The old-timers remember the way it used to be: dirt roads, no electricity, a small and short-lived City created by the construction of a dam. Now they see a thriving City in an urban setting with an excellent quality of life.

Coon Rapids traces its founding as a separate government entity back to July 30, 1857 when Anoka Township was organized. The City retains these same boundaries with the exclusion of the City of Anoka which was incorporated as a separate city.

When the Federal Government surveyed the area in 1847, it found a well traveled road running through Anoka County. The road was laid out in 1835 for military use and may be the oldest road in this part of the country. In 1843, trade was established from St. Paul to Pembina in the Red River Valley by Norman W. Kittson and the road then became part of the famous Red River Ox Cart Trail. The trail closely followed the present East River Road/Coon Rapids Boulevard alignment.

Agriculture was the first industry in the Coon Creek area, with farms ranging in size from 90 to 600 acres. In 1881, Dr. D. C. Dunham organized the first brick yard which was located near the old City Hall site and was known as the Anoka Pressed Brick and Terra Cotta Company. It represented the first non-agricultural industry in Coon Rapids. A legacy left by that brick industry is still visible today and is known as the "Clay Hole".

With the coming of the dam, Anoka Township took on a new name - Coon Creek Rapids which over the years was shortened to Coon Rapids. In July 1948, an election was held in an attempt to incorporate the Township of Anoka as a village. The idea was initially defeated but eventually passed successfully in October of 1952. In keeping with the progressive nature of the community, the voters went to the polls in November of 1957 and change the form of village government to the Council/Manager plan. Two years later, in June of 1959, the Village of Coon Rapids became the City of Coon Rapids.

Since 1959, the population has grown from 14,000 to over 61,500, making Coon Rapids the fifth largest suburb in the metropolitan area and the ninth largest city in the state of Minnesota. The City of Coon Rapids is a quiet suburb on the Mississippi River just twenty minutes north of Minneapolis-St. Paul, and the metropolitan area?s gateway to the northern part of the state.  

Coon Rapids is 23 square miles and offers numerous neighborhood and regional parks, a municipal golf course, indoor ice arenas, outdoor ice rinks, softball and baseball fields, tennis courts, hiking and biking trails, swimming pools, and a major shopping development for everyone to enjoy.

Blaine is only minutes from both downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul and the many arts, entertainment, and restaurant opportunities they offer. 

Blaine has access to many quality schools, health care facilities, churches, and recreational opportunities. Our location makes for easy commuting to the rest of the metro area.

Housing opportunities in Blaine are abundant-serving the needs of every stage of life and income level. From our mature neighborhoods to our new developments, you will find everything you need to call Blaine home. Blaine has a full range of housing types, from starter homes and townhomes to executive housing. Blaine ranked first in housing starts in the metro area for 2002, and anticipates that rate to remain nearly constant over the next six to ten years.

 If sports are your preferred form of recreation there are a variety of options.  As a spectator you have it all.  Each major professional sport is represented in the Twin Cities: Vikings, Timberwolves, Wild, Twins, Lynx and Thunder.  The University of Minnesota teams are another possibility, and so is the St. Paul Saints, a minor league baseball team that is a local favorite for a summer evening of fun.  

The Twin Cities also offer extensive opportunities to shop for many uniquely Minnesotan goods and services.  Downtown Minneapolis has two million square feet of retail, one of the highest concentrations of shops in any city its size.  The Nicollet Mall and the Uptown area are two of the most popular and well known shopping districts.  For pure shopping power, there is no better fit than the nation's largest shopping center, the Mall of America.

Around Town

The Minneapolis-St.Paul area offers a vast array of entertainment, cultural, and recreation offerings year-round.

Culture Corner:

• The Twin Cities are second only to New York City in the number of theater seats per capita. Minneapolis alone is home to 30 live theaters.   Click Here for a complete listing of Theater and Stage productions.

• The level of musical artistry in the Twin Cities is extraordinary, featuring more than 18 professional music organizations, and 25 community music groups.  The area is also home to many bars, nightclubs, and concert halls featuring a wide range of live music.  Click Here for a complete listing of Minnesota's music scene.
  

• Are museums and galleries more your taste?  If so the Twin Cities have a community tradition of supporting the arts and have several venues which showcase that support.  Find them here.