Excelsior, Minnesota

Excelsior is a city on Lake Minnetonka in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 2,188, and in 2016 the estimated population was 2,316. The suburb is located west of downtown Minneapolis.GeographyExcelsior is in southwestern Hennepin County on the south shore of Lake Minnetonka. It is nearly surrounded by the city of Shorewood, and a small portion of the northeast border is shared with the city of Greenwood. According to the United States Census Bureau, Excelsior has a total area of 0.69sqmi, of which 0.63sqmi is land and 0.06sqmi is water. Minnesota State Highway 7 serves as a main route through the city, leading east-northeast to Highway 100 in St. Louis Park and west to Hutchinson.HistoryExcelsior was founded in 1853 by George Bertram and the Excelsior Pioneer Association. It was the first community established on Lake Minnetonka. Many of the original settlers in Excelsior came from the New England area, particularly upstate New York and Massachusetts. Some eastern-like features can be found in the layout of the town, which is organized as a grid with a public common along the lake shore.