CHAMPLIN, MN REALTOR · LOCAL GUIDE
LIVING IN CHAMPLIN
Champlin was settled in 1852, and the old Marshall Township was split into Champlin and Dayton in 1859. The city takes its name from U.S. Navy Commodore Stephen Champlin, who served in the War of 1812. The village of Champlin and Champlin Township combined to form the city in 1971. Today about 23,900 people live here, in Hennepin County’s northern tip.
The Mississippi River defines Champlin. The city spent years turning a neglected stretch of riverfront south of the Anoka–Champlin bridge into Mississippi Crossings, which now has an outdoor amphitheater with free summer concerts, an event center, a playground, a market and restaurants, and new apartments. Next to it, the restored Champlin Mill Pond is stocked with panfish by the DNR and has a fishing pier, pavilion and picnic area.
For bigger outdoor days, Elm Creek Park Reserve — Three Rivers’ largest park at about 4,900 acres — connects to Champlin’s city trails, with paved paths, mountain biking, cross-country and downhill skiing, a swim pond and the Eastman Nature Center. The Father Hennepin Festival, a Champlin summer tradition dating to 1976, has long brought a parade, carnival, live music and fireworks to town.
U.S. Highway 169 and Hennepin County Road 12 are the main routes, and the bridge on Highway 169 puts downtown Anoka just across the river. Downtown Minneapolis is about 18 miles southeast. Champlin shares a fire department with Anoka — the Anoka-Champlin Fire Department, known for its white trucks, a nod to the white horses that once pulled Anoka’s steam engines. Neighborhoods are mostly established, with newer apartments along the river, plenty of walking and biking trails, and quick access to shopping on both sides of the Mississippi.
CHAMPLIN AT A GLANCE
Population: 23,919
Size: 8.7 sq mi
Incorporated: 1971 (as a city)
Schools: Anoka-Hennepin ISD 11
River: Mississippi
Commute: US 169 · CR 12
County: Hennepin
Known for: Mississippi Crossings
Drive to MSP Airport: about 45 minutes (30 miles), off-peak
Drive to Downtown Minneapolis: about 30 minutes (20 miles), off-peak
Drive to Downtown St. Paul: about 35 minutes (28 miles), off-peak
CHAMPLIN SCHOOLS
Champlin is served by Anoka-Hennepin School District 11, Minnesota’s largest school district. District schools in the area include Champlin-Brooklyn Park Academy for Math and Environmental Science, Jackson Middle School and Champlin Park High School, which sit near 109th Avenue North and Douglas Drive. Champlin Park was at one time the largest high school in the state.
Attendance boundaries within the district can change, so if a particular school matters to you, I’ll confirm the assigned schools for any home before you make an offer.
What the percentages mean: the percentage beside each school below is the share of Champlin’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 1,838, 993 and 1,337 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 Champlin: Anoka-Hennepin (ISD 11) — all of the city’s school-age children.
HOW CHAMPLIN’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
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 CHAMPLIN
Oxbow Creek Elementary: Anoka-Hennepin (ISD 11) — about 47% of Champlin’s children that age; grades K–5, about 186 students per grade; reading 58%, math 71% proficient (2025–26), #159 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Champlin-Brooklyn Park Academy: Anoka-Hennepin (ISD 11) — about 43% of Champlin’s children that age; grades K–5, about 120 students per grade; reading 50%, math 51% proficient (2025–26), #406 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Dayton Elementary: Anoka-Hennepin (ISD 11) — about 11% of Champlin’s children that age; grades K–5, about 95 students per grade; reading 53%, math 62% proficient (2025–26), #277 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
MIDDLE SCHOOLS SERVING CHAMPLIN
Jackson Middle School: Anoka-Hennepin (ISD 11) — all of Champlin’s children that age; grades 6–8, about 696 students per grade; reading 53%, math 49% proficient (2025–26), #77 of 264 Minnesota middle schools
HIGH SCHOOLS SERVING CHAMPLIN
Champlin Park High School: Anoka-Hennepin (ISD 11) — all of Champlin’s children that age; grades 9–12, about 728 students per grade; reading 42%, math 32% proficient (2025–26), #217 of 435 Minnesota high schools; 4-year graduation 95%
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 Champlin, MN in?
Champlin is in Anoka-Hennepin School District 11. District schools in the area include Champlin-Brooklyn Park Academy for Math and Environmental Science, Jackson Middle School and Champlin Park High School. Attendance boundaries can shift, so it’s smart to confirm the assigned schools for any specific address.
What county is Champlin, MN in?
Champlin is in Hennepin County, at the county’s northern tip along the Mississippi River. It borders Anoka and Coon Rapids across the river in Anoka County, plus Dayton, Brooklyn Park and Maple Grove in Hennepin County. Hennepin County handles property taxes and records for Champlin homes.
How far is Champlin from Minneapolis, St. Paul and MSP Airport?
Driving from the center of Champlin at off-peak times, downtown Minneapolis is about 20 miles (roughly 30 minutes), downtown St. Paul is about 28 miles (roughly 35 minutes) and MSP Airport is about 30 miles (roughly 45 minutes). Rush-hour traffic adds time, and drives vary with which part of Champlin you start from.
What is there to do in Champlin, MN?
Mississippi Crossings on the riverfront has an amphitheater with summer concerts, a playground, a market and restaurants. The Champlin Mill Pond has a fishing pier and picnic area, and Elm Creek Park Reserve connects to the city’s trails. The Father Hennepin Festival, a summer tradition since 1976, has long brought a parade, carnival, live music and fireworks.
Is Champlin a good place to buy a home?
Champlin offers established neighborhoods, a redeveloped Mississippi riverfront, quick access to Highway 169 and Elm Creek Park Reserve, and Anoka-Hennepin schools. Whether it fits depends on your budget, commute and the kind of home you want. I can help you compare neighborhoods and run the numbers on any home you’re considering.
NEARBY CITIES I SERVE
Anoka · Ramsey · Coon Rapids · Brooklyn Park · Maple Grove · Dayton · Andover · Blaine
Thinking about buying or selling in Champlin? Use the form at the top of this page, or call or text me at 763-218-2573. — Chuck Glasser, Realtor®, RE/MAX Results