LINO LAKES, MN REALTOR · LOCAL GUIDE

LIVING IN LINO LAKES

Lino Lakes is named for its water, and it earns it. The Dakota people first lived here, drawn by wild rice and game, and settlers began farming along the lakes around 1850. Nobody is quite sure where the name “Lino” came from — a post office briefly used it in the late 1800s. The village incorporated in 1955, became a city in 1972, and today about 21,400 people live across 33 square miles of Anoka County.

The Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Park Reserve runs through the middle of the city and is the big draw: Baldwin, Rice, Reshanau, Marshan, George Watch, Centerville, Peltier and Rondeau lakes, connected by Rice Creek. Anoka County runs a campground, swimming beach, boat launch, fishing pier, miles of trails and Chomonix Golf Course there, and the Wargo Nature Center sits on a peninsula overlooking George Watch Lake, with programs all year — maple syrup making is a local favorite. Peltier Lake is also the start of a 22‑mile canoe water trail down Rice Creek toward the Mississippi.

The city’s Rookery Activity Center hosts year-round events, and every summer the community turns out for Blue Heron Days, Lino Lakes’ annual festival.

Commuting is one of Lino Lakes’ strengths: I‑35W and I‑35E both run through the city and split just to the south, so downtown St. Paul and Minneapolis are typically about 25–30 minutes away outside of rush hour. Neighborhoods vary a lot — newer subdivisions near the freeways, homes on or near the lakes, and quieter, larger lots on the north side — and the city is split between school districts, so it pays to know exactly which part of town a home is in.

LINO LAKES AT A GLANCE

Population: 21,399
Size: 33.2 sq mi
Incorporated: 1955
Schools: Centennial · Forest Lake
Lakes: Rice Creek Chain (8)
Commute: I-35W · I-35E
County: Anoka
Summer festival: Blue Heron Days
Drive to MSP Airport: about 40 minutes (25 miles), off-peak
Drive to Downtown Minneapolis: about 35 minutes (21 miles), off-peak
Drive to Downtown St. Paul: about 30 minutes (18 miles), off-peak

LINO LAKES SCHOOLS

Lino Lakes is split between school districts, so always confirm the district for a specific address. Most of the city is served by Centennial Schools (ISD 12) — Centennial Middle School is in Lino Lakes, and students go on to Centennial High School in Circle Pines. Other parts of the city are in Forest Lake Area Schools (ISD 831), which feeds Forest Lake Area High School, and some addresses fall within White Bear Lake Area Schools (ISD 624). Elementary schools in the city include Blue Heron Elementary, Lino Lakes Elementary and Rice Lake Elementary.

What the percentages mean: the percentage beside each school below is the share of Lino Lakes’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 1,612, 870 and 1,326 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 Lino Lakes: Centennial (ISD 12) — about 70% of the city’s school-age children; Forest Lake (ISD 831) — about 20% of the city’s school-age children; White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — about 10% of the city’s school-age children.

HOW LINO LAKES’S SCHOOL DISTRICTS COMPARE STATEWIDE

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
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
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 LINO LAKES

Rice Lake Elementary: Centennial (ISD 12) — about 33% of Lino Lakes’s children that age; grades K–5, about 111 students per grade; reading 74%, math 81% proficient (2025–26), #25 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Blue Heron Elementary: Centennial (ISD 12) — about 22% of Lino Lakes’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
Lino Lakes Elementary: Forest Lake (ISD 831) — about 20% of Lino Lakes’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
Centerville Elementary: Centennial (ISD 12) — about 15% of Lino Lakes’s children that age; grades K–5, about 107 students per grade; reading 61%, math 66% proficient (2025–26), #185 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Otter Lake Elementary: White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — about 10% of Lino Lakes’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
Oneka Elementary: White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — under 1% of Lino Lakes’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

MIDDLE SCHOOLS SERVING LINO LAKES

Centennial Middle School: Centennial (ISD 12) — about 69% of Lino Lakes’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
Forest Lake Middle School: Forest Lake (ISD 831) — about 21% of Lino Lakes’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
Central Middle School: White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — about 11% of Lino Lakes’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

HIGH SCHOOLS SERVING LINO LAKES

Centennial High School: Centennial (ISD 12) — about 70% of Lino Lakes’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%
Forest Lake High School: Forest Lake (ISD 831) — about 19% of Lino Lakes’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%
White Bear Lake High School: White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — about 11% of Lino Lakes’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 Lino Lakes in?

Lino Lakes is split. Much of the city is in Centennial Schools (ISD 12), with Centennial Middle School in Lino Lakes and Centennial High School in Circle Pines. Other areas are in Forest Lake Area Schools (ISD 831), and some addresses fall in White Bear Lake Area Schools (ISD 624). Check the district for the specific address before you buy.

What county is Lino Lakes in?

Lino Lakes is in Anoka County, in the Northeast Metro. It wraps completely around the small city of Centerville and borders Blaine, Circle Pines, Lexington, Ham Lake and Columbus in Anoka County, plus Hugo and the Washington County line on its east side.

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

Driving from the center of Lino Lakes at off-peak times, downtown Minneapolis is about 21 miles (roughly 35 minutes), downtown St. Paul is about 18 miles (roughly 30 minutes) and MSP Airport is about 25 miles (roughly 40 minutes). Rush-hour traffic adds time, and drives vary with which part of Lino Lakes you start from.

What is there to do in Lino Lakes?

The Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Park Reserve is the centerpiece, with eight lakes, a campground, a swimming beach, boat launch, trails and Chomonix Golf Course. The Wargo Nature Center offers programs year-round, the Rookery Activity Center hosts community events, and Blue Heron Days is the city’s annual summer festival.

Is Lino Lakes a good place to buy a home?

Lino Lakes offers a lot of choice: lake access, a huge regional park, two interstates and neighborhoods ranging from new construction to larger lots on the north side. Because it spans 33 square miles and three school districts, values vary from one area to the next. I live in neighboring Centerville and can help you compare homes across the city.

NEARBY CITIES I SERVE

Centerville · Circle Pines · Hugo · Lexington · Blaine · Ham Lake · Columbus · North Oaks · White Bear Township · Forest Lake

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