Founded in 1858, Bloomington is located in southern Hennepin County (link is external) and is bounded by Interstate 494 to the north, Highway 169 to the west and the Minnesota River to the south and east. The Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport is directly north of the city. Light rail transit connects the South Loop District, which contains the Mall of America, to the airport and downtown Minneapolis.

Bloomington is home to more than 85,000 residents and 90,000 jobs. Major industries include retail and entertainment, hotel and restaurant, health maintenance and computer manufacturing.

The City of Bloomington is a council-manager form of government with full-time staff of more than 500. Fiscally, the City maintains the highest triple A bond ratings from three ratings agencies: Standard & Poor's, Moody's, and Fitch. The main campus is located at the corner of 98th Street and West Old Shakopee Road.