ST. FRANCIS, MN REALTOR · LOCAL GUIDE
LIVING IN ST. FRANCIS
St. Francis grew up around the Rum River. In 1855, Dwight Woodbury built a dam, a grist and saw mill and the first house here, which later became the Riverside Hotel. The township was organized in 1857, and the name traces back to Father Louis Hennepin, who named the Rum River after St. Francis of Assisi in 1680. A large mill went up in 1888, and the mill and dam were lost to a fire in 1933. St. Francis incorporated as a village in 1962 and became a city in 1974.
The river is still a big part of daily life. Rum River North County Park, on Rum River Boulevard, has a canoe and kayak launch, a fishing pier, a playground, trails and canoe-in campsites. The city keeps its own parks and trails too, and Lake George is a short drive south in Oak Grove.
St. Francis has served as a commercial hub for northern Anoka County and southern Isanti County, with shopping, dining and a farmers market. Pioneer Days, which started in 1964, is the city’s summer celebration, with a parade and events in the park. The city is also home to the Land of Lakes Choirboys. St. Francis has its own school district, ISD 15, with St. Francis High School on Bridge Street, and the city’s population has grown to about 8,400 by the city’s own estimate.
Highway 47 is the main route through town, along with Ambassador Boulevard. Anoka is about 16 miles south, and Minneapolis is roughly 35 miles away. Neighborhoods range from in-town streets near the river to homes on larger lots toward the city’s rural edges, and nearby Bethel, Oak Grove and East Bethel add more country living within a few miles.
ST. FRANCIS AT A GLANCE
Population: 8,142
Size: 23.8 sq mi
Incorporated: 1962 (village)
Schools: St. Francis ISD 15
River: Rum River
Commute: Hwy 47 · Ambassador Blvd
County: Anoka · Isanti
Summer festival: Pioneer Days
Drive to MSP Airport: about 65 minutes (47 miles), off-peak
Drive to Downtown Minneapolis: about 50 minutes (34 miles), off-peak
Drive to Downtown St. Paul: about 55 minutes (40 miles), off-peak
ST. FRANCIS SCHOOLS
St. Francis is served by St. Francis Area Schools (ISD 15), a district that covers about 165 square miles of northern Anoka County and southern Isanti County, including St. Francis, Bethel, East Bethel and Oak Grove. Its schools include St. Francis Elementary, Cedar Creek Community School and East Bethel Community School for K–5, St. Francis Middle School for grades 6–8, and St. Francis High School on Bridge Street for grades 9–12.
If a specific elementary school matters to you, I’ll confirm the assignment for any home before you make an offer.
What the percentages mean: the percentage beside each school below is the share of St. Francis’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 755, 394 and 556 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 St. Francis: St. Francis (ISD 15) — all of the city’s school-age children; Elk River (ISD 728) — under 1% of the city’s school-age children.
HOW ST. FRANCIS’S SCHOOL DISTRICTS COMPARE STATEWIDE
St. Francis (ISD 15): reading 49% and math 44% proficient on the 2025–26 state tests — test-score rank #142 of 326 Minnesota districts; 4-year graduation rate 89% (class of 2025), #211 of 317
Elk River (ISD 728): reading 59% and math 61% proficient on the 2025–26 state tests — test-score rank #27 of 326 Minnesota districts; 4-year graduation rate 89% (class of 2025), #212 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 ST. FRANCIS
St. Francis Elementary: St. Francis (ISD 15) — about 54% of St. Francis’s children that age; grades K–5, about 102 students per grade; reading 58%, math 61% proficient (2025–26), #248 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
East Bethel Elementary: St. Francis (ISD 15) — about 46% of St. Francis’s children that age; grades K–5, about 78 students per grade; reading 57%, math 55% proficient (2025–26), #309 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Zimmerman & Westwood elementary schools: Elk River (ISD 728) — under 1% of St. Francis’s children that age; grades K–5, about 177 students per grade; reading 54%, math 57% proficient (2025–26), #322 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
MIDDLE SCHOOLS SERVING ST. FRANCIS
St. Francis Middle School: St. Francis (ISD 15) — all of St. Francis’s children that age; grades 6–8, about 293 students per grade; reading 50%, math 35% proficient (2025–26), #136 of 264 Minnesota middle schools
Zimmerman Middle School: Elk River (ISD 728) — under 1% of St. Francis’s children that age; grades 6–8, about 177 students per grade; reading 53%, math 57% proficient (2025–26), #56 of 264 Minnesota middle schools
HIGH SCHOOLS SERVING ST. FRANCIS
St. Francis High School: St. Francis (ISD 15) — all of St. Francis’s children that age; grades 9–12, about 288 students per grade; reading 32%, math 44% proficient (2025–26), #202 of 435 Minnesota high schools; 4-year graduation 96%
Zimmerman High School: Elk River (ISD 728) — under 1% of St. Francis’s children that age; grades 9–12, about 167 students per grade; reading 50%, math 39% proficient (2025–26), #119 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 St. Francis, MN in?
St. Francis is served by St. Francis Area Schools (ISD 15). The district has three elementary schools, St. Francis Middle School and St. Francis High School, which is located in the city on Bridge Street. The district also serves Bethel, East Bethel, Oak Grove and parts of nearby townships.
What county is St. Francis, MN in?
St. Francis is mostly in Anoka County, with a small part of the city in Isanti County. It sits at the northern end of Anoka County, about 16 miles north of the city of Anoka. Which county a home is in affects property taxes and records, so check the specific parcel.
How far is St. Francis from Minneapolis, St. Paul and MSP Airport?
Driving from the center of St. Francis at off-peak times, downtown Minneapolis is about 34 miles (roughly 50 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 St. Francis you start from.
What is there to do in St. Francis, MN?
The Rum River runs through town, and Rum River North County Park has a canoe launch, fishing pier, playground and trails. The city has its own parks and trails, a farmers market and Pioneer Days, its summer celebration since 1964. Lake George Regional Park is a short drive south in Oak Grove.
Is St. Francis a good place to buy a home?
St. Francis offers in-town neighborhoods with shopping and services nearby, homes on larger lots at the edges of town, the Rum River and its own school district. Whether it fits depends on your commute, budget and the space you want. I can help you compare options and run the numbers on any home you’re considering.
NEARBY CITIES I SERVE
Bethel · Oak Grove · East Bethel · Isanti · Ramsey · Andover · Ham Lake · Anoka
Thinking about buying or selling in St. Francis? Use the form at the top of this page, or call or text me at 763-218-2573. — Chuck Glasser, Realtor®, RE/MAX Results