Other Information
- Phone Numbers
List of frequently-called Anoka
County phone numbers
- Hours of operation
County offices are generally open for business
Monday -Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed on weekends and
holidays. Some facilities, such as
License Centers and
Parks have
extended hours of operation.
- Directions
Maps with driving instructions
to the Anoka County Government Center.
-
County Map
Download the county map and view it with the Adobe Acrobat
Reader.
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About Anoka County
Geography
Anoka County is bounded by Isanti County on the north, Chisago and Washington Counties
on the east, Ramsey and Hennepin Counties on the south, and Hennepin and Sherburne
Counties on the west. It lies on both sides of the Rum River, which enters the county
approximately 20 miles north of the City of Anoka.
Municipalities in Anoka County
- Andover
- Anoka
- Bethel
- Blaine
- Centerville
- Circle Pines
- Columbia Heights
- Columbus
- Coon Rapids
- East Bethel
- Fridley
- Ham Lake
- Hilltop
- Lexington
- Lino Lakes
- Linwood
- Nowthen
- Oak Grove
- Ramsey
- St Francis
- Spring Lake Park
Demographics
See demographic information.
History
The history of Anoka County starts in
1849 when the Minnesota territorial legislature organized the counties of Washington,
Ramsey and Benton. What is now Anoka County was embraced in both Ramsey and Benton
Counties because the Rum River was the dividing line between the two counties.
As early as 1850, fur traders began to settle on the Rum River in the area now known as
Ramsey. As more settlers came into the area, this thriving community was given the name
Anoka. The name originated from the Indian language, meaning "on both sides."
In 1856, Sherburne County was detached from Benton County. That territory, lying east
of Sherburne County and west of the Rum River, was also detached to become a part of
Ramsey County. By an act of the legislature, Anoka County was formed from Ramsey County on
May 23, 1857. The original eight townships included: Anoka, Watertown (Ramsey), Round Lake
(Andover), Bethel, Columbus, St. Francis, Oak Grove and Centerville.
 The original boundaries of Anoka County were the same as today except for a small
portion of the southeastern tip of the county along the Mississippi River at the south.
This strip was a tiny county created from Ramsey County the same day Anoka County was
created. This tiny county was given the name of Manomin and occupied only about one-third
of a congressional township. It functioned as an organized county until abolished and
attached to Anoka County by constitutional amendment November 2, 1869. As an organized
township of Anoka County, Manomin kept this name until it was changed to Fridley in 1879.
In 1877, the Board of County Commissioners voted to build a courthouse on the present
site of the County Courthouse. The building was completed in January 1878. Starting in
1955 various construction projects have transformed the original Courthouse into the Anoka
County Government Center and numerous other buildings including: Libraries, Highway
Maintenance, Parks Administration and Human Services facilities.
Page last updated on
02/03/2009
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