Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota
City

Nickname(s): Inver Grove
Location of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
County	Dakota
Established	1852
Incorporated	March 9, 1965
Government
• Type	Weak Mayor–Council
Area
• Total	30.22 sq mi (78.27 km²)
• Land	27.85 sq mi (72.14 km²)
• Water	2.37 sq mi (6.13 km²)
Elevation	879 ft (268 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	35,801
• Estimate (2022)	35,701
• Density	1,285.31/sq mi (496.25/km²)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	55076, 55077
Area code(s)	651
FIPS code	27-31076
GNIS feature ID	0645437

Inver Grove Heights is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. It is home to over 35,000 people. The city was created on March 9, 1965. This happened when the village of Inver Grove and Inver Grove Township joined together.

Inver Grove Heights is part of the large Minneapolis-Saint Paul area. It is about 9 miles (14 km) southeast of Saint Paul. Other nearby towns include South St. Paul and Eagan.

History of Inver Grove Heights
- Historic Places to Explore
Geography and Landscape
- Main Roads and Highways
- Pine Bend Impact Crater
Population and People
Economy and Jobs
- Major Companies in Inver Grove Heights
- Top Employers in the City
Education for Students
Sports and Fun Activities
Images for kids
See also

History of Inver Grove Heights

Map of Inver Grove in 1874

After a special agreement called the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux in 1851, many new people moved here. Settlers from Ireland and Germany quickly claimed land. Irish families farmed the eastern part of the area. German families cleared forests in the west for their farms. People from France and England also built homes along the Mississippi River.

The name "Inver Grove Heights" comes from two places. "Inver" is an Irish fishing village. "Grove" is a town in Germany. By 1880, there were 240 farms, four churches, and four school districts. On March 9, 1965, the village and township officially merged. This formed the city we know today.

Historic Places to Explore

Inver Grove Heights has several important historic sites:

Chief Medicine Bottle's Village: This village was formed in 1836. It later became the Pine Bend village and post office.
Mendota-Wabasha Road: This was a military road built in 1853. Today, Rich Valley Road follows its path.
District 7 School: This was the very first public school in Dakota County. It opened in 1854.
Salem United Methodist Church: This church was started in 1854.
Old Emanuel Lutheran Church: The first log church was built here in 1854. Services were held in German.
Church of St. Patrick: This Catholic church parish was started on January 9, 1856.
Salem Evangelical Church: This was the first group of its kind in Minnesota. It was organized on March 2, 1857.
Josiah Burwell's House: Inver Grove Township was first organized here in 1858. It is located at Rich Valley Road and 102nd Street.
Reuben Freeman House: This unique house with eight gables was built in 1876.
Inver Grove Town Hall: The first town hall building was built in 1878.
Inver Grove Village railway depot: This train station was built in 1886.
Rock Island Swing Bridge: This bridge was built in 1894. It crossed the Mississippi River. It closed to trains in 1980 and cars in 1999. It reopened as a park in 2011.
Duke's Restaurant: Built in 1906, it was first a butcher shop. It later became a restaurant for railway workers.
B-52 Crash Site: On September 16, 1958, a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber crashed here. Seven crew members died during a training mission. There is a marker on Broderick near West Loop Court.

Geography and Landscape

Inver Grove Heights covers about 30.12 square miles (78.01 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, about 27.76 sq mi (71.90 sq km). The rest, about 2.36 sq mi (6.11 sq km), is water.

Main Roads and Highways

Several major roads pass through Inver Grove Heights. These include:

Interstate Highway 494: This is a beltway that goes around Minneapolis–Saint Paul.
U.S. Highway 52
Minnesota Highway 55
Minnesota Highway 3

80th Street East also crosses the city from east to west.

Pine Bend Impact Crater

In 2022, scientists found something amazing. A meteoric impact crater was identified in the Pine Bend Bluffs area. It has been unofficially named the "Pine Bend impact." This crater is about four kilometers wide. It is estimated to be 500 million years old!

Population and People

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1860	646	—
1870	971	50.3%
1880	791	−18.5%
1890	1,211	53.1%
1900	1,402	15.8%
1910	1,384	−1.3%
1920	1,573	13.7%
1930	1,617	2.8%
1940	1,887	16.7%
1950	2,419	28.2%
1960	6,266	159.0%
1970	12,148	93.9%
1980	17,171	41.3%
1990	22,477	30.9%
2000	29,751	32.4%
2010	33,880	13.9%
2020	35,801	5.7%
2022 (est.)	35,701	5.4%
U.S. Decennial Census 2020 Census Note: Inver Grove and Inver Grove Township were merged in 1965 to form Inver Grove Heights.

The census helps us understand the population. In 2010, there were 33,880 people living in Inver Grove Heights. By 2020, the population grew to 35,801.

Most residents, about 85.7%, were White in 2010. Other groups included African American (3.8%), Asian (3.4%), and Native American (0.4%). About 8.9% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average age in the city was 38.4 years. About 24.5% of people were under 18 years old. This means many young people live in Inver Grove Heights!

Economy and Jobs

In 2007, about 11,158 people worked in Inver Grove Heights. The city is home to some big companies.

Major Companies in Inver Grove Heights

CHS, Inc. is headquartered here. It's a large agricultural cooperative. This means it's a business owned and run by its members, often farmers. It helps them sell their products.
Pine Bend Refinery is a very large oil refinery. It processes crude oil into products like gasoline. It's one of the biggest in Minnesota.
Gertens Greenhouses is also located here. It's one of the largest garden centers in the United States.

Top Employers in the City

Here are some of the biggest employers in Inver Grove Heights, based on a 2021 report:

#	Employer	# of Employees
1	Cenex / CHS Cooperatives	1,600
2	ISD 199 (Inver Grove Heights Community Schools)	668
3	Gertens	435
4	City of Inver Grove Heights	421
5	Travel Tags	350
6	Inver Hills Community College	337
7	Total Construction and Equipment	250
8	Walmart	210
9	Woodlyn Heights Senior Living	200
10	Cub Foods	160

Education for Students

The Inver Grove Heights Community Schools district (ISD 199) runs five schools in the city:

Simley High School
Inver Grove Heights Middle School
Hilltop Elementary School
Pine Bend Elementary School
Salem Hills Elementary School

There is also one private school for younger students. It is called Berea Lutheran Church. Some students in the western part of the city attend schools in a different district, ISD 196. These include Eagan High School and Rosemount High School.

Inver Grove Heights is also home to Inver Hills Community College. This college offers many programs for students after high school.

Sports and Fun Activities

Inver Grove Heights has many places for sports and recreation.

Golf Courses: You can play golf at Inver Wood Golf Course and Arbor Pointe Golf Club.
Disc Golf: There's also an 18-hole disc golf course called North Valley.
Community Center: The city has a public community center. It features a waterpark, two ice rinks, and a full gym. This gym is also shared with the National Guard.