Business Comes Naturally to the City of Elk River, Minnesota

The City of Elk River is one of the fastest growing business communities in Central Minnesota, with 30% job growth rate and over 1,000 businesses now calling Elk River home – 50 of which are manufacturers and two fortune 50 data centers.
 

Our goal is to continue this economic growth and vitality by adding to the city’s thriving business environment. The heart of downtown Elk River is located at the convergence of the Elk and Mississippi Rivers. Downtown offers quaint shops, restaurants, and services along with progressive fitness and wellness offerings. Elk River is a friendly city with big city conveniences.
 

From the construction of the Elk River dam in 1856 to becoming a hub of energy technology and manufacturing that led to the Minnesota designation of Energy City, our community has been on the cutting edge of clean and renewable energy for years.
 

SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SOURCES

Elk River Municipal Utilities (ERMU) has superb water quality and electrical reliability that earned them the American Public Power Association’s prestigious RP³ designation signifying a Reliable Public Power Provider. Their electrical service provides 99.99% reliability with infrastructure large enough to handle the demands of data centers and manufacturers. The water for cooling has very little mineral content. We are naturally equipped for the development of migrating or expanding businesses.
 

Offering a wealth of dependable power, water, fibre optics, and other business infrastructure resources, Elk River is naturally equipped for the development of data centers, colocation facilities, and carrier hotels. Coupled with the accelerated timeline from groundbreaking to facility completion, you won’t find a community that’s a better home for your data center. Elk River has 25+acres of (shovel ready certified from the State of MN) for Data Centers space ready for development directly adjacent to two Fortune 50 data centers.
 

The Elk River Area School District is the 8th largest district in Minnesota. The schools have each earned a reputation for providing outstanding educational opportunities to students through Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and Audio and Visual Technology (AVID) programs. In addition to the public schools, Elk River is home to innovative parochial and charter schools.
 

POWERED BY NATURE

The heart of the city is powered by its nature. The Elk River community prides itself on outdoor recreation and programming, with 42 parks totalling 1,100 acres, over 75 miles of paved walkways, and a myriad of hiking and biking trails, there are plenty of recreational options for all the outdoor enthusiasts. Elk River is a place for people who live and breathe the outdoors, knowing they have the comforts of big-city amenities the surrounding area has to offer. Relax by taking the Northstar Commuter Rail into downtown Minneapolis for a day of shopping, sports events, or into work. The Northstar provides a relaxing way to get to any activity you enjoy.
 

Elk River makes business accessible. Besides being located just 35 miles outside of Minneapolis, we offer a variety of transportation options to make business much more accessible for new and expanding organisations.
 

Located directly on three major highways, including 10, 169, and 101, and within minutes of US Highway 94
 

Three airports, one of which being MSP International Airport, within 60 miles or less Freight rail transit via BNSF Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway, both Class I Railroads Light rail transit via the Northstar Commuter to Minneapolis, Coon Rapids, Fridley, and surrounding areas, with planned expansions between Big Lake and St. Cloud.
 

The City of Elk River also offers a variety of opportunities in higher education, with 19 public and private colleges in the area. Two industry-leading schools of science and engineering — the University of Minnesota and the University of St. Thomas — are just 35 minutes from the city.
 

A BUSINESS FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT

Elk River is in the business of business. Nearly 1,000 businesses — over 60 of which are manufacturers — now call Elk River home, serving as a testament to the city’s ongoing success. But location isn’t the only reason companies consider locating, migrating, or expanding in the area. The City of Elk River Economic Development Department is committed to maintaining the city’s economic vitality by actively engaging businesses and helping them identify financing and incentives opportunities.
 

The City of Elk River Economic Development Department offers a variety of services that can assist any size project or industry looking to relocate. We have streamlined processes to accelerate timelines from groundbreaking to facility completion, we are confident you’ll find everything you need to for your business. Contact our team today for more information 763.635.1000 or check out our website at www.ElkRiverMN.gov   EG