In 1856, C. C. Andrews called it a "large and handsome village" and noted that pine logs were floated down the Rum River to sawmills there.

The name Anoka was possibly derived from two Indian words.

Ojibwe used anoki, meaning "I work", referring to the town's busy local lumber sites.

[9][10] Anoka has a strong claim to having provided the first Union Army volunteers during the Civil War, as noted by a small plaque at the corner of West Main Street and Park Street.

Alexander Ramsey, Minnesota's governor in 1861, was in Washington, D.C. when Fort Sumter was fired upon.

He died on July 5, 1863, after sustaining a mortal wound as a member of the 1st Minnesota Regiment in defense against Pickett's Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg.

[citation needed] Anoka lies at the confluence of the Rum and Mississippi Rivers, approximately 20 miles (30 km) northwest of Minneapolis.

[11] Adjacent communities include Dayton, Ramsey, Andover, Coon Rapids, and Champlin.

32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

31.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

He worked for open government, code reform, protection of historic housing and open space and encouraged young people to become involved in civics.

One of the two main Anoka-Ramsey Community College campuses is in neighboring Coon Rapids.

[17] Some students attend public schools in other school districts chosen by their families under Minnesota's open enrollment statute,[18] or students come from places such as Brooklyn Park under the NWISD Magnet Program.

The team was officially approved by the Eastern Minney League and moved to Anoka in the fall of 1982.

In 2024 the Grays reached the Championship Game again at the 2024 MSBL World Series losing to Houston in the last inning.

Both the Bucs and Grays play their home games at Castle Field during the summer months.