Edina is a city in
Hennepin County,
Minnesota,
United States, and a first-ring
suburb situated immediately southwest of
Minneapolis. Edina began as a small
farming and
milling community in the 1860s and is today a 95 percent developed metropolitan community. The population was 47,425 at the
2000 census.
Geography
Many major
highways run through or are close to Edina, making it readily accessible to those within the
metropolitan area. Minnesota State Highways
62 and
100 divide the City into four sections.
U.S. Route 169 and Minnesota State Highway 100 extend north and south.
Interstate 494 and Minnesota State Highway 62 extend east and west.
Minnesota State Highway 7 is within three miles (5 km) of the city.
Interstate 394 is within five miles.
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 41.5 km² (16.0 mi²). 40.8 km² (15.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.8 km² (0.3 mi²) of it (1.87%) is water.
Residential areas comprise the largest portion of the City, which is now more than 95 percent developed. Within Edina are many different neighborhoods, including Highlands, Indian Hills,
Viking Hills,
Morningside,
Country Club District, Cahill Village, South Harriet Park, Interlachen, Rolling Green, Parkwood Knolls and Hilldale to name a few.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 47,425 people, 20,996 households, and 12,870 families residing in the city. The
population density was 1,162.6/km² (3,011.4/mi²). There were 21,669 housing units at an average density of 531.2/km² (1,376.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.28%
White, 1.15%
African American, 0.13%
Native American, 2.99%
Asian, 0.04%
Pacific Islander, 0.35% from
other races, and 1.07% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 1.14% of the population. 21.9% were of
German, 14.4%
Norwegian, 10.2%
Irish, 9.3%
Swedish and 8.4%
English ancestry according to
Census 2000.
There were 20,996 households out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were
married couples living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.7% were non-families. 34.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.9% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 22.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 84.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.7 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $76,805, and the median income for a family was $114,673. Males had a median income of $67,011 versus $41,742 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $44,195. About 2.0% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.
Population statistics
History
Settlement
Edina began as part of Richfield Township,
Minnesota. In the 1850s, 17 families, most of them immigrating as a result of the
potato famine in
Ireland, came to Minnesota and claimed land in the southwest section of what was then Richfield Township. They were followed by
English and
Scottish farmers, who claimed additional land near
Minnehaha Creek. The Baird and Grimes and Country Club Districts (both which are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places), are located in the northeast part of Edina and were among the first areas to be established.
In 1888, the residents of the township held a meeting to consider founding a new village, thus separating themselves from Richfield Township. The idea was favorably accepted by those within the community and a committee was established to oversee the transition.
Naming
thumb|180px|right|Ruins of Edina Mill next to Minnihaha CreekAfter the decision was made to form a new village, a debate ensued regarding the naming of the new village. Several town meetings were held in the
Minnehaha Grange Hall, during which the names "Hennepin Park", "Westfield" and "Edina" were suggested. Minutes taken by Henry F. Brown, a farmer and future owner (1889) of the
Edina Mill, are summarized as follows
[From Settlement to Suburb: The History of Edina, Minnesota by Paul Hesterman, Published by the Edina Historical Society, 1988]:
At the next meeting, the name Edina was finally chosen with a vote of 47 for and 42 against.
There has been a prevailing
myth about the decision to name the new village Edina, which states that two opposing communities—the
Irish Cahill community and the
Scottish Mill community fought about whether to give the community an Irish Name (Killarney Lakes) or a Scottish name (Edina). The 1860
census, however, indicates that there were no Scottish people in Edina in 1860, and only a couple were present at the time of Edina's founding (1888).
Morningside
The first suburban development in Edina occurred during the early 1900s in
Morningside, a neighborhood in the northeastern part of the village. As Morningside grew, conflict arose between its residents, who wanted more city services, and the residents of the rest of the village, who wanted to maintain Edina's rural character. As a result of that conflict, Morningside seceded from Edina in 1920 and became a separate village. In 1966, however, the Village of Morningside once again became part of Edina.
Edina today
Edina
city hall and police department, renovated in 2004
Today, many of the street names in Edina are named after families whose farms once occupied that area, for example: Grimes Avenue, Code Avenue, Gleason (Gleeson) Road, Cooper Avenue and Wyman Avenue.
Edina has a reputation for being one of the most affluent suburbs of Minneapolis. Edina citizens are considered wealthy (e.g. median household income for 1999 in Edina was $66,019, compared to $37,974 for Minneapolis and $47,111 for the state of Minnesota), which led to the once derogatory term of “cake eaters" (a reference to the “
Let them eat cake” quote misattributed to
Marie Antoinette). The term is now largely used in jest in regional sports rivalries. Such usage can be seen, for example, in the Disney film,
The Mighty Ducks, in which the term is used in reference to the Adam Banks character. The term is also on display as the title of the popular local blog, .
Edina is home to a few billionaires, most notably
Richard M. Schulze and the late-
Carl Pohlad.
Education
Public schools
Most of Edina is in , which serves children primarily from Edina. There are approximately 7500
K-12 students served by 1139 teachers and support staff in six
elementary schools (Grades K-5), two
middle schools (Grades 6-9), and one
senior high school (Grades 10-12). The district administrative offices are located at the
Edina Community Center.
Edina High School is often listed in the top 100 schools in the United States in academics (most recently in Newsweek, 2007). Additionally, EHS has been listed in the top 10 in sports (number 8 in a Sports Illustrated review of over 30,000 schools), the top 15 in debate, the top 40 in music, and has won national awards in writing and other areas. A recent study showed that 100% of EHS students graduate, that 96% of EHS grads go to college and that 85% of Edina High School graduates completed college within 5 yrs after high school graduation. A recent follow-up study showed that ten years after graduation from Edina High School 46% of EHS graduates had obtained advanced postgraduate degrees or were pursuing graduate degrees at the time of the study. The elementary and junior high schools have won many national and state excellence awards. French immersion programs are offered at one elementary school, Normandale, starting in kindergarten . The high school offers six years of French and Spanish, five years of Latin, Russian, and German, four of Japanese, and three of Chinese and American Sign Language.
Private schools
There are three
private schools in Edina.
Our Lady of Grace (OLG), which is a Catholic school that serves students from kindergarten through eighth grade, , and .
Colleges
Cardinal Stritch University,
Devry University,
Minnesota State University, Mankato education site, , and the
Keller Graduate School of Management are located in Edina.
Places of Worship
- Calvary Lutheran Church (ELCA), 6817 Antrim Road, Edina
- Christ Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), 6901 Normandale Road, Edina
- Church of St. Patrick (Catholic), 6820 St. Patricks Lane, Edina
- Colonial Church, 6200 Colonial Way, Edina
- Creek Valley Church, 6400 Tracy Ave., Edina
- Cross View Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod), 6645 McCauley Trail, Edina
- Edina Community Lutheran Church (ELCA), 4113 West 54th Street, Edina [https://eclc.ctsmemberconnect.net/home-ctrl.do website]
- Edina Morningside Community Church (UCC), 4201 Morningside Rd., Edina
- Grace Gospel Bible Church, 4015 Inglewood Ave., Edina
- Normandale Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA), 6100 Normandale Rd, Edina
- Our Lady of Grace Church & School (Catholic), 5071 Eden Ave., Edina
- St. Alban's Episcopal Church, 6716 Gleason Rd., Edina
- St. Peter's Lutheran Church & School (Missouri Synod), 5421 France Ave. S., Edina
- St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 4439 W. 50th Street, Edina
- Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church (ELCA), 500 Blake Rd. S., Edina
- Wooddale Church - Edina Campus, 5532 Wooddale Ave., Edina
Economy
thumb|180px|right|Southdale Centerthumb|180px|right|50th & FranceShopping
Edina has numerous retail shopping centers, including
Southdale Center, which was the first covered/indoor
shopping mall in the world.
[, The Economist, December 19, 2007, June 12, 2009.][History of the Southdale Shopping Center, ] Other shopping centers include the Galleria, Yorktown and Centennial Lakes Plaza. The city shares another thriving commercial area at West 50th Street and France Avenue South with
Minneapolis, known as "
50th & France."
Edina has only municipal liquor stores; no other liquor stores are allowed. Edina maintains three liquor stores, which are located at 50th & France, Southdale (York Ave.), and Vernon & Interlachen Blvd.
Hotels
There are two hotels in Edina: the
Residence Inn by Marriott which is adjacent to
Edinborough Park, and the
Westin Edina Galleria Hotel & Residences at 69th Street and York Avenue. A 7-story Aloft hotel is to be built by
Starwood Hotels and Resorts, near
Highway 100 and 77th Street, by the year 2018. The lack of hotels in Edina dates back to the early 1930s when Edina was still officially a "
dry" city. There are several hotels in a region several blocks north of
I-494; this area was once part of Edina. After successful
petitioning, the area was annexed to
Bloomington, which allowed alcohol sales at the time.
Recreation
Overlooking the 12th hole on Braemar Golf Course
Parks
Edina’s
parkland and open space totals more than 1,550
acres (6.3 km²). The Edina Park and Recreation Department oversees 44 parks, which include amenities such as
baseball,
football and soccer fields; softball diamonds; basketball and
tennis courts; outdoor skating rinks; playground equipment for young children; and picnic shelters. The Department also maintains eight miles (13 km) of scenic pathways for
bicycling, walking, jogging,
cross-country skiing and
snowshoeing.
Besides overseeing the parks, the Edina Park and Recreation Department is also responsible for the operation of 10 facilities within the city:
- Fred Richards Golf Course
Notable Edinans
The following people were born in, or have resided in, Edina:
- Dr. Hreidar Agustsson - one of the original doctors at Southdale Pediatrics, Edina, and first pediatrician in Minnesota to conduct a blood exchange involving babies who had a blood type incompatible with their mother. Graduated in 1944 from medical school in Reykjavik, Iceland and earned a Rockefeller Foundation Scholarship to the University of Minnesota where he specialized in pediatrics.
- Ward Brehm - Chairman and Founder, The Brehm Group, Inc.
- Nancy A. Madden - President and CEO, Success for All Foundation, Prof. John Hopkins University
- Jack A. Thommen - Renowned tennis player and youth athletic booster. Inducted into the US Tennis Association Hall of Fame in 2007.
Edina in Popular Culture
- One of the baseball fields at Countryside Park was used in the opening scenes of the movie Little Big League. The umpire can clearly be seen wearing an Edina Athletic Association shirt.
- In Disney's The Mighty Ducks, controversial star player Adam Banks hails from Edina.
