Lakeville (Minn.)

Lakeville () is the largest city in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. An exurb in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, it is about 20 miles (32 km) south of both downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul along Interstate 35. The population was 69,490 at the 2020 census, making it the ninth-most populous city in Minnesota. Lakeville was founded in 1855. It was once a flourishing milling center; its agriculture industry and other major industries are still in operation. The city first became notable in 1910 when Marion Savage built the Dan Patch Railroad Line to serve his Antlers Amusement Park. Lakeville is one of the fastest-growing cities in the Twin Cities area. While many of its workers commute within the metropolitan area, Lakeville has had its own industrial presence since the 1960s. This includes Airlake Industrial Park, which is served by Airlake Airport, a regional reliever airport.