CITY OF NOWTHEN
Nowthen
In 1869, our beloved area broke off from St. Francis Township and became known as Burns Township. Our city was formerly known under the name of Burns Township until 2008 when we officially became the city of Nowthen. The name“ Nowthen” was coined by the town’ s first postmaster, James Hare, who had the habit of saying“ Now, then” in conversation and in letters. Covering 36 square miles, Nowthen is located in the northwest corner of Anoka County. We neighbor Elk River, Oak Grove, Ramsey, and St. Francis. There are three different school districts the students in Nowthen may attend, Anoka- Hennepin, Elk River, or St. Francis. Students may also attend St. John Lutheran Church and School.
Looking for outdoor fun? Play some baseball, softball, basketball, or soccer at Memorial Park! If sports aren’ t your thing, have fun swinging around the playground. Cool off in the summer months at East Twin Lakes Park, where there is a maintained beach, boat access, fishing pier, picnic pavilions, beach volleyball, soccer fields, and a playground. You can also take your furry friends for a walk on the paths at Morton Farm Preserve
Nowthen established its own Fire Department in 2021. Since then we have contracted with the City of St. Francis to head the department. We are currently searching for out own fire chief to continue the success of the Nowthen Fire Department.
Currently, 16 men and women serve as firefighters and EMS for Nowthen. We do not have our own police department, we contract with the Anoka county Sheriff’ s Department and have wonderful deputies who serve our area on a rotation.
Nowthen’ s Commercial Districts consist of businesses including bars and restaurants, a convenience store, garden nurseries, a cabinet shop, mini storage, auto repair shops, and a variety of other businesses. nowthen is a perfect location if you are looking for a place that still feels like country, but isn’ t too far from more populated areas like Elk River, Anoka, Coon Rapids, and the Twin Cities. We have a 5-acre average minimum for our buildable lots, which means you have lots of room to roam, garden, hobby farm, etc, without the onlooking of close neighbors.
Nowthen has some wonderful annual events that all the residents look forward to. The Nowthen Heritage Festival is the fourth Saturday of September every year and has a wonderful attractions including a pancake breakfast, a pulled pork dinner, carnival
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