HUGO, MN REALTOR · LOCAL GUIDE

LIVING IN HUGO

Hugo started as a refueling stop on the Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad and incorporated as a village in 1906. The name is a small local mystery — one story credits French-Canadian settlers who admired novelist Victor Hugo, another points to a Duluth mayor named Trevanion Hugo. It became a city in 1972 and has grown quickly since 2000; today about 15,800 people live across 36 square miles of Washington County, about 18 miles north of downtown St. Paul.

Water and open space shape the city. Oneka Lake is the largest lake in Hugo — its name comes from a Dakota word for knocking wild rice into a canoe — and the Mdewakanton Dakota gathered wild rice at nearby Rice Lake. The Hardwood Creek Regional Trail runs alongside Highway 61 through town and is the backbone of Hugo’s trail system, good for biking, running and walking the dog.

Each June, the Hugo Lions Club hosts Good Neighbor Days at Hugo Lions Volunteer Park — three days with a parade, carnival rides, a craft fair, live music, a ribfest and fireworks. It’s been going for nearly 50 years, there’s a talent show and kids’ activities on Sunday, and it’s a good way to get a feel for the town and meet the people who live there.

Highway 61 runs north–south through Hugo and I‑35E sits just to the west, so most of the city can reach St. Paul in roughly half an hour outside of rush hour. Housing ranges from new subdivisions built over the last two decades to established homes near the lakes and hobby farms and acreage toward the edges of the city — and because those homes price very differently, good comparisons matter here.

HUGO AT A GLANCE

Population: 15,766
Size: 36 sq mi
Incorporated: 1972
Schools: White Bear Lake · 3 more
Lakes: Oneka & Rice
Commute: I-35E · Hwy 61
County: Washington
Summer festival: Good Neighbor Days
Drive to MSP Airport: about 40 minutes (25 miles), off-peak
Drive to Downtown Minneapolis: about 35 minutes (24 miles), off-peak
Drive to Downtown St. Paul: about 25 minutes (18 miles), off-peak

HUGO SCHOOLS

Hugo is split among four public school districts, so the address really matters here. Most of Hugo’s families live in the southern and central neighborhoods, and those are in White Bear Lake Area Schools (ISD 624) — about 85% of the city’s school-age children (2020 Census) live in its Oneka and North Star Elementary areas, and those students go on to White Bear Lake Area High School. By land area, the largest piece of the city — about half, mostly the more rural north — is in Forest Lake Area Schools (ISD 831), which feeds Forest Lake Area High School. Smaller pieces on the east and south sides fall in Mahtomedi Public Schools (ISD 832) and Stillwater Area Public Schools (ISD 834).

Because the lines don’t follow neighborhood names, I confirm the district and attendance area for any home early — before you fall in love with a house — so there are no surprises later.

What the percentages mean: the percentage beside each school below is the share of Hugo’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 1,429, 802 and 904 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 Hugo: White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — about 85% of the city’s school-age children; Forest Lake (ISD 831) — about 7% of the city’s school-age children; Mahtomedi (ISD 832) — about 5% of the city’s school-age children; Stillwater (ISD 834) — about 3% of the city’s school-age children.

HOW HUGO’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
Forest Lake (ISD 831): reading 50% and math 50% proficient on the 2025–26 state tests — test-score rank #115 of 326 Minnesota districts; 4-year graduation rate 85% (class of 2025), #255 of 317
Mahtomedi (ISD 832): reading 67% and math 68% proficient on the 2025–26 state tests — test-score rank #8 of 326 Minnesota districts; 4-year graduation rate 96% (class of 2025), #76 of 317
Stillwater (ISD 834): reading 59% and math 58% proficient on the 2025–26 state tests — test-score rank #40 of 326 Minnesota districts; 4-year graduation rate 95% (class of 2025), #95 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 HUGO

North Star Elementary: White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — about 47% of Hugo’s children that age; grades K–5, about 79 students per grade; reading 54%, math 58% proficient (2025–26), #302 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Oneka Elementary: White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — about 41% of Hugo’s children that age; grades K–5, about 75 students per grade; reading 50%, math 49% proficient (2025–26), #437 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Forest View Elementary: Forest Lake (ISD 831) — about 4% of Hugo’s children that age; grades K–5, about 82 students per grade; reading 36%, math 33% proficient (2025–26), #687 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Wildwood & Anderson elementary schools: Mahtomedi (ISD 832) — about 4% of Hugo’s children that age; grades K–5, about 208 students per grade; reading 66%, math 75% proficient (2025–26), #68 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Rutherford Elementary: Stillwater (ISD 834) — about 2% of Hugo’s children that age; grades K–5, about 91 students per grade; reading 61%, math 62% proficient (2025–26), #215 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Lino Lakes Elementary: Forest Lake (ISD 831) — about 2% of Hugo’s children that age; grades K–5, about 62 students per grade; reading 54%, math 47% proficient (2025–26), #401 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Scandia Elementary: Forest Lake (ISD 831) — under 1% of Hugo’s children that age; grades K–5, about 44 students per grade; reading 61%, math 67% proficient (2025–26), #168 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Otter Lake Elementary: White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — under 1% of Hugo’s children that age; grades K–5, about 79 students per grade; reading 64%, math 62% proficient (2025–26), #187 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools

MIDDLE SCHOOLS SERVING HUGO

Central Middle School: White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — about 85% of Hugo’s children that age; grades 6–8, about 315 students per grade; reading 65%, math 53% proficient (2025–26), #34 of 264 Minnesota middle schools
Forest Lake Middle School: Forest Lake (ISD 831) — about 6% of Hugo’s children that age; grades 6–8, about 438 students per grade; reading 52%, math 50% proficient (2025–26), #80 of 264 Minnesota middle schools
Mahtomedi Middle School: Mahtomedi (ISD 832) — about 6% of Hugo’s children that age; grades 6–8, about 264 students per grade; reading 67%, math 64% proficient (2025–26), #14 of 264 Minnesota middle schools
Stillwater Middle School: Stillwater (ISD 834) — about 3% of Hugo’s children that age; grades 6–8, about 309 students per grade; reading 63%, math 60% proficient (2025–26), #28 of 264 Minnesota middle schools

HIGH SCHOOLS SERVING HUGO

White Bear Lake High School: White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — about 82% of Hugo’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%
Forest Lake High School: Forest Lake (ISD 831) — about 9% of Hugo’s children that age; grades 9–12, about 460 students per grade; reading 42%, math 41% proficient (2025–26), #153 of 435 Minnesota high schools; 4-year graduation 89%
Mahtomedi High School: Mahtomedi (ISD 832) — about 6% of Hugo’s children that age; grades 9–12, about 285 students per grade; reading 65%, math 58% proficient (2025–26), #14 of 435 Minnesota high schools; 4-year graduation 96%
Stillwater High School: Stillwater (ISD 834) — about 3% of Hugo’s children that age; grades 9–12, about 665 students per grade; reading 50%, math 56% proficient (2025–26), #40 of 435 Minnesota high schools; 4-year graduation 96%

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 Hugo, MN in?

Hugo is split among four districts. Most of its families — about 85% of school-age children — live in White Bear Lake Area Schools (ISD 624). Forest Lake Area Schools (ISD 831) covers about half the city’s land, mostly the rural north, and smaller areas are in Mahtomedi Public Schools (ISD 832) and Stillwater Area Public Schools (ISD 834). Confirm the district for the exact address before you buy.

What county is Hugo in?

Hugo is in Washington County, on the east side of the Northeast Metro. It borders Lino Lakes and Columbus in Anoka County to the west, Forest Lake to the north, and White Bear Township and other Washington County communities to the south and east.

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

Driving from the center of Hugo at off-peak times, downtown Minneapolis is about 24 miles (roughly 35 minutes), downtown St. Paul is about 18 miles (roughly 25 minutes) and MSP Airport is about 25 miles (roughly 40 minutes). Rush-hour traffic adds time, and drives vary with which part of Hugo you start from.

What is there to do in Hugo?

Hugo has Oneka Lake and Rice Lake inside city limits, the Hardwood Creek Regional Trail running alongside Highway 61, and a network of city parks. Every June the Hugo Lions Club hosts Good Neighbor Days at Hugo Lions Volunteer Park, with a parade, carnival, live music, a ribfest and fireworks.

Is Hugo a good place to buy a home?

Hugo offers a wide range — new construction, established homes near the lakes, and hobby farms and acreage — with Highway 61 and I‑35E for commuting. New and resale homes price very differently, and the city is split among four school districts. I live a few minutes away in Centerville and can help you compare both.

NEARBY CITIES I SERVE

Lino Lakes · Centerville · White Bear Township · Forest Lake · White Bear Lake · Dellwood · Grant · Columbus · Circle Pines

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