WHITE BEAR TOWNSHIP, MN REALTOR · LOCAL GUIDE
LIVING IN WHITE BEAR TOWNSHIP
White Bear Township isn’t a city — it’s an urban township, and the only township still left in Ramsey County. Settlers arrived in the 1840s and the township was organized in 1858. It once covered a full 36 square miles, but as White Bear Lake, Vadnais Heights, Gem Lake and North Oaks incorporated as their own cities, the township shrank to the four separate parcels it is today. Its 1885 town hall still stands and now serves as a museum.
Water and open space define the place. The township takes its name from White Bear Lake and includes about 3.4 square miles of water. Bald Eagle-Otter Lakes Regional Park, run by Ramsey County, has a boat launch, fishing pier, playground and the county dog park, and it’s home to Tamarack Nature Center — a 320-acre preserve with paved trails, boardwalks and wood-chip paths that stay open year-round, including for cross-country skiing. The township also runs more than 25 parks of its own, from Polar Lakes Park with its lighted ball fields and amphitheater to the swimming beach at Bellaire Beach.
Neighborhoods range from lakeshore homes to quiet residential streets, and the township includes the unincorporated communities of Bald Eagle and Bellaire. For commuting, I-35E and U.S. Highway 61 both run through the township, along with Highway 96, so downtown St. Paul is usually a straightforward drive south and Minneapolis is reachable by freeway.
Because the township wraps around parts of White Bear Lake and sits next to several cities, many residents shop, dine and spend summer evenings in downtown White Bear Lake, just minutes away. Day to day, though, the township keeps its own identity, with its own town board, parks department and public works.
WHITE BEAR TOWNSHIP AT A GLANCE
Population: 11,049
Size: 10.8 sq mi
Organized: 1858 (township)
Schools: WBL 624 · Mounds View 621
Lakes: Bald Eagle & Otter
Commute: I-35E · Hwy 61
County: Ramsey
Known for: Tamarack Nature Center
Drive to MSP Airport: about 35 minutes (20 miles), off-peak
Drive to Downtown Minneapolis: about 30 minutes (18 miles), off-peak
Drive to Downtown St. Paul: about 25 minutes (13 miles), off-peak
WHITE BEAR TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS
Most of White Bear Township is served by White Bear Lake Area Schools (ISD 624), and the township’s park board works directly with the district. High school students attend White Bear Lake Area High School, now on a unified campus, and the district has two middle schools, Central and Mariner. A portion of the township is in Mounds View Public Schools (ISD 621), whose high schools are Mounds View High School in Arden Hills and Irondale High School in New Brighton. I confirm the district for each address before you buy.
What the percentages mean: the percentage beside each school below is the share of White Bear Township’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 662, 394 and 539 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 White Bear Township: White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — all of the city’s school-age children; Mounds View (ISD 621) — under 1% of the city’s school-age children.
HOW WHITE BEAR TOWNSHIP’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
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
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 WHITE BEAR TOWNSHIP
Lincoln Elementary: White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — about 37% of White Bear Township’s children that age; grades K–5, about 75 students per grade; reading 72%, math 73% proficient (2025–26), #49 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Otter Lake Elementary: White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — about 30% of White Bear Township’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
Matoska Elementary: White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — about 15% of White Bear Township’s children that age; grades K–5, about 90 students per grade; reading 61%, math 59% proficient (2025–26), #246 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Birch Lake Elementary: White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — about 11% of White Bear Township’s children that age; grades K–5, about 40 students per grade; reading 41%, math 42% proficient (2025–26), #584 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Willow Lane Elementary: White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — about 6% of White Bear Township’s children that age; grades K–5, about 46 students per grade; reading 37%, math 31% proficient (2025–26), #688 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Lakeaires Elementary: White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — under 1% of White Bear Township’s children that age; grades K–5, about 60 students per grade; reading 38%, math 32% proficient (2025–26), #681 of 893 Minnesota elementary schools
Turtle Lake & Snail Lake elementary schools: Mounds View (ISD 621) — under 1% of White Bear Township’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
MIDDLE SCHOOLS SERVING WHITE BEAR TOWNSHIP
Central Middle School: White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — about 69% of White Bear Township’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
Mariner Middle School: White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — about 31% of White Bear Township’s children that age; grades 6–8, about 311 students per grade; reading 53%, math 45% proficient (2025–26), #90 of 264 Minnesota middle schools
Chippewa Middle School: Mounds View (ISD 621) — under 1% of White Bear Township’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
HIGH SCHOOLS SERVING WHITE BEAR TOWNSHIP
White Bear Lake High School: White Bear Lake (ISD 624) — about 99% of White Bear Township’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%
Mounds View High School: Mounds View (ISD 621) — under 1% of White Bear Township’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%
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
Is White Bear Township a city?
No. White Bear Township is an urban township, organized in 1858, and it’s the only remaining township in Ramsey County. It has its own town board and services, and it was originally much larger before neighboring cities like White Bear Lake, Vadnais Heights, Gem Lake and North Oaks incorporated separately.
What school district is White Bear Township in?
Most of White Bear Township is in White Bear Lake Area Schools (ISD 624), whose students attend White Bear Lake Area High School. A portion is served by Mounds View Public Schools (ISD 621). Because the boundary matters, I check the district for every specific address before you make an offer.
What county is White Bear Township in?
White Bear Township is in Ramsey County, in the northeastern part of the county. It’s the only township left in Ramsey County and sits next to White Bear Lake, Vadnais Heights, Gem Lake, North Oaks and the Anoka and Washington County lines.
What is there to do in White Bear Township?
Tamarack Nature Center is a favorite, with 320 acres of trails and boardwalks open year-round. Bald Eagle-Otter Lakes Regional Park has a boat launch, fishing pier and the Ramsey County dog park, and the township runs more than 25 parks, including Polar Lakes Park and the swimming beach at Bellaire Beach.
How far is White Bear Township from Minneapolis, St. Paul and MSP Airport?
Driving from the center of White Bear Township at off-peak times, downtown Minneapolis is about 18 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 White Bear Township you start from.
NEARBY CITIES I SERVE
White Bear Lake · Gem Lake · Vadnais Heights · North Oaks · Hugo · Lino Lakes · Dellwood · Mahtomedi
Thinking about buying or selling in White Bear Township? Use the form at the top of this page, or call or text me at 763-218-2573. — Chuck Glasser, Realtor®, RE/MAX Results