Photo: MayorMetz · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Staples, MN: what to set up and who to call
Staples runs its own electric utility, City of Staples. Tap water in Staples comes from the Staples water system, which has a clean five-year EPA record (about 22% of systems its size had a health-based violation) and a latest lead result below detection.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Staples, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Staples.
Power comes from City of Staples
City of Staples (City of Staples- (MN)), a municipal utility, serves 70.7% of Staples residents.
Start or move service: staples.govoffice.com · (218) 894-2550
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Staples water system
The Staples water system supplies almost all of Staples. It draws ground water and serves 3,089 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 78% of the 7,966 systems serving 1,001–3,300 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jul–Dec 2025, was 0.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. Results below detection are reported as 0, so 0 doesn’t mean no lead at any tap.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. MN1770011.
6 home internet providers serve Staples
99% of 1,247 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 42% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | Cable | 94% | 1,000/1,000 |
| CenturyLink | DSL | 60% | 10/1 |
| ARVIG | Fiber | 28% | 1,000/500 |
| CTC | Fiber | 16% | 1,000/1,000 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 71% | 100/20 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 52% | 300/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Staples’ trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Staples.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Staples is in Staples-Motley School District.
BSchool gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Aug 2015; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Staples is in ZIP code 56479
ZIP codes where Staples residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Staples | ZIP’s residents in Staples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 56479 | Staples, MN | 100% | 55% |
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
Train: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Staples
Who supplies Staples’ drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Staples water system (EPA ID MN1770011). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 0.0 ppb (Jul–Dec 2025), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Staples?
City of Staples (City of Staples- (MN)), a municipal utility.
What internet providers serve Staples?
Spectrum, CenturyLink, ARVIG, CTC, T-Mobile, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Staples?
56479. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Staples in?
Staples-Motley School District.
How do I register to vote in Staples?
In Minnesota you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 21 days before). Elections here are run by the Todd County Historic Courthouse. Check your registration at mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.