Dakota County, Minnesota
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Dakota County is the third-most populous
county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
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 so ...
of
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
, located in the east central portion of the state. As of the 2020 census, the population was 439,882. The population of Dakota County was estimated to be 453,156 in 2024. The
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
is
Hastings Hastings ( ) is a seaside town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to th ...
. Dakota County is named for the Dakota Sioux tribal bands who inhabited the area. The name is recorded as "Dahkotah" in the United States Census records until 1851. Dakota County is included in the
Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
St. PaulBloomington, MN– WI Metropolitan Statistical Area, the sixteenth largest
metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...
in the United States with about 3.71 million residents. The largest city in Dakota County is the city of Lakeville, the ninth-largest city in Minnesota and fifth-largest Twin Cities suburb. The county is bordered by the
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
and Mississippi Rivers on the north, and the state of
Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
on the east.


History

The county was the site of historical events at Mendota that defined the state's future, including providing materials for the construction of Fort Snelling across the river and the signing of the
Treaty of Traverse des Sioux The Treaty of Traverse des Sioux () was signed on July 23, 1851, at Traverse des Sioux in Minnesota Territory between the United States government and the Dakota people, Upper Dakota Sioux bands. In this land cession treaty, the Sisseton and Wahpe ...
which ceded land from the native Dakota nation for the Minnesota Territory. The county's history was initially tied to the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers, both strategically important for United States expansion and as the convergence of the Dakota and
Ojibwe The Ojibwe (; Ojibwe writing systems#Ojibwe syllabics, syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: ''Ojibweg'' ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (''Ojibwewaki'' ᐅᒋᐺᐘᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the Great Plains, n ...
nations who regarded the site as sacred. Influence shifted westward during the post-World War II settlement boom when
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 bo ...
connected the western half of the county to
Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
and
Saint Paul Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...
and bedroom communities grew. Most work outside the county but like many metro counties, Dakota County continues to absorb industry and jobs from the core cities. In the 1600s, Mdewakanton Dakota fled their ancestral home of Mille Lacs Lake in northern Minnesota in response to westward expansion of the
Ojibwe The Ojibwe (; Ojibwe writing systems#Ojibwe syllabics, syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: ''Ojibweg'' ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (''Ojibwewaki'' ᐅᒋᐺᐘᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the Great Plains, n ...
nation. According to Dakota tradition, their ancestors pushed out the
Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...
who were found settled at the mouth of the Minnesota River. In 1680, the Mdewakanton Dakota were contacted by French
explorer Exploration is the process of exploring, an activity which has some Expectation (epistemic), expectation of Discovery (observation), discovery. Organised exploration is largely a human activity, but exploratory activity is common to most organis ...
Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut, and the Mendota (''mdo-TE'') band of the Mdewakanton south of the Minnesota River were contacted by Joseph Nicollet in the 18th century. While Taoyateduta (a.k.a. Little Crow) led the Mendota in northern Dakota County, upstream to the southwest, Chief Black Dog established his village of 600 people around 1750 at the isthmus between Black Dog Lake (which is named after him) and the Minnesota River, near the present site of the Black Dog Power Plant. Following the published expeditions of explorers, in 1805,
Zebulon Pike Zebulon Montgomery Pike (January 5, 1779 – April 27, 1813) was an American brigadier general and explorer for whom Pikes Peak in Colorado is named. As a U.S. Army officer he led two expeditions through the Louisiana Purchase territory, first ...
negotiated for military territory with the Mendota band which included land in Dakota County at the Mississippi River confluences with the Minnesota and St. Croix Rivers. In 1819, on what is now Picnic Island on the south bank of the
Minnesota River The Minnesota River () is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles (534 km) long, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It drains a watershed of in Minnesota and about in South Dakota and Iowa. It rises in southwestern ...
, Colonel Henry Leavenworth built a stockade fort called "St. Peter's Cantonment" or "New Hope," where materials were assembled for the construction of Fort Snelling to be built on the bluff on the north bank. Permanent settlement on the island was impossible due to annual flooding. Alexis Bailey built some log buildings nearby to trade in furs in 1826. Henry Hastings Sibley later built the first stone house in Minnesota in 1836, overlooking Fort Snelling. Sibley was a partner in the
American Fur Company The American Fur Company (AFC) was a prominent American company that sold furs, skins, and buffalo robes. It was founded in 1808 by John Jacob Astor, a German Americans, German immigrant to the United States. During its heyday in the early 19th c ...
, and considerable fur trade occurred at Mendota due to the accessibility of the confluence. Ongoing
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
expansion into the then "Northwest Territory" led to government purchase of land from the Dakota people (the Mdewakanton, Wahpekute, Wahpeton, and Sisseton bands) via the Treaty of St. Peters, the
Treaty of Traverse des Sioux The Treaty of Traverse des Sioux () was signed on July 23, 1851, at Traverse des Sioux in Minnesota Territory between the United States government and the Dakota people, Upper Dakota Sioux bands. In this land cession treaty, the Sisseton and Wahpe ...
, and the Treaty of Mendota in 1851. After the Minnesota Territory was established in 1849, Dakotah County (later Dakota County) spanned from the
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...
to the
Missouri River The Missouri River is a river in the Central United States, Central and Mountain states, Mountain West regions of the United States. The nation's longest, it rises in the eastern Centennial Mountains of the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Moun ...
. By the time
Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
achieved statehood in 1858, power and influence had shifted from Mendota, across the rivers to
Saint Paul Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...
and
Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
.


Hastings and South St. Paul

By 1900, the hub of activity in the county was in
Hastings Hastings ( ) is a seaside town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to th ...
, the county seat, and a focal point of transportation, communication, and commerce. St. Peter's, now Mendota, had lost out to Fort Snelling. Hastings is located on the
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...
at the confluence of the St. Croix River and on the Vermillion River, which provided ample water power. Lumber, milling, and railroads provided good incomes. During this time, the stockyards and meat-packing plants in South St. Paul, Minnesota became the world's largest stockyards. Ranchers in the west shipped their livestock to
St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
, Memphis, and
New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
. These plants were worked by immigrants from
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
,
Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
, and other
Eastern European Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Ural Mountains, and ...
countries. The rest of the county remained agricultural during the boom of milling activity north of the Minnesota River due to lack of bridge connections. Rail access came in 1866 via the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Omaha Railroad which shipped grain to millers. The Minneapolis St. Paul Rochester and Dubuque Electric Traction Company line in 1905 (now the
Dan Patch Corridor The Dan Patch Corridor is a proposed commuter rail line that would serve a region which runs from Minneapolis to Northfield, Minnesota. The corridor consists of the tracks on the former Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway, Minneapolis S ...
), was primary for passengers going to resorts in Burnsville and Lakeville.


Suburban growth

By the 1950s, population growth shifted to western Dakota County, which had been predominantly Irish and Scottish extending southward toward the Scandinavians of Southern Minnesota. As population pressures expanded south from Minneapolis and Bloomington, the completion of Interstate 35W and 35E brought about major construction in the post-World War II period, turning villages into cities within 20 years. Burnsville, Apple Valley,
Eagan Eagan may refer to: People * Charles Eagan (1921-2010), Canadian scientist * Daisy Eagan (born 1979), American actress * Dennis Eagan (1926–2012), British field hockey player * Eddie Eagan (1897–1967), American sportsman * Edmund Eagan, Canadia ...
, and Lakeville brought over 200,000 people into the county by the end of the century. The Western and Northern Service Centers were constructed in the early 1990s each with an additional courthouse location. License centers were subsequently set up in Burnsville and Lakeville. Though pressure remained since the postwar boom to move the county seat to a larger community, the Dakota County Board maintained the seat in Hastings, while providing government services across the county.


Historic sites

The
Registered Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in the county include the settlement at Mendota, the homes of well-heeled residents of Hastings, the ethnic gathering places in South Saint Paul, and other sites related to life on the prairie.


Politics and government


Local government

Dakota County is governed by the Board of Commissioners. The members of the Board as of May 7, 2023, are: * Mike Slavik, District 1 * Joe Atkins, District 2 * Laurie Halverson, District 3 * William Droste, District 4 * Liz Workman, District 5 * Mary Liz Holberg, District 6 * Mary Hamann-Roland, District 7 Dakota County has an elected
Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...
(Joe Leko) and an elected
County Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...
(Kathryn M. Keena). There are appointed boards for the library system, community development agency, and several advisory boards. Dakota County is served by an elected board of the Soil and Water Conservation District.


Politics

Dakota County voters tend to vote Democratic. Since 1960, the county has selected the Democratic Party candidate in 71% of national elections (as of 2020).


Geography

The county terrain consists of low rolling hills, sloping to the river valleys. Its highest point is at Buck Hill in Burnsville, at 1,168 feet above sea level."Find an Altitude/Dakota County MN" Google Maps (accessed March 7, 2019)
/ref> The county has a total area of , of which is land and (4.2%) is water.


Rivers

The northern and eastern boundaries of Dakota County are marked by the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers. Management and jurisdiction of the rivers falls into multiple local, State and Federal agencies. Most of the Minnesota River bank is under the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge with fish, wildlife, and parkland managed collectively by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District assists the county's six watershed management organizations (WMO) which include the Black Dog WMO, Gun Club Lake WMO, Lower Minnesota River Watershed District, Lower Mississippi WMO, North Cannon River WMO, and the Vermillion River Watershed Joint Powers Organization. *
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...
: Adjacent to
Mendota Heights Mendota Heights ( ) is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. It is a first-ring southern suburb of the Twin Cities. The population was 11,744 at the 2020 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has ...
, Lilydale, South St. Paul, Inver Grove Heights, Rosemount, and Hastings. *
Minnesota River The Minnesota River () is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles (534 km) long, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It drains a watershed of in Minnesota and about in South Dakota and Iowa. It rises in southwestern ...
: Adjacent to Burnsville,
Eagan Eagan may refer to: People * Charles Eagan (1921-2010), Canadian scientist * Daisy Eagan (born 1979), American actress * Dennis Eagan (1926–2012), British field hockey player * Eddie Eagan (1897–1967), American sportsman * Edmund Eagan, Canadia ...
, Mendota Heights, and Mendota. * Vermillion River: From Farmington through
Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
to Hastings. * Cannon River: Adjacent to Randolph and through Randolph Township.


Lakes


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 bo ...
* Interstate 35E * Interstate 35W * Interstate 494 * US Highway 52 * US Highway 61 * Minnesota State Highway 3 * Minnesota State Highway 13 *
Minnesota State Highway 19 Minnesota State Highway 19 (MN 19) is a highway in southern Minnesota, which runs from South Dakota Highway 30 at the South Dakota state line near Ivanhoe, Minnesota, Ivanhoe and continues east to its eastern terminus at its Intersection (road) ...
*
Minnesota State Highway 20 Minnesota State Highway 20 (MN 20) is a short highway in southeast Minnesota, which runs from its Intersection (road), intersection with Minnesota State Highway 19, State Highway 19 in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, Cannon Falls (near U.S. Route 52 i ...
* Minnesota State Highway 50 *
Minnesota State Highway 55 Minnesota State Highway 55 (MN 55) is a state highway that runs across the central part of state taking a diagonal route from its western most at the North Dakota state line near Tenney to its easternmost point at the intersection with U.S. H ...
* Minnesota State Highway 56 * Minnesota State Highway 62 * Minnesota State Highway 77 * Minnesota State Highway 149 * Minnesota State Highway 156 * Minnesota State Highway 316 * County Road 42 * County Road 23 * '' Other County Roads''


Adjacent counties

* Ramsey County - north * Washington County - northeast * Pierce County, Wisconsin - east * Goodhue County - southeast * Rice County - southwest * Scott County - west *
Hennepin County Hennepin County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 1,281,565, and was estimated to be 1,273,334 in 2024, making it the List of counties in ...
- northwest


Protected areas

The following protected areas are within or partially within Dakota County: * Chub Lake Wildlife Management Area * Fort Snelling State Park (part) * Hastings Sand Coulee Scientific and Natural Area * Miesville Ravine Park Reserve (part) * Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge (part) * Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (part) * Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve (part) * National Wildlife Refuge, Bloomington (part) * Spring Lake Regional Park & Park Reserve * Vermillion Highlands * Whitetail Woods Regional Park


Parks

The following parks are located within Dakota County: * Big Rivers Regional Trail * Dakota County Bikeway System * Dakota Woods Dog Park * Lake Byllesby Regional Park * Lebanon Hills Regional Park * Thompson County Park


Economy

Since the county grew as a bedroom community of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, over half of the residents (54%) work outside the county.


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.''


2010 census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, Dakota County had a population of 398,552, of which 195,661 (49.1%) were male and 202,891 (50.9%) were female. In terms of age, 76.7% of the population were 16 years and over, 73.6% were 18 years and over, 70.5% were 21 years and over, 12.8% were 62 years and over, and 10.0% were 65 years and over. The median age was 36.8 years. The median age for males was 35.7; the median age for females was 37.9. In terms of race and ethnicity, the county was 85.2% White (82.3% Non-Hispanic White), 4.7% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 4.4% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 2.4% from some other race, and 2.9% from two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race made up 6.0% of the population. In terms of households, 69.5% were family households and 30.5% were non-family households. Approximately 55.2% were husband-wife family households; 26% had children under 18 years of age. Approximately 36.6% of households had children under 18 years of age living in them; 18.6% had people over the age of 65 living in them. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.12. In terms of housing occupancy, 95.3% of households were occupied and 4.7% were vacant. Of the vacant housing units, 2.0% were for rent, 0.1% were rented but not occupied, 1.2% were for sale only, 0.2% were sold but not occupied, 0.5% were for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use, and 0.8% were all other vacants. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.1%. Of all occupied housing units, 76.5% were owner-occupied and 23.5% were renter-occupied. The population in owner-occupied units was 314,833; the average household size was 2.71. The population in renter-occupied units was 80,866; the average household size was 2.26.


Education

Dakota County is home to the state's largest school districts and some of the highest paid Superintendents. Nationally recognized Independent School District 196 (Rosemount–Apple Valley–Eagan) houses 28,000 and is the fourth largest school district in the state. Other districts include Independent School District 191 ( Burnsville–Eagan–Savage School District), Independent School District 194 (Lakeville–Elko–New Market), Independent School District 197 (West St. Paul–Mendota Heights–Eagan), Independent School District 200 (Hastings), Special School District 6 (South St. Paul).


Schools


High school

* Apple Valley High School (ISD 196) * Burnsville Senior High School (ISD 191) * Burnsville Alternative High School (ISD 191) * Eagan High School (ISD 196) * Eastview High School (ISD 196) * Farmington Senior High School (ISD 192) * Hastings Area Alternative School & Learning Center (ISD 200) * Hastings High School (ISD 200) * Two Rivers High School (ISD 197) * Lakeville North High School (ISD 194) * Lakeville South High School (ISD 194) * Rosemount High School (ISD 196) * School of Environmental Studies (ISD 196) * Simley High School (ISD 199) * South Saint Paul High School (SSD 6)


Middle school

* Black Hawk Middle School (ISD 196) * Boeckman Middle School (ISD 192) * Century Middle School (ISD 194) * Dakota Hills Middle (ISD 196) * Dodge Middle School (ISD 192) * Falcon Ridge Middle School (ISD 196) * Friendly Hills Middle School (ISD 197) * Gateway Academy (ISD 192) * Hastings Middle School (ISD 200) * Heritage E-STEM Magnet School (ISD 197) * John Metcalf Junior High School (ISD 191) * Joseph Nicollet Junior High School (ISD 191) * Kenwood Trail Middle School (ISD 194) * Levi P. Dodge Middle School (ISD 192) * McGuire Middle School (ISD 194) * Robert Boeckman Middle School (ISD 192) * Rosemount Middle School (ISD 196) * Scott Highlands Middle School (ISD 196) * South Saint Paul Middle School (SSD 6) * Valley Middle School (ISD 196)


Elementary school

* Akin Road Elementary (ISD 192) * Cedar Park Elementary School (ISD 196) * Cherry View Elementary School (ISD 194) * Christa McAuliffe Elementary (ISD 200) * Christina Huddleston Elementary School (ISD 194) * Cooper Elementary (ISD 200) * Deerwood Elementary (ISD 196) * Diamond Path Elementary (ISD 196) * East Lake Elementary (ISD 196) * Eastview Elementary School (ISD 194) * Echo Park Elementary (ISD 196) * Edward D. Neill Elementary (ISD 191) * Farmington Elementary (ISD 192) * Garlough Environmental Magnet School (ISD 197) * Gideon Pond Elementary (ISD 191) * Glacier Hills Elementary (ISD 196) * Greenleaf Elementary (ISD 196) * Highland Elementary (ISD 196) * John F. Kennedy Elementary (ISD 194) * Kaposia Education Center (SSD 6) * Lake Marion Elementary School (ISD 194) * Lakeview Elementary School (ISD 194) * Lincoln Center Elementary (SSD 6) * Meadowview Elementary (ISD 192) * Mendota Elementary School (ISD 197) * Moreland Arts & Health Sciences Magnet School (ISD 197) * North Trail Elementary (ISD 192) * Northview Elementary (ISD 196) * Oak Hills Elementary School (ISD 194) * Oak Ridge Elementary (ISD 196) * Orchard Lake Elementary (ISD 194) * Parkview Elementary (ISD 196) * Pilot Knob STEM Magnet School (ISD 197) * Pinecrest Elementary (ISD 200) * Pinewood Elementary (ISD 196) * Rahn Elementary (ISD 191) * Red Pine Elementary (ISD 196) * Riverview Elementary (ISD 192) * Rosemount Elementary (ISD 196) * Shannon Park (ISD 196) * Sioux Trail Elementary (ISD 191) * Sky Oaks Elementary (ISD 191) * Somerset Elementary School (ISD 197) * Southview Elementary (ISD 196) * Thomas Lake Elementary (ISD 196) * Tilden Elementary (ISD 200) * Vista View Elementary (ISD 191) * William Byrne Elementary (ISD 191) * Westview Elementary (ISD 196) * Woodland Elementary (ISD 196)


Other schools

* Saint Joseph Catholic School (pre-kindergarten–8th grade) * St. Croix Lutheran High School and Middle School * Holy Trinity Catholic School (pre-kindergarten–8th grade) * Faithful Shepherd Catholic School (pre-kindergarten–8th grade)


Colleges and universities

* Dakota County Technical College * Inver Hills Community College


Libraries

* Burnhaven Library in Burnsville * Farmington Library in Farmington * Galaxie Library in Apple Valley * Heritage Library in Lakeville * Inver Glen Library in Inver Grove Heights * Pleasant Hill Library in
Hastings Hastings ( ) is a seaside town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to th ...
* Robert Trail Library in Rosemount * Kaposia Library in South St. Paul * Wentworth Library in West St. Paul * Wescott Library in
Eagan Eagan may refer to: People * Charles Eagan (1921-2010), Canadian scientist * Daisy Eagan (born 1979), American actress * Dennis Eagan (1926–2012), British field hockey player * Eddie Eagan (1897–1967), American sportsman * Edmund Eagan, Canadia ...


Communities

Dakota County is home to sites significant in the state's early history. At Mendota, the Treaty of Mendota was signed, opening Southern Minnesota to settlement, and prominent Saint Paul businessmen built their mansions there. Though linked with the state's capital for much of history via rail, Dakota County owes much of its current growth to the expansion of Minneapolis' population which accelerated during the post-World War II boom era of the 1960s. This demand for housing along with two major interstate highways linking Minneapolis (I-35W) and St. Paul (I-35E) to the county, concentrated major growth and demand along the northern end. Today, the cities of Burnsville, Eagan, Apple Valley, Lakeville, Rosemount, Hastings, Inver Grove Heights, Mendota Heights, West St. Paul, and South St. Paul are synonymous with the Twin Cities, as being part of "the Cities." Both Burnsville and Eagan are nearly developed and have become more like independent cities attracting major development than mere residential bedroom suburbs. In contrast, the southern part of Dakota County reflects the rural past with small towns such as Farmington, Coates, Vermillion, Hampton, Randolph, and Miesville where street grids and housing dating from the early 20th century can be found. Much of the county is self-contained except for two examples. The City of Hastings, the county seat, lies on both banks of the Mississippi River and was linked historically and physically by rail to the growing influence of the state's capital, Saint Paul. On the south border, the City of Northfield, technically in Rice County, has expanded north into Dakota however the city itself is allowed into the municipal sewer boundary. Though all of Dakota County is considered part of the metropolitan area and open to major development, the county government has steadily preserved farmland and continues to acquire new permanent natural lands in the southern townships. This has further defined the boundaries between urbanized and rural which is starkly visible in the outskirts of the developed cities. While the center of population still lies north with more cosmopolitan residents, culturally Dakota County is a rural community and the Dakota County Fair is still a largely agricultural event, held annually in Farmington. Most of northern Dakota County is referred to as "South of the River" for its location being south of the Minnesota River.


Cities (2021 population estimate)

* Apple Valley 55,638 * Burnsville 63,943 * Coates 142 *
Eagan Eagan may refer to: People * Charles Eagan (1921-2010), Canadian scientist * Daisy Eagan (born 1979), American actress * Dennis Eagan (1926–2012), British field hockey player * Eddie Eagan (1897–1967), American sportsman * Edmund Eagan, Canadia ...
68,642 *
Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...
2,444 * Farmington 23,534 * Hampton 736 *
Hastings Hastings ( ) is a seaside town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to th ...
(partly in Washington County) 21,925 * Inver Grove Heights 35,541 * Lakeville 72,812 * Lilydale 800 * Mendota 183 *
Mendota Heights Mendota Heights ( ) is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. It is a first-ring southern suburb of the Twin Cities. The population was 11,744 at the 2020 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has ...
11,665 * Miesville 134 * New Trier 83 * Northfield (mostly in Rice County) 20,709 * Randolph 464 * Rosemount 26,642 * South St. Paul 20,536 * Sunfish Lake 523 * Vermillion 439 * West St. Paul 20,822


Unincorporated communities

* Castle Rock *
Etter Etter is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Albert Etter (born 1872), American horticulturist *Bill Etter (born 1950), American football quarterback *Bob Etter (born 1945), American football placekicker, bridge player, and profess ...
* Eureka Center *
Waterford Waterford ( ) is a City status in Ireland, city in County Waterford in the South-East Region, Ireland, south-east of Ireland. It is located within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster. The city is situated at the head of Waterford H ...


Ghost towns

* Lewiston *
Nininger Nininger can refer to: ;People * Alexander R. Nininger, recipient of the Medal of Honor * Harvey H. Nininger, meteorite collector ;Place names In the United States: * Nininger, Minnesota, a former town * Nininger Township, Dakota County, Minnesota ...


Townships

* Castle Rock Township * Douglas Township * Eureka Township * Greenvale Township * Hampton Township * Marshan Township * Nininger Township * Randolph Township * Ravenna Township * Sciota Township * Vermillion Township * Waterford Township


Notable people

* Pierce Butler, United States Supreme Court justice * Ignatius Donnelly, politician * Steven Engler, politician * David Knutson, Minnesota State Senator of District 37, 2003-2004 * William Gates LeDuc, pioneer, politician, brevet brigadier general * Henry Hastings Sibley, first Governor of Minnesota *
Harold Stassen Harold Edward Stassen (April 13, 1907 – March 4, 2001) was an American Republican Party (United States), Republican Party politician, military officer, and attorney who was the List of governors of Minnesota, 25th governor of Minnesota from 193 ...
(R), Former Governor of Minnesota, Aide to Adm. Bull Halsey, Aide to President
Dwight Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...
, Participant/Drafter of the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
Charter


See also

*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Dakota County, Minnesota This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Dakota County, Minnesota. It is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Dakota County, Minnesota, Uni ...


References


External links


Dakota County Historical Society

Dakota County government's website



Dakota County Parks

Dakota County Community Development Agency




{{coord, 44.68, -93.06, 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 1849 establishments in Minnesota Territory Populated places established in 1849