North Branch

Located in Chisago County at the intersection of I-35 and Minnesota State Highway 95, North Branch is a city with a population of 10,787 as of the 2020 census. The city's name comes from the North Branch of the Sunrise River, which flows through the area. The history of North Branch is a story of two towns becoming one. Originally established as a single township in 1861, it was later incorporated as a village in 1881. In 1901, the community split into two separate entities: a more densely populated village, still called North Branch, and a surrounding township that later became the village of Branch. For years, starting in the late 1970s, residents debated merging the two communities. A first vote in 1984 failed, but a second referendum on September 13, 1994, was successful. On November 14, 1994, the two cities officially merged to form the single city of North Branch as we know it today.