Coon Rapids Real Estate

A Coon Rapids home for sale is a valuable investment to find. Located so close to the Twin cities with a thriving economic base, Coon Rapids makes sense for those who want to find a home and live in it forever. The Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park lets one see our nation's greatest river up close. The two other large parks in Coon Rapids are the Wilderness which is 72 acres and is undeveloped and Sand Creek which is 50 acres and is developed.

History

The history of Coon Rapids is an interesting one. Agriculture was the first industry in the Coon Creek area, with farms ranging in size from 90 to 600 acres. In 1881, Dr. D. C. Dunham organized the first brick yard which was located near the old City Hall site and was known as the Anoka Pressed Brick and Terra Cotta Company. It represented the first non-agricultural industry in Coon Rapids. A legacy left by that brick industry is still visible today and is known as the "Clay Hole".

In the summer of 1898, the Great Northern Development Company proposed to build a dam below the Coon Creek Rapids with a power generating plant on the east side of the river. The actual construction did not start until 1912. Within one year, a small city had sprung up on the shores of the Mississippi River. Streets were laid out and roughly graded. The City’s population grew to over one thousand with laborers and engineers working on the dam. The dam was built by the Mississippi Power Company and was operating by 1914. Northern States Power Company ran the dam until 1969. It was acquired by the Hennepin County Park Board and serves as Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park today.

Since 1959, the population has grown from 14,000 to over 61,500, making Coon Rapids the fifth largest suburb in the metropolitan area and the ninth largest city in the state of Minnesota.

Coon Rapids is 23 square miles and offers numerous neighborhood and regional parks, a municipal golf course, indoor ice arenas, outdoor ice rinks, softball and baseball fields, tennis courts, hiking and biking trails, swimming pools, and a major shopping development for everyone to enjoy.

Statistics

Population 2006 - 63,649

Median Age (2000 Census) - 33.3 Years

Median Family Income (2000 Census) - $62,260

Average Sale Price of Homes (2006) - $237,842

Number of Housing Units (2006) - 24,379

Coon Rapids Links:

Cook Memorial Ice Arena

Independent School District #11

Northwest Passage High School

Anoka Ramsey Community College

Anoka County Library

Coon Rapids Parks

Bunker Hills Golf Course