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STLPPhoto: Joekristoff · CC BY-SA 4.0
C+History
History · St. Louis Park

St. Louis Park dates to 1852, and 2 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 42% of U.S. towns · #128 of 273 in Minnesota. What drives it

Most of St. Louis Park was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1965. Below: maps from 1896 on and the census since 1890.

1852founded
2on the National Register
9%homes built before 1940
10famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How St. Louis Park began

When was St. Louis Park founded?

1852

St. Louis Park dates its founding to 1852 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1890.

First census: 499 in 18902020 census: 50,010174 years

How historic is St. Louis Park?

C+

More historic than 42% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1887.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives St. Louis Park’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, St. Louis Park is more historic than 42% of U.S. towns, #128 of 273 in Minnesota. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.

C+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of St. Louis Park’s overall grade.
Founding era1852, from Wikidata: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 19409.1% of homes (±1.2) · typical MN town 8.1% · U.S. 8.4%C+National Register2 listings, 0.4 per 10,000 residents · typical MN town 2.1 · U.S. 2.4B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 42%
NewerOlder
Minnesota towns of 2,500+ (273)Ahead of 53%

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 St. Louis Park’s 0.4 sits near the middle of its state (49% of Minnesota towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1852.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B−. The pre-1940 share (±1.2 points) is firm at this size.

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 St. Louis Park’s 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 St. Louis Park 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 St. Louis Park change.Lost villages2 post offices opened and closed inside today’s St. Louis Park, and 1 old place names are still on the map.A National Historic Landmark2 places on the National Register, including Peavey-Haglin Experimental Concrete Grain Elevator, a National Historic Landmark.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start St. Louis Park’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how St. Louis Park’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

St. Louis Park on the map, 1896 to 1993

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

St. Louis Park on the 1896 USGS mapSt. Louis Park on the 1901 USGS mapSt. Louis Park on the 1952 USGS mapSt. Louis Park on the 1967 USGS mapSt. Louis Park on the 1972 USGS mapSt. Louis Park 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 St. Louis Park.

Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Two other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Elmwood
1887–1890
Saint Louis Park
1890–1930
18801950today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Saint Louis Park
Gone or out of use
Saint Louis Park Post Officepost office
1cemetery inside St. Louis Park
Bass Lake

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

The story

How St. Louis Park came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of St. Louis Park.

Read it all →

The name "St. Louis Park" was derived from the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway that ran through the area; the word "Park" was added to avoid confusion with St. Louis, Missouri. The settlement was incorporated as a village in 1886, and from 1887 to 1890, its post office was called "Elmwood".

In 1892, lumber baron Thomas Barlow Walker and a group of wealthy Minneapolis industrialists incorporated the Minneapolis Land and Investment Company to focus industrial development in Minneapolis. Walker's company also began developing St. Louis Park for industrial, commercial and residential use.

ChaptersEarly developmentsSuburban boomFrom village to city

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about St. Louis Park in 1895

Passages that mention St. Louis Park, cut from the printed page as they were published.

This syndicate, with a very laige capital, purchased nearly the entire land embraced in the original village and township of St. Louis Park,
Vol. 21895 · page 1256Read the page →
Read the text

This syndicate, with a very laige capital, purchased nearly the entire land embraced in the original village and township of St. Louis Park,

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

St. Louis Park, 1852 to 1991

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1852
    FoundingSt. Louis Park is established
  3. 1887Post officeThe Elmwood post office opens
  4. 1890Post officeThe Elmwood post office closes
  5. 1890Post officeThe Saint Louis Park post office opens
  6. 1896On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  7. 20th century
  8. 1930Post officeThe Saint Louis Park post office closes
  9. 1954Born hereJoel Coen is born here
  10. 1957Born hereEthan Coen is born here
  11. 1979Born herePeggy Flanagan is born here
  12. 1981LandmarkPeavey-Haglin Experimental Concrete Grain Elevator named a National Historic Landmark
  13. 1991Born hereMike Muscala is born here
By decade

St. Louis Park, decade by decade

Today6 recent
Anti-torture rally at Condoleeza Rice speech in St. Louis Park on November 8, 20092009Anti-torture rally at Condoleeza Rice speech in St. L…Anti-torture rally at Condoleeza Rice speech in St. Louis Park on November 8, 20092009Anti-torture rally at Condoleeza Rice speech in St. L…Anti-torture rally at Condoleeza Rice speech in St. Louis Park on November 8, 20092009Anti-torture rally at Condoleeza Rice speech in St. L…Anti-torture rally at Condoleeza Rice speech in St. Louis Park on November 8, 20092009Anti-torture rally at Condoleeza Rice speech in St. L…CD 5 debate 10.17.062006CD 5 debate 10.17.06MNMap-doton-St. Louis Park2005MNMap-doton-St. Louis Park
On the National Register

2 historic places in St. Louis Park

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. One is a National Historic Landmark, the highest tier.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmark
1
Peavey-Haglin Experimental Concrete Grain Eleva…
historic buildings protected
2
each building in a district counts
first listed
1969
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Depot
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific DepotPeavey-Haglin Experimental Concrete Grain Elevator★
BuildingsStructures★ landmark
★ Landmark
Peavey-Haglin Experimental Concrete Grain ElevatorStructure
All 2 listings
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific DepotBuilding · listed 1969

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

People over time

St. Louis Park, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,00045,00050,00055,000190019201940196019802000202050,010

Grew from 499 people in 1890 to 50,010 in 2020, more than tenfold.

14 censuses, 1890–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on St. Louis Park’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

10 famous people were born in St. Louis Park

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

See all →
Mike MuscalaAmerican basketball player · b. 1991
Peggy FlanaganLieutenant Governor of Minnesota since 2019 · b. 1979
Ethan CoenAmerican film director, screenwriter, producer,… · b. 1957
Joel CoenAmerican film director, screenwriter, producer,… · b. 1954
M
Molly KreklowAmerican volleyball player · b. 1992
B
Brett WiesnerAmerican soccer player · b. 1983
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Hopkins1 historic placeBMinnetonka2 historic placesCEdina7 historic placesBGolden Valley1 historic placeCMinneapolis152 historic placesA

Questions about St. Louis Park’s history

What year was St. Louis Park founded?

In 1852, according to Wikidata. St. Louis Park’s post office opened in 1887, and the census of 1890 counted 499 people here.

How does St. Louis Park rank for history?

St. Louis Park is more historic than 42% of U.S. towns, #128 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 St. Louis Park?

Two places: the Peavey-Haglin Experimental Concrete Grain Elevator (listed 1978) and the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Depot (1969).

How old are the homes in St. Louis Park?

9% of St. Louis Park’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.2 points), against a typical 8.1% for a Minnesota town; the median home was built in 1965.

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 (6), the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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), the USGS Geographic Names Information System 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.