Apple Valley, Minnesota facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Apple Valley
City
Apple Valley
Flag
Motto(s):  "Plant, Grow, Prosper"
Location of the city of Apple Valley within Dakota County, Minnesota
Apple Valley, Minnesota Location in Minnesota Show map of Minnesota Apple Valley, Minnesota Location in the United States Show map of the United States Apple Valley, Minnesota Location in North America Show map of North America
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
County	Dakota
Incorporated	1969
Area
• City	17.55 sq mi (45.45 km2)
• Land	16.87 sq mi (43.69 km2)
• Water	0.68 sq mi (1.76 km2)
Elevation	974 ft (297 m)
Population  (2020)
• City	56,374
• Estimate  (2022)	55,416
• Rank	US: 724th MN: 17th
• Density	3,341.47/sq mi (1,290.18/km2)
• Metro	3,693,729 (US: 16th)
• Demonym	Valleyian
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	55124
Area code(s)	952
FIPS code	27-01900
GNIS feature ID	2393967

Apple Valley is a city located in Dakota County, Minnesota. It's a suburb of the Twin Cities. In 2020, about 56,374 people lived there. This makes it the 17th largest city in Minnesota.

History of Apple Valley

The area that is now Apple Valley started as Lebanon Township in 1859. For almost 100 years, it was mostly farmland. In the mid-1950s, new homes and neighborhoods began to replace the farms.

A real estate developer named Orrin Thompson helped build many of the first homes. His company looked for the best places for new growth in the Twin Cities area. They found a good spot near County Road 42 and Cedar Avenue. Thompson bought the first houses and streets from the Broback family.

The name "Apple Valley" came from a company that helped choose this area. That company was located in Apple Valley, California. Another idea for the name is that when people drove into Lebanon Township, it reminded them of the nice community of Apple Valley, California.

In 1968, people in the township voted to officially become a city. They also chose the name Apple Valley over Lebanon Valley. Apple Valley won with 1376 votes compared to 757 votes for Lebanon Valley.

Geography of Apple Valley

The Apple Valley municipal building

Apple Valley covers about 17.57 square miles (45.45 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 16.86 square miles (43.69 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.71 square miles (1.76 square kilometers), is water.

The city has rolling hills. The lowest and highest points can differ by 100 feet or more. The main downtown area and the older neighborhoods are in a shallow valley.

People of Apple Valley

In 2010, there were 49,084 people living in Apple Valley. Most residents were White (83.8%). Other groups included African American (5.5%), Asian (5.3%), and Native American (0.4%). About 4.9% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average age in the city was about 37.9 years old. About 25.4% of the people were under 18.

Apple Valley is part of Minnesota's 2nd congressional district. It is represented by Angie Craig. In the Minnesota Legislature, the city is represented by State Senator Greg Clausen and Representatives Robert Bierman and John Huot.

Economy in Apple Valley

Many people in Apple Valley work for large organizations and companies. Here are some of the top employers in the city:

Arts and Culture in Apple Valley

Annual Events

Apple Valley has two main yearly events:

• Apple Valley Freedom Days: This festival takes place around July 4th. It includes a large parade with local bands and groups. There's also a carnival and a fireworks show.
• Apple Valley Winter Carnival: Held in February, this event features ice skating, a medallion hunt, and fun contests for kids.

The Minnesota Zoo

Apple Valley is home to the famous Minnesota Zoo. This zoo has hundreds of animals from different climates around the world.

• Tropics Trail: This indoor area features animals from rainforests and tropical places.
• Minnesota Trail: Here you can see animals native to Minnesota, like black bears, wolves, and beavers.
• Northern Trail: This trail has large animals from cold climates. You might see Asian wild horses, takins, brown bears, and Amur leopards.

The zoo also has an aquarium, penguins from South Africa, and Japanese snow monkeys.

Education in Apple Valley

Apple Valley has many schools, all part of Independent School District 196. There are six elementary schools, three middle schools, and three high schools.

One special school is the School of Environmental Studies (SES). It's a magnet school for 11th and 12th graders.

In 2007, the school district opened three elementary magnet schools:

• Cedar Park Elementary: Focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).
• Diamond Path Elementary: Has an International Studies theme.
• Glacier Hills Elementary: Focuses on Arts and Science.

Some students can also attend public schools in other districts if their families choose to.

Transportation in Apple Valley

Several important roads run through Apple Valley. These include Interstate Highway 35E, Cedar Avenue, and County Road 42. Highway 77 also briefly enters the northern part of the city.

The Minnesota Valley Transit Authority provides bus services. Many buses take people to Downtown Minneapolis and Saint Paul during weekdays. The Red Line is a special bus line that connects Apple Valley to the Mall of America.

Notable People from Apple Valley

Many well-known people have lived in or are from Apple Valley:

• Brianna Brown, actor
• David Fischer, former ice hockey player
• Mark Hall, wrestler
• John Harvatine IV, co-owner of Stoopid Buddy Stoodios
• Erik Jensen, actor and playwright
• Tyus Jones, NBA basketball player
• Tre Jones, NBA basketball player
• Vincent Kartheiser, actor
• Carolyn Jane Rodriguez, Minnesota legislator
• Coleen Rowley, former FBI agent
• Nicholas Sadler, actor
• Dan Sexton, former ice hockey player
• Gable Steveson, Olympic gold medalist in wrestling
• Maria Thayer, actress
• Gary Trent Jr., NBA basketball player
• Lindsey Vonn, Olympic skier

See also

In Spanish: Apple Valley (Minnesota) para niños