Dakota County, Minnesota

Dakota County
Dakota County Courthouse
Dakota County Courthouse
Map of Minnesota highlighting Dakota County
Location within the U.S. state of Minnesota
Map of the United States highlighting Minnesota
Minnesota's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 44°41′N 93°04′W / 44.68°N 93.06°W / 44.68; -93.06
Country United States
State Minnesota
FoundedOctober 27, 1849[1]
Named forDakota people
SeatHastings
Largest cityLakeville
Area
 • Total
587 sq mi (1,520 km2)
 • Land562 sq mi (1,460 km2)
 • Water25 sq mi (60 km2)  4.2%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
439,882
 • Estimate 
(2023)
447,440 Increase
 • Density750/sq mi (290/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district2nd
Websitewww.dakotacounty.us

Dakota County is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of Minnesota, located in the east central portion of the state. As of the 2020 census, the population was 439,882. The population of Dakota County was estimated to be 447,440 in 2023.[2] The county seat is Hastings.[3] Dakota County is named for the Dakota Sioux tribal bands who inhabited the area.[4] The name is recorded as "Dahkotah" in the United States Census records until 1851.[5] Dakota County is included in the MinneapolisSt. PaulBloomington, MN–WI Metropolitan Statistical Area, the sixteenth largest metropolitan area in the United States with about 3.71 million residents. The largest city in Dakota County is the city of Lakeville, the ninth-largest city in Minnesota and fifth-largest Twin Cities suburb. The county is bordered by the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers on the north, and the state of Wisconsin on the east.

History

The county was the site of historical events at Mendota that defined the state's future, including providing materials for the construction of Fort Snelling across the river and the signing of the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux which ceded land from the native Dakota nation for the Minnesota Territory. The county's history was initially tied to the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers, both strategically important for United States expansion and as the convergence of the Dakota and Ojibwe nations who regarded the site as sacred. Influence shifted westward during the post-World War II settlement boom when Interstate 35 connected the western half of the county to Minneapolis and Saint Paul and bedroom communities grew. Most work outside the county but like many metro counties, Dakota County continues to absorb industry and jobs from the core cities.[4][6]

Taoyateduta led the Mendota Mdewakanton in northern Dakota County. He and 121 Sioux leaders ceded much of the present Twin Cities region.[7][8][9][10]

In the 1600s, Mdewakanton Dakota fled their ancestral home of Mille Lacs Lake in northern Minnesota in response to westward expansion of the Ojibwe nation.[11] According to Dakota tradition, their ancestors pushed out the Iowa who were found settled at the mouth of the Minnesota River.[12] In 1680, the Mdewakanton Dakota were contacted by French explorer Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut, and the Mendota (mdo-TE) band of the Mdewakanton south of the Minnesota River were contacted by Joseph Nicollet in the 18th century.[13] While Taoyateduta (a.k.a. Little Crow) led the Mendota in northern Dakota County, upstream to the southwest, Chief Black Dog established his village of 600 people around 1750 at the isthmus between Black Dog Lake (which is named after him) and the Minnesota River, near the present site of the Black Dog Power Plant.[11][14]

Saint Peter's Church in Mendota is the state's oldest church

Following the published expeditions of explorers, in 1805, Zebulon Pike negotiated for military territory with the Mendota band which included land in Dakota County at the Mississippi River confluences with the Minnesota and St. Croix Rivers.[15] In 1819, on what is now Picnic Island on the south bank of the Minnesota River, Colonel Henry Leavenworth built a stockade fort called "St. Peter's Cantonment" or "New Hope," where materials were assembled for the construction of Fort Snelling to be built on the bluff on the north bank.[16] Permanent settlement on the island was impossible due to annual flooding. Alexis Bailey built some log buildings nearby to trade in furs in 1826. Henry Hastings Sibley later built the first stone house in Minnesota in 1836, overlooking Fort Snelling. Sibley was a partner in the American Fur Company, and considerable fur trade occurred at Mendota due to the accessibility of the confluence.

Ongoing United States expansion into the then "Northwest Territory" led to government purchase of land from the Dakota people (the Mdewakanton, Wahpekute, Wahpeton, and Sisseton bands) via the Treaty of St. Peters, the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux,[17][18] and the Treaty of Mendota in 1851.[19] After the Minnesota Territory was established in 1849, Dakotah County (later Dakota County) spanned from the Mississippi River to the Missouri River.[20] By the time Minnesota achieved statehood in 1858, power and influence had shifted from Mendota, across the rivers to Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

Hastings and South St. Paul

By 1900, the hub of activity in the county was in Hastings, the county seat, and a focal point of transportation, communication, and commerce. St. Peter's, now Mendota, had lost out to Fort Snelling. Hastings is located on the Mississippi River at the confluence of the St. Croix River and on the Vermillion River, which provided ample water power. Lumber, milling, and railroads provided good incomes. During this time, the stockyards and meat-packing plants in South St. Paul, Minnesota became the world's largest stockyards.[21] Ranchers in the west shipped their livestock to St. Louis, Memphis, and New Orleans.[22] These plants were worked by immigrants from Romania, Serbia, and other Eastern European countries.[23] The rest of the county remained agricultural during the boom of milling activity north of the Minnesota River due to lack of bridge connections. Rail access came in 1866 via the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Omaha Railroad which shipped grain to millers.[24] The Minneapolis St. Paul Rochester and Dubuque Electric Traction Company line in 1905 (now the Dan Patch Corridor), was primary for passengers going to resorts in Burnsville and Lakeville.[25]

Suburban growth

By the 1950s, population growth shifted to western Dakota County, which had been predominantly Irish and Scottish extending southward toward the Scandinavians of Southern Minnesota.[26][27] As population pressures expanded south from Minneapolis and Bloomington, the completion of Interstate 35W and 35E brought about major construction in the post-World War II period, turning villages into cities within 20 years. Burnsville, Apple Valley, Eagan, and Lakeville brought over 200,000 people into the county by the end of the century. The Western and Northern Service Centers were constructed in the early 1990s each with an additional courthouse location. License centers were subsequently set up in Burnsville and Lakeville. Though pressure remained since the postwar boom to move the county seat to a larger community, the Dakota County Board maintained the seat in Hastings, while providing government services across the county.[28]

Historic sites

The Registered Historic Places in the county include the settlement at Mendota, the homes of well-heeled residents of Hastings, the ethnic gathering places in South Saint Paul, and other sites related to life on the prairie.

Politics and government

Local government

Dakota County is governed by the Board of Commissioners. The members of the Board as of May 7, 2023, are:

  • Mike Slavik, District 1
  • Joe Atkins, District 2
  • Laurie Halverson, District 3
  • William Droste, District 4
  • Liz Workman, District 5
  • Mary Liz Holberg, District 6
  • Mary Hamann-Roland, District 7

Dakota County has an elected Sheriff (Joe Leko) and an elected County Attorney (Kathryn M. Keena). There are appointed boards for the library system, community development agency, and several advisory boards. Dakota County is served by an elected board of the Soil and Water Conservation District.

Politics

Dakota County voters tend to vote Democratic. Since 1960, the county has selected the Democratic Party candidate in 71% of national elections (as of 2020).

United States presidential election results for Dakota County, Minnesota[29]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 109,995 42.34% 143,267 55.14% 6,543 2.52%
2020 109,638 41.81% 146,155 55.73% 6,466 2.47%
2016 99,864 43.07% 110,592 47.70% 21,404 9.23%
2012 109,516 47.45% 116,255 50.37% 5,050 2.19%
2008 104,364 46.29% 116,778 51.79% 4,330 1.92%
2004 108,959 50.48% 104,635 48.48% 2,252 1.04%
2000 87,250 47.87% 85,446 46.88% 9,553 5.24%
1996 57,244 37.11% 77,297 50.11% 19,725 12.79%
1992 52,312 33.30% 63,660 40.53% 41,108 26.17%
1988 61,606 49.45% 61,942 49.72% 1,032 0.83%
1984 55,119 52.54% 49,125 46.83% 667 0.64%
1980 40,708 42.96% 43,433 45.84% 10,614 11.20%
1976 37,542 44.65% 44,253 52.63% 2,285 2.72%
1972 34,967 53.96% 28,479 43.95% 1,350 2.08%
1968 19,290 38.65% 28,416 56.94% 2,202 4.41%
1964 13,856 32.73% 28,391 67.07% 81 0.19%
1960 15,032 42.62% 20,150 57.13% 91 0.26%
1956 13,112 50.74% 12,672 49.04% 55 0.21%
1952 11,871 49.71% 11,890 49.79% 118 0.49%
1948 6,819 34.75% 12,487 63.63% 317 1.62%
1944 7,731 47.13% 8,562 52.20% 110 0.67%
1940 8,339 47.00% 9,327 52.57% 77 0.43%
1936 4,043 26.26% 8,890 57.73% 2,465 16.01%
1932 4,439 32.56% 8,958 65.70% 238 1.75%
1928 6,019 45.18% 7,215 54.15% 89 0.67%
1924 3,931 42.34% 929 10.01% 4,424 47.65%
1920 5,373 66.45% 2,190 27.08% 523 6.47%
1916 1,881 41.73% 2,373 52.64% 254 5.63%
1912 609 14.20% 1,777 41.42% 1,904 44.38%
1908 2,481 55.07% 1,778 39.47% 246 5.46%
1904 2,685 68.69% 1,078 27.58% 146 3.73%
1900 1,904 47.64% 1,878 46.99% 215 5.38%
1896 2,147 46.41% 2,310 49.94% 169 3.65%
1892 1,481 37.95% 1,989 50.97% 432 11.07%

Geography

Soils of Dakota County[30]

The county terrain consists of low rolling hills, sloping to the river valleys. Its highest point is at Buck Hill in Burnsville, at 1,168 feet above sea level.[31][32] The county has a total area of 587 square miles (1,520 km2), of which 562 square miles (1,460 km2) is land and 25 square miles (65 km2) (4.2%) is water.[33]

Rivers

Vermillion Falls in Hastings

The northern and eastern boundaries of Dakota County are marked by the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers. Management and jurisdiction of the rivers falls into multiple local, State and Federal agencies. Most of the Minnesota River bank is under the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge with fish, wildlife, and parkland managed collectively by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District assists the county's six watershed management organizations (WMO) which include the Black Dog WMO, Gun Club Lake WMO, Lower Minnesota River Watershed District, Lower Mississippi WMO, North Cannon River WMO, and the Vermillion River Watershed Joint Powers Organization.[34][35][36]

Lakes

Burnsville

Eagan

  • Blackhawk Lake
  • Fish Lake
  • Holland Lake
  • Jensen Lake
  • Thomas Lake

Eureka Township

  • Chub Lake

Hastings

  • Lake Rebecca
  • Lake Isabelle
  • Spring Lake
  • Bullfrog Pond

Lakeville

  • Lake Marion
  • Orchard Lake
  • Kingsley Lake
  • Valley Lake
  • Lee Lake

Lilydale

  • Pickerel Lake

Randolph Township

Ravenna Township

  • Mud Hen Lakes

Rosemount

  • Keegan Lake

West Saint Paul

  • Thompson Lake

South St. Paul

  • Siedls Lake

Apple Valley

  • Long Lake
  • Farquar Lake
  • Crystal Lake
  • Keller Lake
  • Alimagenet Lake
  • Cobblestone Lake

Major highways

Adjacent counties

Protected areas

The following protected areas are within or partially within Dakota County:[31]

Parks

The following parks are located within Dakota County:[31]

Economy

Since the county grew as a bedroom community of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, over half of the residents (54%) work outside the county.[6]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1850584
18609,0931,457.0%
187016,31279.4%
188017,3916.6%
189020,24016.4%
190021,7337.4%
191025,17115.8%
192028,96715.1%
193034,59219.4%
194039,66014.7%
195049,01923.6%
196078,30359.7%
1970139,80878.5%
1980194,27939.0%
1990275,22741.7%
2000355,90429.3%
2010398,55212.0%
2020439,88210.4%
2023 (est.)447,440[37]1.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[38]
1790-1960[39] 1900-1990[40]
1990-2000[41] 2010-2020[2]

2020 census

Dakota County, Minnesota - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / Ethnicity Pop 2010[42] Pop 2020[43] % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 327,962 323,629 82.29% 73.57%
Black or African American alone (NH) 18,235 32,191 4.58% 7.32%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 1,339 1,490 0.34% 0.34%
Asian alone (NH) 17,350 23,932 4.35% 5.44%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 199 184 0.05% 0.04%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 647 2,144 0.16% 0.49%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) 8,854 20,007 2.22% 4.55%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 23,966 36,305 6.01% 8.25%
Total 398,552 439,882 100.00% 100.00%

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

2010 census

2022 US Census population pyramid for Dakota County, from ACS 5-year estimates

As of the census of 2010, Dakota County had a population of 398,552, of which 195,661 (49.1%) were male and 202,891 (50.9%) were female. In terms of age, 76.7% of the population were 16 years and over, 73.6% were 18 years and over, 70.5% were 21 years and over, 12.8% were 62 years and over, and 10.0% were 65 years and over. The median age was 36.8 years. The median age for males was 35.7; the median age for females was 37.9.

In terms of race and ethnicity, the county was 85.2% White (82.3% Non-Hispanic White), 4.7% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 4.4% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 2.4% from some other race, and 2.9% from two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race made up 6.0% of the population.

In terms of households, 69.5% were family households and 30.5% were non-family households. Approximately 55.2% were husband-wife family households; 26% had children under 18 years of age. Approximately 36.6% of households had children under 18 years of age living in them; 18.6% had people over the age of 65 living in them. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.12. In terms of housing occupancy, 95.3% of households were occupied and 4.7% were vacant. Of the vacant housing units, 2.0% were for rent, 0.1% were rented but not occupied, 1.2% were for sale only, 0.2% were sold but not occupied, 0.5% were for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use, and 0.8% were all other vacants. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.1%. Of all occupied housing units, 76.5% were owner-occupied and 23.5% were renter-occupied. The population in owner-occupied units was 314,833; the average household size was 2.71. The population in renter-occupied units was 80,866; the average household size was 2.26.

Education

Dakota County is home to the state's largest school districts and some of the highest paid Superintendents.[44] Nationally recognized Independent School District 196 (Rosemount–Apple Valley–Eagan) houses 28,000 and is the fourth largest school district in the state.[45][46] Other districts include Independent School District 191 (Burnsville–Eagan–Savage School District), Independent School District 194 (Lakeville–Elko–New Market), Independent School District 197 (West St. Paul–Mendota Heights–Eagan) and Independent School District 200 (Hastings).

Schools

High school

Junior high school

  • Black Hawk Middle School (ISD 196)
  • Boeckman Middle School (ISD 192)
  • Century Middle School (ISD 194)
  • Dakota Hills Middle (ISD 196)
  • Dodge Middle School (ISD 192)
  • Falcon Ridge Middle School (ISD 196)
  • Friendly Hills Middle School (ISD 197)
  • Gateway Academy (ISD 192)
  • Hastings Middle School (ISD 200)
  • Heritage E-STEM Magnet School (ISD 197)
  • John Metcalf Junior High School (ISD 191)
  • Joseph Nicollet Junior High School (ISD 191)
  • Kenwood Trail Middle School (ISD 194)
  • Levi P. Dodge Middle School (ISD 192)
  • McGuire Middle School (ISD 194)
  • Robert Boeckman Middle School (ISD 192)
  • Rosemount Middle School (ISD 196)
  • Scott Highlands Middle School (ISD 196)
  • South Saint Paul Secondary (SSD 6)
  • Valley Middle School (ISD 196)

Elementary school

  • Akin Road Elementary (ISD 192)
  • Cedar Park Elementary School (ISD 196)
  • Cherry View Elementary School (ISD 194)
  • Christa McAuliffe Elementary (ISD 200)
  • Christina Huddleston Elementary School (ISD 194)
  • Cooper Elementary (ISD 200)
  • Deerwood Elementary (ISD 196)
  • Diamond Path Elementary (ISD 196)
  • East Lake Elementary (ISD 196)
  • Eastview Elementary School (ISD 194)
  • Echo Park Elementary (ISD 196)
  • Edward D. Neill Elementary (ISD 191)
  • Farmington Elementary (ISD 192)
  • Garlough Environmental Magnet School (ISD 197)
  • Gideon Pond Elementary (ISD 191)
  • Glacier Hills Elementary (ISD 196)
  • Greenleaf Elementary (ISD 196)
  • Highland Elementary (ISD 196)
  • John F. Kennedy Elementary (ISD 194)
  • Kaposia Education Center (SSD 6)
  • Lake Marion Elementary School (ISD 194)
  • Lakeview Elementary School (ISD 194)
  • Lincoln Center Elementary (SSD 6)
  • Meadowview Elementary (ISD 192)
  • Mendota Elementary School (ISD 197)
  • Moreland Arts & Health Sciences Magnet School (ISD 197)
  • North Trail Elementary (ISD 192)
  • Northview Elementary (ISD 196)
  • Oak Hills Elementary School (ISD 194)
  • Oak Ridge Elementary (ISD 196)
  • Orchard Lake Elementary (ISD 194)
  • Parkview Elementary (ISD 196)
  • Pilot Knob STEM Magnet School (ISD 197)
  • Pinecrest Elementary (ISD 200)
  • Pinewood Elementary (ISD 196)
  • Rahn Elementary (ISD 191)
  • Red Pine Elementary (ISD 196)
  • Riverview Elementary (ISD 192)
  • Rosemount Elementary (ISD 196)
  • Shannon Park (ISD 196)
  • Sioux Trail Elementary (ISD 191)
  • Sky Oaks Elementary (ISD 191)
  • Somerset Elementary School (ISD 197)
  • Southview Elementary (ISD 196)
  • Thomas Lake Elementary (ISD 196)
  • Tilden Elementary (ISD 200)
  • Vista View Elementary (ISD 191)
  • William Byrne Elementary (ISD 191)
  • Westview Elementary (ISD 196)
  • Woodland Elementary (ISD 196)

Other schools

  • Saint Joseph Catholic School (pre-kindergarten–8th grade)
  • St. Croix Lutheran High School and Middle School
  • Holy Trinity Catholic School (pre-kindergarten–8th grade)
  • Faithful Shepherd Catholic School (pre-kindergarten–8th grade)

Colleges and universities

Libraries

Communities

Street in downtown Apple Valley with signature red lamp posts. In the background is the Western Service Center.

Dakota County is home to sites significant in the state's early history. At Mendota, the Treaty of Mendota was signed, opening Southern Minnesota to settlement, and prominent Saint Paul businessmen built their mansions there. Though linked with the state's capital for much of history via rail, Dakota County owes much of its current growth to the expansion of Minneapolis' population which accelerated during the post-World War II boom era of the 1960s. This demand for housing along with two major interstate highways linking Minneapolis (I-35W) and St. Paul (I-35E) to the county, concentrated major growth and demand along the northern end. Today, the cities of Burnsville, Eagan, Apple Valley, Lakeville, Rosemount, Hastings, Inver Grove Heights, Mendota Heights, West St. Paul, and South St. Paul are synonymous with the Twin Cities, as being part of "the Cities." Both Burnsville and Eagan are nearly developed and have become more like independent cities attracting major development than mere residential bedroom suburbs.[47][48]

Lakeville's downtown began in the early 20th century, contrasting its modern suburban development.

In contrast, the southern part of Dakota County reflects the rural past with small towns such as Farmington, Coates, Vermillion, Hampton, Randolph, and Miesville where street grids and housing dating from the early 20th century can be found. Much of the county is self-contained except for two examples. The City of Hastings, the county seat, lies on both banks of the Mississippi River and was linked historically and physically by rail to the growing influence of the state's capital, Saint Paul. On the south border, the City of Northfield, technically in Rice County, has expanded north into Dakota however the city itself is allowed into the municipal sewer boundary.[clarification needed]

Though all of Dakota County is considered part of the metropolitan area and open to major development, the county government has steadily preserved farmland and continues to acquire new permanent natural lands in the southern townships.[49] This has further defined the boundaries between urbanized and rural which is starkly visible in the outskirts of the developed cities. While the center of population still lies north with more cosmopolitan residents, culturally Dakota County is a rural community and the Dakota County Fair is still a largely agricultural event, held annually in Farmington.

Most of northern Dakota County is referred to as "South of the River" for its location being south of the Minnesota River.[50][51][52][53]

Cities (2021 population estimate)

Unincorporated communities

Ghost towns

Townships

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ^ "Minnesota Place Names". Minnesota Historical Society. Archived from the original on June 20, 2012. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  2. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ^ a b "County Origin". Dakota County Historical Society. 2005. Archived from the original on May 12, 2008.
  5. ^ Charles Dosh (2003–2007). "Dakota County Genealogy". MN Gen Web.
  6. ^ a b Kevin Monroe; Dawn Thongsavath; Heidi Welsch (May 2006). "Public Assistance Caseload, Increase Analysis" (PDF). Dakota County Employment and Economic Assistance. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 28, 2007. Retrieved September 12, 2007.
  7. ^ Kappler, Charles J., ed. (1904). "Indian Affairs: Laws and Treaties". II (Treaties, 1778-1883). Washington: Oklahoma State University Library – via Government Printing Office. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. ^ "Treaty with the Sioux". September 29, 1837. Archived from the original on December 1, 2008.
  9. ^ "Treaty with the Sioux—Sisseton and Wahpeton Bands". July 23, 1851. Archived from the original on June 16, 2008. Retrieved July 7, 2008.
  10. ^ "Treaty With the Sioux—Mdewakanton and Wapahkoota Bands". August 5, 1851. Archived from the original on July 11, 2007. Retrieved June 26, 2007.
  11. ^ a b Mark Morrison (2008). "Dakota Life". City of Bloomington. Archived from the original on May 1, 2008.
  12. ^ "Iowa Indian Tribe History". Handbook of American Indians, 1906. 2008 – via Access Genealogy.
  13. ^ "Who We Are". Mendota Mdewakanton Dakota Community. 2007.
  14. ^ Dakota County Historical Society (2005). "Historic Sites: Burnsville". Archived from the original on December 30, 2003.
  15. ^ "The Treaty Story". Minnesota History Center. 1999. Archived from the original on January 5, 2009.
  16. ^ "Historic Sites:Mendota Heights". Dakota County Historical Society. 2005. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved February 28, 2008.
  17. ^ Carley, Kenneth (1976). The Sioux Uprising of 1862. Minnesota Historical Society. ISBN 0-87351-103-4. OCLC 2225048.
  18. ^ Lass, William (1998) [1977]. Minnesota: A History. New York NY: W. W. Norton & Co. ISBN 0-393-04628-1. OCLC 37527613.
  19. ^ Meyer, Roy Willard (1993). History of the Santee Sioux: United States Indian Policy on Trial. Lincoln NE: University of Nebraska Press.
  20. ^ Dosh, Charles. "Welcome To Dakota County MN". MN Genweb. Retrieved March 2, 2008.
  21. ^ "South St. Paul Riverfront Trail". Mississippi National River and Recreation area. Archived from the original on December 31, 2006. Retrieved March 19, 2007.
  22. ^ "County Origin". Dakota County Historical Society. 2005. Archived from the original on May 12, 2008. Retrieved February 28, 2008.
  23. ^ "Historic Sites:South St. Paul". Dakota County Historical Society. Archived from the original on August 7, 2008. Retrieved March 19, 2007.
  24. ^ ED Neill (1881). "History of Dakota County 1881". Burnsville Heritage Committee. Archived from the original on October 20, 2009.
  25. ^ "The Dan Patch railway". St. Louis Park Historical Society. Archived from the original on February 26, 2008.
  26. ^ Kevin Gerahty (March 2006). "Histories of the Dakota County Irish". Friends of the Highland Cemetery.
  27. ^ Karen Miller (1896). The diary of Karen Miller. s.n.
  28. ^ Dan Gearino (August 11, 2000). "County breaks ground on $36.5 million Northern Service Center in West St. Paul". Thisweek Newspapers. Retrieved May 10, 2008.
  29. ^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  30. ^ Nelson, Steven (2011). Savanna Soils of Minnesota. Minnesota: Self. pp. 43 - 48. ISBN 978-0-615-50320-2.
  31. ^ a b c "Find an Altitude/Dakota County MN" Google Maps (accessed March 7, 2019)
  32. ^ Ripley, George; Dana, Charles A., eds. (1879). "Dakota. IASE county of Minnesota" . The American Cyclopædia.
  33. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  34. ^ Home - Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District Archived July 19, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  35. ^ Mississippi River Critical Area Program - Division of Waters: Minnesota DNR
  36. ^ "Lower Minnesota River Watershed District". Archived from the original on June 5, 2008. Retrieved July 7, 2008.
  37. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  38. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  39. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  40. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  41. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  42. ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Dakota County, Minnesota". United States Census Bureau.
  43. ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Dakota County, Minnesota". United States Census Bureau.
  44. ^ State Auditor Awada says some Minnesota school boards mask superintendent payArchived November 20, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  45. ^ School District 196 Public Relations and CommunicationsArchived August 10, 2007, at archive.today
  46. ^ About School District 196Archived April 19, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  47. ^ Burnsville 'in great shape,' mayor saysArchived September 3, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  48. ^ U.S. Postal Service studies Eagan site for possible relocation of 3 metro post officesArchived October 20, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  49. ^ Dakota County News and Program Updates Archived August 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  50. ^ South of the River Music Archived May 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  51. ^ South of the River 7 on 7 Passing League
  52. ^ South of the River Band
  53. ^ Dirk Deyoung (April 24, 1998). "South of the river draws big players". Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal. Retrieved June 5, 2008.
  54. ^ "Knutson, David L." Minnesota Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved November 2, 2018.

44°41′N 93°04′W / 44.68°N 93.06°W / 44.68; -93.06