Lakeville

Lakeville

Lakeville has been named by Money Magazine among the Top 100 best places to live. At number 26 in the list, this southern gateway to the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul has lots to offer both residents and visitors aside from over a hundred years of history.

The city used to be a rural community with most of its residents engaged in agricultural activities. The area however developed into an urban community but still retaining the homely and environment-friendly atmosphere that it has been known for.

Lakeville was a rural community that serviced surrounding agricultural activities. In recent years, our convenient access to the metropolitan area has stimulated both residential and commercial growth. Located at the edge between urban and rural service areas, Lakeville proudly maintains a historic downtown neighborhood and other mature residential areas. Our community realizes that growth is inevitable and has focused on planning for development that retains our community’s unique atmosphere.

The town area of Lakeville is historic enough to capture the attention of visitors and even of resident who have not grown tired of reliving the cities historic past. The name itself suggest the existence of lakes in the area and true enough, there are three lakes in Lakeville which provide an environment hub for its people as well as boating, picnic and fishing opportunities.

Lakeville is a progressive community that offers a good balance of a clean and green environment as well as a thriving business and industrial sector. Lakeville’s industrial park provides an ideal location for the almost 150 business that are providing over 4,000 jobs for Lakeville residents.

The secret to Lakeville’s success lies in its multi-sector partnerships, provision of efficient services by the local government and the participation of its residents in almost all its programs. One thing that can be said about Lakeville is its well-planned development which is responsible for providing its residents with an environment-friendly and business-friendly city.

History

One important piece in the history of Lakeville is the Captain Dodd road which bisects the city. The road, which was named in honor of Captain William B. Dodd, was constructed in 1853 to connect St. Paul and the Southern military forts.

Lakeville used to be known as Prairie Lake which was a halfway village between St. Paul and St. Peter. It was named Lakeville Township in 1855 but was changed to Lake Marion after Colonel Marion Savage who pioneered in the entertainment and horse racing business in the area. The rail line which was used to service the park was then known as Dan Patch Railroad Line.

Among the early settlers of Lakeville are Scandinavian farmers but there were minor groups consisting of Scots, Irish and English. The City of Lakeville was officially incorporated in 1967 with agriculture as the main industry in the area. However, the development of the nearby Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul led to the rising costs of land in the area which resulted to a housing boom in Lakeville and in the nearby towns.

Community Profile

As of the 2000 Census, Lakeville has a population of 43,128 people comprising 11,526 families and 13,609 households. Majority or 94.26% of the residents are Whites while the rest are Asians (2.01%), African Americans (1.28%), Native Americans (0.38%) and a mix of Pacific Islanders and those from other races.

Lakeville is a growing community in the southern suburbs of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The ISD 194 (Lakeville) school district is one of the top in the state of MN. Academic achievement and test scores rank in the top of the state on a yearly basis. The school district also has 2 high schools. This allows for more opportunity for the students within the community, to participate in academic and sports activities. Academic and sports activities are highly supported in the community, and compete at very high levels. Youth activities are provided by both Community Ed as well various clubs within the community. Lakeville's parks include lake beach fronts, activity centers, sports field parks, playground parks, etc.

Lakeville is a wonderful place to raise a family, own or rent a home, and enjoy some peace and quiet.