Prior Lake, Minnesota
Encyclopedia
In 2007, there are an estimated 19,319 residents. The population density
was 1,207 people per square mile (465.52/km²). There were 5,791 housing units at an average density of 428.9 per square mile (165.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.5% White, 0.8% African American, 2.1% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.3% from other races
, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.1% of the population.
In 2000, there were 5,645 households out of which 44.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.3% were married couples
living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% were non-families. 15.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.3% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 37.7% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 4.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 102.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $75,363, and the median income for a family was $81,011. The per capita income
for the city was $32,089. About 1.7% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line.
(R). The district 35A Representative is Michael Beard
(Republican).
Prior Lake is located in Minnesota's 2nd congressional district
, represented by John Kline
, a Republican, who is conservative on a variety of social issues, scoring 2.8% progressive
on a range of issues and 88% conservative based on 2006 House
votes.
Portions of the Shakopee Mdwakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) tribal lands are within the boundary of the City of Prior Lake as annexed in 1972. The SMSC is a federally recognized Indian tribe formally organized under federal reservation status in 1969. The overlap of a Minnesota Statutory City with federally recognized Indian Tribal lands resulted in litigation to clarify the boundary and voting rights. In a 1984 United States District Court ruling, the court affirmed that the municipal boundary of the City of Prior Lake did include the tribal lands in question. The Court further clarified that the tribal residents were thus residents of the City of Prior Lake entitled to vote in municipal elections and to emergency police, fire, and rescue services. The Court ordered the City to provide emergency services on an equal basis as all other residents even though the federal trust status of the tribal lands deprives the City of the authority to tax the tribal lands to fund such services. In recent years, the SMSC has paid the City of Prior Lake for the cost of those emergency services on a voluntary basis.
Government of the SMSC tribal lands is rooted in the tribal General Council consisting of all enrolled members of the Tribe age 18 and older. The General Council elects a three-person tribal Business Council every fours years which is responsible for the day to day operations of the Tribe. The present SMSC Business Council is: Chairman Stanley R. Crooks, Vice-Chairman Glynn A. Crooks, and Secretary/Treasurer Keith B. Anderson.
Following the 1999 Columbine High School Massacre
, journalist Elinor Burkett spent a year following students and teachers in Prior Lake High School. She chose Prior Lake as her subject because it was found to be virtually identical to Columbine
demographically. She documented her experience in the book Another Planet: A Year in the Life of a Suburban High School (ISBN 0-06-050585-0).
The Mystic Showroom at the Mystic Lake Casino and Hotel in Prior Lake is an entertainment venue thet frequently features A-list musical and comedy performers.
- Edgewood School
- Five Hawks Elementary
- Glendale Elementary
- Grainwood Elementary
- Jeffers Pond Elementary
- Westwood Elementary
- Redtail Ridge
Prior Lake also has a private Roman Catholic parochial school, St. Michael Catholic School, which serves grades PreK through 8.
, born September 29, 1990 is an ice hockey player chosen by the Vancouver Canucks
in the 2009 NHL draft.
shells were discovered on the shore of Lower Prior Lake. On April 14th, the DNR
confirmed that the zebra mussels were also in Upper Prior Lake.
The easterly portion of Spring Lake along County Road 12 is also located within the City of Prior Lake limits. Spring Lake, with 290 acres, but being a few minutes further out from the metro area offers similar recreational opportunities as Upper Prior Lake with a more rural character and less traffic. Spring Lake, being several feet higher in elevation, flows into Upper Prior Lake via a non-navigable spillway and culvert under County Road 12.
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,207 people per square mile (465.52/km²). There were 5,791 housing units at an average density of 428.9 per square mile (165.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.5% White, 0.8% African American, 2.1% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.3% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.1% of the population.
In 2000, there were 5,645 households out of which 44.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% were non-families. 15.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.3% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 37.7% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 4.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 102.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $75,363, and the median income for a family was $81,011. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $32,089. About 1.7% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line.
Government and politics
Prior Lake is governed by a mayor and four council-members serving at large. The city Mayor and Council are elected non-partisan. The city mayor is Mike Myser who won election in 2009 after the previous mayor, Jack Haugen, decided not to run for reelection. The council members are Warren Erickson, Ken Hedberg, Richard Keeney, and Vanessa Soukup. The city is run by a City Manager, Frank Boyles. The city is in Minnesota Legislative District 35A. The district 35 Senator is Claire RoblingClaire Robling
Claire A. Robling is a Minnesota politician and a member of the Minnesota Senate representing District 35, which includes portions of Carver, Le Sueur, Scott and Sibley counties in the southern Twin Cities metropolitan area. A Republican, she was first elected to the Senate in 1996, and was...
(R). The district 35A Representative is Michael Beard
Michael Beard
Michael "Mike" Beard is a Minnesota politician and a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives representing District 35A, which includes portions of Scott County in the southwestern part of the Twin Cities metropolitan area...
(Republican).
Prior Lake is located in Minnesota's 2nd congressional district
Minnesota's 2nd congressional district
Minnesota’s 2nd congressional district covers the south Twin Cities metro area and contains all of Carver, Scott, Le Sueur, Goodhue and Rice Counties. It also contains most of Dakota County and south Washington County including the cities of Cottage Grove and the southern part of Woodbury...
, represented by John Kline
John Kline (politician)
John Paul Kline is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. The district includes most of the southern suburbs of the Twin Cities, including Apple Valley, Inver Grove Heights, Burnsville and Eagan. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:Kline was born...
, a Republican, who is conservative on a variety of social issues, scoring 2.8% progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
on a range of issues and 88% conservative based on 2006 House
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
votes.
Portions of the Shakopee Mdwakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) tribal lands are within the boundary of the City of Prior Lake as annexed in 1972. The SMSC is a federally recognized Indian tribe formally organized under federal reservation status in 1969. The overlap of a Minnesota Statutory City with federally recognized Indian Tribal lands resulted in litigation to clarify the boundary and voting rights. In a 1984 United States District Court ruling, the court affirmed that the municipal boundary of the City of Prior Lake did include the tribal lands in question. The Court further clarified that the tribal residents were thus residents of the City of Prior Lake entitled to vote in municipal elections and to emergency police, fire, and rescue services. The Court ordered the City to provide emergency services on an equal basis as all other residents even though the federal trust status of the tribal lands deprives the City of the authority to tax the tribal lands to fund such services. In recent years, the SMSC has paid the City of Prior Lake for the cost of those emergency services on a voluntary basis.
Government of the SMSC tribal lands is rooted in the tribal General Council consisting of all enrolled members of the Tribe age 18 and older. The General Council elects a three-person tribal Business Council every fours years which is responsible for the day to day operations of the Tribe. The present SMSC Business Council is: Chairman Stanley R. Crooks, Vice-Chairman Glynn A. Crooks, and Secretary/Treasurer Keith B. Anderson.
Arts, culture and media
The Prior Lake American is the main city newspaper. The Savage Pacer is also common in Prior Lake. The Star Tribune South Edition also offers some coverage.Following the 1999 Columbine High School Massacre
Columbine High School massacre
The Columbine High School massacre occurred on Tuesday, April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, an unincorporated area of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States, near Denver and Littleton. Two senior students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, embarked on a massacre, killing 12...
, journalist Elinor Burkett spent a year following students and teachers in Prior Lake High School. She chose Prior Lake as her subject because it was found to be virtually identical to Columbine
Columbine, Colorado
Columbine is a census-designated place in Arapahoe and Jefferson Counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Located mostly in Jefferson County, it lies immediately west of Littleton....
demographically. She documented her experience in the book Another Planet: A Year in the Life of a Suburban High School (ISBN 0-06-050585-0).
The Mystic Showroom at the Mystic Lake Casino and Hotel in Prior Lake is an entertainment venue thet frequently features A-list musical and comedy performers.
Schools
The high school students of Prior Lake attend Prior Lake High School in the neighboring town of Savage. It hosts two Middle Schools - Hidden Oaks and Twin Oaks - which serve students in grades 6-8. Grade levels K through 5 are served by the following schools:- Edgewood School
- Five Hawks Elementary
- Glendale Elementary
- Grainwood Elementary
- Jeffers Pond Elementary
- Westwood Elementary
- Redtail Ridge
Prior Lake also has a private Roman Catholic parochial school, St. Michael Catholic School, which serves grades PreK through 8.
Notable natives and residents
John Robert Roach, Archbishop of St. Paul-Minneapolis (1975–1995) was born in Prior Lake on July 31, 1921. Jordan SchroederJordan Schroeder
Jordan Schroeder is an American professional ice hockey right winger who currently plays for the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League within the Vancouver Canucks organization of the National Hockey League . Born and raised in Minnesota, Schroeder spent two seasons with the U.S...
, born September 29, 1990 is an ice hockey player chosen by the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
in the 2009 NHL draft.
Lakes
Prior Lake is made up of two sections, Upper and Lower Prior Lake. The area of each is 354 and 810 acres (3.3 km²) respectively. The two parts of the lake are connected by a channel that runs under county road 21. Prior Lake is an extremely popular lake for both fishing and water sports. Prior Lake is also popular with snowmobilers and can be accessed using the Scott County Snowmobile Trail and other designated trails in the winter. On April 10, 2009, zebra musselZebra mussel
The zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, is a small freshwater mussel. This species was originally native to the lakes of southeast Russia being first described in 1769 by a German zoologist Peter Simon Pallas in the Ural, Volga and Dnieper rivers. They are still found nearby, as Pontic and Caspian...
shells were discovered on the shore of Lower Prior Lake. On April 14th, the DNR
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is the agency of the U.S. state of Minnesota charged with conserving and managing the state's natural resources. The agency maintains areas such as state parks, state forests, recreational trails, and recreation areas as well as managing minerals,...
confirmed that the zebra mussels were also in Upper Prior Lake.
The easterly portion of Spring Lake along County Road 12 is also located within the City of Prior Lake limits. Spring Lake, with 290 acres, but being a few minutes further out from the metro area offers similar recreational opportunities as Upper Prior Lake with a more rural character and less traffic. Spring Lake, being several feet higher in elevation, flows into Upper Prior Lake via a non-navigable spillway and culvert under County Road 12.