Townapedia
St Peters Catholic Church Forest Lake
St Peters Catholic Church Forest Lake · Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0
Forest Lake High School Football Stadium
Forest Lake High School Football Stadium · Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0
Forest Lake High School
Forest Lake High School · Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0
Downtown Forest Lake
Downtown Forest Lake · Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0
Forest Lake Roundabout
Forest Lake Roundabout · Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0
Forest Lake Rest Area (I-35), Minnesota (47061446722)
Forest Lake Rest Area (I-35), Minnesota (47061446722) · Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0

Forest Lake, Minnesota

Forest Lake is a city of 20,729 people in Washington County, Minnesota, founded in 1874.

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Population20,729 +3.6% since 2019
CountyWashington County
Elevation912 ft 278 m
Founded1874
Land area30.5 sq mi
ZIP code55025
Nearest airportL O Simenstad Municipal Airport (OEO) 14 mi

Why visit Forest Lake

Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 29 parks and trails, 35 places to eat, 4 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.

Highlights include Lake Five Theater, Moody Barn and Banta Park.

July is the warmest month, with average highs of 83°F; January lows average 3°F, and about 52 inches of snow fall in a normal year.

About Forest Lake

Forest Lake is a city in Washington County, Minnesota, United States, 27 miles northeast of Saint Paul and 29 miles northeast of Minneapolis. The population was 20,611 at the 2020 census.

From the Wikipedia article Forest Lake, Minnesota (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Things to do1

Lake Five Theater

Cinema and theater · 1.3 mi

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Museums and landmarks1

Moody BarnCC BY-SA 3.0

Moody Barn

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.9 mi

Round barn in Chisago Lake Township, Minnesota

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Parks, trails and playgrounds29

Banta Park

Park · 4.1 mi

Fondant Avenue, Wyoming

Mo-Su 05:00-22:00

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Eagle Bluff Park

Park · 1.8 mi

20148 Farnham Avenue North, Forest Lake

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Bayview Estates Park

Park · 0.9 mi

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Beltz Park

Park · 1.2 mi

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Bixby Park

Park · 2.6 mi

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Bridle Pass Park

Park · 0.4 mi

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Castlewood Golf Course

Golf course · 0.9 mi

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Cedar Park

Park · 2.5 mi

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Clear Lake Park

Park · 1.1 mi

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Columbus City Park

Park · 4.0 mi

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Fenway Park

Park · 1.5 mi

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Forest Hills Golf Club

Golf course · 0.8 mi

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17 more on the map.

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Restaurants and cafes35

Kodiak Coffee

Cafe · Coffee Shop · 2.1 mi

Kodiak Coffee is your local coffee shop located in Forest Lake, MN, serving the surrounding areas since 1996. We specialize in...

44 Lake Street South, Forest Lake

Mo-Fr 06:00-16:00, Sa 07:00-16:00, Su 08:00-15:00

Open in Google Maps · +1 651-982-4565

Coffeesmith

Cafe · Coffee Shop · 2.4 mi

432 North Shore Drive, Forest Lake

Mo-Fr 06:00-19:00; Sa-Su 07:00-19:00

Open in Google Maps · +1-651-300-9039

Applebee's

Diner · American · 2.3 mi

Open in Google Maps · +1 651-464-6778

Minne-scoop-ta

Ice cream · 2.3 mi

We-Sa 03:00-20:00; Su 15:00-19:00

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Pizza Pub Of Forest Lake

Restaurant · Pizza · 2.0 mi

8241 North Shore Trail North, Forest Lake

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Soha's Cafe

Cafe · Mediterranean · 3.1 mi

Mo-Sa 08:00-20:00; Su 09:00-19:00

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Best Steak House Plus

Restaurant · Steak House · 2.1 mi

59 Lake Street South

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Shoreside Bar and Grill

Restaurant · Bar And Grill · 2.1 mi

55 Lake Street South

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Don Julio Authentic Mexican Restaurant

Restaurant · Mexican · 1.6 mi

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Famous Dave's

Restaurant · Barbecue · 2.7 mi

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Perkins

Diner · American · 2.5 mi

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Veterans of Foreign Wars

Restaurant · 2.2 mi

556 12th Street Southwest, Forest Lake

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23 more on the map.

History

Forest Lake began as a stop on the Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad (later reorganized as the St. Paul and Duluth Railroad Company in 1877).[1] The first train reached Forest Lake on December 9, 1868.[2] The lake was named for the abundant timber that lines its shores. Forest Lake Township was organized on March 11, 1874. The first one-room school was built that year at the former location of City Hall (220 N. Lake Street). The city of Forest Lake was incorporated on July 11, 1893, with 175 residents. In 2001, the city annexed the surrounding former Forest Lake Township.

From the History section of Forest Lake, Minnesota on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where to stay4

Churches and places of worship2

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Shopping9

Gas and EV charging9

Schools, colleges and libraries27

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Healthcare2

Map of Forest Lake

119 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.

Climate by month

0°20°40°60°80°January: 0.9 in of rainFebruary: 0.9 in of rainMarch: 1.7 in of rainApril: 3.0 in of rainMay: 4.4 in of rainJune: 4.5 in of rainJuly: 4.7 in of rainAugust: 4.0 in of rainSeptember: 3.2 in of rainOctober: 2.9 in of rainNovember: 1.8 in of rainDecember: 1.2 in of rainJanuary: 24°FFebruary: 30°FMarch: 43°FApril: 58°FMay: 70°FJune: 79°FJuly: 83°FAugust: 82°FSeptember: 74°FOctober: 60°FNovember: 43°FDecember: 29°FJanuary: 3°FFebruary: 6°FMarch: 19°FApril: 33°FMay: 45°FJune: 56°FJuly: 60°FAugust: 58°FSeptember: 50°FOctober: 37°FNovember: 24°FDecember: 11°FJFMAMJJASOND
Average high Average low Rain
Monthly table
MonthHighLowRainSnow
Jan24°F3°F0.9 in9.6 in
Feb30°F6°F0.9 in9.3 in
Mar43°F19°F1.7 in9.2 in
Apr58°F33°F3.0 in3.7 in
May70°F45°F4.4 in0.0 in
Jun79°F56°F4.5 in0.0 in
Jul83°F60°F4.7 in0.0 in
Aug82°F58°F4.0 in0.0 in
Sep74°F50°F3.2 in0.0 in
Oct60°F37°F2.9 in0.6 in
Nov43°F24°F1.8 in7.4 in
Dec29°F11°F1.2 in11.8 in

U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Forest Lake 5Ne (7 mi away), NOAA NCEI.

People and cost of living

$92,944median household income
$393,500median home value
$1,421median monthly rent
39.6median age
35.4%of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
72.9%of homes are owner-occupied
24.2 minaverage commute
Age of residents
Under 1823%18 to 3421%35 to 6439%65 and over17%

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.

Disaster history

Washington County has had 8 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.

  • 2020-04-07: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
  • 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
  • 2019-06-12: Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
  • 2011-05-10: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
  • 2010-03-19: Flooding (Flood)
  • 2005-09-13: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)

OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.

Getting there and nearby towns

L O Simenstad Municipal Airport (OEO) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 14 miles away.

Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.

Reviews, tips and questions

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Sources and licences

Photo credits

Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.