Hennepin County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Its county seat is Minneapolis, the state's most populous city. The county is named for the 17th-century explorer Louis Hennepin. It extends from Minneapolis to the suburbs and outlying cities in the western part of the county. Its natural areas are covered by extensive woods, hills, and lakes. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,281,565. It is Minnesota's most populous county and the 34th-most populous county in the U.S.; more than one in five Minnesotans live in Hennepin County. It is included in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul–Bloomington Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Anoka is a city in and the county seat of Anoka County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was 17,142 at the 2010 census. Anoka is the "Halloween Capital of the World" because it hosted one of the first Halloween parades in 1920. It continues to celebrate the holiday each year with several parades. Anoka is a northern suburb of the Twin Cities. U.S. Highways 10 / 169 and State Highway 47 are three of Anoka's main routes, and it has a station on the Northstar Commuter Rail line to Minneapolis.
Brooklyn Park is a suburban city on the west bank of the Mississippi River, upstream from downtown Minneapolis in northern Hennepin County. It is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 86,478 at the 2020 census. The city still has undeveloped land and farms, including the historic Eidem Homestead, a 1900s working farm that is a popular tourist attraction for families and school field trips. Brooklyn Park is considered both a second- and third-tier suburb of Minneapolis, because much of the land north of 85th Avenue was developed after 2000.
Champlin is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 23,919 at the 2020 census. Champlin is a northern suburb of Minneapolis.
Crystal is a suburban city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States that is about 5 miles from Downtown Minneapolis. The population was 23,330 at the 2020 census. Minnesota State Highway 100 and County Road 81 are two of the main routes in the city.
Milaca is a city and the county seat of Mille Lacs County, Minnesota. The population was 3,021 at the time of the 2020 census. It is situated on the Rum River.
Monticello is a city next to the Mississippi River in Wright County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 14,455 at the 2020 census.
Blaine is a suburban city in Anoka and Ramsey counties in Minnesota, United States. Once a rural town, Blaine's population has increased significantly in the last 60 years. For several years, Blaine led the Twin Cities metro region in new home construction. The population was 70,222 at the 2020 census. The city is mainly in Anoka County, and is part of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area.
Metropolitan State University is a public university in the Minneapolis–St. Paul, Minnesota metropolitan area. It is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.
North Hennepin Community College (NHCC) is a public community college in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. It was founded in 1966 and is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.
Robbinsdale School District 281 is a school district centered in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, in the northwestern suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. The district includes all of Robbinsdale, Crystal, and New Hope, and parts of Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Plymouth, and Golden Valley.
Centennial High School is a public high school located in Blaine, Minnesota, United States. The mailing address uses the Circle Pines, Minnesota Post office. The school services students in the 9th through 12th grade in the cities of Lexington, Blaine, Centerville, Lino Lakes and Circle Pines, as part of the Centennial School District.
Mahtomedi Senior High School is a four-year public high school located in Mahtomedi, Minnesota, United States. The school houses grades 9–12 with a total population of approximately 1,146 students. About 22% of this population are from surrounding districts due to open enrollment. The school colors are blue and gold, and the athletic teams are known as the Zephyrs. The district was created in 1870, and the original high school was built in 1930. In 1970 a new high school building was constructed several miles south east of the original building and this remains the current high school campus. Based on standardized test scores the State of Minnesota has awarded the school a five-star rating, the highest level that can be achieved. In 2006, Newsweek ranked the school #675 in its "List of the 1200 Top High Schools in America." The school has also made adequate yearly progress in compliance with No Child Left Behind standards. As of 2015 the school had a demographic of 91% Caucasian, 2% Black, 2% Asian, 2% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic or Latino, and 1% Native American. Finally, out of the total population, 9% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Mahtomedi competes in the Metro East Conference, having joined that conference at its inception in 2001 soon after being a founding member of the Metro Alliance in 1997. Prior to 1997, Mahtomedi was a member of the Tri-Metro Conference.
Minnesota's 3rd congressional district encompasses the suburbs of Hennepin and Anoka counties to the west, south, and north of Minneapolis. The district, which is mostly suburban in character, includes a few farming communities on its far western edge and also inner-ring suburban areas on its eastern edge. The district includes the blue collar cities of Brooklyn Park and Coon Rapids to the north-east, middle-income Bloomington to the south, and higher-income Eden Prairie, Edina, Hopkins, Maple Grove, Plymouth, Minnetonka, and Wayzata to the west. Democrat Kelly Morrison currently represents the district in the U.S. House of Representatives, after being elected in 2024.
Richfield High School is the only public traditional high school in Richfield, Minnesota, United States. The school serves grades 9-12 for the Richfield Public Schools. It was named to the 2023 AP School Honor Roll, which recognizes schools with AP programs that are delivering results and broadening access for students. Richfield High School was also awarded a place on the "Best Public High Schools 2023-24" list by U.S. News and World Report.
Beach Channel High School (BCHS), was a high school in the public school system of New York City, located at 100-00 Beach Channel Drive in Rockaway Park in the borough of Queens. The school opened in 1973, grew to over 2,150 students by 2006, and closed in 2014.
Andover High School is a four-year public high school at 2115 Andover Blvd, Andover, Minnesota, United States. It is a part of Anoka-Hennepin School District 11 and is one of five traditional high schools in the district. It is the district's newest high school, opening in 2002. The first class graduated from Andover High School in 2004; the first class to have attended all four years of high school there graduated in 2006. It has students from both Andover and Ham Lake. The school's student population is 1750; they are 1% Native American, 1% Hispanic, 2% Asian, 3% African American, and 93% Caucasian.
The West Metro Education Program (WMEP) was a voluntary consortium of 11 urban and suburban school districts in the Minneapolis area of Minnesota. As an educational equity-focused collaborative for student success and educator growth, WMEP offered professional development, equity leadership and student programs to build capacity in the region.
Grand Rapids High School is a four-year public high school located in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, United States, on 800 Conifer Drive. GRHS offers a wide range of extracurricular activities, and has one of the few competitive field show marching band programs north of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota.
Irondale High School is a public high school in New Brighton, Minnesota, United States. Part of the Mounds View Public Schools district, the school is in a suburban area ten miles north of downtown Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Irondale made headlines in late 2011 when it introduced its Early College program, which began in the 2012–13 school year. The program, run in conjunction with Anoka-Ramsey Community College, allows students to graduate in four years with both a high school diploma and an associate's degree. This program prompted a visit from US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who praised Minnesota's efforts to further education.
