Eden Prairie, Minnesota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eden Prairie
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Eden Prairie City Center
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| Nickname(s):
EP
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| Motto(s):
Live, Work, Dream
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Location of Eden Prairie
within Hennepin County, Minnesota |
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 Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Location in Minnesota
Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Minnesota |
| County | Hennepin |
| Founded | 1858 |
| Incorporated | October 22, 1962 |
| Founded by | Robert Anderson |
| Area | |
| • City | 35.25 sq mi (91.31 km2) |
| • Land | 32.52 sq mi (84.23 km2) |
| • Water | 2.73 sq mi (7.07 km2) |
| Elevation | 886 ft (270 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • City | 64,198 |
| • Rank | Minnesota: 15th |
| • Density | 1,995.30/sq mi (770.39/km2) |
| • Urban | 2,650,890 (US: 16th) |
| • Metro | 3,524,583 (US: 16th) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (Central (CDT)) |
| ZIP codes |
55344, 55346, 55347
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| Area code(s) | 952|612 |
| FIPS code | 27-18116 |
| GNIS feature ID | 643164 |
| Airport | Flying Cloud Airport (Public/Reliever) |
| Interstates |  |
| U.S. Routes |   |
| State Routes |    |
| County roads |  |
| Public transportation | SouthWest Transit |
| Light rail |  Southwest LRT (Opening 2027) |
| Website | City of Eden Prairie |
Eden Prairie is a city 12 miles (19 km) southwest of downtown Minneapolis in Hennepin County and the 15th-largest city in the State of Minnesota, United States. As of the 2020 census, it has a population of 64,198. The city is adjacent to the north bank of the Minnesota River, upstream from its confluence with the Mississippi River.
Set in the Twin Cities' outer suburbs, Eden Prairie is part of the southwest portion of Minneapolis–Saint Paul, the 16th-largest metropolitan area in the United States, with approximately 3.6 million residents. The community was designed as a mixed-income city model, and is home to 7,213 commercial firms, including the headquarters of SuperValu, C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Winnebago Industries, Starkey Hearing Technologies, Lifetouch Inc., SABIS, and MTS Systems Corporation. It contains the Eden Prairie Center mall and is the hub of SouthWest Transit, providing public transportation to three adjacent suburbs. The television stations KMSP and WFTC are based in Eden Prairie. The nonprofit news organization Eden Prairie Local News (EPLN) also serves the community.
The area features numerous municipal and regional parks, conservation areas, multi-purpose trails, and recreational facilities. There are more than 170 miles (270 km) of multi-use trails, 2,250 acres (9 km2) of parks, and 1,300 acres (5 km2) of open space. Popular recreational areas include Staring Lake, Lake Riley, Purgatory Creek, Miller Park, Round Lake, and the Minnesota River Bluffs Regional Trail.
Eden Prairie has been featured as one of Money magazine's "Best Places to Live" in America several times since 2006. It earned first place in the 2010 survey and second place in 2016.
Contents
History
For most of its existence, Eden Prairie has been a slow-growing, pastoral village on the far southwest fringes of the Twin Cities. Between 1880 and 1960, Eden Prairie’s population only grew from about 739 to 2,000.
Native Americans were the first to live in the area. Originally, the land was part of the Great Dakota Nation, but when the Ojibwa arrived from the Great Lakes region, the tribes began to clash over the land. The Ojibwa were armed with knives and guns traded to them by white settlers and fur traders, and after years of bloody warfare the Ojibwa had forced the Dakota to give up all their land east of the Mississippi River, and north of the Crow Wing River, land which did not include what is now Eden Prairie. On May 25, 1858, a battle was fought between the Dakota and the Ojibwa in the southern part of Eden Prairie, just north of the Minnesota River, an area referred to as Murphy's Ferry. The Ojibwa people wished to "avenge the murder" of one of their people committed the previous fall by the Dakota. The Ojibwa had 200 warriors, the Dakota somewhere between 60 and 70, but the Dakota proved victorious, wounding the young Chief of the Ojibwa tribe. The tribes continued to fight over territory well into the 1860s, even after the "Sioux Uprising" of 1862, when most of the Dakota people were removed from Minnesota.
Among the notable Native Americans who lived in the Eden Prairie area was Chief Shoto. Born into the band of Chief Wabash, he went on to be the chief of the Red Wing Dakota tribe for 15 years, leaving them and becoming Chief of the "Little Six" band of Dakota until the uprising in 1862, during which he became a scout for then Governor Sibley from 1862 to 1870, returning to the Little Six band in 1872. He died in 1899 at the age of 99 at his home in Eden Prairie.
In 1851, a treaty opened land west of the Mississippi River to settlement allowing pioneers to settle in what is now Eden Prairie. Many early farmhouses are left in the town, and can be found on the National Register of Historic Places. One of these early settlers was John Cummins, an Irish-born immigrant who built what is now referred to as the "Cummins-Phipps-Grill House" with his wife Mattie in 1880. Manuscripts indicate that John Cummins was an avid and respected horticulturist, scientist, and farmer; he used his farmland to experiment with different strains of apples and grapes to try to find one that could withstand the harsh climate in Minnesota. The Cummins family sold this property to the Phipps family 1908.
Eden Prairie's town board held its first meeting in a log schoolhouse on May 11, 1858, the same day Minnesota became a state. Eden Prairie's farming community grew slowly over the years. Flying Cloud Airport was the first sign of big development in 1946. The 1960s and 1970s were decades of growth for the city's parks and recreation system. In the mid-1970s, the community gained a higher profile with the addition of Interstate Highway 494 and the Eden Prairie Shopping Center. Eden Prairie became a village in 1962, and a statutory city in 1974. A popular lake in Eden Prairie is Staring Lake, named for Jonah Staring, who built the first house by the lake.
Etymology
Originally named "Eden" in 1853 by a Mrs. Elliot, she chose this name because of her admiration of the "beautiful prairie" that occupies the southern portion of the town.
Geography
Eden Prairie is approximately 11 miles (18 km) southwest of Minneapolis along the northern side of the Minnesota River. It is at 44°49′N 93°27′W / 44.817°N 93.450°W, with an elevation of 906 feet (276 m).
Interstate 494, U.S. Highways 169 and 212, and Minnesota State Highway 5 are four of the city's main routes.
Eden Prairie's land consists of rolling hills and bluffs overlooking the Minnesota River, with zones of prairie and mixed (primarily deciduous) forests.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 35.19 square miles (91.14 km2), of which 32.45 square miles (84.05 km2) is land and 2.74 square miles (7.10 km2) is water.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 304 | — | |
| 1870 | 576 | 89.5% | |
| 1880 | 744 | 29.2% | |
| 1890 | 769 | 3.4% | |
| 1900 | 827 | 7.5% | |
| 1910 | 974 | 17.8% | |
| 1920 | 983 | 0.9% | |
| 1930 | 1,048 | 6.6% | |
| 1940 | 1,221 | 16.5% | |
| 1950 | 1,384 | 13.3% | |
| 1960 | 3,233 | 133.6% | |
| 1970 | 6,938 | 114.6% | |
| 1980 | 16,263 | 134.4% | |
| 1990 | 39,311 | 141.7% | |
| 2000 | 54,901 | 39.7% | |
| 2010 | 60,797 | 10.7% | |
| 2020 | 64,198 | 5.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 60,797 people, 23,930 households, and 16,517 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,873.6 inhabitants per square mile (723.4/km2). There were 25,075 housing units at an average density of 772.7 per square mile (298.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.7% White, 5.6% African American, 0.2% Native American, 9.2% Asian, 1.0% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.0% of the population.
There were 23,930 households, of which 36.3% had children under age 18 living with them, 58.2% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.0% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.08.
The median age in the city was 37.6. 26.4% of residents were under 18; 6.5% were between 18 and 24; 27.6% were from 25 to 44; 30.8% were from 45 to 64; and 8.6% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.
Eden Prairie Veterans Memorial
Eden Prairie raised over $400,000 from the community to build a veterans memorial in 2008. The memorial has two components, service to country and world peace. It was constructed in Purgatory Creek Park near the intersection of Technology Drive and Prairie Center Drive. World-class sculptor Neil Brodin designed and constructed two bronze sculptures. The service-to-country sculpture represents a wounded airman carried over the shoulders of a soldier in the battlefield. The world-peace sculpture depicts a woman servicemember touching a globe, honoring women who have served. Members of the community were able to purchase a place on the memorial for the names of loved ones who served in any branch of the U.S. service in any war or conflict. Minnesota-based Cold Spring Granite provided Mesabi black granite for the memorial's walls.
Economy
Eden Prairie is home to more than 2,200 businesses, including many that specialize in logistics/distribution, retail and wholesale trade, health care, industrial equipment, communications, and information technology.
Top employers
According to the city's 2016 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, its top employers were:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
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| 1 | Optum | 2,984 |
| 2 | Starkey Hearing Technologies | 1,700 |
| 3 | Eden Prairie School District #272 | 1,637 |
| 4 | SuperValu | 1,000 |
| 5 | C. H. Robinson Worldwide | 913 |
| 6 | Optum360, LLC | 900 |
| 7 | Lifetouch | 800 |
| 7 | MTS Systems Corporation | 800 |
| 8 | Eaton | 717 |
| 9 | Abbott Laboratories | 617 |
Video game retailer FuncoLand, which operated in over 400 locations nationwide before its acquisition and merger, was headquartered in Eden Prairie.
Sports
The 2017 USA Rink Bandy League Cannon Cup Playoffs took place at the Eden Prairie Rinks.
Education
Public schools
The first school in Eden Prairie was Anderson School, a schoolhouse near a farm. At the time of its construction, it was in the center of the city. The former Eden Prairie Consolidated School, built in 1924, is now the school district Administration Building and is next to Central Middle School.
Eden Prairie operates eight K-12 schools, six elementary (PreK-5) schools (including one Spanish immersion), one middle school (6-8), and one high school (9-12). Eden Prairie High School is Minnesota's second-largest high school, with about 3,300 students, and is near the grounds of Round Lake Park and the Eden Prairie Community Center.
List of schools
- Oak Point Elementary
- Prairie View Elementary
- Cedar Ridge Elementary
- Forest Hills Elementary
- Eden Lake Elementary
- Eagle Heights Spanish Immersion
- Central Middle School
- Eden Prairie High School
The district has a record of success, with 11 Eden Prairie High School juniors scoring perfect ACT scores in 2017. Some students attend public schools in other school districts chosen by their families under Minnesota's open enrollment statute.
Charter schools
As of the 2017–18 school year, Eden Prairie is home to one charter school, the Performing Institute of Minnesota Arts High School.
Private schools
Eden Prairie has one private school, The International School of Minnesota, which offers a private, non-denominational, college preparatory education for students from preschool through grade 12. The school, founded in 1985, features non-selective admissions and year-round open enrollment, daily world language education beginning in preschool, and 19 AP courses at the upper school level. The student body consists of 85% local residents and 15% international students.
Colleges
There is one technical college campus in Eden Prairie. Hennepin Technical College (whose main campus is in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota) has an enrollment of roughly 7,000 full- and part-time students. It offers day and night classes.
Infrastructure
The city has its own police department.
Notable people
- Andrew Alberts, ice hockey player for Vancouver Canucks
- Leith Anderson, president of U.S. National Association of Evangelicals
- David Baszucki, CEO and co-founder of Roblox
- Michael Bland, former drummer for Prince and current drummer for Nick Jonas & the Administration
- Rachel Bootsma, Olympic swimmer
- Jasper Brinkley, football player for Minnesota Vikings
- Laurie Coleman, actress and wife of former United States Senator Norm Coleman
- Todd Downing, offensive coordinator of Oakland Raiders; born in Eden Prairie
- Chuck Foreman, former Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots football player
- Jay Foreman, National Football League player; born in Eden Prairie
- Dan Gladden, former MLB player for Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants, Detroit Tigers, and Japanese Yomiuri Giants; radio broadcaster for the Twins
- Daerek Hart, professional gamer, particularly League of Legend
- Ben Husaby, 1992 & 1994 cross-country Olympic skier
- Dolal Idd, killed in a shootout with Minneapolis police in 2020
- Alla Ilushka, Miss USA 2007 contestant
- Jermaine Johnson II, defensive end for the New York Jets
- Nick Leddy, defenseman for New York Islanders
- Mark LeVoir, National Football League player
- Reynold Philipsek, jazz guitarist
- Allison Pottinger, world champion curler
- Kyle Rau, Florida Panthers forward
- Robert Remus, a.k.a. Sgt. Slaughter, wrestler
- Malik Sealy, Minnesota Timberwolves guard
- Nick Seeler, defenseman for the Minnesota Wild
- Sheila E., singer-songwriter, actress, percussionist
- Kenny Stills, wide receiver for Miami Dolphins; born in Eden Prairie
- Charlie Vig, chairman of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community since August 2012
- Ryan Wittman, basketball player
- Ethan Wragge, basketball player with Gießen 46ers in Germanys
Images for kids
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Current photo of the Cummins-Phipps-Grill House
See also
In Spanish: Eden Prairie (Minnesota) para niños
