BLAINE, MN REALTOR · LOCAL GUIDE

LIVING IN BLAINE

Blaine separated from Anoka Township in 1877 and was named for U.S. Senator James G. Blaine of Maine. Its first permanent resident, Greenberry Chambers, a formerly enslaved man from Kentucky, settled here in 1865. For decades Blaine stayed rural — under 1,000 people — until housing developments began in the south part of town after World War II. It incorporated in 1954 and has grown to about 70,200 people across 34 square miles, mostly in Anoka County with a small portion in Ramsey County.

Blaine has more to do than most suburbs. The National Sports Center, opened in 1990, has more than 50 soccer fields, a golf course and the Super Rink, an eight-sheet ice arena, and every July it hosts the USA Cup youth soccer tournament. TPC Twin Cities hosts the PGA Tour’s 3M Open, and the Anoka County–Blaine Airport is home to the Golden Wings Flying Museum. The city has 66 parks and miles of trails, including the 500-acre Blaine Wetland Sanctuary with its boardwalk.

Water is part of the picture too. Sunrise Lake, the largest at 158 acres, anchors The Lakes neighborhood, and Laddie Lake is Blaine’s only naturally occurring lake. Each June, the Blaine Festival fills Aquatore Park with a parade, carnival rides and free live music.

I‑35W, U.S. Highway 10 and Highway 65 are the main routes. Blaine is about 13 miles from downtown Minneapolis and 20 miles from downtown St. Paul, so commutes depend a lot on which side of the city you’re on. The housing mix is wide — post-war homes in the south, newer neighborhoods farther north, and lake homes in The Lakes. Anoka County also runs two library branches in the city, Johnsville and Northtown, which is handy for families and anyone working from home.

BLAINE AT A GLANCE

Population: 70,222
Size: 34.0 sq mi
Incorporated: 1954
Schools: Anoka-Hennepin · 2 others
Lakes: Sunrise & Laddie
Commute: I-35W · Hwy 10 · Hwy 65
County: Anoka (part Ramsey)
Summer festival: Blaine Festival
Drive to MSP Airport: about 40 minutes (27 miles), off-peak
Drive to Downtown Minneapolis: about 25 minutes (15 miles), off-peak
Drive to Downtown St. Paul: about 25 minutes (20 miles), off-peak

BLAINE SCHOOLS

Three public school districts serve Blaine, so the district depends on the address. Anoka-Hennepin Schools (ISD 11) covers much of the city and runs Blaine High School on University Avenue. Spring Lake Park Schools (ISD 16) serves other neighborhoods and feeds Spring Lake Park High School, and Centennial Schools (ISD 12) covers part of eastern Blaine, with students attending Centennial High School in Circle Pines. Always confirm the district for a specific home before you buy — I check it early in every Blaine search so it never becomes a surprise late in the process.

What the percentages mean: the percentage beside each school below is the share of Blaine’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 6,435, 3,338 and 4,166 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 Blaine: Anoka-Hennepin (ISD 11) — about 57% of the city’s school-age children; Spring Lake Park (ISD 16) — about 32% of the city’s school-age children; Centennial (ISD 12) — about 12% of the city’s school-age children; Mounds View (ISD 621) — under 1% of the city’s school-age children.

HOW BLAINE’S SCHOOL DISTRICTS COMPARE STATEWIDE

Anoka-Hennepin (ISD 11): reading 51% and math 51% proficient on the 2025–26 state tests — test-score rank #98 of 326 Minnesota districts; 4-year graduation rate 89% (class of 2025), #215 of 317
Spring Lake Park (ISD 16): reading 39% and math 37% proficient on the 2025–26 state tests — test-score rank #245 of 326 Minnesota districts; 4-year graduation rate 89% (class of 2025), #217 of 317
Centennial (ISD 12): reading 57% and math 57% proficient on the 2025–26 state tests — test-score rank #48 of 326 Minnesota districts; 4-year graduation rate 92% (class of 2025), #155 of 317
Mounds View (ISD 621): reading 56% and math 55% proficient on the 2025–26 state tests — test-score rank #58 of 326 Minnesota districts; 4-year graduation rate 91% (class of 2025), #169 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 BLAINE

Sunrise Elementary: Anoka-Hennepin (ISD 11) — about 17% of Blaine’s children that age; grades K–5, about 174 students per grade; reading 62%, math 77% proficient (2025–26), #85 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Jefferson Elementary: Anoka-Hennepin (ISD 11) — about 16% of Blaine’s children that age; grades K–5, about 102 students per grade; reading 41%, math 48% proficient (2025–26), #531 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Centerview Elementary: Spring Lake Park (ISD 16) — about 15% of Blaine’s children that age; grades K–4, about 129 students per grade; reading 34%, math 52% proficient (2025–26), #568 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Northpoint Elementary: Spring Lake Park (ISD 16) — about 15% of Blaine’s children that age; grades K–4, about 89 students per grade; reading 44%, math 55% proficient (2025–26), #432 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Johnsville Elementary: Anoka-Hennepin (ISD 11) — about 13% of Blaine’s children that age; grades K–5, about 107 students per grade; reading 51%, math 63% proficient (2025–26), #290 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Madison Elementary: Anoka-Hennepin (ISD 11) — about 8% of Blaine’s children that age; grades K–5, about 62 students per grade; reading 57%, math 59% proficient (2025–26), #269 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Blue Heron Elementary: Centennial (ISD 12) — about 5% of Blaine’s children that age; grades K–5, about 115 students per grade; reading 61%, math 66% proficient (2025–26), #173 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Centennial Elementary: Centennial (ISD 12) — about 4% of Blaine’s children that age; grades K–5, about 76 students per grade; reading 54%, math 58% proficient (2025–26), #303 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Golden Lake Elementary: Centennial (ISD 12) — about 3% of Blaine’s children that age; grades K–5, about 64 students per grade; reading 55%, math 62% proficient (2025–26), #258 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Eisenhower Elementary: Anoka-Hennepin (ISD 11) — about 3% of Blaine’s children that age; grades K–5, about 82 students per grade; reading 57%, math 53% proficient (2025–26), #327 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
University Ave Elementary: Anoka-Hennepin (ISD 11) — about 1% of Blaine’s children that age; grades K–5, about 87 students per grade; reading 39%, math 47% proficient (2025–26), #572 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
McKinley Elementary: Anoka-Hennepin (ISD 11) — under 1% of Blaine’s children that age; grades K–5, about 106 students per grade; reading 64%, math 78% proficient (2025–26), #73 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Park Terrace Elementary: Spring Lake Park (ISD 16) — under 1% of Blaine’s children that age; grades K–4, about 94 students per grade; reading 27%, math 23% proficient (2025–26), #779 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Pinewood & Pike Lake elementary schools: Mounds View (ISD 621) — under 1% of Blaine’s children that age; grades 1–5, about 103 students per grade; reading 41%, math 47% proficient (2025–26), #534 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools

MIDDLE SCHOOLS SERVING BLAINE

Westwood Middle School: Spring Lake Park (ISD 16) — about 33% of Blaine’s children that age; grades 5–8, about 406 students per grade; reading 40%, math 32% proficient (2025–26), #181 of 264 Minnesota middle schools
Northdale Middle School: Anoka-Hennepin (ISD 11) — about 31% of Blaine’s children that age; grades 6–8, about 389 students per grade; reading 54%, math 51% proficient (2025–26), #68 of 264 Minnesota middle schools
Roosevelt Middle School: Anoka-Hennepin (ISD 11) — about 24% of Blaine’s children that age; grades 6–8, about 366 students per grade; reading 52%, math 46% proficient (2025–26), #95 of 264 Minnesota middle schools
Centennial Middle School: Centennial (ISD 12) — about 12% of Blaine’s children that age; grades 6–8, about 535 students per grade; reading 53%, math 47% proficient (2025–26), #88 of 264 Minnesota middle schools
Edgewood Middle School: Mounds View (ISD 621) — under 1% of Blaine’s children that age; grades 6–8, about 210 students per grade; reading 42%, math 42% proficient (2025–26), #140 of 264 Minnesota middle schools

HIGH SCHOOLS SERVING BLAINE

Blaine High School: Anoka-Hennepin (ISD 11) — about 56% of Blaine’s children that age; grades 9–12, about 796 students per grade; reading 48%, math 51% proficient (2025–26), #70 of 435 Minnesota high schools; 4-year graduation 95%
Spring Lake Park High School: Spring Lake Park (ISD 16) — about 33% of Blaine’s children that age; grades 9–12, about 474 students per grade; reading 38%, math 32% proficient (2025–26), #233 of 435 Minnesota high schools; 4-year graduation 89%
Centennial High School: Centennial (ISD 12) — about 11% of Blaine’s children that age; grades 9–12, about 520 students per grade; reading 52%, math 53% proficient (2025–26), #42 of 435 Minnesota high schools; 4-year graduation 95%
Irondale High School: Mounds View (ISD 621) — under 1% of Blaine’s children that age; grades 9–12, about 450 students per grade; reading 42%, math 40% proficient (2025–26), #159 of 435 Minnesota high schools; 4-year graduation 92%

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 Blaine, MN in?

Blaine is served by three districts: Anoka-Hennepin (ISD 11), Spring Lake Park (ISD 16) and Centennial (ISD 12). Their high schools are Blaine High School, Spring Lake Park High School and Centennial High School in Circle Pines. Which district you’re in depends on the specific address, so confirm it before you buy.

What county is Blaine in?

Blaine is mostly in Anoka County, with a small portion in Ramsey County. It borders Lexington, Circle Pines, Lino Lakes, Ham Lake, Coon Rapids, Spring Lake Park and Mounds View, which puts it right where the North Metro and Northeast Metro meet.

How far is Blaine from Minneapolis, St. Paul and MSP Airport?

Driving from the center of Blaine at off-peak times, downtown Minneapolis is about 15 miles (roughly 25 minutes), downtown St. Paul is about 20 miles (roughly 25 minutes) and MSP Airport is about 27 miles (roughly 40 minutes). Rush-hour traffic adds time, and drives vary with which part of Blaine you start from.

What is there to do in Blaine?

Blaine is home to the National Sports Center, with more than 50 soccer fields and the eight-sheet Super Rink, plus TPC Twin Cities, host of the PGA Tour’s 3M Open. The city has 66 parks, the 500-acre Blaine Wetland Sanctuary, Sunrise Lake, and the Blaine Festival each June at Aquatore Park.

Is Blaine a good place to buy a home?

Blaine offers a wide range of homes — post-war houses, newer subdivisions and lake homes in The Lakes — along with major parks, sports facilities and three highways for commuting. Values and school districts vary a lot across 34 square miles. I live nearby in Centerville and can help you compare neighborhoods and price a home accurately.

NEARBY CITIES I SERVE

Lexington · Circle Pines · Ham Lake · Lino Lakes · Mounds View · Spring Lake Park · Coon Rapids · Andover · Centerville · New Brighton

Thinking about buying or selling in Blaine? Use the form at the top of this page, or call or text me at 763-218-2573. — Chuck Glasser, Realtor®, RE/MAX Results