WILLERNIE, MN REALTOR · LOCAL GUIDE
LIVING IN WILLERNIE
Willernie’s story starts with Wildwood Amusement Park, the trolley park that drew crowds from St. Paul to the shore of White Bear Lake beginning in 1899. In 1914 the Wildwood Park Association platted Wildwood Manor next to the park as a summer cottage suburb, designed to look like a picturesque, rambling English village. A post office opened in 1916, the streetcar from St. Paul made the area easy to reach, and the park’s pavilion offered dining and dancing. The park closed in the 1930s, but the neighborhood stayed, and residents incorporated it as the Village of Willernie in 1948. Today it covers about 82 acres and is entirely surrounded by Mahtomedi.
The town has two distinct sides. Along Stillwater Road (County Road 12) is the small commercial strip locals call “the Front,” with long-running bars and restaurants. South of it are the residential streets, with genteel names like Chatham, Leeds, Donegal, Killarney and Derby. Many of the homes started out as clapboard summer cottages, some built up on the hillside, and the winding layout gives the whole place a tucked-away feel.
With roughly 500 residents and no industry, Willernie is almost entirely residential, and homes here are older and full of individual character. Because it sits inside Mahtomedi, residents are minutes from Mahtomedi’s parks, Katherine Abbott Park’s trails, the Streetcar Trail and the beaches of White Bear Lake.
For commuting, County Road 12 connects to Hwy 244 and I-694 a few minutes away. Downtown St. Paul is about 15 miles southwest, and Minneapolis is roughly 25 miles. Stillwater and downtown White Bear Lake are both a short drive. For a city this small, it has a strong sense of identity, and residents tend to know their neighbors and the stories behind their houses.
WILLERNIE AT A GLANCE
Population: 515
Size: 0.1 sq mi
Incorporated: 1948
Schools: Mahtomedi ISD 832
Water: Near White Bear Lake
Commute: Co. Rd. 12 · I-694
County: Washington
Known for: Wildwood Manor roots
Drive to MSP Airport: about 35 minutes (22 miles), off-peak
Drive to Downtown Minneapolis: about 30 minutes (20 miles), off-peak
Drive to Downtown St. Paul: about 25 minutes (15 miles), off-peak
WILLERNIE SCHOOLS
Willernie is served by Mahtomedi Public Schools (ISD 832), the same district as the surrounding city of Mahtomedi. The district includes Wildwood Elementary and O.H. Anderson Elementary, Mahtomedi Middle School and Mahtomedi High School, so Willernie students attend Mahtomedi High School. The district also enrolls many students from surrounding communities through open enrollment.
Because Willernie sits entirely inside Mahtomedi, families here share the same schools, activities and community as their Mahtomedi neighbors. I’m happy to confirm specific school assignments for any home you’re considering.
What the percentages mean: the percentage beside each school below is the share of Willernie’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 37, 21 and 27 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 Willernie: Mahtomedi (ISD 832) — all of the city’s school-age children.
HOW WILLERNIE’S SCHOOL DISTRICTS COMPARE STATEWIDE
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
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 WILLERNIE
Wildwood & Anderson elementary schools: Mahtomedi (ISD 832) — all of Willernie’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
MIDDLE SCHOOLS SERVING WILLERNIE
Mahtomedi Middle School: Mahtomedi (ISD 832) — all of Willernie’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
HIGH SCHOOLS SERVING WILLERNIE
Mahtomedi High School: Mahtomedi (ISD 832) — all of Willernie’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%
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 Willernie in?
Willernie is in Mahtomedi Public Schools (ISD 832). The district runs Wildwood Elementary, O.H. Anderson Elementary, Mahtomedi Middle School and Mahtomedi High School, so students from Willernie attend Mahtomedi High School. I can confirm the school assignment for any specific home.
What county is Willernie in?
Willernie is in Washington County, Minnesota. It is a tiny city of about 82 acres that is surrounded on all sides by the city of Mahtomedi, near the east side of White Bear Lake. With about 500 residents, it is one of the smallest cities in the Twin Cities metro.
How far is Willernie from Minneapolis, St. Paul and MSP Airport?
Driving from the center of Willernie at off-peak times, downtown Minneapolis is about 20 miles (roughly 30 minutes), downtown St. Paul is about 15 miles (roughly 25 minutes) and MSP Airport is about 22 miles (roughly 35 minutes). Rush-hour traffic adds time, and drives vary with which part of Willernie you start from.
What is there to do in Willernie?
Willernie itself is mostly residential, with a small strip of bars and restaurants along Stillwater Road known as “the Front.” Its history as Wildwood Manor, next to the old Wildwood Amusement Park, is part of the appeal. Mahtomedi’s parks, trails and White Bear Lake beaches are just minutes away.
Is Willernie a good place to buy a home?
If you want an older home with character, a small-town feel and Mahtomedi schools, Willernie is worth a look. Homes rarely come up and vary a lot, so careful pricing matters. I’m glad to walk you through any home you’re considering and what it’s really worth.
NEARBY CITIES I SERVE
Mahtomedi · Birchwood Village · Dellwood · White Bear Lake · Grant · White Bear Township · Hugo · Stillwater
Thinking about buying or selling in Willernie? Use the form at the top of this page, or call or text me at 763-218-2573. — Chuck Glasser, Realtor®, RE/MAX Results