Arden Hills has been around for roughly a century, and while the origin of the name is not known, it is an educated guess that it stems from Senator Joseph Hackney's, a billionaire, hobby farm. It was named Arden Farms, and he established it in 1906. The hills part is probably based on the fact that the city at the time had several hills that were made by glaciers. It was originally part of the Mounds View Township, which encompassed several of the neighboring communities. The federal government purchased 2,370 acres of farmland in 1941, which was one third of the city's total acreage in the northern area for the purpose of opening an ammunition manufacturing plant. It was called the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant (TCAAP), and they did a booming business. In 1981, there were solvents found in New Brighton's (neighboring city) groundwater wells. Just prior to that, there was a cessation of making ammunition at the plant. In 1994, the US Army declared part of the land as federal excess, and it was designated for both private and public use. The remaining held acres are still used as a training site by the Minnesota Army National Guard and the Army Reserve. Arden Hills incorporated in 1951, and the boundaries of the city were rejiggered over the next 20 years until they became the same as they are today. In the decade of the 1970s, the city experienced a growth explosion that caused them to add over a thousand new housing units. This is approximately one third of the present total number. Today, the city has the feel of a small town while also having easy access to the amenities of a big city.  

Arden Hills does not have an overall environmental policy. They do have a 2040 Comprehensive Plan that includes several aspects of the environment, including protecting natural resources, solar energy development, and increasing water quality. There is not much in terms of actionable steps, however. Most of their environmental focus is on the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant (TCAAP). There were found to be solvents in the groundwater wells of New Brighton (neighboring city) in 1981 due to the runoff from the dumping of harmful solvents from the TCAAP. Two years later, TCAAP was placed on the Federal National Priorities (Superfund) list which is reserved for some of the most contaminated lands in the country. Arden Hills developed a Master Plan in 2014 to deal with the situation. Their diligence over the next five years resulted in TCAAP soil and surface water to be delisted from the US EPA's National Priorities List in September of 2019. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) followed suit in May of 2020 with the Minnesota Superfund list. Groundwater contamination associated with TCAAP is still on both lists.

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