Eagan, Minnesota


Eagan is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. The city is south of Saint Paul and lies on the south bank of the Minnesota River, upstream from the confluence with the Mississippi River. Eagan and nearby suburbs form the southern portion of Minneapolis–St. Paul. The population of Eagan was 64,206 at the 2010 census and ranked as Minnesota's 11th largest city. The sixth largest suburb in the metro area, Eagan is predominantly a commuter town for Minneapolis and Saint Paul.
It was settled as an Irish farming community and "Onion Capital of the United States". The largest growth in Eagan took place following the relocation and expansion of Highway 77 along with the construction of the new six-lane bridge over the Minnesota River in 1980 and the completion of the final Interstate 35E freeway section southbound from Minnesota State Highway 110 in Mendota Heights to the area where it joins 35W in Burnsville in the mid-1980s. Its northern border is primarily along Interstate 494. Its southern border is about a mile south of Cliff Road. Its eastern border runs primarily along Minnesota State Highway 3. The western border runs primarily along the South bank of Minnesota River. The city's influence in the region grew when the companies Northwest Airlines and Thomson West established their headquarters.

History

Eagan was named for Patrick Egan, who was the first chairman of the town board of supervisors. He farmed a parcel of land near the present-day town hall. Eagan and his wife Margaret Twohy emigrated from Tipperary, Ireland to Troy, New York, where they married in 1843. They arrived in Mendota around 1853–54, before settling in the Eagan area.
The city was also visited by the "20th hijacker" of the September 11, 2001 attacks, Zacarias Moussaoui, before the attacks. Moussaoui attempted to complete flight training school, but was ultimately refused service by local resident Tim Nelson.
In 2012, Money ranked Eagan the 14th best place to live in the United States.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which is land and is water.
Interstate Highway 35E, Interstate Highway 494, Minnesota Highways 13, 55, 77, and 149 are six of Eagan's main routes.
The Eagan Core Greenway is an ongoing project to preserve Eagan's environmentally sensitive green space, with particular emphasis on Patrick Eagan Park and a two-mile greenway connecting the park with Lebanon Hills Regional Park.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 64,206 people, 25,249 households, and 16,884 families living in the city. The population density was. There were 26,414 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 81.5% White, 5.6% African American, 0.3% Native American, 7.9% Asian, 1.7% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.5% of the population.
There were 25,249 households of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.1% were non-families. Of all households 25.9% were made up of individuals and 5.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.10.
The median age in the city was 36.8 years. Of residents 25.5% were under the age of 18; 8.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.1% were from 25 to 44; 30.9% were from 45 to 64; and 7.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.1% male and 50.9% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 63,557 people, 23,773 households, and 16,427 families living in the city. The population density was 1,967.6 people per square mile. There were 24,390 housing units at an average density of 755.1 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 88.03% White, 3.41% African American, 0.26% Native American, 5.31% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.96% from other races, and 1.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.24% of the population.
There were 23,773 households out of which 41.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.9% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. Of all households 23.0% were made up of individuals and 2.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the city, the population was spread out with 30.0% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 38.2% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 4.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.7 males.
According to the 2000 census, median household income was $67,388. Males had a median income of $52,029 versus $35,641 for females. The per capita income for the city was $30,167. About 1.9% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Eagan is home to legal publisher West, part of Thomson Reuters, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, Scantron, and Coca-Cola's Midwest bottling facility. The sparsely populated northern portions of the city, being convenient to freeways and MSP Airport, are also home to a number of warehouses and distribution centers, including Minnesota's largest UPS hub.
Regional Elite Airline Services, Universal Cooperatives and Buffets, Inc. are also headquartered in Eagan.
Northwest Airlines had its headquarters in Eagan. After Northwest merged with Delta, the Northwest headquarters was disestablished. Todd Klingel, president of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce, said that losing Northwest, a Fortune 500 company, would be "certainly a blow." He added, "But it's been expected for so long. Let's get on with it. The key is what can we do to minimize the loss to Minnesota." Mesaba Airlines employed around 1,830 people when it closed in 2011.
The Minnesota Vikings relocated their headquarters from Eden Prairie, MN to Eagan, at the site of the former Northwest Airlines headquarters. The complex can be seen from interstate 494 and is also home to the Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center, which serves as the Minnesota Vikings Training Facility. The facility is 277,000 square feet and includes an outdoor field that seats 6,500 fans. Fans can tour the facility or watch the daily activities on one of the six live action cameras around the stadium.

Top employers

According to Eagan's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, its top employers were:
#Employer# of Employees
1Thomson Reuters 6,500
2Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota3,250
3United States Postal Service2,000
4United Parcel Service1,700
5Ecolab1,200
6Coca-Cola Refreshments875
7Prime Therapeutics800
8Wells Fargo Home Mortgage750
9City of Eagan582
10Argosy University380

Government

Eagan's municipal government is a Type B Statutory City, which provides for a council size of five members, one of whom is the mayor. Eagan's mayor since 2007 has been Mike Maguire.
The other councilmembers are:
In general, city government is nonpartisan. Candidates need not be selected or endorsed by political parties, and no such endorsement appears on the ballot by state law. All five council seats including the mayor are elected at-large in a general election every four years. Terms are staggered with two councilmembers elected one election cycle and the other two and the mayor two years later. The non-mayoral seats are elected in pairs, giving voters the chance to vote for up to two candidates. If necessary, races are narrowed down during a primary election.
As a part of Dakota County, Eagan's northern and western precincts join with regions northward to form the Third District on the County Commission. It has been represented by former Eagan Mayor Thomas Egan since 2005. The southern and eastern portions of the city are joined by regions south and east to form the Fourth District of the County Commission, which has been represented by Nancy Schouweiler since 1999. County commissioners serve four-year terms.
Eagan is in Minnesota's 2nd congressional district, represented by Angie Craig since 2019.
Since redistricting last occurred in 2012, Eagan straddles two Minnesota State Senate districts. Sixteen of Eagan's 17 precincts are joined with five precincts in neighboring Burnsville to form Senate District 51, represented by Senator Jim Carlson. Eagan's northernmost precinct is part of Senate District 52, represented by Senator Matt Klein.
In the Minnesota House of Representatives, each Senate District is divided into an "A" and a "B" side. The western half of District 51 makes up House District 51A, represented by Sandra Masin. The eastern half of District 51 makes up House District 51B, represented by Laurie Halverson. Regina Barr represents precinct one as part of House District 52B.
Eagan is home to Minnesota's 38th governor, Tim Pawlenty, who previously represented Eagan in the Minnesota House and on the city council. Former mayor Patricia Anderson served as the 17th state auditor from 2003 to 2007.
Recently there have been two city questions that have gone to the ballot for city residents to vote for. In 2008, the citizens voted 53% to 47% to allow for private development of a defunct golf course instead of having the City purchase the land for future public development or open space. In 2004 and in 2007, voters were presented with plans drafted by an established Charter Commission calling for the city to scrap its current governing structure as a statutory city and adopt a new home-rule city charter. The measure failed 80% to 20% in 2004 and 91% to 9% in 2007. The Charter Commission was dissolved on June 18, 2008.
Eagan lies in Minnesota's First Judicial District.

Education

Colleges and universities

Public schools

Eagan is served by three school districts: Independent School District 191, Independent School District 196, and Independent School District 197. Some students choose to attend public schools in other school districts, as permitted under Minnesota's open enrollment statute.
;High schools
;Middle schools
;Elementary schools
• Denotes schools located outside of Eagan with attendance boundaries that cover part of the city.

Public libraries

The Dakota County Library operates the Wescott Library in Eagan. The library houses the headquarters of Dakota County Library.

Sports

The Minnesota Vikings built the Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center, a training facility for year-round use that opened in 2018. It features a stadium and six practice fields. The Vikings have announced a partnership with the Minnesota State High School League to host competitions at the venue.

Notable people