Anoka County ( ) is the fourth-most-populous

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

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 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 363,887. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

and namesake of the county is the city of Anoka, which is derived from 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, ...

word ''anokatanhan'' meaning "on (or from) both sides," referring to its location on the

banks A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. Becaus ...

of the

Rum River The Rum River is a slow, meandering stream that connects Minnesota's Mille Lacs Lake with the Mississippi River. It runs for U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 5, 2 ...

. The largest city in the county is the city of Blaine, the thirteenth-largest city in Minnesota and the eighth-largest Twin Cities suburb. Anoka County comprises the north portion of the

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 ...

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; ...

- Bloomington, MN- WI

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

, the largest metropolitan area in the state and the sixteenth-largest in the

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 territori ...

with about 3.64 million residents. The county is bordered by the counties of Isanti on the north, Chisago and

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

on the east, Hennepin and

Ramsey Ramsey may refer to: Geography British Isles * Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, a small market town in England * Ramsey, Essex, a village near Harwich, England ** Ramsey and Parkeston, a civil parish formerly called just "Ramsey" * Ramsey, Isle of Man, t ...

on the south, Sherburne on the west, and 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 fl ...

on the southwest. The Rum River cuts through the county and was the site of many early European settlements. It was a common route to the

Mille Lacs Lake Mille Lacs Lake (also called Lake Mille Lacs or Mille Lacs) is a large but shallow lake in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is located in the counties of Mille Lacs, Aitkin, and Crow Wing, roughly 75 miles north of the Minneapolis-St. Paul m ...

, the spiritual homeland of the Ojibwe people. Father

Louis Hennepin Father Louis Hennepin, O.F.M. baptized Antoine, (; 12 May 1626 – 5 December 1704) was a Belgian Roman Catholic priest and missionary of the Franciscan Recollet order (French: ''Récollets'') and an explorer of the interior of North Amer ...

traveled the river in his first exploration of the region. The area became a center of fur trade and logging as French and French Canadian communities grew in the cities of Anoka and Centerville. Organized in 1857, the county's southern border eventually met

and has become a predominantly suburban area following the construction of Interstate 35W. The county is home to local Twin Cities destinations such as the Heights Theater in Columbia Heights and Northtown Mall and the

National Sports Center The National Sports Center (NSC) is a multi-sport complex located in Blaine, Minnesota. Its site includes a soccer stadium, over 50 full-sized soccer fields, a golf course, a meeting and convention facility, and an eight-sheet ice rink, the Sup ...

in Blaine.

History

Anoka County was organized by an act of the

Minnesota Territorial Legislature The Minnesota Territorial Legislature was a bicameral legislative body created by the United States Congress in 1849 as the legislative branch of the government of the Territory of Minnesota. The upper chamber, the Council, and the lower chamber, ...

on May 23, 1857, the year prior to Minnesota's admission to the Union. It was formed from parts of Ramsey County and Benton County; the

previously divided the line between the two counties. The boundaries were mainly the same as they are now, except for a small part of the southeastern tip along the

and at the south, formerly known as Manomin County. It was a small portion that connected to Ramsey and occupied one-third of the congressional township. It was then attached to Anoka County by constitutional amendment November 2, 1869. It became known as Fridley in 1879. The first European descendants to explore what is now Anoka County were the Franciscan friar

and his party. Fur traders soon began to settle in the area which is now Ramsey County. They settled on the Rum River and more people were attracted to the area. A community was created which is now called Anoka.

Geography

The

flows southeasterly along the county's southwestern boundary. The

flows southerly through the western part of the county, discharging into the Mississippi at the county's southwestern boundary. The terrain consists of low rolling wooded hills.''Anoka County MN'' Google Maps (accessed 4 March 2019)
/ref> The terrain slopes to the south and east; its highest point is a small hillock 1.2 mile (1.9 km) east of the county's northwest corner, at 1,100' (335m) ASL. Otherwise the terrain's highest point is along the western part of the north boundary line, at 1,083' (330m) ASL. The county has a total area of , of which is land and (5.2%) is water.

Lakes

* Bunker Lake * Cedar Lake * Coon Lake * Crooked Lake * Ham Lake * Laddie Lake * Lake George * McKay Lake * Moore Lake * Round Lake * Spring Lake * Smith Lake

Rivers

* Cedar Creek * Coon Creek * Crooked Brook * Ford Brook * Hardwood Creek * Mahoney Brook *

* Rice Creek *

* Sand Creek * Seelye Brook * Trott Brook * Pheasant creek

Major highways

Interstate 35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...

* Interstate 35E * Interstate 35W *

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 H ...

* US Highway 10 * US Highway 169 *

Minnesota State Highway 47 Minnesota State Highway 47 (MN 47) is a highway in east–central Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with ''Central Avenue'' ( State Highway 65) in Minneapolis and continues north to its northern terminus at its intersection with U.S. ...

Minnesota State Highway 65 Minnesota State Highway 65 (MN 65) is a highway in the east–central and northeast parts of the U.S. state of Minnesota, which starts at its split from I-35W, skipping past the downtown Minneapolis core, only to resume at the intersection with '' ...

Minnesota State Highway 97 Minnesota State Highway 97 (MN 97) is a highway in Minnesota, which runs from its junction with Interstate 35 and ''Anoka County Road 23'' in Columbus, near Forest Lake, and continues east to its eastern terminus at its intersection with S ...

Minnesota State Highway 610 Minnesota State Highway 610 (MN 610) is an east–west freeway in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota. The freeway connects Interstate 94 (I-94), County Road 81 (CR 81), and CR 130 in northern Hennepin County to U.S. Highway 10 ...

* '' List of county roads''

Adjacent counties

Isanti County Isanti County ( ) is a county in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 41,135. Its county seat is Cambridge. History The county was formed on February 13, 1857. Its name came from the I ...

- north *

Chisago County Chisago County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 56,621. Its county seat is Center City. Chisago County is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul- Bloomington, MN- WI Metropolitan Statistical ...

- northeast * Washington County - east * Ramsey County - southeast *

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 Minneapo ...

- southwest * Sherburne County - northwest

Protected areas

* Bethel Wildlife Management Area * Boot Lake Scientific and Natural Area * Bunker Hills Regional Park * Carl E Bonnell Wildlife Management Area * Carlos Avery State Wildlife Management Area * Cedar Creek Conservation Area * Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park * East Bethel Booster Park * Gordie Mikkelson Wildlife Management Area * Helen Allison Savanna Scientific and Natural Area * Lake George Regional Park * Martin Island-Linwood Lakes Regional Park *

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 H ...

(part) * Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Park Preserve * Robert and Marilyn Burman Wildlife Management Area

Climate and weather

Anoka County 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 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: . In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Anoka have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 2019 and a record high of was recorded in July 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in July.

Demographics

2020 census

''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.'' The

2000 United States census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 cen ...

listed 298,084 people, 106,428 households, and 79,395 families in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was 705 sq mi (272/km²). There were 108,091 housing units at an average density of 256/sqmi (98.7/km²). The

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servi ...

found that 330,844 people were in the county. At the time of the 2000 Census, the

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the county was 93.64 percent white, 1.60 percent black or

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 ...

, 0.70 percent Native American, 1.69 percent

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 ...

, 0.02 percent

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 ...

, 0.65 percent from other races, and 1.71 percent from

two or more races 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...

, and 1.66 percent of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The 2000 Census found 30.2 percent 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 ...

, 14.3 percent

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 ...

, 9.0 percent

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 ...

, 7.3 percent

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 5.9 percent

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...

ancestry. There were 106,428 households, out of which 39.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.70% were married couples living together, 9.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.40% were non-families. Of all households, 19.30% were made up of individuals, and 5.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.19. The county population contained 28.90% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 34.10% from 25 to 44, 21.60% from 45 to 64, and 7.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 101.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.30 males. The median income for a household in the county was $57,754, and the median income for a family was $64,261. Males had a median income of $41,527 versus $30,534 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 county was $23,297. About 2.90% of families and 4.20% 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 4.90% of those under age 18 and 4.50% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Anoka County was once one of the most Democratic suburban counties in any metro area nationwide and one of the rare few to have trended Republican since the 21st century. On a national level, Anoka County has voted for the Republican presidential candidate from 2000 onward, with the margins remaining relatively close outside of 2016. However, incumbent Democratic-Farmer-Labor Senator Amy Klobuchar defeated

Jim Newberger James Newberger (born March 6, 1964) is an American politician who served as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2013 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he represented District 15B in the state's central part. He was t ...

by over 20,000 votes here in the 2018 midterms; Klobuchar also won this county in 2006 and 2012. Despite this, Republican Karin Housley narrowly defeated Democrat

Tina Smith Christine Elizabeth Smith (née Flint, born March 4, 1958) is an American politician, retired Democratic political consultant, and former businesswoman serving as the junior United States senator from Minnesota since 2018. She is a member of th ...

in the concurrent Senate special election in 2018, despite Smith winning the overall election by a margin of over 10 points.

County Commissioners

As of June 2019 * District 1 (western Anoka, Bethel, Nowthen, western Oak Grove, Ramsey, Saint Francis) - Matt Look * District 2 (northeastern Andover, northern Blaine, East Bethel, Ham Lake, eastern Oak Grove) - Julie Braastad * District 3 (central Blaine, northern Fridley, Spring Lake Park) - Robyn West * District 4 (Columbia Heights, Fridley, Hilltop, part of Spring Lake Park) - Mandy Meisner * District 5 (southern Andover and eastern Coon Rapids) - Mike Gamache * District 6 (southeastern Blaine, Centerville, Circle Pines, Columbus, Lexington, Lino Lakes, Linwood) - Jeff Reinert * District 7 (eastern Anoka, western Andover and western Coon Rapids) - Scott Schulte, Chair

National elections

Communities

Cities

Andover Andover may refer to: Places Australia *Andover, Tasmania Canada * Andover Parish, New Brunswick * Perth-Andover, New Brunswick United Kingdom * Andover, Hampshire, England ** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station United States * Andove ...

* Anoka * Bethel * Blaine (Partially in Ramsey County) * Centerville * Circle Pines * Columbia Heights *

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

* Coon Rapids * East Bethel *

Fridley Fridley is a city in Anoka County, Minnesota, 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 metropolitan area as ...

* Ham Lake * Hilltop * Lexington * Lino Lakes * Nowthen * Oak Grove *

* Saint Francis (Partially in

) * Spring Lake Park (Partially in Ramsey County)

Township

* Linwood Township

Census-designated place

* Martin Lake

Unincorporated community

Linwood Linwood may refer to: Places Many of the place names for Linwood come from the presence of linden trees. Australia *Linwood, South Australia * Linnwood, Guildford, 11-35 Byron Road, Guildford, New South Wales Canada * Linwood, Ontario * Linwood, ...

Education

School districts include:
Text list
/ref> * Anoka-Hennepin Public School District * Centennial Public School District *

Columbia Heights Public School District Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region in ...

* Elk River School District *

Forest Lake Public School District Independent School District 831 is a K-12 public school district located in the northeast exurban Twin Cities, near both Minneapolis and St. Paul in Minnesota. Also known as the Forest Lake Area School District, District 831 serves approximately ...

Fridley Public School District Fridley is a city in Anoka County, Minnesota, 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 metropolitan area as ...

* Spring Lake Park Public Schools * St. Francis Area Schools * White Bear Lake School District

References

External links

Anoka County government's website

Anoka County Historical Society Digital Collection
Minnesota Reflections {{Coord, 45.27, -93.24, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-MN_source:UScensus1990 Minneapolis–Saint Paul Minnesota counties Minnesota counties on the Mississippi River Minnesota placenames of Native American origin 1857 establishments in Minnesota Territory Populated places established in 1857