Fridley is a city in Anoka County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was 29,590 at the 2020 census. It was first settled as a place named Manomin where Rice Creek flows into the Mississippi river and the Red River Oxcart trail crosses the creek. Fridley was incorporated in 1949 as a village and became a city in 1957. It is part of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area as a northern "first-ring" or "inner-ring" suburb. Most of the growth in Fridley occurred between 1950 and 1970. Fridley borders Minneapolis to the southwest. Neighboring first-ring suburbs are Columbia Heights to the south and Brooklyn Center to the west, across the Mississippi River.
Geography and climate According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of , of which are land and is covered by water.
The city lies within a narrow portion of the southernmost part of Anoka County. It is longer north–south along the path of the Mississippi River, and the highways that follow the river. It is narrower east/west in the portion between the Mississippi River and Spring Lake Park.
Fridley borders the cities of Coon Rapids and Blaine to the north; Spring Lake Park to the northeast; Mounds View and New Brighton to the east; Columbia Heights to the southeast; Minneapolis to the southwest; and Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center to the west.
Fridley is at the southern edge of the Anoka Sand Plain. Lakes in Fridley include East Moore Lake, West Moore Lake, and Locke Lake. Rice Creek flows through the central part of the city,King's Twin Cities Metro Street Atlas '04. Minneapolis: The Lawrence Group. 2004. . Springbrook Creek through the northwest section, and the Mississippi River borders Fridley to the west. Parts of islands in the Mississippi River, including the Islands of Peace and Banfill Island, are within the city.
Climate
Fridley shares its climate with nearby Minneapolis. It has a hot-summer humid continental climate zone (Dfa in the Köppen climate classification), typical of southern parts of the Upper Midwest, and is situated in USDA plant hardiness zone 4b.Normals, Means, and Extremes for Minneapolis/Saint Paul (1971–2000) : Mean of Extreme Mins for January As is typical in a continental climate, the difference between average temperatures in the coldest winter month and the warmest summer month is great: .
History
19th century Fridley's post-European/American settlement history began with the construction of the Red River Trails Woods trail for the Red River ox carts in 1844. The trail traveled through Minnesota Territory from St. Paul to Pembina in present-day North Dakota. It was used to transport furs to the south and other supplies to Red River Valley settlers in the north. The East River Road (Anoka County Highway 1) follows this route today within Fridley, from the border with Minneapolis to the border with Coon Rapids.
In 1847, John Banfill became the first settler in the township area, which was known at the time as Manomin. Manomin is a variant spelling of manoomin, the Ojibwe word for wild rice, a staple of their diet. It comprised the modern-day municipalities of Columbia Heights, Fridley, Hilltop, and Spring Lake Park. The Banfill Tavern was built in 1847.
The area soon grew quickly in size. In 1851, Banfill platted the actual town of Manomin. There, a general store and sawmill were built next to Rice Creek, named after Henry Mower Rice, a settler who two years earlier had acquired land in the area. In 1853, the first town post office was in operation, and a year later, a ferry crossing the Mississippi River was established.
In 1855, Abram M. Fridley, for whom the city is named, was elected as the first territorial representative for the area.Minnesota History (Volume 5). United States: Minnesota Historical Society, 1923.
In 1857, the area separated from Ramsey County; Manomin County was established, and it became the smallest county in the nation, with only 18 sections. This distinction was short-lived; it was annexed by Anoka County in 1870 and became a township with the same name.
The Saint Paul and Pacific Railroad, which joined St. Paul to St. Anthony across from Minneapolis in 1862, began extending rail to Anoka, reaching it through Fridley in 1864.Frank G. O'Brien, Minnesota Pioneer Sketches (Minneapolis: H. H. S. Rowell, 1904), 287-288; ―‗Dud‘ Condit, Who Saw railroads Supplant Stage Coaches in Northwest, Declares Conductor‘s Job Was Happiest in World,‖Minneapolis Journal, February 13, 1921City and State,‖ Minnesota State News (Minneapolis), July 26, 1862; ―First Time Table of the St. Paul and Pacific, Minnesota Historical Society Collections‖; Ralph W. Hidy, Muriel E. Hidy, Roy V. Scott, Don L. Hofsommer, The Great Northern Railway: A History (repr., Minneapolis, London: University of Minnesota Press, 2004), 12; ―A Railroad Excursion Without an Accident,‖ Saint Paul Pioneer, January 19, 1864. The First TimeTable of the St Paul and Pacific does not state the amount of fares charged.RAPIDS, REINS, RAILS: TRANSPORTATION ON THE Prepared for MINNEAPOLIS RIVERFRONT Marjorie Pearson, Ph.D. Principal Investigator Penny A. Petersen Researcher Hess, Roise and Company. May 2009
In 1879, the Minnesota Legislature, of which Abram Fridley was still a member, changed the township's name to bear his name.
20th century In 1949, Fridley Township voted to be incorporated as the Village of Fridley.City of Fridley combined city hall fact sheet. City of Fridley, October 2016 The Fridley Free Press was also established. Northern Pump, whose factory was within the village's boundaries, sued to challenge the village's incorporation.STATE EX REL. NORTHERN PUMP COMPANY AND ANOTHER v. SO-CALLED VILLAGE OF FRIDLEY AND OTHERS Minn 233 M 442, 47 NW(2d) 204. This caused the village funds to be frozen. Minnesota state law allowed cities to operate municipal liquor stores after Prohibition ended.Minnesota Statutes 340A.601 ESTABLISHMENT OF MUNICIPAL LIQUOR STORES. Fridley's liquor store proceeds were the primary funding for daily city operations until the lawsuit was resolved in 1950. Minnesota has both private liquor stores and city-owned municipal liquor stores.Stemmer, Irene - History of the Muni Wayzata Heritage Preservation Board, City of Wayzata, MN. 2009 Fridley is the location of the headquarters of the Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association (MMBA), a lobbying coalition for municipalities with city-owned liquor stores. In conjunction with the Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association, it lobbied against Sunday liquor store sales in Minnesota until they were finally permitted in 2017.Coolican, J. Patrick - State Senate passes bill to end ban on Sunday liquor store sales. Star Tribune, February 27, 2017
The Totino's frozen pizza company opened a factory in Fridley in 1970 as it was growing to a national business.Johnston, Louis D. - How Totino’s secured Minnesota’s slice of the frozen pizza market. MinnPost April 29, 2021 The business was sold to Pillsbury in 1975.
Growth In 1957, the village became the City of Fridley, a "home rule charter city". City Hall, at 6431 University Avenue Northeast, has a fire station, city services and council meetings. A newer fire station was built in 1964. Fridley's population grew past 15,000 in the 1950s and peaked over 30,000 by the 1970s.
1965 flood and tornadoes Two of Fridley's worst disasters happened within weeks of each other. In April 1965, Minnesota was affected by a "500-year flood". The spring flood on the Upper Mississippi is still the flood of record for from about 100 miles north of Minneapolis to Hannibal, Missouri. The crests that April exceeded previous records by several feet at many river gauge sites. Those crests still exceed the second-highest crest by a foot or more at many of those sites.Boyne, Jeff - 1965 Mississippi River Flood United States National Weather Service (La Crosse Bureau) An ice jam rising 24 feet over the river broke up when it rammed a series of ice breakers above the Sartell Dam.Marc Hequet - Mississippi Flood of 1965 —Part 1 Big River Magazine, March 1994 The Riverview Heights area where Springbrook creek enters the river was severely flooded.
On May 6, 1965, Fridley was hit by two F4 tornadoes.Curt Brown - Minnesota tornado outbreak still vivid, 50 years later. Star Tribune, May 6, 2015 One of every four homes in the city was destroyed or damaged. The second twister to hit was the deadliest storm in Twin Cities history, killing 13 people.Summary of May 6, 1965 Tornado Outbreak - NWS Twin Cities Parts of City Hall and the fire station were damaged.
Post disaster recovery In 1967, a new Civic Center Building opened at the City Hall location, with a plaza to the south. This building was remodeled in 1989 and demolished in 2019. The acreage around 73rd and (old) Central was purchased by growing Minneapolis-originated companies, Medtronic, Inc. and Onan Corporation, for manufacturing facilities.Minnesota Progress. United States: Minnesota Department of Economic Development, 1968.
Springbrook Nature Center and tornado In 1970, Fridley began purchasing land that became the Springbrook Nature Center. On July 18, 1986, a widely photographed tornado spent 16 minutes in Springbrook Nature Center, destroying thousands of century-old trees and extensive areas of mature forest habitat. Well-known aerial footage of the tornado was filmed by a KARE 11 television news helicopter passing through the area.Heidi Wigdahl - 30 years ago: Sky 11 captures incredible tornado footage. KARE 11 TV, July 18, 2016
21st century
In 2001, Medtronic opened its new World Headquarters on the site of the 100 Twin Drive-in at Interstate 694 and Minnesota Highway 65.Medtronic Breaks Ground on New Cardiac Rhythm Management Headquarters. BusinessWire, December 7, 2005 Initially Housing More Than 3,000 Employees, New Facility Will Be Medtronic's Largest in the WorldArchitecture Minnesota. United States: Minnesota Society American Institute of Architects, 2005. "Medtronic World Headquarters" pg. 86 As of 2019, it is still the Operational Headquarters for Medtronic, PLC, which reorganized as an Irish company in 2015.
On June 19, 2003, President George W. Bush visited the Micro Controls company in Fridley. He was promoting one of the tax relief changes made during his administration.Bumiller, Elisabeth - In Minnesota, Bush Makes Another Economic Sales Call. New York Times, June 30, 2003President Discusses Tax Relief in Minnesota White House Archives. June 19, 2003
In the early 2000s, the Minnesota Sports Cafe was a notable venue for mixed martial arts competitions. Fighters who have claimed victories in Fridley include Sean Sherk, Nick Thompson, Brock Larson, Marcus LeVesseur, Brian Ebersole, and Harry Moskowitz.
On September 21, 2005, Fridley was struck by straight-line winds exceeding , toppling many old growth trees as large as in diameter and destroying dozens of homes and several vehicles. Cleanup efforts took a week, leaving hundreds of residents stranded in their homes without power, unable to drive until streets were cleared of debris. The storm also affected Brooklyn Center, New Brighton, Brooklyn Park, Coon Rapids, Spring Lake Park, Blaine, and other communities in the surrounding North Metro area.
Fridley had one of the first six stations of the Northstar Commuter Rail line, which connected the northwest suburbs and downtown Minneapolis. The line opened in November 2009 and closed in January 2026. It was replaced by a bus service.Paul Levy, Northstar set to roll, but how far?, Star Tribune, December 11, 2007.