The price of a box of Girl Scout cookies is climbing.

One of America's most recognizable fund-raising tools for youth activities, a box of Thin Mints, Tagalongs and all the rest will now run $4 in the Twin Cities area, Linda B. Keene, CEO for the Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys, said Monday.

That's up from $3.50 and marks the first price increase since 2004, Keene said.

And unlike many food products on retail shelves -- that half gallon of ice cream is often not quite a half gallon -- the box's contents aren't reduced.

Keene, whose council leads the nation in annual cookie sales at more than 5 million boxes a year, cited increased baking costs and other inflationary factors for needing to raise the price.

"We try for as long as possible to maintain the pricing," she said.

Keene said that more than half of councils nationwide are at $4 or higher, "and others are moving to $4 as we are."

She said some troops on the East and West coasts are charging $5 for a box.

The Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys council has more than 2,000 troops with about 45,000 girls participating. About two-thirds of its funding comes from cookie sales.

The next chance to buy Girl Scout cookies starts in February.

PAUL WALSH