CENTER CITY, MN REALTOR · LOCAL GUIDE

LIVING IN CENTER CITY

Center City was platted in 1857 and named for its spot roughly halfway between Chisago City and Taylors Falls. Swedish immigrant Anders Swenson settled here in 1851, and the city counts itself the first permanent Swedish settlement in Minnesota. That heritage still shows — Center City has a sister-city relationship with Hassela, Sweden, and the area was the setting for Vilhelm Moberg’s novel series “The Emigrants.” The town became the county seat in 1875 and was incorporated as a village in 1903.

The heart of town is Summit Avenue. The Center City Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, takes in 19 homes and Chisago Lake Evangelical Lutheran Church along the east side of the street, on a hill above North Center Lake. The congregation dates to 1854 and is the second-oldest Lutheran congregation in Minnesota, and the church is where the wedding scene in “Grumpy Old Men” was filmed. The homes, built between 1888 and 1910, are mostly Queen Anne and Romanesque in style.

Water is a big part of daily life here. North Center Lake, South Center Lake and Chisago Lake — about 873 acres on its own — sit right around town for fishing and boating, and Wild River State Park, with 18 miles of St. Croix River frontage for camping, hiking, canoeing and horseback riding, is in the same corner of Chisago County.

US Highway 8 runs through Center City, heading west to I-35 near Forest Lake and east toward Taylors Falls and the St. Croix River. From there, St. Paul is roughly 40 miles away and Minneapolis a bit farther, so plan on about 45 minutes to an hour depending on traffic. As the county seat, Center City is also home to the Chisago County Government Center, which keeps a steady flow of daytime activity in a small town.

CENTER CITY AT A GLANCE

Population: 629
Size: 0.6 sq mi
Incorporated: 1903
Schools: Chisago Lakes ISD 2144
Lakes: North & South Center Lakes
Commute: US Hwy 8 · I-35
County: Chisago
Known for: Chisago County seat
Drive to MSP Airport: about 65 minutes (47 miles), off-peak
Drive to Downtown Minneapolis: about 55 minutes (43 miles), off-peak
Drive to Downtown St. Paul: about 55 minutes (40 miles), off-peak

CENTER CITY SCHOOLS

Center City is served by Chisago Lakes School District (ISD 2144), which covers about 165 square miles and five communities in the Chisago Lakes area. Younger students attend the district’s Primary School and Lakeside Elementary in Chisago City or Taylors Falls Elementary, and older students go on to Chisago Lakes Middle School and Chisago Lakes High School, both in Lindström, just a few minutes west of Center City. The district serves roughly 3,000 students in all, so families in Center City share schools with neighbors in Chisago City, Lindström, Shafer and Taylors Falls. Attendance areas can shift, so it’s worth confirming the elementary school for any specific address.

What the percentages mean: the percentage beside each school below is the share of Center City’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 21, 19 and 16 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 Center City: Chisago Lakes (ISD 2144) — all of the city’s school-age children.

HOW CENTER CITY’S SCHOOL DISTRICTS COMPARE STATEWIDE

Chisago Lakes (ISD 2144): reading 54% and math 52% proficient on the 2025–26 state tests — test-score rank #76 of 326 Minnesota districts; 4-year graduation rate 94% (class of 2025), #120 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 CENTER CITY

Taylors Falls Elementary: Chisago Lakes (ISD 2144) — about 52% of Center City’s children that age; grades K–5, about 55 students per grade; reading 49%, math 46% proficient (2025–26), #471 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Chisago Lakes & Lakeside elementary schools: Chisago Lakes (ISD 2144) — about 48% of Center City’s children that age; grades K–5, about 186 students per grade; reading 53%, math 50% proficient (2025–26), #386 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools

MIDDLE SCHOOLS SERVING CENTER CITY

Chisago Lakes Middle School: Chisago Lakes (ISD 2144) — all of Center City’s children that age; grades 6–8, about 244 students per grade; reading 63%, math 62% proficient (2025–26), #27 of 264 Minnesota middle schools

HIGH SCHOOLS SERVING CENTER CITY

Chisago Lakes High School: Chisago Lakes (ISD 2144) — all of Center City’s children that age; grades 9–12, about 249 students per grade; reading 35%, math 29% proficient (2025–26), #277 of 435 Minnesota high schools; 4-year graduation 94%

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 Center City, MN in?

Center City is in Chisago Lakes School District (ISD 2144). Elementary students attend the district’s Primary School and Lakeside Elementary in Chisago City or Taylors Falls Elementary, and middle and high school students attend Chisago Lakes Middle School and Chisago Lakes High School in Lindström. If a specific school matters to you, I’m happy to help confirm attendance boundaries for any address.

What county is Center City in?

Center City is in Chisago County, and it has been the county seat since 1875. The Chisago County Government Center is on North Main Street in Center City, so property records, permits and other county business are handled right in town.

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

Driving from the center of Center City at off-peak times, downtown Minneapolis is about 43 miles (roughly 55 minutes), downtown St. Paul is about 40 miles (roughly 55 minutes) and MSP Airport is about 47 miles (roughly 65 minutes). Rush-hour traffic adds time, and drives vary with which part of Center City you start from.

What is there to do in Center City?

Center City sits on North Center, South Center and Chisago Lakes, so fishing and boating are close at hand. The Summit Avenue historic district and Chisago Lake Lutheran Church are worth a walk, and Wild River State Park offers camping, hiking, canoeing and horseback riding along the St. Croix River in the same part of Chisago County.

Is Center City a good place to buy a home?

Center City offers lake-area living, historic homes, a small-town setting and the convenience of being the county seat, with Chisago Lakes schools and US Highway 8 access. Whether it fits depends on your budget, commute and the kind of home you want. I’ll walk you through what’s available and help you price any home carefully before you make a move.

NEARBY CITIES I SERVE

Lindström · Shafer · Chisago City · Taylors Falls · Scandia · Wyoming · North Branch · Stacy

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