Edina is in Hennepin County, and a first-ring suburb situated immediately southwest of Minneapolis. Edina began as a small farming and milling community in the 1860s and is today a 95 percent developed metropolitan community. The population was 47,425 at the 2000 census.
Many major highways run through or are close to Edina, making it readily accessible to all within the metropolitan area. Minnesota State Highways 62 and 100 divide the City into four sections. U.S. Route 169 and Minnesota State Highway 100 extend north and south. Interstate 494 and Minnesota State Highway 62 extend east and west. Minnesota State Highway 7 is within three miles (5 km) of the city. Interstate 394 is within five miles.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 41.5 km² (16.0 mi²). 40.8 km² (15.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.8 km² (0.3 mi²) of it (1.87%) is water. Residential areas comprise the largest portion of the City, which is now more than 95 percent developed. Within Edina are many different neighborhoods, including Highlands, Indian Hills, Viking Hills, Morningside, Country Club District, Cahill Village, South Harriet Park, Interlachen, Rolling Green, Parkwood Knolls and Hilldale to name a few.
Edina began as part of Richfield Township. In the 1850s, 17 families, most of them immigrating as a result of the potato famine in Ireland, came to Minnesota and claimed land in the southwest section of what was then Richfield Township. They were followed by English and Scottish farmers, who claimed additional land near Minnehaha Creek. The Baird and Grimes and County Club Districts (both which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places), are located in the northeast part of Edina and were among the first areas to be established.
In 1888, the residents of the township held a meeting to consider founding a new village, separating themselves from Richfield Township. The idea was favorably accepted by those within the community and a committee was established to oversee the transition.
After the decision was made to form a new village, a debate ensued regarding the naming of the new village. Several town meetings were held in the Minnehaha Grange Hall, during which the names "Hennepin Park", "Westfield" and "Edina" were suggested.
There has been a myth about the decision to name the new village Edina, which states that two opposing communities -- the Irish Cahill community and the Scottish Mill community fought about whether to give the community an Irish Name (Killarney Lakes) or a Scottish name (Edina). The 1860 census, however, indicates that there were no Scottish people in Edina in 1860, and only a couple were present at the time of Edina's founding (1888).
The first suburban development in Edina occurred during the early 1900s in Morningside, a neighborhood in the northeastern part of the village. As Morningside grew, conflict arose between its residents, who wanted more city services, and the residents of the rest of the village, who wanted to maintain Edina's rural character. As a result of that conflict, Morningside seceded from Edina in 1920 and became a separate village. In 1966, however, the Village of Morningside once again became part of Edina.
Today, many of the street names in Edina are named after families whose farms once occupied that area, for example: Grimes Avenue, Code Avenue, Gleason (Gleeson) Road and Cooper Avenue.
Edina has a reputation for being one of the most affluent suburbs of Minneapolis. It is home to a few billionaires, most notably Richard M. Schulze and Carl Pohlad