Interactive link to median sales price featured in the picture above: http://northstarmls.stats.10kresearch.com/infoserv/s-v1/ZVdz-E4v
Minnetonka offers the best of lake living and city life. Located just 8 miles from Minneapolis in Hennepin County, Minnetonka is named after the ninth largest lake in the state of Minnesota. At 14,528 acres, Lake Minnetonka is popular among boaters, sailors, and fishermen. Boats of all sizes and horsepower may be legally launched on Lake Minnetonka — and you’re sure to see a wide variety during busy summer weekends. The lake has four active yacht clubs, as well as an antique and classic boat society known as the Bob Speltz Land O’ Lakes Chapter of the ACBS. Several cruise companies operate larger excursion vessels on the lake, the largest of which is 83 feet long. Lake Minnetonka’s magnificent homes are a common highlight on these sightseeing, dinner, and brunch cruises. Other common activities on Lake Minnetonka include swimming, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding during the summer, and ice fishing, snowmobiling, and ice yachting during the winter.
Even those who don’t live directly on the lake benefit from the abundant natural resources in their city. There are dozens of ponds and three major creek corridors in the city. In addition, careful planning has allowed the city to maintain a significant amount of open space, park land and wetland areas. The Cities Park and Trail Maintenance division works within the Minnetonka-Hopkins Recreation Program to maintain 17 athletic fields, 10 ice-skating rinks, and 81 miles of sidewalks and trails suitable for walking, running and biking. Additionally, there are 49 parks and over 1,000 acres of public open land that Minnetonka residents enjoy. In the summer, take a swim and cool off at Shady Oak Beach or Libbs Lake Beach. Launch your sailboat at the Lake Minnetonka public access, or rent a boat slip at the marina on Grays Bay.
The name Minnetonka comes from the Dakota Indian mni tanka, meaning “great water”. The outlet of Lake Minnetonka is Minnehaha Creek, which winds through south Minneapolis and flows over Minnehaha Falls and into the Mississippi River. It was at the juncture of Minnehaha Creek and Lake Minnetonka — an area deemed sacred by the Native Americans living there — that the first settlement in the area was established. The dense woods and open prairies made for good hunting, while Lake Minnetonka provided excellent fishing. Early settlers came to Minnetonka primarily from New England and other states east of Minnesota, from northern Europe and the British Isles, and from Bohemia (now part of Czechoslovakia). As Minnetonka was settled, several small, distinct commercial areas, all two to three miles apart with farms and homes in between, developed over the years. Those areas came to be known as Minnetonka Mills, Glen Lake, Groveland, and Oak Knoll.
Minnetonka has a thriving business community, high quality office developments, and beautiful residential areas. The median family income in this affluent community is about $106,506. Minnetonka’s population is 51,669 people. Since 2000, it has had a population growth of 6.82 percent. The city is the home of Cargill, the country’s largest privately owned company, and UnitedHealth Group, the state’s largest publicly owned company.
The city of Minnetonka is covered by three independent school districts, two of which are ranked among the highest in the state. Minnetonka public schools spend $15,978 per student, compared to a U.S. average of $12,383, and the district in the western part of city north of Lake Minnetonka. The Hopkins School District encompasses the central and eastern part of Minnetonka; and the Wayzata School District covers an area along the southern boundary of the city.
The community center, a part of the civic center complex on Minnetonka Boulevard and Williston Road, houses an active senior citizens program, as well as a beautiful banquet room and meeting rooms for the public’s use. Take classes, view exhibits and be inspired to create at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts, which offers a full range of classes for children, teens, and adults. Join the Music Association of Minnetonka, the Historical Society, MOMS Club, or Rotary Club. And be sure to mark your calendars for yearly events that include Kids’ Fest, Native Plant Market and Eco Fun Fest, Summer Festival, Ice Cream Social, Burwell Arts and Crafts Fair, Farmers Market, Music in the Park, Movie in the Park, and Minnetonka Night for Neighbors.
This is one city that has certainly earned its ranking as one of the best suburbs to live in Minnesota.