As the name would imply, the city of Coon Rapids is located along a stretch of the Mississippi River that used to be known for its turbid waters. The construction of a dam calmed those waters. This large suburb, located 20 miles north of Minneapolis, is a quiet area for its residents. The city features numerous neighborhood and regional parks as well as several major shopping developments, many of which are newly constructed. With excellent access to Highways 10 and 61, the city is well connected to the rest of the metro area. 

History

The famous Red River Ox Cart Trail that ran from St. Paul to the Red River Valley went right through the area now known as Coon Rapids. Thousands of travelers used it during the fur trade era. A fully developed city didn't emerge until after the Great Northern Development Company built a power-generating dam below the Coon Creek Rapids in 1912. Within a year of construction, a small city sprang up complete with streets and houses. Coon Creek Rapids was the original name of the town and was shortened to Coon Rapids when the city was incorporated in 1959. 

Parks and Recreation 

The city of Coon Rapids takes great pride in its park system that features over 40 neighborhood parks. These parks are connected in part by more than 15 miles of trails and provide residents with a variety of activities. Sand Creek Park is a large park with a wide variety of activities and facilities. The park features two lighted football fields complete with electronic scoreboards and bleachers. There are four turf surfaced tennis courts, basketball courts and in the Winter two full-sized hockey rinks and an open skating area complete with a warming house. The park also is the site of a new skateboard park. Al Flynn Park is a field of dreams complete with two men's softball fields and one women's softball field. The park also includes a large picnic area, tennis courts and play-area. The Coon Rapids Soccer Complex offers six full-size soccer fields that are used for a variety of tournaments and local leagues. Another field of dreams can be found at Wintercrest Park where two regulation baseball fields come complete with fencing, dugouts and an electronic scoreboard. This park also features an ice-rink and sliding hill in the wintertime, not to mention a play area open year round. 

Schools

The entire city of Coon Rapids is located within the Anoka-Hennepin School District #11. The district's goal is to provide all learners with an equal opportunity for lifelong success by effectively using the districts resources to provide a safe, respectful, and challenging learning environment. Coon Rapids High School is the only high school in the city though there are two middle schools and nine elementary schools.

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