Known in the Metro Area for its regional mall, Burnsville Center, the city is also a recreational attraction with Alimagnet Dog Park, section of Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve, and 310-feet vertical ski peak Buck Hill. Minnesota River wildlife is protected by the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge.
Originally a rural Irish farming community, Burnsville became the tenth largest Minnesota city in the 2000 Census following the construction of Interstate 35. Currently the sixth largest suburb in the metro area and a bedroom community of both Minneapolis and Saint Paul, the city was fully built by the late 2000s. Burnsville has been building a downtown area called Heart of the City with urban-style retail and condominiums. The Burnsville Transit Station serves as the hub and headquarters of the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, providing regional bus service to five other South of the River suburbs. The population continues to reflect a suburban demographic that was about 80% white. 64% family households, and a median earning of about $34,000 in the 2007 Census estimate.
The name Burnsville is attributed to an early Irish settler and land owner, William Byrne, recorded as Burns and later never corrected.
The earliest settlers were roughly 250 Mdewakanton Dakota who lived permanently at Black Dog camp. Starting in the 1850s, Old Stock Americans from the east coast and French Canadians moved into eastern Dakota County near Saint Paul. A decade later, major European immigration began with settlers from Ireland, Scotland, and Great Britain. By the 1900s there were a few Scandinavians from Sweden, Norway, and Denmark but this ethnic group mostly concentrated towards Lakeville. Those from Germany and Eastern Europe would gradually join the minority from the packing jobs in nearby South St. Paul. Irish descendants maintained the majority through the early 1950s owing to the town's origin, overall land ownership and the practice of marrying within ethnic clans. The early 20th century's permanent population remained very low as the Minnesota River's lack of bridges and streetcar connection isolated the area from development, preventing people from moving south of downtown Minneapolis. The lake-side houses around Crystal Lake and Orchard Lake however attracted several various immigrant and first-generation wealthier individuals to temporarily settle or own land in the town limits.
In 1960, the U.S. Census Bureau recorded the population of Burnsville township at 2,716 people and soon after, the postwar growth was instantaneous, filling the city with second to third generation European descendants from Minneapolis, more American than ethnic. From 1960 to 1970, in ten years the total population accelerated to nearly 20,000 and by the year 2000 arrived at roughly 60,000 people. While still 87% white at the 2000 Census, all ethnic groups and ancestries by the 21st century shared a small percentage in the city limits, the highest reported single ancestry was German, Norwegian, and followed by Irish.
As of the census of 2000 (US census for 2000), there were 60,220 people, 23,687 households, and 15,633 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,421.0 people per square mile (935.1/km²). There were 24,261 housing units at an average density of 975.4/sq mi (376.6/km²).
There were 23,687 households out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them. The median age was 33 years. The median income for a household in the city was $57,965, and the median income for a family was $67,979. About 3.7% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.
Minnesota Valley Transit Authority provides regional bus service between many transit hubs within the city, south of the river, and to destinations such as the Mall of America, downtown Minneapolis, and Southdale Mall. Most residents commute and move around by car. Burnsville contains the Interstate Highway 35 split with Interstate Highway 35W leading to downtown Minneapolis and Interstate Highway 35E to downtown St. Paul. The major on and off-ramps for I-35W are located at Burnsville Parkway, County Road 42, and State Highway 13. County Road 42 and State Highway 13 both provide east-west access to the western suburb of Savage and the eastern suburb of Apple Valley. Major interior arteries include Nicollet Avenue, McAndrews Road (East 138th Street), County Road 5 (Kenwood Trail), County Road 11, Portland Avenue, Southcross Drive, and Lac Lavon Drive.