Bloomington was established as apost–World War II housing boom suburb connected to Minneapolis's urban street grid, and is serviced by four major freeways:Interstate 35W running north-south through the approximate middle of the city,Minnesota State Highway 77, also signed as Cedar Avenue, running north-south near the eastern end of the city,U.S. Highway 169, running north-south along the western boundary of the city, andInterstate 494 running east-west at the northern border.Minnesota State Highway 100 also terminates within city limits at Interstate 494. Large-scale commercial development is concentrated along the I-494 corridor. Besides an extensive city park system, with over 1,000 square feet (93 m2) of parkland per capita,[9] Bloomington is also home toHyland Lake Park Reserve in the west andMinnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge in the southeast.
In 1839, with renewed conflict with theOjibwa nation, ChiefCloud Man relocated his band of theMdewakantonSioux fromBde Maka Ska inMinneapolis to an area named Oak Grove in southern Bloomington, close to present-day Portland Avenue.[13] In 1843, Peter and Louisa Quinn, the first European settlers to live in Bloomington, built a cabin along theMinnesota River in the area.[14] The government had sent them to teach the Native Americans European-derived farming methods.Gideon Hollister Pond, amissionary who had been following and recording the Dakota language from Cloud Man's band, relocated later that year, establishing Oak Grove Mission, his log cabin. Pond and his family held church services and taught the Dakota school subjects and Western farming. Passage across the Minnesota River in Bloomington came in 1849 when William Chambers and Joseph Dean opened the Bloomington Ferry. It remained operational until 1889, when theBloomington Ferry Bridge was built.
After theTreaty of Traverse des Sioux in 1851, the territory west of theMississippi River, including Bloomington, was opened to settlers. A group of pioneers settled in Bloomington, including the Goodrich, Whalon, and Ames families. They named the area Bloomington after the city they were from,Bloomington, Illinois. Most early jobs were infarming,blacksmithing, andflour milling.[15] The Oxborough family, who came from Canada, built a trading center onLyndale Avenue and named it Oxboro Heath. Today, the Clover Shopping Center rests near the old trading center site and the nearby Oxboro Clinic is named after them. The Baliff family opened a grocery and general store at what is today Penn Avenue and Old Shakopee Road, and Hector Chadwick, after moving to the settlement, opened a blacksmith shop near the Bloomington Ferry. In 1855, the first public school for all children was opened in Miss Harrison's house, with the first school, Gibson House, built in 1859.[15] On May 11, 1858, the day Minnesota was admitted into the union and officially became a state, 25 residents incorporated the Town of Bloomington. By 1880, the population had grown to 820.[16] In 1892, the first town hall was built at Penn and Old Shakopee Road. By then, the closest Dakota to Minneapolis lived at the residence of Gideon Pond.[13]
After 1900, the population surpassed 1,000 and Bloomington began to transform into a city. With rising population came conflict among citizens over social issues. Among the major issues during this period were parents' unwillingness to consolidate the individual schools into a single, larger school, and fear of mounting taxes. By 1900, there were six rural schools spread throughout the territory with over 200 students enrolled in grades first through eighth. In 1917, the school consolidation issue was settled when voters approved the consolidation. A year later,secondary education andschool bus transportation began throughout the city.Telephone service andautomobiles appeared.
From 1940 to 1960, the city's population increased to nine times that of the population at the turn of the century. During the 1940s, the city's development vision waslow-cost,low-density housing, each with its ownwell andseptic system. The rapid population growth was due in part to the post-World War II boom and subsequent birth of thebaby boomer generation. In 1947, the firstfire station was constructed and equipped at a cost of $24,000 and the BloomingtonVolunteer Fire Department was established with 25 members.
The 1950s saw a considerable expansion of the city and its infrastructure, with the city shifting away from its small-town atmosphere and feel. In 1950, because of the increasing population, the first elementary school, Cedarcrest, was built. It was evident that one consolidated school could no longer serve the growing population, and ten new schools were built in this decade to meet the need. In 1952, the first large business,Toro Manufacturing Company, moved to Bloomington. The significance of this can be seen in Bloomington today, which is home to hundreds of businesses of all types.
In 1953, Bloomington changed from atownship to a village form of government. This more professional approach to government was accompanied by open council meetings, land use plans, and published budgets. The effects of this new form of government began immediately, first with the formation of the city police department (at a cost of $2 per taxpayer) and then with the first parkland acquisition. BothBush Lake Beach and Moir Park were established at a cost of one dollar to each residence. Today, about 1/3 of the city's land area is devoted to city and regional parks, playgrounds, and open space.[17] In 1956, the first city land-use plan was initiated with the construction ofInterstate 35W andMetropolitan Stadium.
In 1958, the city changed from a village government to acouncil-manager form. One of the first policies the council adopted was encouragement of commercial and industrial development, low-cost housing, and shopping centers. Due to the rapid population increase during this time, police and fire departments changed to a 24-hour dispatching system, and the fire department (now with 46 members) converted a garage into the second fire station.
The 1960s saw accelerated school and business growth throughout the city. On November 8, 1960, Bloomington officially became a city as voters approved the city's organizing document, the city charter. The charter provides for a council-manager form of government in which the city council exercises the city's legislative power and determines all city policies (seeCity of Bloomington Government). In 1965, a second high school,John F. Kennedy High School, was built, and Bloomington High School was renamedAbraham Lincoln High School. In 1967, a second and third official fire station were approved and built to more effectively combat fires in the increasingly large city. In 1968, Normandale State Junior College opened with an initial enrollment of 1,358 students. In 1974, it was renamedNormandale Community College to reflect expanded courses of study.
Owned by the City of Minneapolis but located in Bloomington, major league teams played at theMetropolitan Stadium from 1961 until 1981. It was demolished in 1985 to make room for the Mall of America.
A number of new city buildings were constructed in the 1970s. In 1970,Thomas Jefferson High School, Bloomington Ice Garden rink one, and a fourth fire station were built. In 1971, school enrollment peaked with 26,000 students, and the fire department had grown to a force of 105 men. (In 1974, after a six-hour city council meeting, women were allowed to join the Bloomington Fire Department, but the city's first female firefighter, Ann Majerus Meyer, did not join the department until 1984; she retired in 2013). In 1975, a second rink was added to the Bloomington Ice Garden and a fifth fire station built, with a sixth added in 1979.
The 1980s brought radical change to Bloomington with the departure of the Twins and Vikings. On September 30, 1981, the last baseball game was played at Metropolitan Stadium (Kansas City Royals 5, Twins 2) as the Twins and Vikings moved to the newly constructedHubert H. Humphrey Metrodome indowntown Minneapolis for the 1982 season. In 1985, the Bloomington Port Authority purchased the 86-acre (350,000 m2) Met Stadium site and in less than two years approved first site plans forMall of America. Two years later, groundbreaking took place for the new megamall, and in 1992, it opened to the public. Today, tenants of Mall of America, when combined, constitute the largest private-sector employer in Bloomington, employing about 13,000 people.
In 1993, the Minnesota North Stars moved toDallas, and a year later theMetropolitan Sports Center was demolished. In 2004, anIKEA store opened on the west end of the former Met Center site. The remainder of the property is planned to be the site for Mall of America Phase II. In May 2006, theWater Park of America (now Great Wolf Lodge[18]) opened.
Bloomington includes portions of the Minnesota River Valley on its southern and eastern sides
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 38.395 square miles (99.44 km2), of which 34.699 square miles (89.87 km2) is land and 3.696 square miles (9.57 km2) or 9.73% is water.[4]
There are three primary land types in the city. The northeastern part of the city is a sand plain, low hills dominate the western part, and the far south lies within the valley of theMinnesota River.[citation needed]
Water bodies in the city includeBush Lake, Long Meadow Lake,Normandale Lake, Marsh Lake (Hennepin), Nine Mile Creek, Penn Lake and about 100 small lakes and ponds with theirwetlandhabitats.
The city is informally divided byInterstate 35W into "West Bloomington" and "East Bloomington". West Bloomington is mostly residential with newer housing stock, along with multi-story office high-rises alongInterstate Highway 494 in the north, whereas East Bloomington contains moreindustry, destinationretail centers, and the majority of Bloomington's less expensive housing. The dividing line may be placed as far west as France Avenue, where the high school attendance boundaries meet.[23]
The city is home to a large contingent of employers, providing more than 100,000 jobs. Benefiting from its proximity to major transportation routes and theMinneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, Bloomington is a major hospitality center with nearly 8,000 hotel rooms.[24]
While the city is still largely suburban in nature, Bloomington has promoted the development of several urban nodes, particularly in areas well-served by public transportation. The Penn-American District, located near the center of the city, is home toSouthtown Center and several new apartment buildings, and is served by theMetro Orange Line.[28] TheNormandale Lake District contains a large office complex and is situated between Normandale Lake andInterstate 494.[29] Finally, the South Loop District, which forms the area around the Mall of America, encompasses theMinnesota River bluff and many new hotel, apartment, office, and retail buildings, including theBloomington Central Station development on theMetro Blue Line light rail.[30]
ISD 271 has served the pre-kindergarten to grade 12 educational needs of the city since the 1960s, with an operating fund revenue of $148.1 million in 2020.[31] Fifteen public schools in Bloomington are operated by the district as well as a K-12 online school,[32] governed by a seven-member elected school board, which appointed Superintendent Eric Melbye in 2021.[33] The previous superintendent, Les Fujitake, served from 2006 until 2020. The city's first publiccharter school, Seven Hills Preparatory Academy, opened in 2006. As many families remain in or continue to move into the city, there has been support for levy increases. In 1999, the then-largest school bond issue in Minnesota history was approved, funding a $107 million school expansion and renovation project.[34]
The district's two high schools areJohn F. Kennedy High School in the east andThomas Jefferson High School in the west. New Code Academy is an online high school for students in any area. The determining boundary for high school attendance runs near the center of Bloomington on France and Xerxes Avenues, though both schools have open enrollment.[35]
Bloomington's third high school,Abraham Lincoln High School (originally Bloomington High School), closed in 1982 and was sold to theControl Data Corporation in the mid-1980s. Bloomington Stadium, next to the former high school, is still currently being used by bothKennedy High School andJefferson High School forfootball,lacrosse, andsoccer games. In 2025, both schools have added bleachers and concessions to their respective football fields, and plan to stop using Bloomington Stadium by the end of the year due to the significant repairs needed, and similar long-term costs.
Bloomington Lutheran School is a K–8 Christian school associated with theWELS. The school is near Bloomington Ferry Road and Old Shakopee Road.
Nativity of Mary School is on Lyndale Avenue. It is associated with the Nativity of Mary Catholic Church and community.
United Christian Academy provides K–12 Christian Education. Just west of France Avenue on 98th Street, it is interdenominational with representation of over 60 different Christian churches.
Bloomington, Minnesota – racial and ethnic composition 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 may be of any race.
As of the2020 census, there were 89,987 people, 38,080 households, and 22,394 families residing in the city.[42] Thepopulation density was 2,593.1 inhabitants per square mile (1,001.2/km2). There were 39,600 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 69.3%White, 9.9%African American, 0.8%Native American, 6.6%Asian, 0.1%Pacific Islander, 6.2% from some other races and 7.1% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 9.9% of the population.[43]
There are 37,653 households accounted for in the 2022 ACS, with an average of 2.33 persons per household. The city's a median gross rent is $1,426 in the 2022 ACS. The 2022 ACS reports a median household income of $87,381, with 67.0% of households are owner occupied. 7.9% of the city's population lives at or below thepoverty line (down from previous ACS surveys). The city boasts a 68.8% employment rate, with 44.9% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 92.8% holding a high school diploma.[44]
The top nine reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were German (22.7%), Norwegian (12.2%), Irish (8.3%), English (5.2%), Polish (3.6%), Subsaharan African (3.6%), French (except Basque) (2.9%), Italian (1.6%), and Scottish (0.8%).
As of the2010 census, there were 82,893 people, 35,905 households, and 21,618 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,390.1 inhabitants per square mile (922.8/km2). There were 37,641 housing units at an average density of 1,085.4 per square mile (419.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 79.7%White, 7.2%African American, 0.4%Native American, 5.9%Asian, 0.1%Pacific Islander, 3.7% fromother races, and 3.1% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 6.8% of the population. East Bloomington is notably more diverse than West Bloomington.
There were 35,905 households, of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.6% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.8% were non-families. Of all households 32.2% were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.89.
The median age in the city was 42.7 years. 19.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.1% were from 25 to 44; 28.9% were from 45 to 64; and 18.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.
Of the 19.7% of the population under 18, much of the young population is considerably more diverse than the mostly white adult population.
Bloomington is governed by a seven-member part-time city council. Members include the mayor and six council members, of whom four are elected from districts and two elected at-large. Members are elected to four-year terms, except during redistricting when all district council members have a two-year term. Elections arenonpartisan; since 2021, they have been conducted byranked-choice voting after more than 51% of voters voted yes on a ballot question on the topic.[46] An effort to repeal ranked-choice voting failed after a petition again put it on the ballot in 2024, with over 51% of voters voting against the repeal.[47]
City operations are controlled by three interrelated entities: the City itself, the Port Authority, and the Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA). The Port Authority was formerly responsible for managing development in the South Loop District, in the easternmost part of the city, where the Mall of America is. In 2022, it expanded its economic development services to the entire city.[48] The HRA handles low-income housing in the city and manages the city's redevelopment activities. Membership on the boards of the Port Authority and HRA is controlled by the City Council. Several boards and commissions also exist that are advisory to the City Council: the Advisory Board of Health, Charter Commission, Creative Placemaking Commission, Human Rights Commission, Local Board of Appeal and Equalization, Merit Board, Parks, Arts, and Recreation Commission, and the Sustainability Commission.[49]
The city's organizing document, the City Charter, was approved by voters on November 8, 1960.
The Bloomington Fire Department operates out of sixfire stations, and uses the latest in fire-fighting equipment. The department has 30 fire-fighting vehicles, including pumpers, hook and ladders, specialty units (one vehicle compact enough to navigate the Mall of America's parking ramps), and spares, all of which are equipped withOpticom System equipment, which automatically switches traffic signals to expedite emergency runs. The average response time is four minutes.[51] In 2021, the city began transitioning to a full-time fire department through SAFER grants in 2022 and 2024.[52] It was formerly one of Minnesota's largest remaining volunteer fire departments,
Public safety is protected by Bloomington's 142-officerpolice department. The current police chief is Booker T. Hodges. The officers have Ford Police Interceptor squad SUV's, with each containing a computer-assisted dispatching center that contains a computerized records system, mobile digital terminals that allow officers direct access towarrant information and state motor vehicle and driver's license records, andOpticom System equipment, which automatically switches traffic signals. The police department is also supported by sevencanine teams: six dual-purpose patrol dogs, and a single-purpose narcotics dog. The police department has one of Minnesota's fourbomb squads and a 20-memberSWAT team.[53]
The Works is an experiential technology learning museum for youth.
The Bloomington History Museum focuses on the history of Bloomington, ranging from the prehistoric period through the present day and operates out of a historic town hall building.
Artistry is a professional theater and visual arts nonprofit that produces musicals and plays in the 366-seat Schneider Theater at the municipally owned and operated Bloomington Center for the Arts.
The high school theater companies at Jefferson and Kennedy each stage three full length productions, a one-act, and a combined fifth production in the summer, annually.
Muralist Erik Pearson's[65] 2007 work "Creating Together" adorns the flyloft of the theater at Bloomington Center for the Arts. Pearson also created the mural "Science and Nature" in the city's South Loop district, at the Bass Ponds trailhead entrance.
2015 marked the unveiling of "Convergence", by sculptor James Brenner.[66] Bloomington also adopted a creative placemaking plan for its South Loop District near the Mall of America and established the Creative Placemaking Commission.[67]
In 2018, the Wright's Lake Park mural, "Seasons of Becoming", was completed by GoodSpace Murals. It is located on Old Cedar Avenue facing Wright's Lake Park. It was inspired, designed, and painted both by the general public and by students from Valley View Middle School, from a gifted program called Nobel, focused on creativity.
In 2021, the WE Mural was completed. WE, a tapestry of murals was curated and produced by Ua Si Creative, and commissioned by the City of Bloomington as part of their creative placemaking efforts; an initiative by the City of Bloomington and the nonprofit arts organization, Artistry, to establish the South Loop as a vibrant, distinctive community. The mural faces American Boulevard and 30th Avenue South along two walls of an Xcel Energy Substation in Bloomington's South Loop District. WE Artists include: Andrés Guzman + Xee Reiter, City Mischief featuring Thomasina Topbear and Tom Jay, Reggie LeFlore, Marlena Myles, Martzia Thometz, and Ua Si Creative.
Also in 2021, The Goldfinch sculpture was installed in South Loop District, by artist Donald Lipski with support from sculptor Christopher Collins, fabricators Yetiweurks and FAST Fiberglass, and project manager John Grant. It is located at the intersection of Old Shakopee Road and Killebrew Drive. Artist Donald Lipski was inspired by the more than 250 species of birds that pass yearly through the nearby, spectacular Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. He entrusted the choice of species to a public poll, and the goldfinch was the overwhelming favorite.
Bloomington adopted a citywide creative placemaking plan in 2025 in order to improve community spaces in alignment with the city's strategic plan.[68]
Comcast provides access to four Bloomingtoncable television stations forpublic, educational, and government access (PEG) programming. They include The Bloomington Channel 14, a comprehensive source of Bloomington information and programming. Thegovernment-access television (GATV) channel features City Council and school board meetings, a weekly news magazine show called "Bloomington Today", "Roll Call", a weekly update on public safety news produced by the Bloomington Police Department, arts events, and sports. Bloomington Educational Community Television (BEC-TV) highlights educational and school-based programs from the Bloomington's public and private schools. Programming on this channel includeseducational-access television content, concerts, choir shows, graduations, and sporting events. Two student produced shows are also on BEC-TV. Tomorrow's Voices Today (TVT) is a teen news show that highlights the good things teens are doing around the city and talks about teen related issues. YRU-Up was a late night call-inPublic-access televisioncable TV talk show, airing from 1991 to 2017. Skits for the show were produced by students and the show was live every Friday night (Sat. Morning) at 12:30am on TBC (Channel 14). A third channel, BCAT, (Bloomington Cable Access Television)[69] is a Public-access channel that allows individuals and organizations to learn video production and create television shows. The schedules for these channels can be found on a channel called the B.R.A.I.N. The PEG channels are funded byCable television franchise fees collected in the city.
Parts of theCoen brothers filmA Serious Man were filmed in an East Bloomington neighborhood. The neighborhood was chosen for its original suburbanranch-style houses and young trees (due to a storm knocking older ones down), giving it a 1960s new-development look.[70]
Bloomington Ice Garden during a Boys' Hockey Section 6AA playoff game between Benilde-St. Margaret's and Cretin Durham Hall
Hyland Park includes both a ski area and Nordic ski jumps. The ski jumps are maintained by the Minneapolis Ski Club Minneapolis Ski Club and are some of the most urban ski jumps in the U.S. Several U.S. Olympic ski jumpers have come from this ski club. The Minneapolis Ski Club hosted the 2013 Junior National competition. The city also operates the Bloomington Ice Garden (BIG), which contains three ice rinks, one of which is Olympic-size and the other of which has a capacity of 2,500.[71] It appeared in the filmMiracle, with the team practicing there before theOlympics. During the winter, the Parks and Recreation Department creates 10+ outdoor skating rinks.
Bloomington was the point of growth forpickleball in Minnesota, beginning about 2005 when retirees brought the sport back from their southern-states retirement homes. From the Westwood Athletic Fields in southern Bloomington, other groups formed and grew to an active statewide player population in excess of 1,500. Bloomington is also the home of Pickleball Minnesota, the Pickleball website serving the state and the Upper Midwest.
Dred Scott Playfield in Bloomington
Bloomington has two major sports complexes. Dred Scott Playfields, named afterDred Scott, is on the far West side and contains a variety of recreational activities, including baseball, softball, football, sand volleyball, tennis, and basketball.[72] Also within the complex are an outdoor batting cage and a miniature golf course that are privately owned. Valley View Playfields on the East side contains softball and baseball fields,bocce ball courts, and the Bloomington Family Aquatic Center.[73] Bush Lake Beach (BLB) is onBush Lake and is open in the summer to recreational swimmers.
