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History · Hopkins

Hopkins dates to 1852, and 1 of its places is on the National Register

More historic than 58% of U.S. towns · #86 of 273 in Minnesota. What drives it

Most of Hopkins was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1973. 1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 32 buildings. Below: maps from 1896 on and the census since 1900.

1852founded
1on the National Register
9%homes built before 1940
9famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Hopkins began

When was Hopkins founded?

1852

Hopkins dates its founding to 1852 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1900.

First census: 1,648 in 19002020 census: 19,079174 years

How historic is Hopkins?

B

More historic than 58% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1873.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Hopkins’ History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Hopkins is more historic than 58% of U.S. towns, #86 of 273 in Minnesota. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Hopkins’ overall grade.
Founding era1852, from Wikidata: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 19409.0% of homes (±1.6) · typical MN town 8.1% · U.S. 8.4%C+National Register1 listing, 32 historic buildings, 17.0 per 10,000 residents · typical MN town 2.1 · U.S. 2.4A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 58%
NewerOlder
Minnesota towns of 2,500+ (273)Ahead of 69%

Minnesota towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Minnesota town has 2.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Hopkins’ 17.0 sits above most of its state (82% of Minnesota towns have fewer) while its 32 historic buildings outnumber those of 82% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B+. The pre-1940 share (±1.6 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1852.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Hopkins’ past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Hopkins are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18966 editions of the USGS map, 1896 to 1993. Watch Hopkins change.A historic districtThe Hopkins Commercial Historic District takes in 32 historic buildings.Famous sons and daughtersSamantha Harris, Amir Coffey and 7 more were born here.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Hopkins’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Hopkins’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Hopkins on the map, 1896 to 1993

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Hopkins. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Hopkins on the 1896 USGS mapHopkins on the 1901 USGS mapHopkins on the 1954 USGS mapHopkins on the 1967 USGS mapHopkins on the 1980 USGS mapHopkins on the 1993 USGS map1896Minneapolis sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Hopkins.

On the National Register

1 listing protects 32 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
32
each building in a district counts
first listed
2022
Hopkins Commercial Historic District
Hopkins Commercial Historic District
Districts
Hopkins Commercial Historic DistrictDistrict

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

The story

How Hopkins came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Hopkins.

Read it all →

The first non-indigenous settlers in the Hopkins area arrived in 1852 as land around the growing Minneapolis–Saint Paul area was opening up and being explored by members stationed at Fort Snelling. However, the roots of the town begin in 1887 with the building of the Minneapolis Threshing Machine Company, later called Minneapolis-Moline, to make farm equipment. At the time, Minneapolis Moline employed most of the Hopkins residents. In 1887, the West Minneapolis Land Company was founded and formed to build housing for the Minneapolis Moline factory workers.

ChaptersTimelineHopkins Raspberry FestivalNational Register of Historic Places

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Hopkins, 1881–1895

Passages that mention Hopkins, cut from the printed page as they were published.

zata, and extending southwest to Lake Minne-- tonka. The Minneapolis and St. Louis liailway have a surveyed line partly ironed, leaving their main line at Hopkins Station, and rumiing northwest to the village of Minnetonka, thence westerl.N and crossing the west line of section 18, a short distance…
History of Hennepin county and the city of Minneapolis, including the Explorers and pioneers of Minnesota1881 · page 242Read the page →
Read the text

zata, and extending southwest to Lake Minne-- tonka. The Minneapolis and St. Louis liailway have a surveyed line partly ironed, leaving their main line at Hopkins Station, and rumiing northwest to the village of Minnetonka, thence westerl.N and crossing the west line of section 18, a short distance south of the quarter post, and terminating at present, near the Hotel St. Louis, on

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
land was sandy, he sold the whole claim, and residence, for $600, and, in 1856, pre-empted a farm, just west of Hopkins’ Station, which he lost on a mortgage. This turned out to be a streak of good luck, although very discouraging at the time. He then purchased a farm, just across the
Vol. 21895Read the page →
Read the text

land was sandy, he sold the whole claim, and residence, for $600, and, in 1856, pre-empted a farm, just west of Hopkins’ Station, which he lost on a mortgage. This turned out to be a streak of good luck, although very discouraging at the time. He then purchased a farm, just across the

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
from east to west, south of the lake. Xo work has been done on this line. Tlie Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway have a line, projected in 1880 completed from Hopkins Station, on the main Une, to a point in Excelsior near the St. Louis Hotel. On the north side of the township, the St. P., M. & M. E. …
History of Hennepin county and the city of Minneapolis, including the Explorers and pioneers of Minnesota1881 · page 251Read the page →
Read the text

from east to west, south of the lake. Xo work has been done on this line. Tlie Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway have a line, projected in 1880 completed from Hopkins Station, on the main Une, to a point in Excelsior near the St. Louis Hotel. On the north side of the township, the St. P., M. & M. E. E. have a line, surveyed in 1880, called the North Shore Branch, leaving the

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Timeline

Hopkins, 1852 to 2001

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1852
    FoundingHopkins is established
  3. 1873Post officeThe Hopkins post office opens
  4. 1896On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  5. 20th century
  6. 1973Born hereSamantha Harris is born here
  7. 1985Born hereCourtney Dauwalter is born here
  8. 1997Born hereAmir Coffey is born here
  9. 21st century
  10. 2001Born hereJoseph Fahnbulleh is born here
By decade

Hopkins, decade by decade

Today12 recent
19 Freight train rail work continues near Excelsior Blvd in201919 Freight train rail work continues near Excelsior B…19 Freight rail realignment continues in201919 Freight rail realignment continues in19 Exelsior and Jackson in201919 Exelsior and Jackson inHopkins Historical Society2014Hopkins Historical SocietyHopkins, Minnesota 52010Hopkins, Minnesota 5Susan Gaertner - DFL Gubernatorial Debate2009Susan Gaertner - DFL Gubernatorial Debate2009-0612-05-HopkinsDepot20092009-0612-05-HopkinsDepot2009-0612-05-HopkinsCH20092009-0612-05-HopkinsCH2009-0612-02-BlakeIceArena20092009-0612-02-BlakeIceArena2009-0612-01-BlakeSchool20092009-0612-01-BlakeSchoolHopkins Minnesota Mainstreet2006Hopkins Minnesota MainstreetHopkins MN Mainstreet2006Hopkins MN Mainstreet
People over time

Hopkins, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,000190019201940196019802000202019,079

Grew from 1,648 people in 1900 to 19,079 in 2020, more than tenfold.

13 censuses, 1900–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Hopkins’ Wikipedia page.

Famous people

9 famous people were born in Hopkins

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Samantha HarrisAmerican model, actress, and television host · b. 1973
Amir CoffeyAmerican basketball player · b. 1997
Courtney DauwalterUltramarathon runner · b. 1985
Joseph FahnbullehLiberian athlete · b. 2001
A
Archie H. MillerAmerican politician · b. 1886
BeBe ShoppAmerican model · b. 1930
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Minnetonka2 historic placesCSt. Louis Park2 historic placesC+Edina7 historic placesB

Questions about Hopkins’ history

What year was Hopkins founded?

In 1852, according to Wikidata. Hopkins’ post office opened in 1873, and the census of 1900 counted 1,648 people here.

How does Hopkins rank for history?

Hopkins is more historic than 58% of U.S. towns, #86 of 273 in Minnesota. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Hopkins?

One place: the Hopkins Commercial Historic District (listed 2022).

How old are the homes in Hopkins?

9% of Hopkins’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.6 points), against a typical 8.1% for a Minnesota town; the median home was built in 1973.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (12), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.