Hastings, Minnesota
Encyclopedia
Hastings is a city in Dakota
counties in the U.S. state
of Minnesota
, near the confluence of the Mississippi
and St. Croix River
s. The population was 22,172 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat
of Dakota County. The bulk of Hastings is in Dakota County; only a small part of the city extends into Washington County. The city is named for the first elected governor of the state of Minnesota, Henry Hastings Sibley
.
The advantages of the location that led to Hastings' original growth are that it is well-drained, provides a good riverboat port, and is close to a hydropower resource at the falls of the Vermillion River
. Sites closer to the river confluence are either too swampy (Dakota County) or too hilly (Washington County and Pierce County, Wisconsin
).
U.S. Route 61
and Minnesota State Highways 55
and 316
are three of the main arterial routes in the city.
of 1851 opened the area for white settlement, the Oliver's Grove area was surveyed and was incorporated as a city in 1857, one year before the admission of the state of Minnesota to the union. That same year Hastings was named as the county seat
of Dakota County. The name Hastings was drawn out of a hat having been one of the suggested names placed in by four of the original founders (the middle name of Henry Sibley).
Hastings, the nearby city of Prescott, Wisconsin
, and the adjacent township of Nininger
were areas of tremendous land speculation in the mid 19th century, being billed by Ignatius L. Donnelly as the potential "New Chicago". The Panic of 1857
would put an end to this dream. The speculation and Panic caused the growth of the cities to be less than would be expected given the strategic location at the confluence of two significant rivers; the combined population of the three today is approximately 25,000, and all that remains of Nininger is a few buildings.
Hastings is the site of the second oldest surviving county courthouse
in the state (after Stillwater
) which was finished in 1871 at a cost of $63,000. The county administration began the process of moving to a new facility from 1974 until 1989, when the City of Hastings purchased the old building. It was rededicated in 1993 as city hall
.
A spiral bridge over the Mississippi River was built in 1895 that was designed to slow down horse-drawn traffic from the opposite side of the river as it entered downtown. The novel design became a tourist attraction for the town, but was demolished in 1951 because it could not accommodate the size and weight of modern vehicles. As a new bridge
was being constructed it was determined the city could not afford to maintain the bridge at a proposed cost of around $50.00 a year. Nevertheless, the spiral bridge is still remembered as a nostalgic landmark.
In 1930 the Army Corps of Engineers
completed the first Lock and Dam No. 2
at Hastings, part of the canal lock systems on the Mississippi that stretch from Minneapolis to St. Louis
. Lock and Dam No. 2 is the site of the nation's first commercial, Federally-licensed hydrokinetic power facility, which is a partnership between the City of Hastings and Hydro Green Energy, LLC of Westmont, IL.
Fasbender Clinic
, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
, is a city landmark.
Hastings would enjoy the privilege of having its name affixed to two major railroads that existed in Minnesota: the Hastings & Dakota Railway and the Stillwater & Hastings Railway.
In 1867, civic leaders William LeDuc, John Meloy, Stephen Gardner, E. D. Allen, and P. Van Auken—with financial backing from investors John B Alley, Oliver Ames, William Ames and Peter Butler—would incorporate the Hastings & Dakota Railway with the goal to "cross the Rocky Mountains and meeting the Pacific Ocean". Throughout the 1870s the H&D would be completed from Hastings all the way to the South Dakota
border at Ortonville
. During this time, the H&D would become part of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St Paul Railroad (Milwaukee Road) and become known as the H&D Division of the Milwaukee Road. The H&D also built the famous "Lake Street Depression" in Minneapolis which gave the H&D two districts around Minneapolis and St Paul—the south district from Hastings to Cologne
via Chaska
, and the north district from Hastings to Cologne via St Paul/Minneapolis. While the H&D never made it to the Pacific on its own, the H&D Division would become the mainline of the Milwaukee's Coast Extension to Seattle which the Milwaukee completed in 1909.
In 1880, a new branch line called the Stillwater & Hastings was built between the two cities which would funnel logging and agriculture products from Stillwater to Hastings allowing Hastings to become an important railroad switching hub. In 1882, the Milwaukee Road would gain control of the S&H and operate it as a profitable branch line. The Milwaukee abandoned the entire S&H line in 1979 falling just one year short of its 100th year of service.
Today, the entire north H&D district remains intact from Minneapolis to Ortonville—except for the Lake Street Depression—and is operated by the Twin Cities & Western Railroad from Minneapolis to Hanley Falls and BNSF Railway
operating the line between Hanley Falls and Ortonville. Nearly all of the south H&D district was abandoned over time with the last section between Shakopee
and Cologne being abandoned in the early 1970s. The Canadian Pacific Railway
spur from downtown Hastings to the ConAgra mill atop the Vermillion Falls is all that remains of the south H&D district. The old H&D trestle over the Vermillion River at Hastings — which was replaced four different times — is now part of a bicycle path. The H&D bridge over the Minnesota River
at Chaska would remain until 1995 when it was removed by the Army Corps of Engineers
when the Chaska levees were rebuilt.
Canadian Pacific Railway currently operates the former Milwaukee mainline through town as well as the ConAgra spur.
, the city has a total area of 11.0 square miles (28.5 km² ),of which, 10.1 square miles (26.2 km²) of it is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it (7.92%) is water. The Mississippi River forms most of the northern border of Hastings, while the Vermillion River
flows through the southern part of town, over a falls
adjacent to a ConAgra grain elevator
. Bluffs lie along the northern shore of the Mississippi River and there is a gorge surrounding the Vermillion River below the falls. Hastings is home to two small lakes, Lake Rebecca and Lake Isabel. Both drain into the Mississippi River. The northeast corner of town is known as "The Bottoms"; an area of soggy marshland and flood plain for the Mississippi and Vermillion Rivers.
Hastings is on the Mississippi side of the confluence with the St. Croix River, so that the St. Croix is "across" the Mississippi River. The city of Prescott
, Wisconsin
is located on the Wisconsin side of the confluence.
of 2000, there were 18,204 people, 6,642 households, and 4,722 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,798.2 people per square mile (694.5/km² ). There were 6,758 housing units at an average density of 667.6 per square mile (257.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.16% White, 0.43% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races
, and 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.14% of the population.
There were 6,642 households out of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.8% were married couples
living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 99.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $53,145, and the median income for a family was $61,093. Males had a median income of $41,267 versus $27,973 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $22,075. About 2.1% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over
The busiest road in Hastings is U.S. Highway 61
, which in Hastings is known as Vermillion Street. Highway 61 is a four lane thoroughfare that cuts through the eastern side of the city in a north-south direction. Following 61 north out of the city takes you to over the Mississippi River via the Hastings High Bridge
to Cottage Grove
and eventually St. Paul, and taking it south brings you to Red Wing
. The current bridge, which carries 32,000 vehicles per day and is the busiest two–lane bridge in the state of Minnesota, Construction started on a new four lane bridge in late 2010 and is scheduled to be completed May, 31 2013.
The other major road in Hastings is Minnesota State Highway 55
; the main east-west roadway. Highway 55 is also a 4 lane highway that enters the city from west and cuts through the middle of town where it eventually comes to an end at Highway 61. Highway 55 is a major commuter route for residents of Hastings, taking them northwest to Eagan
and eventually to Minneapolis.
Highway 316
is an 10 miles (16.1 km) highway that starts at Highway 61 in southern Hastings and heads southeast. It acts as a more direct shortcut between two points of Highway 61.
Highway 291 (Minnesota Veterans Home
Highway) is a short, one mile (1.6 km) highway on the east side of town that lies host to a Minnesota Veterans Home. On the same site are two drug and alcohol facilities; the first a sub-acute hospital called Dakota County Receiving Center, otherwise known as Dakota County Detox Center. The center was the first of its kind in Dakota County founded in the early 70's by Bruce Foster. The other is the Cochran Halfway House. Other routes that lead into town are Dakota County Roads 42 (northwest side of town), 46 (southwest), 47 (southwest) and 54 (east).
Hastings is not served by the MTC
public transportation bus routes, but preliminary studies are underway to bring commuter rail to Hastings via the Red Rock Corridor
. Amtrak
trains pass through, but do not stop in Hastings (Prospective passengers must go north to St. Paul or south to Red Wing to board).
The Mississippi River in Hastings is a major thoroughfare for barges, and they are helped upstream by Lock and Dam No. 2 on the northwest side of town. There are several access points to the Missippippi River for private watercraft.
Dakota County, Minnesota
Dakota County is the third most populous county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The county is bordered by the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers on the north, and the state of Wisconsin on the east. Dakota County comprises the southeast portion of seven-county Minneapolis-St. Paul, the thirteenth...
counties in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, near the confluence of the Mississippi
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
and St. Croix River
St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota)
The St. Croix River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Minnesota. The lower of the river form the border between Wisconsin and Minnesota. The river is a National Scenic Riverway under the protection of the National Park Service. A...
s. The population was 22,172 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Dakota County. The bulk of Hastings is in Dakota County; only a small part of the city extends into Washington County. The city is named for the first elected governor of the state of Minnesota, Henry Hastings Sibley
Henry Hastings Sibley
Henry Hastings Sibley was the first Governor of the U.S. state of Minnesota.-Early life and education:...
.
The advantages of the location that led to Hastings' original growth are that it is well-drained, provides a good riverboat port, and is close to a hydropower resource at the falls of the Vermillion River
Vermillion River (Minnesota)
The Vermillion River meanders through Scott County and Dakota County in Minnesota, emptying into the Mississippi River just south of Hastings. 13.5 miles of it are designated as a trout stream, which is unusual for being so close to a metropolitan area....
. Sites closer to the river confluence are either too swampy (Dakota County) or too hilly (Washington County and Pierce County, Wisconsin
Pierce County, Wisconsin
Pierce County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2010, the population was 41,019. Its county seat is Ellsworth. Pierce County is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area .-Geography:...
).
U.S. Route 61
U.S. Route 61
U.S. Route 61 is the official designation for a United States highway that runs from New Orleans, Louisiana, to the city of Wyoming, Minnesota. The highway generally follows the course of the Mississippi River, and is designated the Great River Road for much of its route. As of 2004, the highway's...
and Minnesota State Highways 55
Minnesota State Highway 55
Minnesota State Highway 55 is a highway in west-central, central, and east-central Minnesota, which runs from the North Dakota state line near Tenney and continues east and southeast to its eastern terminus at its intersection with U.S...
and 316
Minnesota State Highway 316
Minnesota State Highway 316 is a highway in southeast Minnesota, which runs from its first intersection with U.S. Highway 61 in Welch Township, near Miesville; and continues north to its second intersection with U.S...
are three of the main arterial routes in the city.
History
The area around Hastings was first settled by a military detachment sent from Fort Snelling to guard a blocked shipment of supplies in the winter of 1820. A Lieutenant William. G. Oliver camped in an area that would come to be known as Oliver's Grove and in 1833 a trading post was opened at the same location. After the Treaty of MendotaTreaty of Mendota
The Treaty of Mendota was signed in Mendota, Minnesota on August 5, 1851 between the United States federal government and the Sioux tribes of Minnesota ....
of 1851 opened the area for white settlement, the Oliver's Grove area was surveyed and was incorporated as a city in 1857, one year before the admission of the state of Minnesota to the union. That same year Hastings was named as the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Dakota County. The name Hastings was drawn out of a hat having been one of the suggested names placed in by four of the original founders (the middle name of Henry Sibley).
Hastings, the nearby city of Prescott, Wisconsin
Prescott, Wisconsin
Prescott is a city in Pierce County, Wisconsin at the confluence of the St. Croix River and Mississippi River. The population was 4,258 at the 2010 census, making it the second-largest city in the county after River Falls, and the largest entirely within Pierce County.Prescott was home to the...
, and the adjacent township of Nininger
Nininger Township, Minnesota
This article is about the township. For the ghost town of the same name, see Nininger, MinnesotaNininger Township is a township in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 865 at the 2000 census.-History:...
were areas of tremendous land speculation in the mid 19th century, being billed by Ignatius L. Donnelly as the potential "New Chicago". The Panic of 1857
Panic of 1857
The Panic of 1857 was a financial panic in the United States caused by the declining international economy and over-expansion of the domestic economy. Indeed, because of the interconnectedness of the world economy by the time of the 1850s, the financial crisis which began in the autumn of 1857 was...
would put an end to this dream. The speculation and Panic caused the growth of the cities to be less than would be expected given the strategic location at the confluence of two significant rivers; the combined population of the three today is approximately 25,000, and all that remains of Nininger is a few buildings.
Hastings is the site of the second oldest surviving county courthouse
Courthouse
A courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
in the state (after Stillwater
Stillwater, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 15,143 people, 5,797 households, and 4,115 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,340.0 people per square mile . There were 5,926 housing units at an average density of 915.7 per square mile...
) which was finished in 1871 at a cost of $63,000. The county administration began the process of moving to a new facility from 1974 until 1989, when the City of Hastings purchased the old building. It was rededicated in 1993 as city hall
City hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...
.
A spiral bridge over the Mississippi River was built in 1895 that was designed to slow down horse-drawn traffic from the opposite side of the river as it entered downtown. The novel design became a tourist attraction for the town, but was demolished in 1951 because it could not accommodate the size and weight of modern vehicles. As a new bridge
Hastings High Bridge
Hastings High Bridge is a continuous steel through truss bridge that spans the Mississippi River in Hastings, Minnesota. It was built in 1951 and was designed by Sverdrup and Parcel...
was being constructed it was determined the city could not afford to maintain the bridge at a proposed cost of around $50.00 a year. Nevertheless, the spiral bridge is still remembered as a nostalgic landmark.
In 1930 the Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
completed the first Lock and Dam No. 2
Lock and Dam No. 2
Lock and Dam No. 2 is located along the Upper Mississippi River near Hastings, Minnesota and was originally built in 1907. The eastern dam portion is 722 feet wide and has 19 tainter gates. A hydroelectric station that produces about 4.4 megawatts is owned by the city of Hastings, while the 110...
at Hastings, part of the canal lock systems on the Mississippi that stretch from Minneapolis to St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. Lock and Dam No. 2 is the site of the nation's first commercial, Federally-licensed hydrokinetic power facility, which is a partnership between the City of Hastings and Hydro Green Energy, LLC of Westmont, IL.
Fasbender Clinic
Fasbender Clinic
Fasbender Clinic is a building in Hastings, Minnesota, USA, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is just off Minnesota State Highway 55 at 801 Pine Street. It has a distinctive copper roof which extends almost to the ground around much of the...
, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
, is a city landmark.
Railroads
In 1867, civic leaders William LeDuc, John Meloy, Stephen Gardner, E. D. Allen, and P. Van Auken—with financial backing from investors John B Alley, Oliver Ames, William Ames and Peter Butler—would incorporate the Hastings & Dakota Railway with the goal to "cross the Rocky Mountains and meeting the Pacific Ocean". Throughout the 1870s the H&D would be completed from Hastings all the way to the South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
border at Ortonville
Ortonville, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,158 people, 923 households, and 594 families residing in the city. The population density was 635.8 people per square mile . There were 1,125 housing units at an average density of 331.4 per square mile...
. During this time, the H&D would become part of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St Paul Railroad (Milwaukee Road) and become known as the H&D Division of the Milwaukee Road. The H&D also built the famous "Lake Street Depression" in Minneapolis which gave the H&D two districts around Minneapolis and St Paul—the south district from Hastings to Cologne
Cologne, Minnesota
Cologne is a city in Carver County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,519 at the 2010 census. The city is about 30 miles away from Minneapolis.-Geography:...
via Chaska
Chaska, Minnesota
As of 2005, there were 22,467 people and 8,194 households residing in the city. The population density was 1,640 people per square mile . There were 6,235 housing units at an average density of 454.1 per square mile...
, and the north district from Hastings to Cologne via St Paul/Minneapolis. While the H&D never made it to the Pacific on its own, the H&D Division would become the mainline of the Milwaukee's Coast Extension to Seattle which the Milwaukee completed in 1909.
In 1880, a new branch line called the Stillwater & Hastings was built between the two cities which would funnel logging and agriculture products from Stillwater to Hastings allowing Hastings to become an important railroad switching hub. In 1882, the Milwaukee Road would gain control of the S&H and operate it as a profitable branch line. The Milwaukee abandoned the entire S&H line in 1979 falling just one year short of its 100th year of service.
Today, the entire north H&D district remains intact from Minneapolis to Ortonville—except for the Lake Street Depression—and is operated by the Twin Cities & Western Railroad from Minneapolis to Hanley Falls and BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
operating the line between Hanley Falls and Ortonville. Nearly all of the south H&D district was abandoned over time with the last section between Shakopee
Shakopee, Minnesota
Shakopee is a city southwest of downtown Minneapolis in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Scott County. Located on the south bank bend of the Minnesota River, Shakopee and nearby suburbs comprise the southwest portion of Minneapolis-Saint Paul, the thirteenth largest...
and Cologne being abandoned in the early 1970s. The Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
spur from downtown Hastings to the ConAgra mill atop the Vermillion Falls is all that remains of the south H&D district. The old H&D trestle over the Vermillion River at Hastings — which was replaced four different times — is now part of a bicycle path. The H&D bridge over the Minnesota River
Minnesota River
The Minnesota River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles long, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It drains a watershed of nearly , in Minnesota and about in South Dakota and Iowa....
at Chaska would remain until 1995 when it was removed by the Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
when the Chaska levees were rebuilt.
Canadian Pacific Railway currently operates the former Milwaukee mainline through town as well as the ConAgra spur.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 11.0 square miles (28.5 km² ),of which, 10.1 square miles (26.2 km²) of it is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it (7.92%) is water. The Mississippi River forms most of the northern border of Hastings, while the Vermillion River
Vermillion River (Minnesota)
The Vermillion River meanders through Scott County and Dakota County in Minnesota, emptying into the Mississippi River just south of Hastings. 13.5 miles of it are designated as a trout stream, which is unusual for being so close to a metropolitan area....
flows through the southern part of town, over a falls
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
adjacent to a ConAgra grain elevator
Grain elevator
A grain elevator is a tower containing a bucket elevator, which scoops up, elevates, and then uses gravity to deposit grain in a silo or other storage facility...
. Bluffs lie along the northern shore of the Mississippi River and there is a gorge surrounding the Vermillion River below the falls. Hastings is home to two small lakes, Lake Rebecca and Lake Isabel. Both drain into the Mississippi River. The northeast corner of town is known as "The Bottoms"; an area of soggy marshland and flood plain for the Mississippi and Vermillion Rivers.
Hastings is on the Mississippi side of the confluence with the St. Croix River, so that the St. Croix is "across" the Mississippi River. The city of Prescott
Prescott, Wisconsin
Prescott is a city in Pierce County, Wisconsin at the confluence of the St. Croix River and Mississippi River. The population was 4,258 at the 2010 census, making it the second-largest city in the county after River Falls, and the largest entirely within Pierce County.Prescott was home to the...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
is located on the Wisconsin side of the confluence.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 18,204 people, 6,642 households, and 4,722 families residing in the city. The population density
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 1,798.2 people per square mile (694.5/km² ). There were 6,758 housing units at an average density of 667.6 per square mile (257.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.16% White, 0.43% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.36% 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 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.14% of the population.
There were 6,642 households out of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.8% 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, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 99.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $53,145, and the median income for a family was $61,093. Males had a median income of $41,267 versus $27,973 for females. 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 $22,075. About 2.1% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over
Transportation
The busiest road in Hastings is U.S. Highway 61U.S. Route 61
U.S. Route 61 is the official designation for a United States highway that runs from New Orleans, Louisiana, to the city of Wyoming, Minnesota. The highway generally follows the course of the Mississippi River, and is designated the Great River Road for much of its route. As of 2004, the highway's...
, which in Hastings is known as Vermillion Street. Highway 61 is a four lane thoroughfare that cuts through the eastern side of the city in a north-south direction. Following 61 north out of the city takes you to over the Mississippi River via the Hastings High Bridge
Hastings High Bridge
Hastings High Bridge is a continuous steel through truss bridge that spans the Mississippi River in Hastings, Minnesota. It was built in 1951 and was designed by Sverdrup and Parcel...
to Cottage Grove
Cottage Grove, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 30,582 people, 9,932 households, and 8,462 families residing in the city. The population density was 899.9 people per square mile . There were 10,024 housing units at an average density of 295.0 per square mile...
and eventually St. Paul, and taking it south brings you to Red Wing
Red Wing, Minnesota
Red Wing is a city in Goodhue County, Minnesota, United States, on the Mississippi River. The population was 16,459 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Goodhue County....
. The current bridge, which carries 32,000 vehicles per day and is the busiest two–lane bridge in the state of Minnesota, Construction started on a new four lane bridge in late 2010 and is scheduled to be completed May, 31 2013.
The other major road in Hastings is Minnesota State Highway 55Minnesota State Highway 55
Minnesota State Highway 55 is a highway in west-central, central, and east-central Minnesota, which runs from the North Dakota state line near Tenney and continues east and southeast to its eastern terminus at its intersection with U.S...
; the main east-west roadway. Highway 55 is also a 4 lane highway that enters the city from west and cuts through the middle of town where it eventually comes to an end at Highway 61. Highway 55 is a major commuter route for residents of Hastings, taking them northwest to Eagan
Eagan, Minnesota
Eagan is a city south of Saint Paul in Dakota County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies on the south bank of the Minnesota River, upstream from the confluence with the Mississippi River. Eagan and nearby suburbs form the southern portion of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the fifteenth largest...
and eventually to Minneapolis.
Highway 316Minnesota State Highway 316
Minnesota State Highway 316 is a highway in southeast Minnesota, which runs from its first intersection with U.S. Highway 61 in Welch Township, near Miesville; and continues north to its second intersection with U.S...
is an 10 miles (16.1 km) highway that starts at Highway 61 in southern Hastings and heads southeast. It acts as a more direct shortcut between two points of Highway 61.
Highway 291 (Minnesota Veterans HomeOld soldiers' home
An old soldiers' home is a military veteran's retirement home, nursing home, or hospital, or sometimes even an institution for the care of the widows and orphans of a nation's soldiers, sailors, and marines, etc.-United States:...
Highway) is a short, one mile (1.6 km) highway on the east side of town that lies host to a Minnesota Veterans Home. On the same site are two drug and alcohol facilities; the first a sub-acute hospital called Dakota County Receiving Center, otherwise known as Dakota County Detox Center. The center was the first of its kind in Dakota County founded in the early 70's by Bruce Foster. The other is the Cochran Halfway House. Other routes that lead into town are Dakota County Roads 42 (northwest side of town), 46 (southwest), 47 (southwest) and 54 (east).
Hastings is not served by the MTC
Metro Transit (Minnesota)
Metro Transit is the transit division of the Metropolitan Council, a regional governmental agency in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Metro Transit is the largest operator of bus services in the seven-county region surrounding Minneapolis and St...
public transportation bus routes, but preliminary studies are underway to bring commuter rail to Hastings via the Red Rock Corridor
Red Rock Corridor
The Red Rock Corridor is a proposed commuter rail service that will go from downtown Minneapolis through neighboring Saint Paul and then southeast along the Mississippi River to Hastings, Minnesota, with a possible later extension to Red Wing...
. Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
trains pass through, but do not stop in Hastings (Prospective passengers must go north to St. Paul or south to Red Wing to board).
The Mississippi River in Hastings is a major thoroughfare for barges, and they are helped upstream by Lock and Dam No. 2 on the northwest side of town. There are several access points to the Missippippi River for private watercraft.
Famous people from Hastings
- Jackie BiskupskiJackie BiskupskiJackie Biskupski is a former member of the Utah House of Representatives, representing the 30th District in Salt Lake County from 1999 to 2011. She resigned in June 2011 when she moved out of the district.-Early life and career:...
– UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
state legislator. - Taylor ChorneyTaylor ChorneyTaylor Chorney is a Canadian-born American professional ice hockey defenceman. He currently plays with the Oklahoma City Barons of the American Hockey League.-Playing career:...
– Professional hockey player for the Edmonton OilersEdmonton OilersThe Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League .... - MaryJanice DavidsonMaryJanice DavidsonMaryJanice Davidson is an American author who writes mostly paranormal romance, but also young adult literature and non-fiction....
– Author - Gil DobieGil DobieGilmour "Gloomy Gil" Dobie was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at North Dakota Agricultural College—now North Dakota State University , the University of Washington , the United States Naval Academy , Cornell University , and...
– College football coach - Mark Steven JohnsonMark Steven JohnsonMark Steven Johnson is an American film director and writer.Johnson was born in Hastings, Minnesota and attended California State University, Long Beach. He has directed and co-written the two comic book based films Daredevil and Ghost Rider. His early writing credits are for the film Grumpy Old...
– film director and writer - Craig KilbornCraig KilbornCraig Kilborn is an American actor and talk show host. He was the original host of The Daily Show, a former anchor on ESPN's SportsCenter, and Tom Snyder's successor on CBS' The Late Late Show. On June 28, 2010, he launched The Kilborn File after a six-year absence from television...
– comedian and television personality - Dan PeltierDan PeltierDaniel Edward Peltier is a former professional baseball player. A left-handed outfielder who also played some first base, he played in Major League Baseball in 1992 and 1993 for the Texas Rangers and 1996 for the San Francisco Giants...
– baseball player for the Texas RangersTexas Rangers (baseball)The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have... - Derek StepanDerek StepanDerek Stepan is an American professional ice hockey player currently playing for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League ....
; professional hockey player for the New York RangersNew York RangersThe New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
. - Jeff TaffeJeff TaffeJeffrey Charles Taffe is a center for the Minnesota Wild organization. He was acquired by Chicago on July 22, 2010 in exchange for center Marty Reasoner. Taffe was drafted in the first round, 30th overall, by the St...
– professional hockey player in the Chicago BlackhawksChicago BlackhawksThe Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
AHL affiliate. - Dean TalafousDean TalafousDean Charles Talafous is a retired ice hockey player. He played 497 NHL regular season games in 1974–82 for the New York Rangers, Minnesota North Stars and the Atlanta Flames as a right winger.-College:...
– former NHL hockey player - W. D. TwichellW. D. TwichellWillis Day Twichell was a Texas surveyor and civil engineer, based primarily in Amarillo and later Austin, who surveyed 165 of the state's 254 counties.-Background:...
– Texas surveyor; born in Hastings in 1864 - Ben UtechtBen UtechtBenjamin Jeffrey Utecht is a former American football tight end who played for the Indianapolis Colts and the Cincinnati Bengals. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at Minnesota...
– professional football player for the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati BengalsThe Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
Sites of interest
- East Second Street Commercial Historic DistrictEast Second Street Commercial Historic District (Hastings, Minnesota)The East Second Street Commercial Historic District in Hastings, Minnesota is a downtown district consisting of thirty-five commercial buildings built between 1860 and 1900...
- Alexis Bailly Vineyard
- Hastings High SchoolHastings High School (Minnesota)Hastings Senior High School is located in Hastings, Minnesota and is part of Independent School District 200. A brand new multi-million dollar school was established in 2001, upon which a new vision took place for the education of Hastings' students. The construction of the new school was centered...
- LeDuc Historic Estate
- Lock and Dam No. 2Lock and Dam No. 2Lock and Dam No. 2 is located along the Upper Mississippi River near Hastings, Minnesota and was originally built in 1907. The eastern dam portion is 722 feet wide and has 19 tainter gates. A hydroelectric station that produces about 4.4 megawatts is owned by the city of Hastings, while the 110...
- Ramsey Mill RuinsRamsey Mill and Old Mill ParkThe Ramsey Mill was built by Alexander Ramsey and Dr. Thomas Foster in 1856-1857 on the Vermillion River in the town of Hastings in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The river had a head of and a width of near the 4 story gristmill. An addition included a cooper shop and storage facility. Although...
- Vermillion Falls ParkVermillion River (Minnesota)The Vermillion River meanders through Scott County and Dakota County in Minnesota, emptying into the Mississippi River just south of Hastings. 13.5 miles of it are designated as a trout stream, which is unusual for being so close to a metropolitan area....
- West Second Street Residential Historic DistrictWest Second Street Residential Historic DistrictThe West Second Street Residential Historic District is a historic district in Hastings, Minnesota. The district contains thirteen architecturally significant homes built between 1857 and 1890.-External links:*...