BIRCHWOOD VILLAGE, MN REALTOR · LOCAL GUIDE
LIVING IN BIRCHWOOD VILLAGE
Birchwood Village grew up around White Bear Lake. Starting in 1904, an electric streetcar line ran from St. Paul through Birchwood on its way to White Bear Lake, and St. Paul families built summer cottages near the stops. The community incorporated as a village in 1921, and when every Minnesota village became a city in 1974, residents voted to keep “Village” in the name. When the streetcar quit in 1932, the right-of-way later became Hall Avenue, which is still the main route through town along with Cedar Street.
Life here centers on the lake and a handful of small parks. Residents have five neighborhood beaches — Ash, Birch, Elm, Dellwood and Kay — with canoe and kayak racks and swimming docks. Tighe-Schmitz Park has ball fields, a playground and a hockey rink, Bloomquist Park has a playground and tennis and pickleball courts, and Wildwood Park hosts the Fourth of July festivities. The Fourth of July parade has been a Birchwood tradition since 1952, and summer brings Music in the Park.
The housing is a mix of lakeshore homes and older cottages that were converted to year-round living, set on narrow, winding roads under mature trees. With well under a thousand residents and no room to grow, homes don’t come up often, and each one tends to be different from the next.
For commuting, Birchwood sits just north of I-694, with Hwy 244 running through neighboring Mahtomedi. Downtown St. Paul is roughly 15 miles away and Minneapolis a bit farther, and the shops and restaurants of downtown White Bear Lake are a few minutes around the lake. It’s a quiet, residential place where neighbors still walk to the beach, and the kind of small community that has held onto its name and traditions for more than a century.
BIRCHWOOD VILLAGE AT A GLANCE
Population: 863
Size: 0.3 sq mi
Incorporated: 1921
Schools: White Bear Lake ISD 624
Lakes: White Bear Lake
Commute: Hwy 244 · I-694
County: Washington
Summer festival: Fourth of July Parade
Drive to MSP Airport: about 35 minutes (21 miles), off-peak
Drive to Downtown Minneapolis: about 30 minutes (19 miles), off-peak
Drive to Downtown St. Paul: about 20 minutes (14 miles), off-peak
BIRCHWOOD VILLAGE SCHOOLS
According to the Minnesota Department of Education’s 2025–26 attendance areas, all of Birchwood Village is in White Bear Lake Area Schools (ISD 624). Students are assigned to Matoska Elementary, Mariner Middle School and White Bear Lake Area High School.
Mahtomedi Public Schools (ISD 832) is right next door, and Minnesota’s open-enrollment law lets families apply to attend a district other than their home district. If schools matter for your move, I’ll confirm the attendance area for any specific home before you write an offer.
What the percentages mean: the percentage beside each school below is the share of Birchwood Village’s children of that school’s age who live in its attendance area — ages 5–10 for elementary, 11–13 for middle and 14–17 for high school (about 55, 26 and 43 children in the 2020 Census). District percentages use all children ages 5–17. It shows where the city’s kids are assigned; it is not a test score or a rating. Students per grade is each school’s 2025–26 enrollment divided by the number of grades it serves.
School districts serving Birchwood Village: White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — all of the city’s school-age children.
HOW BIRCHWOOD VILLAGE’S SCHOOL DISTRICTS COMPARE STATEWIDE
White Bear Lake (ISD 624): reading 54% and math 49% proficient on the 2025–26 state tests — test-score rank #91 of 326 Minnesota districts; 4-year graduation rate 94% (class of 2025), #119 of 317
Proficient = share of tested students who met or exceeded Minnesota’s grade-level standards (MCA, MTAS and Alternate MCA, all tested grades). Test-score rank = position among Minnesota school districts (charter schools not included) by the average of reading and math proficiency; school ranks compare each school with all Minnesota public schools at the same level. Ranks are calculated by Minnesota Chuck from Minnesota Department of Education data and are not an official state rating.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS SERVING BIRCHWOOD VILLAGE
Matoska Elementary: White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — all of Birchwood Village’s children that age; grades K–5, about 90 students per grade; reading 61%, math 59% proficient (2025–26), #246 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
MIDDLE SCHOOLS SERVING BIRCHWOOD VILLAGE
Mariner Middle School: White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — all of Birchwood Village’s children that age; grades 6–8, about 311 students per grade; reading 53%, math 45% proficient (2025–26), #90 of 264 Minnesota middle schools
HIGH SCHOOLS SERVING BIRCHWOOD VILLAGE
White Bear Lake High School: White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — all of Birchwood Village’s children that age; grades 9–12, about 638 students per grade; reading 50%, math 44% proficient (2025–26), #88 of 435 Minnesota high schools; 4-year graduation 97%
Sources: Minnesota Department of Education, School Attendance Areas, SY2025-26; Minnesota Department of Education 2025–26 assessment results and graduation rates (Minnesota Report Card); U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census (children by age, by census block); Minnesota Department of Education 2025–26 enrollment. Boundaries can change, so confirm the assigned school with the district for a specific address.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What school district is Birchwood Village in?
Birchwood Village is in White Bear Lake Area Schools (ISD 624), based on the Minnesota Department of Education’s 2025–26 attendance areas. Students are assigned to Matoska Elementary, Mariner Middle School and White Bear Lake Area High School. Neighboring Mahtomedi’s district is also an option through Minnesota open enrollment.
What county is Birchwood Village in?
Birchwood Village is in Washington County, Minnesota. It sits on the south and east shore of White Bear Lake, next to Mahtomedi, Dellwood and the city of White Bear Lake. The Ramsey County line runs just to the west. It is one of the smallest cities in the county, covering roughly a third of a square mile.
How far is Birchwood Village from Minneapolis, St. Paul and MSP Airport?
Driving from the center of Birchwood Village at off-peak times, downtown Minneapolis is about 19 miles (roughly 30 minutes), downtown St. Paul is about 14 miles (roughly 20 minutes) and MSP Airport is about 21 miles (roughly 35 minutes). Rush-hour traffic adds time, and drives vary with which part of Birchwood Village you start from.
What is there to do in Birchwood Village?
Most of Birchwood’s recreation is on White Bear Lake. Residents have five neighborhood beaches with docks and kayak racks, plus Tighe-Schmitz Park, Bloomquist Park and Wildwood Park. The city has held a Fourth of July parade since 1952, and summer brings Music in the Park.
Is Birchwood Village a good place to buy a home?
If you want a quiet lake community with older character homes, mature trees and walkable access to neighborhood beaches, Birchwood Village is worth a look. Homes come up rarely and vary a lot, so pricing takes care. I can walk you through recent sales and what any home is really worth.
NEARBY CITIES I SERVE
Mahtomedi · Willernie · Dellwood · White Bear Lake · White Bear Township · Grant · Gem Lake · Hugo · Vadnais Heights
Thinking about buying or selling in Birchwood Village? Use the form at the top of this page, or call or text me at 763-218-2573. — Chuck Glasser, Realtor®, RE/MAX Results