Burnsville () is a
city south of downtown
Minneapolis in
Dakota County in the
U.S. state of
Minnesota. The city lies on the south bank of the
Minnesota River, upstream from the confluence with the
Mississippi River. Burnsville and nearby
suburbs form the southern portion of
Minneapolis-Saint Paul, the sixteenth largest
metropolitan area in the
United States, with about 3.2 million residents. The
U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 59,118 in 2007.
In addition, the 2008
American Community Survey estimated the city's population at 74,979.
Known in the metro area for its
regional mall,
Burnsville Center, the city is also a recreational attraction with Alimagnet Dog Park, a section of
Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve, and 310-foot vertical ski peak
Buck Hill. Minnesota River wildlife is protected by the
Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge.
Originally a rural
Irish farming community, Burnsville became the tenth largest Minnesotan city in the 2000 Census following the construction of
Interstate 35. Currently the
sixth largest suburb in the metro area and a
bedroom community of both Minneapolis and
Saint Paul, the city was fully built by the late
2000s. Burnsville has been building a downtown area called
Heart of the City with urban-style retail and condominiums.
The
Burnsville Transit Station serves as the hub and headquarters of the
Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, providing regional bus service to five other suburbs. The population continues to reflect a suburban demographic that was 81.2% Caucasian, 67.5% familial households, and a median household income of $71,687 in the 2008 Census estimate.
The name
Burnsville is attributed to an early Irish settler and land owner, William Byrne. His
surname was recorded as "Burns" and was never corrected.
History
Grandson of Chief Black Dog.
were the earliest inhabitants who came through the
Minnesota River, following
water fowl and
game animals.
As part of the greater migration of the Mdewakanton from their ancestral area around
Mille Lacs Lake to the river confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers, Chief Black Dog, around 1750, established his band at a permanent village at the isthmus between
Black Dog Lake (from which is named after him) and the Minnesota River, near the present site of the Black Dog Power Plant.
The permanent camp was reported by early settlers as being inhabited by over 250 Dakota. At the south end of Burnsville, Crystal Lake, recorded as "Minne Elk" was utilized for abundant fish, leisure and burial. It was also a gathering spot where Dakota watched
deer or bucks drink at the lake from the top of Buck Hill, in which was named by early settlers who witnessed this activity.
Three large
burial mounds were discovered after
European settlement.
The Dakota nation
ceded land in 1851 and many relocated to Chief Shakopee's village—the current
Shakopee-Mdewakanton Indian Reservation in nearby
Prior Lake. The first European settlers were mostly Irish and
Scottish farmers who came upriver from Saint Paul. One of these Irish settlers was William Byrne, who had
immigrated in 1840 from
County Kilkenny,
Ireland to
Hamilton,
Ontario, Canada. In 1855, he settled at the present day junction of County Road 34 and Judicial Road near the
Scott County line, just southeast of old downtown
Savage. He subsequently donated land there for a
church,
school, and a
cemetery as well as serving Town Chairman. In 1858, the Dakota County Board authorized Byrnsville
Township in the north by the Minnesota River, east by
Eagan and
Apple Valley, south by
Lakeville, and west by Scott County. There is some ambiguity of if the name actually derived from William Byrne since there were people with the surname "Burns" living in the area (a Scottish variant).
The Town Clerk recorded variations between "Burns" and "Byrnes" but at the
1960s city incorporation, the "Burnsville" spelling prevailed. The
school district was organized during this time as well. Burnsville originally comprised the present-day downtown of Savage (then known as Hamilton) until county border revisions by the legislature. The Irish and Scottish settlers of this time left their names on many area roads and parks and their religion in
Presbyterian,
Protestant, and
Catholic churches.
Lewis Judd established the
Lakeside Hotel on the north shore of
Crystal Lake in 1880. The resort included boats for rent.
In the
19th century, Burnsville was considered a long distance from downtown Minneapolis. Rail access came in 1864 and Burnsville became a
resort town, with
cottages along Crystal Lake as well as Orchard Lake and Marion Lake in nearby Lakeville.
The Bloomington Ferry provided river crossings until 1889 when the
Bloomington Ferry Bridge was built. By 1920 the Lyndale Avenue
Drawbridge opened next to Black Dog Lake, extending Minneapolis' first north south highway to the rural communities of southern Minnesota. Later the bridge, upgraded several times, would be replaced by the
I-35W Minnesota River bridge. In 1950, just before the
World War II postwar housing boom, Burnsville was still a quiet township with a population of 583 people. School was taught in a one-room schoolhouse containing eight grades.
After the arrival of Interstate 35W in 1960, the next two decades saw the largest boom in population when post-war pressures forced the community to develop at rapid pace. Byrnesville Township was officially incorporated in 1964 after defeating an annexation attempt by the city of
Bloomington. Mass housing development followed and a former mayor, Connie Morrison said city managers had foresight in producing shopping nodes in walking distance of most homes.
The city became a regional pull when Burnsville Center opened in 1977 and produced the heavily traveled retail strip on County Road 42. The next
decades leading to the
21st century dealt with managing Burnsville's increasing population and growth which led to providing alternative transportation options, diverse housing projects, and ultimately the "Heart of the City" project. The city approached build-out in the late
1990s and changed focus from new development to redevelopment and rehabilitation of existing structures.
Descendants of the Byrne family still remain in greater Minnesota with the original spelling in their surname. A relative who dedicated William Byrne Elementary in the 1960s considered petitioning to correct the spelling but most of the family had moved away for several decades.
Geography
Fed by receding
glaciers and
Lake Agassiz 12,000 years ago, the
Glacial River Warren carved today's Minnesota River valley. On the northern border of Burnsville, the
Minnesota River winds through marshland and flood plains toward its confluence with the Mississippi. Most of the river is in the
Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge with fish, wildlife, and parkland managed collectively by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Burnsville also contains the Black Dog and Lower Minnesota River Watershed Districts managed by the Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 26.7 square miles (69.3 km²), of which, 24.9 square miles (64.4 km²) of it is land and 1.9 square miles (4.8 km²) of it (6.96%) is water.
Interstate Highway
35 splits into Interstate Highways
35W and
35E within the city. Other routes in the city include Minnesota Highway
13 and County Road
42.
Demographics
The earliest settlers were roughly 250 Mdewakanton Dakota who lived permanently at Black Dog camp.
Starting in the
1850s, Old stock Americans from the east coast and
French Canadians moved into eastern Dakota County near Saint Paul. A decade later, major European immigration began with settlers from Ireland,
Scotland, and
Great Britain. By the
1900s there were a few
Scandinavians from
Sweden,
Norway, and
Denmark but these
ethnic groups were mostly concentrated towards Lakeville. Those from
Germany and
Eastern Europe would gradually join the
minority from the packing jobs in nearby
South St. Paul.
Irish descendants maintained the majority through the early
1950s owing to the town's origin, overall land ownership, and the practice of marrying within ethnic clans.
The early
20th century's permanent population remained very low as the Minnesota River's lack of
bridges and
streetcar connection isolated the area from development, preventing people from moving south of downtown Minneapolis. The lake-side houses around Crystal Lake and Orchard Lake however attracted several various immigrant and first-generation wealthier individuals to temporarily settle or own land in the town limits.
In 1960, the U.S. Census Bureau recorded the population of Byrnesville Township at 2,716 people and soon after, the postwar growth was instantaneous, filling the city with second to third generation European descendants from Minneapolis; more American than ethnic. From 1960 to 1970, the total population accelerated to nearly 20,000 people and by the year 2000, the population arrived at roughly 60,000 people.
As of the
census of 2000 (
US census for 2000), there were 60,220 people, 23,687 households, and 15,631 families residing in the city. The
population density was 2,421.0 people per square mile (935.1/km²). There were 24,261 housing units at an average density of 975.4/sq mi (376.6/km²). There were 23,687 households out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. The median age was 33 years. The
median income for a household in the city was $57,965 and the median income for a family was $67,979. About 3.7% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those aged 65 or over.
While Caucasians still made up 87.5% of the population at the 2000 Census, all ethnic groups and ancestries by the 21st century shared a percentage in the city's population. The highest reported single ancestry was
German along with
Norwegian and
Irish following after.
As of the 2008
American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau,
White Americans made up 81.2% of Burnsville's population; of which 78.8% were non-Hispanic
whites.
Blacks or
African Americans made up 6.0% of Burnsville's population.
American Indians made up 0.2% of the city's population.
Asian Americans made up 6.2% of the city's population; of which 5.8% were non-Hispanic.
Pacific Islander Americans were non-existent in the city. Individuals from some other race made up 4.1% of the city's population. Individuals from
two or more races made up 2.3% of the city's population; of which 2.0% were non-Hispanic. In addition,
Hispanics and Latinos made up 7.2% of Burnsville's population.
Economy
Burnsville's biggest employer is its own school district, Independent School District 191, followed by Fairview Ridges Hospital, Goodrich Sensor Systems, Northern Tool + Equipment, Pepsi-Cola Bottling, Yellow Freight System Inc, CUB Foods, Frontier Communications, Genz-Ryan, Asset Marketing Services Inc. and the City of Burnsville. Manufacturing is the second largest industry. Most of the employers are in the industrial areas in the southwest and the north with corporate headquarters and modern warehouses in services and manufacturing. Service firms such as internet utilities, news, and real estate are mostly located throughout the north along Highway 13. Almost every brand of car dealership can be found along I-35W on the north and south ends of the city.
Retail shopping is located along County Road 42 and Highway 13 in the west and east sections of the city with local shopping nodes positioned throughout. The largest strip, County Road 42, is lined with suburban
strip malls,
restaurants, goods and
grocery stores. Burnsville Center as the anchor of the strip is a regional mall.
Burnsville has a 15-30 minute commute vicinity to many regional attractions and services such as the
Mall of America,
Valleyfair Amusement Park, Buck Hill Ski Area, the
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport,
downtown Saint Paul and
downtown Minneapolis. Adjacent cities of
Apple Valley,
Lakeville, and
Savage provide even more nearby shopping hubs, lakes and parks.
Heart of the City
Burnsville's "Heart of the City" project is a downtown development policy driven by
smart growth, which aims to create an attractive, vibrant, and
pedestrian-friendly neighborhood setting with economically viable local businesses. The redevelopment encompasses centrally located in Burnsville, a few miles south of the
Minnesota River. Current phases have already replaced traditional suburban elements such as former gas stations and drive-through services with several four-story mixed-use
condominium buildings, recalling
Main Street architecture. The centerpiece of the project is Nicollet Commons Park, located on Nicollet Avenue which has drawn residents to enjoy the first phases of the project already completed. A lifestyle center, the next generation shopping mall, will be added nearby mixing car focused access with pedestrian up-to-sidewalk stores. The approval of a performing arts center on the Heart of the City Campus in 2007 was among the most controversial issues of the year.
Arts, culture and media
While the city doesn't have
museums, it does operate the sole major arts institution, the Lake Alimagnet Center for the Arts in eastern Burnsville next to Lake Alimagnet, which provides community space for arts and non-profit groups. Burnsville is a regional leader in youth and teen activities.
THE GARAGE Youth Center located near
City Hall is a
non-profit music club and teen center which has attracted music acts nationally and internationally.
Annually every
August or
September, the community holds the Burnsville Fire Muster. Established in 1980, the event originated in the 1970s as a showcase and short parade for a local fire equipment collector. Taking on the tradition, the event now includes a large parade, music concerts, and fireworks.
Homes and businesses in Burnsville receive the same
television, news, and cable stations as most metro area cities, provided by Comcast and Time Warner Cable. provides public access programs and information. The Burnsville Sun Current and Thisweek Newspapers supply local news and the Minneapolis Star Tribune recently created a South section dedicated to South of the River news.
Parks and recreation
Land around Black Dog Power Plant is recreational.
The city contains of parkland spread throughout 79 parks and is managed by the Burnsville Parks Department which follows a Parks & Trails Master Plan. Only a third is developed and for recreation with the remainder preserved as natural habitat. Burnsville north border with the Minnesota River is within the
Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge.
Crystal Lake is the city's major recreation lake allowing
boating,
fishing,
jet-skiing, and
swimming. The Burnsville Skate Park is a free facility during
summer hours. The Burnsville Ice Center has two large professional
ice rinks.
The Burnsville Athletic Club is an all-volunteer youth sports league. It has an annual participation of nearly 1,300 players in the
baseball leagues for grades K-12, and 80-90 boys
basketball teams in grades 3-12, its two "in-house" sports (sports in which the teams play only other teams within the Burnsville Athletic Club). There are also traveling teams for boys' and girls' basketball and girls' fast pitch
softball, which play against similar teams from around the state at a higher competitive level. Other adult sports are provided through the city's recreation department, other recreational organizations, and minor league groups.
Government and politics
Burnsville City Hall
Burnsville operates as a Statutory Plan B city under the Minnesota Legislature. Government consists of an elected City Council of one
executive mayor and four council members. All four council members are elected at-large to serve four-year terms. The Mayorship term was changed from two to four years in 2000. Administrative duties including employment of the city are in charge of the City Manager. As one of many Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan municipalities, the city is required to regularly submit a Comprehensive Plan detailing infrastructure and development progress to the
Metropolitan Council.
Mayor Elizabeth B. Kautz has been mayor since 1994, replacing Ken Wolf (R) who was elected to the State House of Representatives in District 41B. Having been re-elected six times, she has served for over 14 years.
Kautz's framework of progressive activity and financial management has been studied and may explain her consecutive re-elections. She cites in her biography, that she has reduced Burnsville's debt, increased infrastructure improvement, maintained the property tax scheduled decrease, established a new youth center, and oversaw the establishment of the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority.
One of her major redevelopment projects has been the Burnsville
Heart of the City, identified through community visioning as the intersecting commercial areas near Burnsville Parkway and Nicollet Avenue.
In her winning 2008 re-election, the 1,000 seat regional performing arts center component was cited by her opponent as misuse of public funds toward arts.
The city is situated mostly in Minnesota's 40th Senate District, with some portions in District 37, and has traditionally been Republican. However the 2006 election cycle upset nearly every Republican held seat in the State House and Senate. Currently, the state Senators are John P. Doll (DFL) District 40, a residential tile and stone contractor focusing on health care, children's issues, education, environment, renewable energy, and transportation and Chris Gerlach (R) District 37. The state House Representatives are Will Morgan (DFL) 40A, a chemistry teacher at Burnsville High School focusing on government finance reform and education, and Shelley Madore (DFL) 37A. Morgan's seat will be challenged by former City Council member Deborah Moran and District 191 School Board Member Todd Johnson.
Burnsville is also located in
Minnesota's 2nd congressional district, represented by
John Kline, a
Republican, who is strong on National Defense and conservative on a variety of social issues, scoring 2.8%
progressive on a range of issues and 88% conservative based on 2006
House votes. This post was formerly filled by Ken Wolf from 1993 to 2002.
Education
Burnsville Independent School District 191 (
Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District), which includes Burnsville as well as parts of neighboring cities Savage and Eagan, currently has:
One 10-12 high schoolThree 7-9 junior highs- John Metcalf Junior High School
- Joseph Nicollet Junior High
Ten K-6 elementary schoolsAbout 20.0% of Burnsville's students attend
Independent School District 196 schools; they include:
Apple Valley High School, and Valley Middle School, in
Apple Valley; and Echo Park Elementary School in Burnsville.
About 10.0% of Burnsville's students attend
Independent School District 194 schools; they include:
Lakeville North High School, Kenwood Trail Middle School, and Orchard Lake Elementary all of which are in
Lakeville.
Preschool and Early Childhood Education- Parents' Choice For Kids Preschool and Childcare
- Child Development and Learning Center
- Destiny Christian Academy
Infrastructure
Burnsville is a fully-developed suburban
bedroom community. Large pockets of
ramblers and
split-level houses were due to Interstate 35W's completion in the 1960s which came earlier than most of the metro highways. Burnsville through the 1990s filled in the last of its available land with upscale housing stock and
apartment complexes. In the 2000s Burnsville went under redevelopment activity, producing many four-story residential buildings. The "Heart of the City", a new downtown area, contains mixed-use residential and retail buildings. This has produced a diverse range of housing types from single-family homes to high-density condominiums. Since the city was developed in a
sprawl fashion, new and old buildings sit between each other. The original industrial area along the Minnesota River is mostly abandoned, and also contains a sealed land-fill site. The new industrial area in the west side of the city contains many manufacturing and corporate headquarters as well as large modern warehouses. West of the new downtown area are new office buildings, where one tower reaches above ten stories.
Transportation
Minnesota Valley Transit Authority provides regional
bus service between many transit hubs within the city, south of the river, and to destinations such as the Mall of America,
Downtown Minneapolis, and
Southdale Mall. Most residents commute and move around by car. Burnsville contains the Interstate Highway
35 split with Interstate Highway
35W leading to downtown Minneapolis and Interstate Highway
35E to downtown St. Paul. The major on and off-ramps for I-35W are located at Burnsville Parkway, County Road 42, and State Highway 13. County Road
42 and State Highway
13 both provide east-west access to the western suburb of Savage and the eastern suburb of Apple Valley. Major interior arteries include Nicollet Avenue, McAndrews Road (East 138th Street), County Road 5 (Kenwood Trail), County Road 11, Portland Avenue, Southcross Drive, and Lac Lavon Drive.
Utilities and health care
Burnsville Public Works draws water from wells and not the Minnesota River, supplying all homes and businesses. Electricity is provided by Dakota Electric Association, Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative and Xcel Energy. Natural gas is provided by Centerpoint Minnegasco. Telephone and internet services are provided by Frontier Communications and Qwest.
Fairview Ridges Hospital located south of City Hall along Nicollet Avenue is a 24-hour facility, touting the most advanced emergency, surgery, orthopedic and childcare south of the river. The hospital is within The Ridges campus which includes various medical clinics, services, centers and institutes. Nearby is a Park Nicollet Medical Center.
Notable natives and residents
