Coon Rapids is a northern suburb of Minneapolis, and the second-largest city by population in Anoka County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 63,599 at the 2020 census, making it Minnesota's 15th-largest city and the seventh-largest Twin Cities suburb.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of , of which is land and is water. Recreational lakes in the city include Cenaiko Lake and Crooked Lake, two-thirds of which is in Coon Rapids. The other third is in the city of Andover, immediately to the north.
History
Settlers were first attracted to the area by Coon Creek, named for the many raccoons hunted in the 19th century at the mouth of the creek.
In 1835, the Red River Ox Cart Trail was laid to establish military and trade connections between Minneapolis and Anoka. The first industries of Coon Rapids sprung up around the road, including the prominent Anoka Pressed Brick and Terra Cotta Company, founded by D. C. Dunham in 1881. The clay excavation site—known locally as the "Clay Hole"—is one of the lasting reminders of Coon Rapids's industrial history. Today, the vital Red River Ox Cart Trail is known as Coon Rapids Boulevard and remains an important commercial corridor for the city.
thumb|alt=Coon Rapids Dam|[[Coon Rapids Dam]]
In 1912, construction began on the Coon Rapids Dam and the influx of laborers and engineers increased the city's population to over 1,000 for the first time. Completed in 1914, the dam functioned as a regional power source for the Northern States Power Company until it was sold to the Hennepin County Park Board in 1969 and incorporated into the Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park.
When the dam was built, Anoka Township renamed itself Coon Creek Rapids, later shortened to Coon Rapids. In 1959, the Village of Coon Rapids voted to incorporate as a city and the City of Coon Rapids was born. The city's population increased from 14,000 in 1959 to more than 62,785 in 2022, making it the 15th-largest city in Minnesota.
In 1968, 1986, 2006, and 2021, attempts were made to change the name of the city, because the word "coon" is not only short for "raccoon" but is also used as a racial slur. Proposed names include Rapids, River Rapids, Creek Rapids, Hotdish Hollow, Pine Acres, Tornado Rapids, Skeeterville, and Raccoon Rapids.
Transportation
thumb|200px|[[Coon Rapids–Riverdale station on the Northstar Line]]
While commercial traffic on the Mississippi River once passed through Coon Rapids—steamboats could reach as far north as St. Cloud under certain conditions—the completion of the Coon Rapids Dam in 1914 established the city as the Mississippi River's northernmost navigable point.
U.S. Highway 10, Minnesota State Highway 47, and Minnesota State Highway 610 are three of the main routes in the city.
Coon Rapids Riverdale Station was served by the Northstar Commuter Rail line connecting the northwest suburbs and downtown Minneapolis; the line opened in 2009 and closed in 2026. It was replaced by a bus service.
The Burlington Northern/Santa Fe mainline railroad from Seattle to Chicago travels directly through Coon Rapids, and the commuter rail runs on these tracks.
Economy
Coon Rapids is home to the headquarters of medical device manufacturer RMS Company; healthcare and housing provider Mary T, Inc.; furniture retailer HOM Furniture; and printers/publishers John Roberts Company and ECM Publishers.
Largest employers
According to the City's 2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the city's largest employers are:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! # !! Employer !! # of Employees
|-
| 1 || Mercy Health (Allina Health System) || 1,860
|-
| 2 || Independent School District #11 || 1,238
|-
| 3 || Mary T, Inc. || 1,120
|-
| 4 || RMS Company || 672
|-
| 5 || Honeywell Aerospace || 600
|-
| 6 || Anoka-Ramsey Community College || 403
|-
| 7 || HOM Furniture || 300
|-
| 8 || Target || 300
|-
| 9 || City of Coon Rapids || 285
|-
| 10 || Menards || 220
|-
| 11 || Walmart || 200
|}
Government
Coon Rapids is a charter city with a council-manager form of government. The city council has seven members: the mayor and a member at-large, both elected by the entire city, and one member for each of the city's five wards.
State level
As of the 2025 special election, Coon Rapids is represented in the Minnesota State House via the following districts:
- District 34B (Xp Lee, DFL)
- District 35A (Zack Stephenson, DFL)
- District 35B (Kari Rehrauer, DFL)
State Senate:
- District 34 (John Hoffman, DFL)
- District 35 (Jim Abeler, Republican)
Congress
Coon Rapids is in Minnesota's 3rd congressional district, represented by Democrat Kelly Morrison.
Mayors and local government
Since its incorporation as a city in 1952, Coon Rapids has had 15 mayors:
{|
|
- Joe Nelson (1952–1953)
- Glenn Haven (1954–1955)
- Leslie B. Mason (1956–1958)
- Irving Nelson (1958–1959)
- Joe Craig (1960–1967)
|
- Robert Voss (1968–1971)
- Donald Erlandson (1972–1975)
- George White (1976–1979)
- David S. McCauley (1980–1981)
- Robert B. Lewis (1982–1989)
|
- Richard S. Reiter (1990–1991)
- William F. Thompson (1992–1998)
- Ilona McCauley (1999–2002)
- Tim Howe (2003–2014)
- Jerry Koch (2015–present)
|}
The next mayoral election is in 2026.
As of 2025, the members of the Coon Rapids City Council are:
{|
|
- Ward 1: Brad Greskowiak (Term Expires December 31, 2028)
- Ward 2: Peter Butler (Term Expires December 31, 2028)
- Ward 3: Sean Novack (Term Expires December 31, 2026)
- Ward 4: Christopher Geisler (Term Expires December 31, 2028)
- Ward 5: Brian Armstrong (Term Expires December 31, 2026)
- At-Large: Pat Carlson (Term Expires December 31, 2028)
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; font-size:95%;"
|+ Precinct General Election Results
|- bgcolor=lightgrey
! Year
! Republican
! Democratic
! Third parties
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |2020
| style="text-align:center;" |45.1% 16,154
| style="text-align:center;" |52.2% 18,707
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.7% 980
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |2016
| style="text-align:center;" |47.0% 15,427
| style="text-align:center;" |43.4% 14,237
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|9.6% 3,137
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |2012
| style="text-align:center;" |46.5% 16,064
| style="text-align:center;" |51.0% 17,617
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.5% 852
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |2008
| style="text-align:center;" |47.4% 16,317
| style="text-align:center;" |50.5% 17,399
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.1% 736
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |2004
| style="text-align:center;" |50.8% 17,365
| style="text-align:center;" |48.0% 16,414
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.2% 391
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |2000
| style="text-align:center;" |46.4% 13,262
| style="text-align:center;" |48.4% 13,817
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|5.2% 1,500
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1996
| style="text-align:center;" |34.5% 9,195
| style="text-align:center;" |53.0% 14,146
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|12.5% 3,347
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1992
| style="text-align:center;" |31.6% 9,105
| style="text-align:center;" |41.7% 12,022
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|26.7% 7,724
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1988
| style="text-align:center;" |45.7% 10,111
| style="text-align:center;" |54.3% 11,994
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.0% 0
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1984
| style="text-align:center;" |48.5% 9,326
| style="text-align:center;" |51.5% 9,895
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.0% 0
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1980
| style="text-align:center;" |37.7% 5,761
| style="text-align:center;" |52.2% 7,978
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|10.1% 1,548
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1976
| style="text-align:center;" |36.7% 5,134
| style="text-align:center;" |61.1% 8,533
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.2% 306
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1972
| style="text-align:center;" |50.9% 5,351
| style="text-align:center;" |46.0% 4,839
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|3.1% 322
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1968
| style="text-align:center;" |32.0% 2,795
| style="text-align:center;" |61.8% 5,400
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|6.2% 537
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1964
| style="text-align:center;" |28.4% 2,205
| style="text-align:center;" |71.5% 5,558
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.1% 12
|-
| style="text-align:center;" |1960
| style="text-align:center;" |39.5% 2,314
| style="text-align:center;" |60.3% 3,538
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.2% 12
|}
Education
The city is home to Anoka-Ramsey Community College, which offers a wide variety of 2- and 4-year programs. The college awarded 754 Associate degrees in 2013.
Coon Rapids is served by the Anoka-Hennepin Public School District 11.
High schools
Coon Rapids High School is the city's largest public school, with about 1,935 students in four grades, 9–12, as of 2025–26 projections.
Paladin Career & Technical High School, a charter school, has also been in Coon Rapids since 2022. As of 2023-24 it had 299 students in grades 9–12.
Northwest Passage High School is a charter school specializing in inquiry-driven project based learning, interdisciplinary seminars, and expeditions. Enrollment was 149 students across grades 9 to 12 as of the 2023–24 annual report.
Middle schools
Coon Rapids Middle School has a projected enrollment of 1,298 for 2025–26
Recreation
Coon Rapids contains several Anoka County parks, such as Coon Rapids Dam and Bunker Hills Regional Park, including Bunker Beach water park.