Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota

Inver Grove Heights is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 33,880 at the 2010 census.

It is one of the 186 cities and townships in the seven-county Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area.

The city is 9 miles (14 km) to the southeast of Saint Paul; nearby settlements are Sunfish Lake (5 miles, 8 km northwest by road), South St. Paul (6 miles, 9 km north) and Newport (8 miles, 13 km northeast across the Mississippi River via the Wakota Bridge).

History
Following the signing of the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux in 1851, settlers from Ireland and Germany quickly staked claims in the rolling countryside west of the Mississippi River. Those of Irish descent farmed the eastern portion of the community, while Germans cleared the wooded land to the west for their farms. French and English settlers built their homes along the River. The township of Inver Grove Heights was named after an Irish fishing village, Inver and the German town of Grove. Records show that 240 farms, four churches, and four school districts were founded by 1880.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 30.1 square miles (78.0 km²), of which, 28.6 square miles (74.2 km²) of it is land and 1.5 square miles (3.8 km²) of it (4.91%) is water.

Interstate Highway 494 (a beltway bypass of Minneapolis-Saint Paul), U.S. Highway 52, Minnesota Highway 55, and Minnesota Highway 3 are four of the main routes in the city. 80th Street East (numbered from downtown Saint Paul) crosses the city in an east-west direction.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 29,751 people, 11,257 households, and 7,924 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,038.8 people per square mile (401.1/km²). There were 11,457 housing units at an average density of 400.1 per square mile (154.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.80% White, 2.10% African American, 0.48% Native American, 2.01% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.73% from other races, and 1.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.22% of the population.

There were 11,257 households out of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 33.9% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $59,090, and the median income for a family was $68,629. Males had a median income of $45,369 versus $32,080 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,493. About 3.0% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
In 2007, the Metropolitan Council estimated the employment in Inver Grove Heights to be 11,158. The city hosts the headquarters of CHS, Inc., an agricultural cooperative ranked 12th in the 2007 ICA Global 300 list of mutuals and cooperatives, and 145th on the Fortune 500 list of US corporations.

Education
The Inver Grove Heights Community Schools district or Independent School District 199 operates five schools in the city. They are: Simley High School, Inver Grove Heights Middle School, Hilltop Elementary, Pine Bend Elementary, and Salem Hills Elementary.

Inver Grove Heights is also home to Inver Hills Community College.

Politics
In the Minnesota legislature, Inver Grove Heights is represented by State Representative Joe Atkins and by State Senator Jim Metzen. Prior to being elected to the Minnesota House, Atkins was the city's longest-serving mayor.

Federally, Inver Grove Heights is located in both Minnesota's 2nd congressional district, represented by Republican John Kline and the 4th congressional district, represented by Democrat Betty McCollum. McCollum received a 92% progressive rating from a self-described non-partisan group that provides a "searchable database of Congressional voting records from a Progressive perspective." And she scored a 4% conservative rating by a conservative group. In contrast, Kline received a score of 3% progressive and 88% conservative by the same groups.

George Tourville is the current Mayor of Inver Grove Heights.

Sports and recreation
Facilities include Inver Wood Golf Course and Arbor Pointe Golf Club. There is also a 18 hole disc golf course called The Valley.