing farms, homes, and businesses. They included the Collins, Deming, Gwynne, Smith, Starkweather, Wilcox, Wilkes, and Wolleat families. On October 26, 1858, Sunrise was organized as a township. The unincorporated community of Sunrise is still located on the plat of Sunrise City. However, it was never incorporated into a city but remains under township jurisdiction.<ref>Folsom, W.H.C. ''Fifty Years in the Northwest.'' 1888. Reprint, 308-310, 328-329, Taylors Falls, Minnesota: Taylors Falls Historical Society, 1999.</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1860= 202
|1870= 240
|1880= 271
|1890= 626
|1900= 890
|1910= 939
|1920= 1019
|1930= 856
|1940= 818
|1950= 646
|1960= 630
|1970= 828
|1980= 1001
|1990= 1125
|2000= 1594
|2010= 1994
|2020= 2107
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=May 26, 2019}}</ref>
}}

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 1,594 people, 538 households, and 444 families residing in the township. The population density was {{convert|35.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 568 housing units at an average density of 12.5/sq&nbsp;mi (4.8/km{{sup|2}}). The racial makeup of the township was 97.80% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.38% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.50% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.38% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.06% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.88% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.38% of the population.

There were 538 households, out of which 40.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.3% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 3.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.3% were non-families. 12.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.96 and the average family size was 3.22.

In the township the population was spread out, with 30.1% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.9 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $60,223, and the median income for a family was $60,721. Males had a median income of $40,820 versus $25,074 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the township was $22,336. About 3.3% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.

==Notable people==
*[[Jerald C. Anderson]], dentist and politician, born in Sunrise Township.
*[[Frank Orren Lowden]] (1861-1943), served as the 25th [[Governor of Illinois]] from 1917-1921, born in Sunrise Township before moving to [[Hardin County, Iowa]].
*[[Richard Widmark]], actor, born in Sunrise Township

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.sunrisetownship.com/ Sunrise Township official website]

{{Chisago County, Minnesota}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Townships in Chisago County, Minnesota]]
[[Category:Townships in Minnesota]]
[[Category:1853 establishments in Minnesota Territory]]
[[Category:Populated places in the United States established in 1853]]