Living in Independence, MN: what to set up and who to call
Power in Independence comes from Wright-Hennepin Coop Elec Assn, a cooperative utility rather than a private company. The closest public drop-off to Independence is Orono Brush, 4 miles out; the town decides whether residents may use it.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Independence, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Independence.
Power comes from Wright-Hennepin Coop Elec Assn
Wright-Hennepin Coop Elec Assn (Wright-Hennepin Coop Elec Assn), a cooperative utility, serves 79.0% of Independence residents. Its homes paid an average of 15.0¢ per kWh in 2025, about $140 a month (its average across Minnesota).
Start or move service: whe.org · (763) 477-3000
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Maple Plain water system
The Maple Plain water system supplies Independence: about 6% of residents live in its service area. About 94% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws ground water and serves 2,174 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 78% of the 7,966 systems serving 1,001–3,300 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2022–Dec 2024, was 1.0 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s lower than 52% of similar systems’ latest results.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. MN1270021.
6 home internet providers serve Independence
99% of 1,477 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 97% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midco | Fiber | 97% | 5,000/5,000 |
| Mediacom Xtream | Cable, Fiber | 64% | 2,000/1,000 |
| Frontier | DSL, Fiber | 57% | 10/1 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 75% | 300/20 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 59% | 100/20 |
| T-Mobile | Fixed wireless | 53% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Curbside recycling in Independence: every week, Fri
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Independence, from the town’s own site.
South Hennepin Recycling and Problem Waste Drop-Off Center
1400 West 96th Street, Bloomington, MN 55431
We couldn’t find pickup days or drop-off hours. Check ci.independence.mn.us →
From ci.independence.mn.us, the town’s official site, checked Oct 23, 2026; pages dated © 2026 City of Independence. Rules change: the town’s page is the last word. .
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Most of Independence (55%) is in Delano Public School District; parts are in Orono Public School District (34%) and Westonka Public School District (9%) and Rockford Public School District (3%).
A+School gradeSee Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Oct 2021; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Independence spans 4 ZIP codes
ZIP codes where Independence residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Independence | ZIP’s residents in Independence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55359 | Maple Plain, MN | 83% | 49% |
| 55357 | Loretto, MN | 10% | 12% |
| 55328 | Delano, MN | 6% | 2% |
| 55373 | Rockford, MN | 1% | 1% |
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Independence
Who supplies Independence’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
The Maple Plain water system (EPA ID MN1270021). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 78% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 1.0 ppb (Jan 2022–Dec 2024), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Independence?
Wright-Hennepin Coop Elec Assn (Wright-Hennepin Coop Elec Assn), a cooperative utility. Its homes paid about 15.0¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Independence?
Midco, Mediacom Xtream, Frontier, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Independence?
55359 (83%), 55357 (10%), 55328 (6%), 55373 (1%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Independence in?
Delano Public School District. Parts of the city are in Orono Public School District and Westonka Public School District and Rockford Public School District.
How do I register to vote in Independence?
In Minnesota you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 21 days before). Elections here are run by the Hennepin County Gov't Center. Check your registration at mnvotes.sos.state.mn.us.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: Independence’s own website (ci.independence.mn.us), read Oct 23, 2026, pickup and drop-off facts extracted and checked against the page they came from.
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.