NORTH OAKS, MN REALTOR · LOCAL GUIDE
LIVING IN NORTH OAKS
North Oaks has one of the more unusual stories in the Twin Cities. In 1883 the railroad builder James J. Hill bought the land and turned it into a 5,000-acre breeding and hobby farm. His son Louis kept it in the family until the late 1940s, and after that the Hill descendants developed it as a residential community built around respect for the natural environment. The city incorporated in 1956 out of parts of White Bear and Mounds View townships, and two of the old farm buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Day to day, the land is the point. Pleasant Lake sits at the middle of the city — it was historically part of St. Paul’s water supply, and the city still holds access rights. More than 30 miles of nature trails run through forest, prairie and around the lakes, and there’s a 900-acre conservation area for watching wildlife. Residents use Pleasant Lake Beach, a set of recreation areas with ball fields, rinks and tennis courts, and a 10-acre park near Wilkinson Lake with a band shell and community gardens. The North Oaks Golf Club rounds it out.
One thing buyers should understand early: every road in North Oaks is private. The North Oaks Home Owners’ Association maintains them, and each homeowner’s property technically runs to the middle of the street. The city itself handles police, fire, planning and licensing. It’s about 10 miles north of downtown St. Paul, with Hodgson Road running through town and I-35E and I-694 close by, so Minneapolis and St. Paul are both an easy drive.
Homes here sit on wooded lots spread along winding private roads, with the Hill Farm area and a commercial Village Center near the city’s southern edge for everyday errands. Because the community was planned around open space from the start, much of the land between neighborhoods stays natural, which is a big part of why buyers look here in the first place.
NORTH OAKS AT A GLANCE
Population: 5,272
Size: 8.6 sq mi
Incorporated: 1956
Schools: Mounds View & White Bear
Lakes: Pleasant Lake
Commute: Hodgson Rd · I-35E
County: Ramsey
Known for: Hill farm · private roads
Drive to MSP Airport: about 35 minutes (20 miles), off-peak
Drive to Downtown Minneapolis: about 30 minutes (17 miles), off-peak
Drive to Downtown St. Paul: about 25 minutes (13 miles), off-peak
NORTH OAKS SCHOOLS
North Oaks is served by two public districts. Most of the city is in Mounds View Public Schools (ISD 621), and Chippewa Middle School is located right in North Oaks; Mounds View district students go on to Mounds View High School in Arden Hills or Irondale High School in New Brighton. Part of North Oaks is in White Bear Lake Area Schools (ISD 624), where students attend White Bear Lake Area High School. Because the line runs through the city, I always confirm the district for a specific address before you make an offer.
What the percentages mean: the percentage beside each school below is the share of North Oaks’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 480, 237 and 301 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 North Oaks: Mounds View (ISD 621) — about 89% of the city’s school-age children; White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — about 11% of the city’s school-age children.
HOW NORTH OAKS’S SCHOOL DISTRICTS COMPARE STATEWIDE
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
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 NORTH OAKS
Turtle Lake & Snail Lake elementary schools: Mounds View (ISD 621) — about 89% of North Oaks’s children that age; grades 1–5, about 192 students per grade; reading 70%, math 75% proficient (2025–26), #53 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Otter Lake Elementary: White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — about 11% of North Oaks’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 NORTH OAKS
Chippewa Middle School: Mounds View (ISD 621) — about 90% of North Oaks’s children that age; grades 6–8, about 374 students per grade; reading 69%, math 62% proficient (2025–26), #19 of 264 Minnesota middle schools
Central Middle School: White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — about 10% of North Oaks’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 NORTH OAKS
Mounds View High School: Mounds View (ISD 621) — about 87% of North Oaks’s children that age; grades 9–12, about 460 students per grade; reading 65%, math 53% proficient (2025–26), #18 of 435 Minnesota high schools; 4-year graduation 96%
White Bear Lake High School: White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — about 13% of North Oaks’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 North Oaks in?
North Oaks is split between two districts: Mounds View Public Schools (ISD 621), which has Chippewa Middle School inside the city, and White Bear Lake Area Schools (ISD 624). Which one serves a home depends on the address, so I check the boundary for every property before you write an offer.
What county is North Oaks in?
North Oaks is in Ramsey County. It sits in the northern part of the county, bordered by communities like Shoreview, Vadnais Heights, White Bear Township and Lino Lakes, and it’s part of the Northeast Metro of the Twin Cities. City services like police, fire and planning are handled locally, while the roads are private.
Are the roads in North Oaks private?
Yes. All roads in North Oaks are privately owned and maintained by the North Oaks Home Owners’ Association, and each homeowner’s property extends to the middle of the street. The separate city government handles police, fire, planning and licensing. It’s worth understanding the association’s role before you buy, and I’ll walk you through it.
How far is North Oaks from Minneapolis, St. Paul and MSP Airport?
Driving from the center of North Oaks at off-peak times, downtown Minneapolis is about 17 miles (roughly 30 minutes), downtown St. Paul is about 13 miles (roughly 25 minutes) and MSP Airport is about 20 miles (roughly 35 minutes). Rush-hour traffic adds time, and drives vary with which part of North Oaks you start from.
Is North Oaks a good place to buy a home?
If you want space and nature close to the cities, North Oaks offers a lot: more than 30 miles of private trails, Pleasant Lake, a large conservation area and a golf club, all about 10 miles from St. Paul. Homes here are varied, so I compare each one carefully and help you price or offer with confidence.
NEARBY CITIES I SERVE
Vadnais Heights · White Bear Township · Lino Lakes · Gem Lake · Arden Hills · Centerville · White Bear Lake · Mounds View
Thinking about buying or selling in North Oaks? Use the form at the top of this page, or call or text me at 763-218-2573. — Chuck Glasser, Realtor®, RE/MAX Results