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, 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. 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.
left|thumb|upright|[[Abram M. Fridley, for whom the city is named.]]
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.
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.
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. The Fridley Free Press was also established. Northern Pump, whose factory was within the village's boundaries, sued to challenge the village's incorporation. This caused the village funds to be frozen. Minnesota state law allowed cities to operate municipal liquor stores after Prohibition ended. 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. 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.
The Totino's frozen pizza company opened a factory in Fridley in 1970 as it was growing to a national business. 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. An ice jam rising 24 feet over the river broke up when it rammed a series of ice breakers above the Sartell Dam. The Riverview Heights area where Springbrook creek enters the river was severely flooded.
thumb|Former Fridley City Hall and Fire Station Number 1 in July 2017thumb|Former Fridley City hall in July 2017
On May 6, 1965, Fridley was hit by two F4 tornadoes. 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. Parts of City Hall and the fire station were damaged.
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.
21st century
thumb|Medtronic Operational Headquarters is a major employer in Fridley.
In 2001, Medtronic opened its new World Headquarters on the site of the 100 Twin Drive-in at Interstate 694 and Minnesota Highway 65. 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.
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.
On July 17, 2011, heavy rains washed out the BNSF rail bridge over Rice Creek. A train derailed there and sent hopper cars containing corn into the creek. Traffic was rerouted for several days. In 2013, a jury awarded damages from BNSF to the train's engineer and conductor.
The Columbia Arena, filming location for the Disney Movie D3: The Mighty Ducks, was demolished in 2016 to make way for a new City Hall. This was controversial because it was expected to cost $50 million and increase homeowner taxes by 19%. The Fridley Civic Campus dedication at 7071 University Avenue NE was held on November 17, 2018. The staff had moved from the previous city hall over Veteran's Day weekend and began working there on November 12. The city council approved the project in December 2016 after nearly three years of studies, meetings and workshops. The council raised the levy to pay for the project, increasing city taxes about 16% for the average homeowner. A number of other Twin Cities suburbs updated their civic facilities during a 2018 "building boom of sorts", including Eagan, New Hope, Minnetonka, and Burnsville.
Fridley received an allocation of $1.52 million from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). The money was used to upgrade and repair its water distribution system and wastewater and storm water infrastructure. Cummins had announced a $1 billion initiative to produce clean energy technology, including electrolyzers for hydrogen cells in Fridley.
Economy
Fridley is home to the Operational (formerly World) Headquarters of Ireland-based Medtronic plc. Medtronic also has a substantial Rice Creek business campus. Other major employers in Fridley include BAE Systems (formerly United Defense), Cummins, Unity Medical Center, part of the Allina Healthcare system, part of the Mercy Hospitals, Minco Products, Inc, and Kurt Manufacturing Company. Fridley is also home to a Target Stores retail distribution center. Magnum Research, a company that produces the Desert Eagle firearm, had its headquarters in Fridley until 2010.
Minneapolis and Saint Paul draw their municipal water supplies from the Mississippi River at Fridley, which is upstream. The City of Minneapolis Waterworks plant and Fire Department training facility are in Fridley. But most Fridley residents work outside Fridley, most commonly in other cities in Hennepin County and in Minneapolis. Only 21% of the 15,221 Fridley residents in the workforce in 2000 worked in Fridley. Fridley saw a decline in the number of jobs from 26,763 in 2000 to 23,845 in 2006, according to the city economic plan report. the largest employers in the city are:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! #
! Employer
! # of Employees
|-
| 1
|Medtronic
|3,366
|-
|2
|Target
|1,301
|-
|3
|Unity Medical Center
|1,215
|-
|4
|Cummins Power (Onan)
|1,099
|-
|5
|Minco Products
|592
|-
|6
|Fridley Public Schools ISD #14
|564
|-
|7
|BAE Systems
|550
|-
|8
|Kurt Manufacturing
|275
|-
|9
|Taylor Communications
|250
|-
|10
|Walmart
|212
|}
Education
thumb|right|Fridley Middle School
Fridley's public schools are governed by Fridley Independent School District 14. Fridley High School, Fridley Middle School, Hayes Elementary School, and Stevenson Elementary School comprise the district. In 1978, Fridley closed three elementary schools due to declining enrollment: Gardena, Riverwood, and Parkview. Riverwood Elementary was demolished and single-family homes were developed. Parkview Elementary became the Fridley Community Center. Gardena Elementary became the Al-Amal School. Rice Creek Elementary closed later and was demolished, with single-family homes developed in its place. After the 1965 tornado, students at Parkview had to double up at the Riverwood school while it was being rebuilt.
Totino-Grace High School, a private Roman Catholic high school; Calvin Christian High School, a private Christian high school; and Al-Amal School, a private Islamic K-12 school, are also in Fridley.
A small part of northern Fridley is in Anoka-Hennepin School District 11. Students living in an area of eastern Fridley are in Columbia Heights School District 13. North Park Elementary is in Fridley. Most students living in north-northeastern Fridley are in Spring Lake Park School District 16. A District 16 elementary school, Woodcrest Spanish Immersion, is in Fridley.
Parks and recreation
Fridley is home to the Springbrook Nature Center park and nature reserve on its northern border with Coon Rapids. The total Fridley city park space is . There are baseball and softball diamonds, football and soccer fields, basketball courts, and tennis courts for sports. In the winter there are outdoor ice skating rinks with warming houses. The western border of Fridley comprises the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. Parts of islands in the recreation area are within Fridley's city limits.
Fridley has the following Anoka County parks:
- Manomin County Park (Rice Creek where it enters the Mississippi River and Locke Lake)
- Rice Creek West/Locke Park and Regional Trail (Rice Creek)
- Islands of Peace County Park (Mississippi River)
- Anoka County Riverfront Regional Park (Mississippi River)
Infrastructure and transportation
thumb|Interstate 694 looking West through Fridley
Interstate 694 and Minnesota State Highways 47 and 65 are three of the main automobile routes in the city. East River Road is one of the oldest roads in the state as a Minnesota Territorial road. It was part of the Red River Trails Woods trail. The I-694 Bridge, joining Fridley to Brooklyn Center, is the only crossing of the Mississippi River within the city.
thumb|Platform of the Fridley Northstar station looking South towards Minneapolis
The BNSF Railway main Northern transcontinental Twin Cities to Portland/Seattle double track line passes through Fridley as part of the Staples Subdivision. The Fridley Station is served by the Northstar Commuter Rail line running on the BNSF tracks into Minneapolis. The Amtrak Empire Builder passes through Fridley twice daily on this line, but does not stop in the city. The massive BNSF Northtown Classification Yards are in the city.
The Anoka County–Blaine Airport serves the area and is in neighboring Blaine.
Nickname
Fridley has the nickname "Friendly Fridley". The nickname was spread further by a long-running series of advertisements on various radio stations for a local car dealer. The announcer directed people to "Friendly Chevrolet up in Friendly Fridley".
The city festival is named "49'er" days, which commemorates the 1949 incorporation. It is usually held in mid-June.
Sister city
- Fourmies, Nord (France) - Medtronic plc has an assembly plant in Fourmies.