Fridley is a city in
Anoka County
Anoka County ( ) is the fourth-most-populous county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 363,887. The county seat and namesake of the county is the city of Anoka, which is derived from the Dakota word ''an ...
,
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, United States. Its population was 29,590 at the
2020 census.
Fridley was incorporated in 1949 as a village, and became a city in 1957. It is part of the
Minneapolis–Saint Paul
Minneapolis–Saint Paul is a metropolitan area in the Upper Midwestern United States centered around the confluence of the Mississippi, Minnesota and St. Croix rivers in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is commonly known as the Twin Cities ...
metropolitan area as a "first-ring" or "inner-ring"
suburb
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
its northern part. Fridley borders
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
to the southwest. Neighboring first-ring suburbs are
Columbia Heights to the south and
Brooklyn Center
Brooklyn Center is a first-ring suburban city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. In 1911, the area became a village formed from parts of Brooklyn Township and Crystal Lake Township. I ...
to the west, across the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
.
Geography and climate
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has an area of , of which are land and is covered by water.
The city lies within a narrow portion of the southernmost part of Anoka County. It is longer north–south along the path of the Mississippi River, and the highways that follow the river. It is narrower east/west in the portion between the Mississippi River and
Spring Lake Park.
Fridley borders the cities of
Coon Rapids and
Blaine to the north;
Spring Lake Park to the northeast;
Mounds View and
New Brighton to the east;
Columbia Heights to the southeast;
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
to the southwest; and
Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center to the west.
Fridley is at the southern edge of the
Anoka Sand Plain Anoka Sand Plain is a sandy valley along the Mississippi River in Central Minnesota. It is a subsection of the Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province of Minnesota and Northeast Iowa Glacial moraine complex. It is generally a flat, sandy lake plain, but i ...
.
Lakes in Fridley include East Moore Lake, West Moore Lake, and Locke Lake.
Rice Creek flows through the central part of the city, Springbrook Creek through the northwest section, and the Mississippi River borders Fridley to the west. Parts of islands in the Mississippi River, including the Islands of Peace and Banfill Island, are within the city.
Climate
Fridley shares its climate with nearby Minneapolis. It has a hot-summer
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
zone (''Dfa'' in the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
), typical of southern parts of the
Upper Midwest
The Upper Midwest is a region in the northern portion of the U.S. Census Bureau's Midwestern United States. It is largely a sub-region of the Midwest. Although the exact boundaries are not uniformly agreed-upon, the region is defined as referring ...
, and is situated in USDA
plant hardiness
Hardiness of plants describes their ability to survive adverse growing conditions. It is usually limited to discussions of climatic adversity. Thus a plant's ability to tolerate cold, heat, drought, flooding, or wind are typically considered measur ...
zone 4b. As is typical in a continental climate, the difference between average temperatures in the coldest winter month and the warmest summer month is great: .
History
19th century
Fridley's post-European/American settlement history began with the construction of the
Red River Trails
The Red River Trails were a network of ox cart routes connecting the Red River Colony (the "Selkirk Settlement") and Fort Garry in British North America with the head of navigation on the Mississippi River in the United States. These trade route ...
Woods trail for the
Red River ox carts
The Red River cart is a large two-wheeled cart made entirely of non-metallic materials. Often drawn by oxen, though also by horses or mules, these carts were used throughout most of the 19th century in the fur trade and in westward expansion in Ca ...
in 1844. The trail traveled through Minnesota Territory from
St. Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
to
Pembina in present-day
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...
. It was used to transport furs to the south and other supplies to
Red River Valley
The Red River Valley is a region in central North America that is drained by the Red River of the North; it is part of both Canada and the United States. Forming the border between Minnesota and North Dakota when these territories were admitted ...
settler
A settler is a person who has human migration, migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area.
A settler who migrates to an area previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited may be described as a ...
s in the north. The East River Road (Anoka County Highway 1) follows this route today within Fridley, from the border with Minneapolis to the border with Coon Rapids.
![AbramMFridley1848](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/AbramMFridley1848.jpg)
In 1847, John Banfill became the first settler in the area, which was known at the time as Manomin. Manomin is a variant spelling of ''manoomin'', the
Ojibwe
The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains.
According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...
word for
wild rice
Wild rice, also called manoomin, Canada rice, Indian rice, or water oats, is any of four species of grasses that form the genus ''Zizania'', and the grain that can be harvested from them. The grain was historically gathered and eaten in both ...
, a staple of their diet. It comprised the modern-day municipalities of Columbia Heights, Fridley,
Hilltop, and Spring Lake Park. The
Banfill Tavern was built in 1847.
The area soon grew quickly in size. In 1851, Banfill platted the actual town of Manomin. There, a general store and sawmill were built next to Rice Creek, named after
Henry Mower Rice
Henry Mower Rice (November 29, 1816January 15, 1894) was a fur trader and an American politician prominent in the statehood of Minnesota.
Early life
Henry Rice was born on November 29, 1816, in Waitsfield, Vermont to Edmund Rice and Ellen (Durk ...
, a settler who two years earlier had acquired land in the area. In 1853, the first town post office was in operation, and a year later, a ferry crossing the Mississippi River was established.
In 1855,
Abram M. Fridley, for whom the city is named, was elected as the first territorial representative for the area.
[Minnesota History (Volume 5). United States: Minnesota Historical Society, 1923.]
In 1857, the area separated from
Ramsey County;
Manomin County was established, and it became the smallest county in the nation, with only 18 sections.
This distinction was short-lived, after it was annexed by Anoka County in 1870 and became a township with the same name.
The
Saint Paul and Pacific Railroad
The Saint Paul and Pacific Railroad (also known as the St. Paul & Pacific Railroad and the SP&P) was a shortline railroad in the state of Minnesota in the United States which existed from 1857 to 1879. Founded as the Minnesota and Pacific Railro ...
, which joined St. Paul to St. Anthony across from Minneapolis in 1862, began extending rail to Anoka, reaching it through Fridley in 1864.
In 1879, the
Minnesota State Legislature
The Minnesota Legislature is the bicameral legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota consisting of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Senators are elected from 67 single-member districts. In order to account for decennia ...
, of which Abram Fridley was still a member, changed the township's name to bear his name.
20th century
In 1949, Fridley Township was incorporated as the Village of Fridley.
[City of Fridley combined city hall fact sheet](_blank)
City of Fridley, October 2016 The ''Fridley Free Press'' was also established. A lawsuit that challenged the village's incorporation caused the funds to be frozen. Minnesota state law allowed cities to operate municipal liquor stores after
Prohibition
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic ...
ended. Fridley's liquor store proceeds were the primary funding for daily city operations until the lawsuit was resolved in 1950. Minnesota has both private liquor stores and city-owned municipal liquor stores.
[Stemmer, Irene ]
History of the Muni
Wayzata Heritage Preservation Board, City of Wayzata, MN. 2009 Fridley is the location of the headquarters of the Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association (MMBA), a lobbying coalition for municipalities with city-owned liquor stores. In conjunction with the Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association, it lobbied against Sunday liquor store sales in Minnesota until they were finally permitted in 2017.
Growth
In 1957, the village became the City of Fridley, a "
home rule
Home rule is government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens. It is thus the power of a part (administrative division) of a state or an external dependent country to exercise such of the state's powers of governance wit ...
charter city
In the United States, a charter city is a city in which the governing system is defined by the city's own charter document rather than solely by general law. In states where city charters are allowed by law, a city can adopt or modify its organ ...
". City Hall, at 6431 University Avenue Northeast, is has a fire station, city services and council meetings. A newer fire station was built in 1964. Fridley's population grew past 15,000 in the 1950s and peaked over 30,000 by the 1970s.
1965 flood and tornadoes
Two of Fridley's worst disasters happened within weeks of each other. In April 1965, Minnesota was affected by a "500-year flood". The spring flood on the Upper Mississippi is still the flood of record for from about 100 miles north of Minneapolis to Hannibal, Missouri. The crests that April exceeded previous records by several feet at many river gauge sites. Those record crests still exceed the second-highest crest by a foot or more at many of those sites. An ice jam rising 24 feet over the river broke up when it rammed a series of ice breakers above the Sartell Dam. The Riverview Heights area where Springbrook creek enters the river was severely flooded.
![Fridley City Hall July 2017-2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Fridley_City_Hall_July_2017-2.jpg)
![Fridley City Hall July 2017](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Fridley_City_Hall_July_2017.jpg)
On May 6, 1965, Fridley was hit by two F4
tornado
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...
es. One out of every four homes in the city was destroyed or damaged. The second twister to hit was the
deadliest storm in Twin Cities history, killing 13 people. Parts of City Hall and the fire station were damaged.
In 1967, a new Civic Center Building opened at the City Hall location, with a plaza to the south. This building was remodeled in 1989
and demolished in 2019.
Springbrook Nature Center and tornado
In 1970, Fridley began purchasing land that would become the
Springbrook Nature Center. On July 18, 1986, a widely photographed tornado spent 16 minutes in Springbrook Nature Center, destroying thousands of century-old trees and extensive areas of mature forest habitat. Well-known aerial footage of the tornado was filmed by a
KARE
Kare or KARE may refer to:
* Kare (Žitorađa), a village in Serbia
* Kare language, several languages with the name
* Kare (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name)
* Kare Kauks (born 1961), Estonian singer
* Kåre or Kaare, ...
11 television news helicopter passing through the area.
21st century
![Medtronic OHQ Fridley MN 2017](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Medtronic_OHQ_Fridley_MN_2017.jpg)
In 2001,
Medtronic
Medtronic plc is an American medical device company. The company's operational and executive headquarters are in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and its legal headquarters are in Ireland due to its acquisition of Irish-based Covidien in 2015. While it ...
opened its new World Headquarters on the site of the 100 Twin Drive-in at Interstate 694 and Minnesota Highway 65. As of 2019, it is still the Operational Headquarters for Medtronic, PLC, which reorganized as an Irish company in 2015.
On June 19, 2003, President
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
visited the Micro Controls company in Fridley. He was promoting one of the tax relief changes made during his administration.
In the early 2000s, the Minnesota Sports Cafe was a notable venue for
mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...
competitions. Fighters who have claimed victories in Fridley include
Sean Sherk
Sean Keith Sherk (born August 5, 1973) is a retired American mixed martial artist and former UFC Lightweight Champion. Sherk competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and was one of the first combatants to have been a championship competitor ...
,
Nick Thompson,
Brock Larson
Brock Orville Larson (born August 23, 1977) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight and Middleweight divisions. A professional competitor from 2002 until 2016, Larson has formerly competed for the U ...
,
Marcus LeVesseur
Ausburg Auggies
Marcus LeVesseur (born July 17, 1982) is a retired American mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight (MMA), Lightweight division. A professional competitor since 2003, he competed for the U ...
,
Brian Ebersole
Brian Keith Ebersole (born November 27, 1980) is an American retired mixed martial artist who competed in the UFC's Welterweight division, and holds a record of 5-3 with the organization. In addition to the UFC, Ebersole has competed in Shooto, ...
, and
Harry Moskowitz
"Dirty" Harry Moskowitz (born July 16, 1968) is an American mixed martial artist. He competed in the Super Heavyweight division. He won his last fight at XFC 1 - Xtreme Fight Club 1 against Johnnie Brown on November 14, 2003.
Mixed martial arts ...
.
On September 21, 2005, Fridley was struck by straight-line winds exceeding , toppling many old growth trees as large as in diameter and destroying dozens of homes and several vehicles. Cleanup efforts took a week, leaving hundreds of residents stranded in their homes without power, unable to drive until streets were cleared of debris. The storm also affected
Brooklyn Center
Brooklyn Center is a first-ring suburban city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. In 1911, the area became a village formed from parts of Brooklyn Township and Crystal Lake Township. I ...
,
New Brighton,
Brooklyn Park,
Coon Rapids,
Spring Lake Park Blaine, and other communities in the surrounding North Metro area.
Fridley has
one of the first six stations of the
Northstar Commuter Rail
The Northstar Line is a commuter rail route in the US state of Minnesota. Northstar runs from Big Lake to downtown Minneapolis at Target Field using existing track and right-of-way owned by the BNSF Railway. Passenger service began on Novemb ...
line connecting the northwest suburbs and downtown
Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
; the line opened in November 2009.
[Paul Levy]
Northstar set to roll, but how far?
''Star Tribune'', December 11, 2007.
On July 17, 2011, heavy rains caused a washout of the BNSF rail bridge over Rice Creek. A train derailed there and sent hopper cars containing corn into the creek. Traffic was rerouted for several days. In 2013, a jury awarded damages from BNSF to the engineer and conductor of the train.
The Columbia Arena, filming location for the Disney Movie
D3: The Mighty Ducks, was demolished in 2016 to make way for a new City Hall. This was controversial because it was expected to cost $50 million and increase homeowner taxes by 19%. The Fridley Civic Campus dedication at 7071 University Avenue NE was held on November 17, 2018. The staff had moved from the previous city hall over Veteran's Day weekend and began working there on November 12. The city council approved the project in December 2016 after nearly three years of studies, meetings and workshops. The council raised the levy to pay for the project, increasing city taxes about 16% for the average homeowner. A number of other Twin Cities suburbs updated their civic facilities during a 2018 "building boom of sorts", including Eagan, New Hope, Minnetonka, and Burnsville.
Fridley received an allocation of $1.52 million from the
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, also called the COVID-19 Stimulus Package or American Rescue Plan, is a economic stimulus bill passed by the 117th United States Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11, 2021, to sp ...
(ARPA).
[Adler, Erin and Kim Hyatt ]
Twin Cities suburbs are spending a windfall from the American Rescue Plan Act
Star Tribune, March 12, 2022 The money was used to upgrade and repair its water distribution system and wastewater and storm water infrastructure.
The city plans in 2022 to use the next allocation of $1.52 million to improve security at water treatment plants, rebuild its water distribution system, and on sanitary sewer and water quality projects.
Economy
Fridley is home to the Operational (formerly World) Headquarters of Ireland-based
Medtronic plc
Medtronic plc is an American medical device company. The company's operational and executive headquarters are in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and its legal headquarters are in Ireland due to its acquisition of Irish-based Covidien in 2015. While it ...
. Medtronic also has a substantial Rice Creek business campus. Other major employers in Fridley include
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc (BAE) is a British multinational arms, security, and aerospace company based in London, England. It is the largest defence contractor in Europe, and ranked the seventh-largest in the world based on applicable 2021 revenues. ...
(formerly
United Defense
United Defense Industries (UDI) was an American defense contractor which became part of BAE Systems Land & Armaments after being acquired by BAE Systems in 2005. The company produced combat vehicles, artillery, naval guns, missile launchers and ...
),
Cummins
Cummins Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and distributes engines, filtration, and power generation products. Cummins also services engines and related equipment, including fuel systems, controls, air ...
, Unity Medical Center, part of the Allina Healthcare system, part of the Mercy Hospitals,
Minco Products, Inc, Kurt Manufacturing Company, and Park Construction Company. Fridley is also home to a
Target Stores
Target Corporation (doing business as Target and stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American big box department store chain headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the seventh largest retailer in the United States, and a compon ...
retail distribution center.
Magnum Research
Magnum Research Inc. (MRI) was an American privately held corporation based in Fridley, Minnesota which manufactured and distributed firearms. The majority owners, Jim Skildum (President and CEO) and John Risdall (Chairman, COO), had been with t ...
, a company that produces the
Desert Eagle
The Desert Eagle is a gas-operated, semi-automatic pistol known for chambering the .50 Action Express, the largest centerfire cartridge of any magazine-fed, self-loading pistol.
Magnum Research Inc. (MRI) designed and developed the Desert Eagle. ...
firearm, had its headquarters in Fridley until 2010.
Minneapolis and Saint Paul draw their municipal water supplies from the Mississippi River at Fridley, which is upstream.
[roper, Eric ]
How do cities make Mississippi River water safe to drink?
Star Tribune, October 9, 2020 The City of Minneapolis Waterworks plant and Fire Department training facility are in Fridley.
In the 2000 census data, there were 11,542 more jobs in Fridley than the number of workers age 16 and over.
[Chapter 4, Economic and Redevelopment Plan](_blank)
- City of Fridley. Retrieved June 12, 2017 But most Fridley residents work outside Fridley, most commonly in other cities in Hennepin County and in Minneapolis. Only 21% of the 15,221 Fridley residents in the workforce in 2000 worked in Fridley. Fridley saw a decline in the number of jobs from 26,763 in 2000 to 23,845 in 2006, according to the city economic plan report.
Largest employers
According to the city's 2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are:
Education
Fridley's public schools are governed by Fridley Independent School District 14.
Fridley High School
Fridley High School is one of the high schools in Fridley, Minnesota. The high school itself is part of Minnesota School District 14, though much of Fridley falls into other districts. The high school shares a street corner with Fridley Middle Sch ...
, Fridley Middle School, Hayes Elementary School, and Stevenson Elementary School comprise the district. In 1978, Fridley closed three elementary schools due to declining enrollment: Gardena, Riverwood, and Parkview. Riverwood Elementary was demolished and single-family homes were developed. Parkview Elementary became the Fridley Community Center. Gardena Elementary is now the Al-Amal School. Rice Creek Elementary closed later and was demolished, with single-family homes developed. After the 1965 tornado, students at Parkview had to double up at the Riverwood school while it was being rebuilt.
Totino-Grace High School
Totino-Grace High School is a private Catholic high school in Fridley, Minnesota. It is an archdiocesan co-educational Catholic high school in the Lasallian tradition.
History
Founding
In the late 1950s, the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and M ...
, a private Roman Catholic high school, Calvin Christian High School, a private Christian high school, and Al-Amal School, a private Islamic K-12 school, are also in Fridley.
A small portion of the northern part of Fridley is within
Anoka-Hennepin School District 11
The Anoka-Hennepin School District 11 is a school district in Minnesota, northwest of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The district serves 13 communities: All of Anoka, Champlin and Coon Rapids, and parts of Andover, Blaine, Brooklyn Center, Broo ...
. Students living in an area of eastern Fridley are in Columbia Heights School District 13. North Park Elementary is in Fridley. Most of the students living in the north-northeastern part of the city are in
Spring Lake Park School District 16
Spring Lake Park School District 16 is a Minnesota school district serving 5,500 students from the cities of Blaine, Spring Lake Park, and Fridley. Schools and programs include Spring Lake Park High School
Spring Lake Park High School (SLPHS) is ...
. A District 16 elementary school, Woodcrest Spanish Immersion, is in Fridley.
Parks and recreation
Fridley is home to the
Springbrook Nature Center park and nature reserve on its northern border with Coon Rapids. The total Fridley city park space is . There are baseball and softball diamonds, football and soccer fields, basketball courts, and tennis courts for sports. In the winter there are outdoor skating rinks with warming houses. The western border of Fridley comprises the
Mississippi National River and Recreation Area
The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area is a and protected corridor along the Mississippi River through the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metro in the U.S. state of Minnesota, from the cities of Dayton and Ramsey, to just downstream of Ha ...
. Parts of islands in the recreation area are within Fridley's city limits.
Fridley has the following
Anoka County
Anoka County ( ) is the fourth-most-populous county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 363,887. The county seat and namesake of the county is the city of Anoka, which is derived from the Dakota word ''an ...
parks:
* Manomin County Park (
Rice Creek where it enters the Mississippi River and Locke Lake)
* Rice Creek West/Locke Park and Regional Trail (Rice Creek)
* Islands of Peace County Park (Mississippi River)
* Anoka County Riverfront Regional Park (Mississippi River)
Infrastructure and transportation
Interstate 694
Interstate 694 (I-694) is an east–west auxiliary Interstate Highway located in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area in the US state of Minnesota. The western terminus of the route is at its junction with I-94, I-494, and US Hi ...
and Minnesota State Highways
47 and
65 are three of the main automobile routes in the city. East River Road is one of the oldest roads in the state as a Minnesota Territorial road.
It was part of the
Red River Trails
The Red River Trails were a network of ox cart routes connecting the Red River Colony (the "Selkirk Settlement") and Fort Garry in British North America with the head of navigation on the Mississippi River in the United States. These trade route ...
Woods trail. The
I-694 Bridge
The I-694 Bridge is a pair of girder bridges that spans the Mississippi River between the cities of Brooklyn Center and Fridley in Minnesota. The westbound bridge was built in 1963 by the Minnesota Department of Transportation, and widened in 1987 ...
, joining Fridley to
Brooklyn Center
Brooklyn Center is a first-ring suburban city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. In 1911, the area became a village formed from parts of Brooklyn Township and Crystal Lake Township. I ...
, is the only crossing of the Mississippi River within the city.
![Fridley MN Station 2017](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Fridley_MN_Station_2017.jpg)
The
BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that ...
main
Northern transcontinental Twin Cities to Portland/Seattle double track line passes through Fridley as part of the
Staples Subdivision
The Staples Subdivision or Staples Sub is a railway line running about from Dilworth to Fridley, Minnesota (near Minneapolis). It is operated by BNSF Railway as part of their Northern Transcon and contains the busiest segment of mainline tr ...
.
The
Fridley Station is served by the
Northstar Commuter Rail
The Northstar Line is a commuter rail route in the US state of Minnesota. Northstar runs from Big Lake to downtown Minneapolis at Target Field using existing track and right-of-way owned by the BNSF Railway. Passenger service began on Novemb ...
line running on the BNSF tracks into Minneapolis. The
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
Empire Builder
The ''Empire Builder'' is an Amtrak long-distance passenger train that operates daily between Chicago and either Seattle or Portland via two sections west of Spokane. Introduced in 1929, it was the flagship passenger train of the Great Northe ...
passes through Fridley twice daily on this line, but does not stop in the city.
[BNSF Northwest Division Timetable No. 2] The massive BNSF Northtown Classification Yards are in the city.
The
Minnesota Commercial Railway
The Minnesota Commercial Railway is a short line railroad in the United States.
This railroad operates out of the St. Paul area with service to Minneapolis, Bayport, Hugo, Fridley and New Brighton. It is considered a switching and terminal ra ...
also serves Fridley, with a terminal warehouse there.
![BNSF Northtown Yard Fridley MN 2017](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/BNSF_Northtown_Yard_Fridley_MN_2017.jpg)
The Mississippi River is non-navigable for barge traffic north of the
Canadian Pacific Camden Place Rail Bridge
Canadian Pacific Camden Place Rail Bridge is a truss bridge that spans the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This bridge is the official end of the navigable channel for river traffic. It is at mile 857 of the Upper Mississippi River ...
, but small boats can travel upstream to the
Coon Rapids Dam
Coon Rapids is a northern suburb of Minneapolis, and is the largest city in Anoka County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 63,599 at the 2020 census, making it the fifteenth largest city in Minnesota and the seventh largest Twin C ...
without a portage. There is a landing for small boats in the river near Interstate 694 at the Anoka County Riverfront Regional Park.
The
Anoka County–Blaine Airport
Anoka County–Blaine Airport , also known as Janes Field, is a public use airport in Anoka County, Minnesota, United States. Owned by Metropolitan Airports Commission, it is 10 nautical miles (19 km) north of the central business distr ...
serves the area and is in neighboring Blaine.
Nickname
Fridley has the
nickname
A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...
"Friendly Fridley". The nickname was spread further by a long-running series of advertisements on various radio stations for a local car dealer. The announcer directed people to "Friendly Chevrolet up in Friendly Fridley".
The city festival is named "49'er" days, which commemorates the 1949 incorporation. It is usually held in mid-June.
Sister city
*
Fourmies, Nord
Fourmies () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. The inhabitants are called ''Fourmisiens''. It lies on the river Helpe Mineure (Helpe Minor or Little Helpe). Since 2015, Fourmies has been the seat of the Canton of Fourmies, an ...
(France) -
Medtronic plc
Medtronic plc is an American medical device company. The company's operational and executive headquarters are in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and its legal headquarters are in Ireland due to its acquisition of Irish-based Covidien in 2015. While it ...
has an assembly plant in Fourmies.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2010, there were 27,208 people, 11,110 households, and 7,057 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was . There were 11,760 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 75.2%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 11.1%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 1.2%
Native American, 4.9%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.1%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 3.4% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 4.2% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 7.3% of the population.
There were 11,110 households, of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.4% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.5% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.99.
The median age in the city was 37.1 years. 23.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.9% were from 25 to 44; 25.6% were from 45 to 64; and 14.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.5% male and 50.5% female.
2000 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 27,449 people, 11,328 households, and 7,317 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 2,701.3 people per square mile (1,043.1/km
2). There were 11,504 housing units at an average density of 1,132.1 per square mile (437.2/km
2). The racial makeup of the city was 88.65%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 3.42%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.82%
Native American, 2.89%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.07%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 1.23% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 2.93% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 2.56% of the population.
There were 11,328 households, out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.5% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $48,372, and the median income for a family was $55,381. Males had a median income of $38,100 versus $29,997 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $23,022. About 5.3% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 11.9% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
Fridley has a
council-manager government. Scott Lund is the mayor, first elected in 2000.
Fridley is in
Minnesota's 5th congressional district
Minnesota's 5th congressional district is a geographically small urban and suburban congressional district in Minnesota. It covers eastern Hennepin County, including the entire city of Minneapolis, along with parts of Anoka and Ramsey countie ...
, represented by
Ilhan Omar
Ilhan Abdullahi Omar (born October 4, 1982) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2019. She is a member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party. Before her election to Congress, Omar served in the Minnesota ...
, a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
.
Notable people
*
Bill Antonello
William James Antonello (May 19, 1927 – March 4, 1993) was an American professional baseball player whose 12-season career included 40 games in Major League Baseball as an outfielder, pinch hitter and pinch runner for the Brooklyn Dodgers. T ...
, Major League Baseball player
*
Gordon Backlund
Gordon Backlund (born November 11, 1940) is an American politician and former engineer who served as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1985 to 1986.
Early life and education
Backlund was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He ...
, politician
*
Connie Bernardy
Connie Bernardy (born February 26, 1963) is a Minnesota politician and member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), she represents District 41A in the north-central Twin Citie ...
, politician
*
Don Betzold
Donald Betzold (born August 27, 1950) is a Minnesota politician and a former member of the Minnesota Senate who represented District 51, which includes portions of Anoka, Hennepin and Ramsey counties in the northern Twin Cities metropolitan are ...
, politician
*
Satveer Chaudhary
Satveer Singh Chaudhary (born June 12, 1969) is an American criminal and immigration lawyer. He is also a politician and a former member of the Minnesota State Senate and the Minnesota House of Representatives serving from 1996 to 2010. During hi ...
, politician
*
L. Joseph Connors
Louis Joseph "Joe" Connors (March 4, 1930 – May 3, 2018) was an American politician, lawyer, and businessman.
Biography
Connors was born in Brooklyn, New York City, New York. He graduated from University of Wisconsin in 1952 and from Columbi ...
, politician
*
Chris Dahlquist
Christopher Charles Dahlquist (born December 14, 1962) is an American former professional ice hockey player. Dahlquist played for four National Hockey League (NHL) teams during his career.
Personal life
He played 4 seasons for Lake Superior Stat ...
, NHL player
*
Ducky DooLittle, sex educator
*
Brooke Elliott
Brooke Elliott (born November 16, 1974) is an American actress and singer. She has appeared in musical theatre, including the US tours of ''Beauty and the Beast'' and ''Wicked'', and the Broadway productions of ''Taboo'' and '' The Pirate Queen'' ...
, actress
*
Mike Erlandson
Michael Erlandson (born April 14, 1964) is an American businessman and former politician who is currently a principal at Aurora Strategic Advisors, a public affairs company based in Minneapolis, MN.
Prior to Aurora he was Vice President of Corpo ...
, businessman
*
Abram M. Fridley, politician and namesake of the city
*
Thomas E. Greig Thomas Edgar Greig (September 12, 1921 – May 5, 2000) was an American businessman and politician.
Greig was born in Pine County, Minnesota and went to vocational school. He served in the United States Coast Guard during World War II. Greig li ...
, politician
*
Larry Hosch, politician
*
Warren Johnson
Warren Johnson (born July 7, 1943 in Virginia, Minnesota) is a retired American NHRA drag racing driver. He is the driver with the 2nd most wins in pro stock with 97 career wins, six world championships and earned himself the nickname "The Prof ...
, NHRA drag racer
*
Jon Melander
Jon Melander (born October 5, 1966) is a former American football offensive guard who played four seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the New England Patriots, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Denver Broncos. He played college foo ...
, NFL player
*
Donald Savelkoul, politician and lawyer
*
Don Simensen, NFL player
*
Wayne Simoneau
Wayne A. Simoneau (January 17, 1935 – May 21, 2017) was an American politician.
Born and raised in Washburn, Wisconsin, Simoneau served in the Minnesota National Guard. He went to Dunwoody College of Technology and to Anoka-Ramsey Community ...
, politician
*
Tom Tillberry
Thomas Tillberry (born May 4, 1964) is a Minnesota politician and former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives representing District 51B, which included portions of Anoka and Ramsey counties in the northern part of the Twin Cities metr ...
, politician
*
Rose Totino
Rosenella Winifred Cruciani "Rose" Totino (January 16, 1915 – June 21, 1994) was an American entrepreneur and pizzeria owner whose frozen pizza business co-founded with her husband became the foundation for the Totino's brand. After selling the ...
, businesswoman
*
Cory Wong
Cory Wong (born c. 1985) is a Grammy-nominated American guitarist, bassist, songwriter, podcast-host, and producer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has released many works as a solo artist and in partnership with others. His background spans ...
- Guitar Player
References
External links
Official City WebsiteFridley Historical Society
{{authority control
Cities in Minnesota
Minnesota populated places on the Mississippi River
Cities in Anoka County, Minnesota
Populated places established in 1847
1847 establishments in Wisconsin Territory
Former county seats in Minnesota