Anoka

Formed May 23, 1857 (42^nd county)

Anoka County (363,892), Anoka (17,927), Blaine (70,221)

A Modern red brick and concrete building built in 1960 was remodeled and enlarged in 1966, 1972, 1976, and 1982.  There was a classier courthouse earlier built in 1878 and an 1858 building in Fridley.  The current facility is on Main Street between 3^rd and 4^th avenues.  United States Highway 169 passes four blocks west of the site.  A Government Center building was added in 1992.  Patch, Erickson, and Madson are the architects.  The county was created on May 23, 1857 from Ramsey County as the 42^nd county.  Anoka has always been the county seat.  The county and county seats names are Native American for “on both sides” referring to its location on the Rum River. 

Anoka County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a treasurer, an auditor, an assessor and a clerk (executive).  It has 7 Commissioners (legislative.)  Forty-three District Court Judges serve Anoka, Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Pine, Sherburne, Washington, and Wright counties (judicial.) Anoka County is in eastern Minnesota directly north of Minneapolis, Minnesota.  The Mississippi River forms its southern border.  The county center is 15.8 miles Northeast of Anoka nearer East Bethel.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Isanti, Chisago, Washington, Ramsey, Hennepin, and Sherburne counties. 

The area of the county is 423.6 square miles.  It is 80 out of 87 in the state.  It ranks 4 out of 87 in population in the state.  It has a density of 859.1 persons per square mile making it 3 out of 87 in the state.  Anoka County has 98.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 35 enters the county from the north, Chisago County, splits and Interstate Highway 35W exits into Ramsey County toward Minneapolis and Interstate Highway 35E goes into Ramsey County toward Saint Paul.  United States Highway 10 comes from Ramsey County and goes to Sherburne County.  United States Highway 169 enters joined with United States Highway 10 from Sherburne County, splits and goes south into Hennepin County.  The county is shaped like a fat hatchet.  The City of Anoka is on the western border of the county.  Blaine is southeast of Anoka.  Anoka is the county seat and Blaine is the largest city.  Anoka is 4.9% of the county population while Blaine is 19.3% of the county population.  The county and county seat are pronounced A-NOE-KA.  This county is in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul-Bloomington Metropolitan Statistical Area.