Eden Prairie

Eden Prairie, Minnesota
—  City  —
Eden Prairie City Hall
Nickname(s): EP[1][2]
Motto: Live, Work, Dream[3]
Location in Hennepin County
Coordinates: 44°51′17″N 93°28′15″W / 44.85472°N 93.47083°W / 44.85472; -93.47083
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
County	Hennepin
Founded	1858
Incorporated	1960s
Government
- Mayor	Phil Young
Area
- City	35.2 sq mi (91.2 km2)
- Land	32.4 sq mi (83.9 km2)
- Water	2.8 sq mi (7.3 km2)
Elevation	886 ft (270 m)
Population (2000)
- City	54,901
- Density	1,695.1/sq mi (654.4/km2)
- Urban	2,367,204
- Metro	3,175,041
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
- Summer (DST)	Central (CDT) (UTC-5)
ZIP codes	55344, 55346, 55347
Area code(s)	952
FIPS code	27-18116[4]
GNIS feature ID	0643164[5]
Website	www.edenprairie.org

Eden Prairie is an edge city 12 miles (19 km) southwest of downtown Minneapolis in Hennepin County and the 12th largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies on the north bank of the Minnesota River, upstream from the confluence with the Mississippi River. As the seventh largest suburb, Eden Prairie and nearby suburbs form the southwest portion of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the sixteenth largest metropolitan area in the United States, with about 3.2 million residents. The U.S. Census Bureau recorded the city's population at 54,901 in 2000.^[6]

Composed of large lakes and ponds, the city has 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. Previously a bedroom suburb in the 1960s, the city is now home to more than 2,200 businesses and headquarters for Supervalu, ADC Telecommunications, MTS Systems Corporation and the Minnesota Vikings. Regionally known for Eden Prairie Center, it is also the hub for SouthWest Transit, serving public transportation to three adjacent suburbs. Eden Prairie has been named one of Money Magazine's "Best Places to Live" in America since 2006.^[7]

The name Eden Prairie originated as a township in 1851.

History

For most of its existence, Eden Prairie has been a slow-growing, pastoral village on the far southwestern fringes of the Twin Cities area. Between 1880 and 1960, Eden Prairie’s population grew by only 1,300 people, from 739 to 2,000.

Native Americans were the first to live in the area. In 1851, a treaty opened land west of the Mississippi River to settlement allowing pioneers to settle in what is now Eden Prairie. The town board of Eden Prairie held its first meeting in a log school house on May 11, 1858, the same day Minnesota became a state. However, 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-70s, the community earned 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.

Etymology

The name "Eden Prairie" was conceptualized by founder Robert Anderson.

Geography

Eden Prairie is located approximately 11 miles (18 km) southwest of Minneapolis along the northern side of the Minnesota River. It is located at 44°49′N 93°27′W / 44.817°N 93.45°W / 44.817; -93.45 at an elevation of 906 feet (276 m).

Interstate 494, U.S. Routes 169 and 212, and Minnesota State Highway 5 are four of the main routes in the city.

The land in Eden Prairie 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 35.2 square miles (91 km²)—32.4 square miles (84 km²) of it is land and 2.8 square miles (7.3 km²) of it (8.04%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 54,901 people, 20,457 households, and 14,579 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,695.1 inhabitants per square mile (654.5 /km²). There were 21,026 housing units at an average density of 649.2 per square mile (250.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.7% White, 2.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 4.8% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.6% of the population.^[8][9]

There were 20,457 households out of which 42.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.3% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 22.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the city the population was spread out with 30.5% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 35.6% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 4.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $54,328, and the median income for a family was $105,177. Males had a median income of $59,303 versus $37,196 for females. The per capita income for the city was $38,854. About 12.8% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.9% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Eden Prairie is located in Minnesota's 3rd congressional district, represented by Erik Paulsen, a Republican. City Council Officials include Mayor Phil Young and Council Members Brad Aho, Kathy Nelson, Jon Duckstad, and Ron Case. Scott Neal is the City Manager.

Economy

Today, 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.

Education

Public schools

The first school in Eden Prairie was Anderson School, a schoolhouse located near a farm. At the time of its construction, it was in the center of the city and thus an ideal spot. The old Eden Prairie Consolidated School, built in 1924, is now the school district Administration Building, and is located next to Central Kindergarten Center and Central Middle School.

Eden Prairie currently operates nine schools. Unlike other school districts in the state, Eden Prairie has an intermediate school (Oak Point) for grades five and six. Eden Prairie High School is the largest high school in the state, with approx. 3,300 students, and is located near the grounds of Round Lake Park. Melissa Krull is the superintendent for the Eden Prairie School District.

Charter schools

Eden Prairie has one publicly-funded charter school, Eagle Ridge Academy. This college preparatory school currently offers a rigorous classical, liberal arts curriculum to grades 6-11, with 12th grade being added in the 2007 – 2008 school year. The first graduating class for Eagle Ridge Academy was the Class of 2008.

Private schools

Eden Prairie has one private school, The International School of Minnesota, which offers a private education for students in grades preschool through 12.

Colleges

There are three technical colleges in Eden Prairie:

• Hennepin Technical College has an enrollment of roughly 7,000 full and part time students. The college offers classes during the day, as well as night classes.
• ITT Technical Institute^[10] specializes in courses on information technology, electronics, and drafting and design. ITT Technical Institute has an enrollment of approximately 170 students.
• Rasmussen College specializes in business management, health, and technology. This campus opened on July 3, 2006 and replaced its former location in Minnetonka.

Eden Prairie Veterans Memorial

Eden Prairie was proud to raise over $400,000 within the community to build a veterans memorial in 2008, in a grassroots effort. The memorial has two components; service to country and world peace. It was constructed in Purgatory Creek Park near the intersection of Technology Drive & Prairie Center Drive. World class sculptor, Neil Brodin designed and constructed two bronze sculptures.^[11] The service to country sculpture represents a wounded airman carried over the shoulders of a soldier of the battle field. The world peace sculpture depicts a woman service member touch the world globe, honoring women who have served. Members of the community were able to purchase a place on the memorial for the name of a loved one who served in any branch of U.S. service, without regard to any particular war or conflict. Minnesota based Cold Spring Granite provided Messabi black granite for the walls of the memorial.

Notable natives

• Andrew Alberts, National Hockey League player for the Philadelphia Flyers
• Leith Anderson, president of the U.S. National Association of Evangelicals
• Laurie Coleman, actress and wife of former United States Senator Norm Coleman
• Jay Foreman, National Football League player
• Alla Ilushka, beauty queen and Miss USA 2007 contestant
• Mark LeVoir, National Football League player
• Lúcia Moniz, Portuguese actress and singer (attended Eden Prairie High School)
• Adrian Peterson, 2x Pro Bowl running back for the Minnesota Vikings
• Allison Pottinger, world champion curler (current resident)
• Robert Remus, aka Sgt. Slaughter wrestler (former long-time Eden Prairie resident)
• Luke Myers, Sport Stacking record holder

Facts

• The cult television comedy series, Mystery Science Theater 3000, was originated here by Joel Hodgson, and Eden Prairie is home to the show's production company Best Brains, Inc.
• The cult movie comedy Mallrats was filmed at the Eden Prairie Center mall (before remodeling).
• Scenes of the mockumentary comedy Drop Dead Gorgeous were filmed in the Eden Prairie Center mall parking lot, which is claimed to be the parking lot of the nearby Mall of America in the movie. The water tower with the clock is visible in the background.
• In the movie Fargo, the character Mike Yanagita lives in Eden Prairie and comments on the city's school district while dining with Marge at the Radisson.^[12]
• The movie D3: The Mighty Ducks features fictitious Eden Hall Academy, whose name crosses Eden Prairie with Cretin-Derham Hall.
• The Prince film, Graffiti Bridge, got its title from an actual railroad bridge in northern Eden Prairie that crossed over Valley View Road. It was legal to spray graffiti on the bridge, and when the movie came out, a large mural of Prince was featured on the bridge. The bridge was torn down in May 1991^[13] when Valley View Road needed to be widened (the road narrowed to one lane under the bridge, with each direction of traffic taking turns to pass under).^[14] When the bridge was torn down, pieces of the bridge were sold as mementos along with a miniature newspaper article about the bridge.
• On March 4, 2002, President George W. Bush visited Eden Prairie High School, announcing his Quality Teacher Initiative.^[15]
• The Planes of Fame East air museum was located at Flying Cloud Airport until December 1997, at which time all of the museum's vintage airplanes were moved to Chino, California.^[16]
• In 2007, Sports Illustrated Magazine named Eden Prairie High School's sports program the best in the state of Minnesota.
• NFL star Adrian Peterson resides here.

References

External links

• City website
• Eden Prairie Independent School District #272
• Eden Prairie Council for the Gifted & Talented
• Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce
• Eden Prairie Women of Today
• Eden Prairie Veterans Memorial

• USGS GNIS: Eden Prairie, Minnesota

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Hennepin County, Minnesota County seat: Minneapolis Cities Bloomington | Brooklyn Center | Brooklyn Park | Champlin | Chanhassen‡ | Corcoran | Crystal | Dayton‡ | Deephaven | Eden Prairie | Edina | Excelsior | Golden Valley | Greenfield | Greenwood | Hanover‡ | Hopkins | Independence | Long Lake | Loretto | Maple Grove | Maple Plain | Medicine Lake | Medina | Minneapolis | Minnetonka | Minnetonka Beach | Minnetrista | Mound | New Hope | Orono | Osseo | Plymouth | Richfield | Robbinsdale | Rockford‡ | Rogers | Shorewood | Spring Park | St. Anthony‡ | St. Bonifacius | St. Louis Park | Tonka Bay | Wayzata | Woodland Township Hassan Unorganized territory Fort Snelling Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

v • d • e   State of Minnesota Saint Paul (capital) Topics Cities · Climate · Colleges and universities · Congressional districts · Demographics · Ecology · Economy · Geography · Geology · Governors · High schools · Historical Congressional delegations · Historical Landmarks · History · Lakes · Music · People · Political parties · Rivers · School districts · Scouting · Sports · State fair · State parks · Territory · Townships · Transportation · Visitor Attractions Regions Arrowhead · Boundary Waters · Buffalo Ridge · Central · Coteau des Prairies · Driftless Area · Iron Range · Minnesota River Valley · North Shore · Northwest Angle · North Woods · Pipestone · Red River Valley · Southeast · Twin Cities metropolitan area Larger cities pop. over 60,000 Bloomington · Brooklyn Park · Burnsville · Coon Rapids · Duluth · Eagan · Minneapolis · Plymouth · Rochester · St. Cloud · Saint Paul Smaller cities pop. over 10,000 Albert Lea · Alexandria · Andover · Anoka · Apple Valley · Austin · Bemidji · Blaine · Brainerd · Brooklyn Center · Buffalo · Champlin · Chanhassen · Chaska · Cloquet · Columbia Heights · Cottage Grove · Crystal · East Bethel · Eden Prairie · Edina · Elk River · Fairmont · Faribault · Farmington · Fergus Falls · Fridley · Golden Valley · Ham Lake · Hastings · Hibbing · Hopkins · Hutchinson · Inver Grove Heights · Lakeville · Lino Lakes · Mankato · Maple Grove · Maplewood · Marshall · Mendota Heights · Minnetonka · Moorhead · Mounds View · New Brighton · New Hope · New Ulm · Northfield · North Mankato · North St. Paul · Oakdale · Owatonna · Prior Lake · Ramsey · Red Wing · Richfield · Robbinsdale · Rosemount · Roseville · St. Louis Park · Sauk Rapids · Savage · Shakopee · Shoreview · South St. Paul · Stillwater · Vadnais Heights · West St. Paul · White Bear Lake · Willmar · Winona · Woodbury · Worthington Counties Aitkin · Anoka · Becker · Beltrami · Benton · Big Stone · Blue Earth · Brown · Carlton · Carver · Cass · Chippewa · Chisago · Clay · Clearwater · Cook · Cottonwood · Crow Wing · Dakota · Dodge · Douglas · Faribault · Fillmore · Freeborn · Goodhue · Grant · Hennepin · Houston · Hubbard · Isanti · Itasca · Jackson · Kanabec · Kandiyohi · Kittson · Koochiching · Lac qui Parle · Lake · Lake of the Woods · Le Sueur · Lincoln · Lyon · Mahnomen · Marshall · Martin · McLeod · Meeker · Mille Lacs · Morrison · Mower · Murray · Nicollet · Nobles · Norman · Olmsted · Otter Tail · Pennington · Pine · Pipestone · Polk · Pope · Ramsey · Red Lake · Redwood · Renville · Rice · Rock · Roseau · St. Louis · Scott · Sherburne · Sibley · Stearns · Steele · Stevens · Swift · Todd · Traverse · Wabasha · Wadena · Waseca · Washington · Watonwan · Wilkin · Winona · Wright · Yellow Medicine