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All About Minnetonka
Minnetonka, MN
Located in Hennepin County just eight miles west of Minneapolis, Minnetonka is a fully developed suburban community of just under 50,000 residents.
Minnetonka is proud of its reputation as a city that preserves its natural resources—residents can enjoy 49 community parks, more than 81 miles of maintained sidewalks and trails and more than 1,000 acres of public open space, as well as natural scenery that includes mature trees, wetlands and prairies.
While Minnetonka shares its name with the very popular Lake Minnetonka, the city of Minnetonka includes only one small bay of the lake – Gray’s Bay, which forms the headwaters of Minnehaha Creek. (soure: https://eminnetonka.com/community)
Things To Do In Minnetonka:
Come Spend A Day In Minnetonka!
Three Rivers Park District
The Three Rivers Park District is a recreational district that supports activities including archery, geocaching, biking, boating, camping, fishing, and picnicking. The district also has a couple of playgrounds and a swimming pool.
Lake Minnetonka LTR Regional Trail
Part of the Three Rivers Park District, Lake Minnetonka LTR Regional Trail offers both paved/unpaved paths for the bicyclists, hiker, jogger or casual walker to enjoy. With extended hours, it connects easily to other parks and trails.
Shady Oak Beach
Shady Oak Beach is a white sand beach stretching about 76 feet. Attractions include two sand play areas, a sand volleyball court, picnic shelters, canoe rentals, public restrooms, and fishing areas.
Bennett Family Park
Home to several regional baseball and softball leagues, Bennett Family Park offers eight baseball fields for visitors to play at. Visitors can reserve a field on the official schedule or watch a local team play.
General Store of Minnetonka
The General Store of Minnetonka provides a personalized service that could only be experienced in the early 1900s. They have a selection of home decor, special gifts and old time classics.
Big Thrill Factory
Big Thrill Factory is a family entertainment center and arcade. Visitors will find an 18-hole miniature golf course, bowling, a laser tag arena, bumper cars, climbing walls, arcade games, and an in-house pizzeria.
Minnetonka Tennis Club
With four indoor courts, Minnetonka Tennis Club provides its members with a pro shop and certified instructors to help improve their game. The locker room has a sauna, and there is a loft observation area with a complete kitchen.
Minnetonka Ice Arena
The Minnetonka Ice Arena is a public ice-skating facility that offers public skating, figure skating lessons, and adult hockey leagues. Local high school hockey teams also utilize the arena.
Bryant Lake Regional Park
Featuring terrain including grasslands, woodlands and wetlands, Bryant Lake Regional Park is home to wildlife like deer and waterfowl. It offers hiking trails, picnic and play areas, a disc golf course and lake access for swimming, fishing and boating
Dakota Rail Regional Trail
Offering 13 paved miles, the Dakota Rail Regional Trail follows the route of the former Dakota Rail Corridor. Visitors can hike, bike, and walk their dogs along the trail which offers panoramic views of Lake Minnetonka. (source: http://www.tripbuzz.com/free-things-to-do/minnetonka-mn)
Education in Minnetonka
About Minnetonka Educational System
Public schools
The city of Minnetonka is covered by three independent school districts. The Hopkins School District, which encompasses the central and eastern part of Minnetonka; the Minnetonka School District, in the western part of city north of Lake Minnetonka; and the Wayzata School District, which covers an area along the southern boundary of the city. Some students attend public schools in other school districts chosen by their families under Minnesota’s open enrollment statute.
Public Schools in Minnetonka (Minnetonka School District)
Elementary School
Clear Springs Elementary
Groveland Elementary
Scenic Heights Elementary
Junior High School
Minnetonka Middle School East
Minnetonka middle school west
Senior High School
Minnetonka High School
The Minnetonka School District also includes four schools outside of the city of Minnetonka: Deephaven Elementary School (Deephaven, MN),Excelsior Elementary School (Excelsior, MN), Minnewashta Elementary School (Shorewood, MN), and Minnetonka Middle School West (Chanhassen, MN)
Public Schools in Minnetonka (Hopkins School District)
Elementary Schools
Gatewood Elementary School
Glen Lake Elementary School
L. H. Tanglen Elementary School
Junior High School
Hopkins West Junior High School
Hopkins North Junior High School
Senior High School
Hopkins High School
The Hopkins School District comprises two thirds of the city of Minnetonka, the entirety of Hopkins, and portions of the cities of Golden Valley, Edina, St. Louis Park, Wayzata, and Plymouth. In addition to schools located within Minnetonka, the Hopkins School District also includes four schools in the cities of Hopkins and Golden Valley: Eisenhower Elementary School/Xin Xing Academy (Hopkins, MN), Alice Smith Elementary School (Hopkins, MN), Meadowbrook Elementary School (Golden Valley, MN), and Harley Hopkins Early Childhood/Family Center (Hopkins, MN).
Private schools
There are three private and parochial schools within Minnetonka’s city limits:
- Accell Academy, an accredited private college preparatory school serving grades K-12
- Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School, preschool through eighth grade
- Minnetonka Christian Academy (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnetonka,_Minnesota#Education)
Minnetonka Image Gallery
History of Minnetonka
Minnetonka is rich in history!
Since the mid-19th century, Minnetonka has evolved from heavily wooded wilderness through extensive farming and thriving industrialization to its present primarily residential suburban character. The Dakota and Ojibwe Indians were the first people to settle in the area. They believed the land around Lake Minnetonka (minne meaning water and tonka meaning big) was the legendary home of an extinct race. The first recorded exploration of the area by European settlers was in 1822, when a group from newly constructed Fort Snelling made its way up Minnehaha Creek (then known as Brown’s Creek or Falls Creek) to the lake. In 1851, the Dakota sold the area including Minnetonka to the United States with the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux. The first census, the Territorial Census of 1857, lists 41 households. Twenty-nine of the heads of households are listed as farmers. The occupations of the remaining twelve are associated with the operations of Minnetonka Mill and a nearby hotel.
In 1852, a claim was staked on Minnehaha Creek near McGinty Road. The sawmill that was constructed in the thick woods of maple, oak, elm, red cedar and basswood was the first privately operated mill in Minnesota west of the Mississippi River. Oak timbers from this mill were used to build the first suspension bridge across the Mississippi River at Saint Anthony Falls in 1853. In 1855, a two-story sawmill was constructed with a furniture factory on the second floor.
In 1860, after only 8 years of operation, the sawmill closed. In 1869, a flour and grist mill were constructed and operated until the late 1880s. In 1874, Charles H. Burwell came to manage the Minnetonka Mill Company, and he built a Victorian home on the north bank of Minnehaha Creek (Minnetonka Boulevard at McGinty Road East) for his family. The St. Alban’s Mill, which was less than 1 mile (2 km) downstream from Minnetonka Mills on Minnehaha Creek, operated as a flour mill from 1874 to 1881.
Between 1883 and 1956, the area within the original 36-square-mile (93 km2) township grew smaller as Wayzata, Hopkins, Deephaven, Woodland and Saint Louis Park incorporated or annexed portions of then-Minnetonka Township. Train service to Minneapolis had been available since the 1880s, and in 1905 streetcar service began. In 1956, as a maneuver to prevent neighboring villages from continuing to annex portions of then-Minnetonka Township, residents in 1956 voted to establish a village out of the remaining 28 square miles (73 km2), and the area was incorporated as Minnetonka Village. However, Minnetonka Village lasted only thirteen years. The complexities and the heavy demands of administering a rapidly developing community required professional management and larger representation. In 1969, a city charter was approved to serve the 35,000 residents. Ridgedale Center is located in Minnetonka.
(source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnetonka,_Minnesota#History)
Minnetonka Neighborhood
Check out Minnetonka Neighborhood
Minnetonka is a medium-sized city located in the state of Minnesota. With a population of 51,669 people and 14 constituent neighborhoods, Minnetonka is the 17th largest community in Minnesota.
Minnetonka home prices are not only among the most expensive in Minnesota, but Minnetonka real estate also consistently ranks among the most expensive in America.
Minnetonka is a decidedly white-collar city, with fully 90.25% of the workforce employed in white-collar jobs, well above the national average. Overall, Minnetonka is a city of professionals, sales and office workers, and managers. There are especially a lot of people living in Minnetonka who work in management occupations (14.55%), sales jobs (14.48%), and office and administrative support (12.64%).
Also of interest is that Minnetonka has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.
Like elsewhere in America, most people in Minnetonka use a private automobile to get to work. But notably, a substantial number of Minnetonka‘s citizens do make use of public transit in their daily commute, primarily riding the bus. This helps more people get to work with less air pollution, and require fewer highways to get them there.
Do you have a 4-year college degree or graduate degree? If so, you may feel right at home in Minnetonka. 56.84% of adults here have a 4-year degree or graduate degree, whereas the national average for all cities and towns is just 21.84%.
The per capita income in Minnetonka in 2010 was $49,320, which is wealthy relative to Minnesota and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $197,280 for a family of four.
Minnetonka is a somewhat ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Minnetonka home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Minnetonka residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Minnetonka include Norwegian, Irish, Swedish, and English.
The most common language spoken in Minnetonka is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Russian.
- City Center
- Excelsior Blvd / Baker Rd
- Mcginty Rd W / Crosby Rd
- Cedar Lake Rd / Plymouth Rd
- Lake Street Ext / County Rd 101
- Excelsior Blvd / Williston Rd
- Smetana Rd / Sanibel Dr
- Ford Rd / Cedar Lake Rd
- County Rd 101 / Excelsior Blvd
- Glen Lake (source: https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/mn/minnetonka)
Dan Zufall
Producing Branch Manager // NMLS #452556
Dan Zufall is a top 1%, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020 & 2019 Five Star Mortgage Professional, 8 time Super Mortgage Professional, licensed Wealth Management Advisor, and the leader of the Intelligent Mortgage Planning Team. For the past 24 years, Dan and his team have been providing award-winning service along with sound financial education for their clients looking to buy, sell, or invest in real estate. Dan is licensed to serve his clients’ financing needs in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Texas, and Wisconsin.
On a personal level, Dan is a devout family man, and he enjoys spending quality time with his wonderful wife (college sweet-heart), as well as watching his teenage son play a variety of sports. Dan is an obsessed golfer himself, but his son is a heck of a lefty pitcher, quarterback, and basketball player so golf will have to wait! Dan and his family moved to Scottsdale, Arizona in 2014 to expand the business, but they are blessed to be able to spend their summers on the Lake in Minnesota where he and his wife grew up.
Licensed in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, & Texas.