Plymouth is a city in

Hennepin County Hennepin County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Its county seat is Minneapolis, the state's most populous city. The county is named in honor of the 17th-century explorer Father Louis Hennepin. The county extends from Minneapol ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

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 ...

. A suburb in 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, the city is about west of 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 population was 81,026 at the 2020 census, making it Minnesota's 7th-largest city.

History

Plymouth's history can be traced to the pre-Columbian period around 1400 to 1500 AD. The original inhabitants were the

Dakota Dakota may refer to: * Dakota people, a sub-tribe of the Sioux ** Dakota language, their language Dakota may also refer to: Places United States * Dakota, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Dakota, Illinois, a town * Dakota, Minnesota, ...

. Their encampment was at the north end of Medicine Lake. The name Medicine Lake is derived from the

word

Mdewakanton The Mdewakanton or Mdewakantonwan (also spelled ''Mdewákhaŋthuŋwaŋ'' and currently pronounced ''Bdewákhaŋthuŋwaŋ'') are one of the sub-tribes of the Isanti (Santee) Dakota ( Sioux). Their historic home is Mille Lacs Lake (Dakota: ''Mde W� ...

, meaning "Lake of the Spirit." The Dakota named the lake after a warrior overturned his canoe and his body was never recovered. Antoine LeCounte, a guide and explorer, was the first settler in this area. He arrived in 1848, but did not settle until 1852. He carried mail from the

Red River of the North The Red River (french: rivière Rouge or ) is a river in the north-central United States and central Canada. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota, it fl ...

to points south, trading goods to Native Americans for horses on the way. LeCounte built the first cabin at what is now East Medicine Lake Boulevard at 29th Avenue North. Plymouth's beginning as a town occurred in 1855 on the northwest shores of what is now known as Parkers Lake. A

gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that has been separat ...

and other structures were built in the area. In the spring of 1857, when Parkers Lake flooded, the mill was taken down and moved to

Wayzata Wayzata ( ) is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. A western suburb of the Twin Cities, Wayzata is situated along the northern shore of Lake Minnetonka about west of Minneapolis. Known for its small-town character and lakeside lo ...

. As new settlers arrived in the area, they organized. The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners named the new settlement Plymouth. On April 19, 1858, a group of townspeople met at Francis Day's home to open elections for town offices. On May 11, 1858, the group voted to change the town's name to Medicine Lake. This was used once at the town meeting, but for reasons not recorded, it was never used again. During the

Dakota War of 1862 The Dakota War of 1862, also known as the Sioux Uprising, the Dakota Uprising, the Sioux Outbreak of 1862, the Dakota Conflict, the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, or Little Crow's War, was an armed conflict between the United States and several ban ...

between white settlers and the Dakota at

Fort Ridgely Fort Ridgely was a frontier United States Army outpost from 1851 to 1867, built 1853–1854 in Minnesota Territory. The Sioux called it Esa Tonka. It was located overlooking the Minnesota river southwest of Fairfax, Minnesota. Half of th ...

, near New Ulm, the settlers of Plymouth formed a

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

. When the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

started, Plymouth paid its volunteers $25 to enlist. About this time, schools and churches were built and a post office was in Plymouth. By 1863, hotels were being built, with Medicine Lake becoming a local tourist destination. By 1880, Plymouth had a population of 1,074. Farming was the city's dominant profession and remained so until the mid-1900s. Roads were built across Plymouth, providing access to other towns. As the community's character evolved from rural to suburban, so did local government. Plymouth incorporated as a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

on May 18, 1955. The city adopted the Council–Manager form of government on August 1, 1968. Plymouth became a statutory city on February 7, 1974. It remained a statutory city until voters made it a home rule

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 orga ...

by adopting a City Charter on November 3, 1992.

Geography

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 is land and is water.

Interstate 494 Interstate 494 (I-494) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway making up part of a beltway of I-94, circling through the southern and western portions of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area in Minnesota. The road is coupled with I- ...

, U.S. Highway 169, and

Minnesota State Highway 55 Minnesota State Highway 55 (MN 55) is a highway in west-central, central, and east-central Minnesota, which runs from the North Dakota state line near Tenney and continues east and southeast to its eastern terminus at its intersection with U.S. Hi ...

are three of the main routes in the city. Plymouth has 863 cul-de-sacs and 300 miles of city streets, which are maintained by the city's public works crews.

Climate

Plymouth has a humid continental climate, typical of the Midwestern

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, with very cold winters, and relatively hot, often humid summer days. Summer daytime temperatures average 83 °F (28 °C), with a low of around 60 °F (15 °C), while winter temperatures average only 23 °F (-5 °C) and a low of 3 °F (-16 °C). The highest recorded temperature in Plymouth was 99 °F (37 °C) in 1964, and the lowest was -39 °F (-39.4 °C) in 1977. Rain falls throughout the year, with the highest concentration falling in the summer months, with June being the rainiest with 120.3 mm of rain.

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 70,576 people, 28,663 households, and 19,230 families living 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 29,982 housing units at an average density of . The city's racial makeup was 84.2%

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 o ...

, 5.2%

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 ...

, 0.3% Native American, 6.9%

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 ...

, 1.0% 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 2.3% 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 ...

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 3.0% of the population. There were 28,663 households, of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.9% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.96. The median age in the city was 39.5 years. 23.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.1% were from 25 to 44; 30.1% were from 45 to 64; and 12.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 65,894 people, 24,820 households, and 17,647 families living in the city. The

was 2,002.0 persons per square mile (773.1/km). There were 25,258 housing units at an average density of 767.4 per square mile (296.3/km). The racial makeup of the city was 91.36%

, 2.71%

, 0.33% Native American, 3.79%

, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.50% from

, and 1.31% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.64% of the population. 27.0% were of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 13.1%

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

, 7.8%

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

and 7.5%

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

ancestry. There were 24,820 households, out of which 37.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.2% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.09. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.1% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 33.0% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 7.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $77,008, and the median income for a family was $90,134. Males had a median income of $59,751 versus $38,111 for females. The city's

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 ...

was $36,309. About 1.5% of families and 2.6% 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 2.0% of those under age 18 and 1.5% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Plymouth operates under a council-manager form of government that comprises a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

and six council members. Plymouth is in two

Minnesota Senate The Minnesota Senate is the upper house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. At 67 members, half as many as the Minnesota House of Representatives, it is the largest upper house of any U.S. state legislature. Floor sessions are h ...

districts, represented by state senators Ann Johnson Stewart and Ron Latz. Plymouth's state representatives are

Ryan Winkler Ryan Patrick Winkler (born December 30, 1975) is an American politician and the former majority leader of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he represented District 46A, whic ...

, Ginny Klevorn, and Patty Acomb. Plymouth is in

Minnesota's 3rd congressional district Minnesota's 3rd congressional district encompasses the suburbs of Hennepin, Carver, and Anoka counties to the west, south, and north of Minneapolis. The district, which is mostly suburban in character, includes a few farming communities on ...

, represented by Dean Phillips. Until 2018, a majority of the city usually voted for

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

candidates.

Education

Public schools

Five school districts serve Plymouth:

Wayzata Public Schools Wayzata Public Schools (ISD #284) is a public school district in the northwestern area of Hennepin County, Minnesota, U.S. serving all or part of the cities of Corcoran, Maple Grove, Medicine Lake, Medina, Minnetonka, Orono, Plymouth, and Wayza ...

(ISD 284),

Robbinsdale Area Schools Robbinsdale School District 281 is a school district centered in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, in the northwestern suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. The district includes all of Robbinsdale, Crystal, and New Hope, and parts of Brooklyn Center, ...

(ISD 281), Osseo School District (279),

West Metro Education Program The West Metro Education Program (WMEP) was a voluntary consortium of 11 urban and suburban school districts in the Minneapolis area of Minnesota. As an educational equity-focused collaborative for student success and educator growth, WMEP offered ...

(ISD 6069) and Hopkins School District (ISD 270). Most of the city, particularly the western, northwestern, and southern areas, is served by Wayzata Public Schools. Robbinsdale Area Schools serves the east-central area. The Osseo District includes the northeast area and Hopkins includes the southeast corner. Some students attend public schools in other school districts their families choose under Minnesota's open enrollment statute. List of Wayzata Public Schools: * Birchview Elementary School * Fair School Pilgrim Lane * Gleason Lake Elementary School * Greenwood Elementary School * Kimberly Lane Elementary School * Meadow Ridge Elementary School * North Woods Elementary School * Oakwood Elementary School * Plymouth Creek Elementary School * Plymouth Middle School *

Robbinsdale Armstrong High School Robbinsdale Armstrong High School (full name Robbinsdale Neil A. Armstrong Senior High School) (abbr. AHS) is located in Plymouth, Minnesota, just outside Minneapolis. The school serves students from the cities of Robbinsdale, Crystal, New Hope ...

* Sunset Hill Elementary School * Wayzata East Middle School * Wayzata Central Middle School * Wayzata West Middle School *

Wayzata High School Wayzata High School is a comprehensive public high school in Plymouth, Minnesota, United States, a suburb of Minneapolis. The high school, operated by Wayzata Public Schools, had about 3669 students in grades 9 to 12 as of 2021-22, making it Mi ...

* Zachary Lane Elementary School Wayzata High School, operated by the

Wayzata School District Wayzata Public Schools (ISD #284) is a public school district in the northwestern area of Hennepin County, Minnesota, U.S. serving all or part of the cities of Corcoran, Maple Grove, Medicine Lake, Medina, Minnetonka, Orono, Plymouth, and Way ...

, has approximately 3,500 students in grades 9 to 12, making it Minnesota's largest secondary school by enrollment. The school is part of the

Lake Conference The Lake Conference a high school athletic conference with seven member high schools in the western and southwestern suburbs of the Twin Cities, Minnesota. It is affiliated with the Minnesota State High School League. History The Lake Conferenc ...

. In 2008, Newsweek ranked the school 940th on its "List of the 1300 Top High Schools in America." List of

Robbinsdale School District Robbinsdale School District 281 is a school district centered in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, in the northwestern suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. The district includes all of Robbinsdale, Crystal, and New Hope, and parts of Brooklyn Center, ...

schools: * Robbinsdale Armstrong High School * Robbinsdale Plymouth Middle School * Fair School Pilgrim Lake * Zachary Lane Elementary School List of West Metro Education Program (WMEP) District 6069 schools: * The InterDistrict Downtown School (IDDS) * FAIR (Fine Arts Interdisciplinary Resource) School

Private schools and colleges

Association Free Lutheran Bible School and Seminary Free Lutheran Bible College and Seminary (FLBCS) is one institution of higher education consisting of two programs, the two-year undergraduate Free Lutheran Bible College (FLBC) and the four-year pastoral training program Free Lutheran Seminary (F ...

* Fourth Baptist Christian School * Central Baptist Theological Seminary * Providence Academy * West Lutheran High School

Economy

OneBeacon,

Select Comfort Sleep Number is an American manufacturer that makes the Sleep Number and Comfortaire beds, as well as foundations and bedding accessories. The company is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In addition to its Minnesota headquarters, Sleep Number has ...

, Christopher & Banks and Tonka Water are headquartered in Plymouth.

Principal employers

According to Plymouth's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city's principal employers are:

Notable people

Marion Barber III Marion Sylvester Barber III (June 10, 1983 – June 1, 2022) was an American professional football player who was a running back for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). After playing college football for the Minnesota Golden ...

– former NFL

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...

Rudy Boschwitz Rudolph Ely Boschwitz (born November 7, 1930) is an American politician and businessman who served as a United States senator from Minnesota from 1978 until 1991. Boschwitz is a member of the Republican Party. He was born in Berlin to a Jewish ...

– U.S. senator who lived in Plymouth. *

Dani Cameranesi Danielle Cameranesi (born June 3, 1995) is an American women's ice hockey forward, currently playing for the Minnesota section of the PWHPA. She made her debut for the US national women's team at the 2014 4 Nations Cup in Kamloops, British Colum ...

– Olympic Gold Medalist *

Ariya Daivari Ariya Daivari ( fa, آریا داوری; born April 11, 1989) is an Iranian-American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Ari Daivari. He is best known for his time in WWE, Ring of Honor (ROH) ...

– professional wrestler * Jonas H. Howe – abolitionist, artist, and state legislator * Jeff Johnson – Hennepin County Commissioner *

Evan Kaufmann Evan Kaufmann (born October 31, 1984) is a German-American former professional ice hockey forward who played in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). Playing career Kaufmann, who is Jewish, was born in Plymouth, Minnesota and graduated from Robbi ...

(born 1984) – professional ice hockey player * Amy Klobuchar – U.S. senator and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate *

James Laurinaitis James Richard Laurinaitis (born December 3, 1986) is a former American football linebacker who played for the St. Louis Rams and New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he was a ...

– NFL linebacker *

Mark Parrish Mark Daniel Parrish (born February 2, 1977) is an American former professional ice hockey right winger. Parrish has played 11 seasons and over 700 games in the NHL with the Florida Panthers, New York Islanders, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, ...

– former

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

All Star *

Andrew Tang Andrew Tang (born November 29, 1999) is an American chess grandmaster. He is also a popular streamer, known online for his speed chess skills especially in bullet (one-minute), hyperbullet (30-seconds), and ultrabullet (15-seconds) time controls ...

– chess grandmaster * A.J. Tarpley – NFL linebacker * Blake Wheeler – NHL player

References

External links

City website
* {{Authority control Cities in Minnesota Cities in Hennepin County, Minnesota Populated places established in 1852 1852 establishments in Minnesota Territory