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 '' ...

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 t ...

, 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 Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States centered around the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi, Minnesota River, Minnesota and St. Croix River (Wisconsin–Minnesota) ...

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 separ ...

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 origin ...

to the southwest. Neighboring first-ring suburbs are Columbia Heights to the south and Brooklyn Center to the west, across the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest Drainage system (geomorphology), drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson B ...

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 th ...

, 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;

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 freez ...

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, nota ...

), 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 measu ...

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 indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, ...

. 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 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 pioneer. Settle ...

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

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, 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 decen ...

, 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
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 alcoholi ...

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 wi ...

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 ...

". 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

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, alt ...

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 Ka ...

11 television news helicopter passing through the area.

21st century

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 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, incor ...

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 competito ...

, 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 ...

Marcus LeVesseur Ausburg Auggies Marcus LeVesseur (born July 17, 1982) is a retired American mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight division. A professional competitor since 2003, he competed for the UFC and Adrenaline MMA. As a collegiate ...

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. 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, 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 line connecting the northwest suburbs and downtown

; 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 (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 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 revenue ...

(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 an ...

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 retail distribution center. Magnum Research, 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
- 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 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, Bro ...

. 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. 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 H ...

. Parts of islands in the recreation area are within Fridley's city limits. Fridley has the following

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 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

Woods trail. The I-694 Bridge, joining Fridley to Brooklyn Center, is the only crossing of the Mississippi River within the city. Fridley MN Station 2017

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 ...

. The Fridley Station is served by the Northstar Commuter Rail line running on the BNSF tracks into Minneapolis. The

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada. ...

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 ...

also serves Fridley, with a terminal warehouse there. BNSF Northtown Yard Fridley MN 2017

The Mississippi River is non-navigable for barge traffic north of the Canadian Pacific Camden Place Rail Bridge, 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 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, ...

(France) - Medtronic plc 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 inc ...

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 RosenberPopu ...

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 ...

, 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, 0.1%

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 ...

, 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, 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 viceroyalties for ...

or Latino 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 ...

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

of 2000, there were 27,449 people, 11,328 households, and 7,317 families residing in the city. The

was 2,701.3 people per square mile (1,043.1/km²). There were 11,504 housing units at an average density of 1,132.1 per square mile (437.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.65%

, 3.42%

, 0.82% Native American, 2.89% Asian, 0.07%

, 1.23% from

, and 2.93% from two or more races.

or Latino 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

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 ...

, 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 counti ...

, 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 Minnesot ...

, a Democrat.

Notable people

* Bill Antonello, 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, politician * Don Betzold, 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 h ...

, politician * L. Joseph Connors, politician * Chris Dahlquist, 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, businessman * Abram M. Fridley, politician and namesake of the city * Thomas E. Greig, 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 Pr ...

, NHRA drag racer * Jon Melander, NFL player * Donald Savelkoul, politician and lawyer * Don Simensen, NFL player * Wayne Simoneau, 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 County, Minnesota, Anoka and Ramsey County, Minnesota, Ramsey cou ...

, 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 spa ...

- 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