White Bear Lake, Minnesota
White Bear Lake is a city of 23,908 people in Ramsey County, Minnesota.
Why visit White Bear Lake
Townapedia lists 7 museums and landmarks, 54 parks and trails, 112 places to eat, 6 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Wildwood Amusement Park, Charles P. Noyes Cottage and Cyrus B. Cobb House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 83°F; January lows average 8°F.
Weather in White Bear Lake
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About White Bear Lake
White Bear Lake is a city in Ramsey County in the state of Minnesota, United States. A small portion of the city also extends into Washington County. The population was 24,883 at the 2020 census. The city is located on White Bear Lake, one of the largest lakes in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area.
From the Wikipedia article White Bear Lake, Minnesota (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Wildwood Amusement Park
Monument and historic site · 2.7 mi
Former amusement park and picnic grounds in Mahtomedi, Minnesota, United States
Museums and landmarks7
Charles P. Noyes Cottage
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Building in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, United States
Cyrus B. Cobb House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
White Bear Lake, Minnesota
E. H. Hobe House-Solheim
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Historic house in Minnesota, United States
First National Bank of White Bear
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Building in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, United States
Ramsey County Poor Farm Barn
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.5 mi
Barn in Maplewood, Minnesota, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds54
White Bear Lake High School Varsity Field
Sports field and stadium · 1.8 mi
Opens fall of 2024 for competition
42 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes112
Great Moon Buffet
Restaurant · Chinese · 2.5 mi
Low-key, enduring buffet eatery in a strip mall with a sushi bar & other Asian & American bites.
2950 White Bear Avenue, Maplewood
Mo-Th, Su 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
MIZU Japanese
Restaurant · Japanese, Sushi · 0.8 mi
4475 Lake Avenue South
Tu-Fr 17:00-20:30; Sa-Su 16:00-20:30
The Anchor Coffee House
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.4 mi
4742 Washington Avenue, White Bear Lake
Mo-Su 07:30-16:00
Brickhouse
Restaurant · 1.4 mi
4746 Washington Square
Mo-We 11:00-21:00; Th 11:00-21:30; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 11:00-21:00
100 more on the map.
History
The railroad was the largest man-made happening in White Bear Lake. On September 10, 1868, the Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad officially opened the extension to White Bear Lake. This was a gala occasion. Ten platform cars of 300 men and four passenger cars for 200 ladies made the trip from St. Paul.
By 1874, Mark Twain had included White Bear Lake as the resort in his "Life on the Mississippi." The "American Travelers Journal" 1881 proclaimed, "One of the most popular resorts in the magic northlands is White Bear Lake." Barnum's hotel became the Leip House, featuring a ballroom, billiard room, dancing pavilion, bowling alley, and boats. F.C. Williams opened the Williams House on the Murray property on Lake Avenue. James Waters opened the White Bear House at the depot. In 1879, the Ramaley Pavilion was opened and described as "perhaps the finest structure around the lake" (Breeze 1890). There was Lake Side Cottage on Lake north of 6th and "Château gay." Shady Side, Bachelor's Rest and Hotel Benson were three of the resorts at Bald Eagle Lake.
From the History section of White Bear Lake, Minnesota on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay6
Comfort Inn & Suites St. Paul Northeast
Motel and hotel · 2.5 mi
3505 Vadnais Center Drive, Saint Paul
Churches and places of worship11
St. Pius X Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 0.6 mi
3878 Highland Avenue, White Bear Lake
Christ the King Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 1.5 mi
1660 Birch Lake Avenue, White Bear Lake
Saint Anne's Chapel
Church · Catholic · 1.2 mi
2445 County Road E East, White Bear Lake
St. Stephen Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 1.0 mi
1965 County Road E East, White Bear Lake
Shopping27
Gas and EV charging8
Schools, colleges and libraries50
622 Alternative Middle/High School
School · 3.5 mi
2520 12Th Ave E, North Saint Paul
Healthcare8
Map of White Bear Lake
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25°F | 8°F | 0.8 in |
| Feb | 30°F | 11°F | 0.8 in |
| Mar | 42°F | 24°F | 1.5 in |
| Apr | 56°F | 37°F | 3.1 in |
| May | 69°F | 50°F | 4.3 in |
| Jun | 79°F | 60°F | 4.5 in |
| Jul | 83°F | 64°F | 4.5 in |
| Aug | 81°F | 62°F | 4.5 in |
| Sep | 73°F | 54°F | 3.1 in |
| Oct | 59°F | 42°F | 3.1 in |
| Nov | 43°F | 28°F | 1.8 in |
| Dec | 30°F | 16°F | 1.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Vadnais Lake (4 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Ramsey County has had 10 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)
- 2014-07-21: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2011-05-10: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2010-04-19: Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
St. Paul Downtown Airport (STP) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 9 miles away.
- Vadnais Heights 3 mi west, about 4 min by car
- Maplewood 3 mi south, about 5 min by car
- North St. Paul 4 mi south, about 6 min by car
- Little Canada 5 mi southwest, about 7 min by car
- Oakdale 6 mi southeast, about 9 min by car
- Shoreview 6 mi west, about 10 min by car
- Hugo 7 mi north, about 12 min by car
- Lake Elmo 7 mi southeast, about 12 min by car
- Roseville 8 mi southwest, about 12 min by car
- Lino Lakes 8 mi northwest, about 13 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Business district, White Bear Lake, Minnesota-01, Myotus, CC BY 4.0
- Bellaire Beach, white bear lake, Worldlybeing9879, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Superamerica - White Bear Lake, MN - panoramio, Gabriel Vanslette, CC BY 3.0
- McDonald's - White Bear Lake, MN - panoramio, Gabriel Vanslette, CC BY 3.0
- McDonald's Menu - White Bear Lake, MN - panoramio, Gabriel Vanslette, CC BY 3.0
- Redbox - McDonald's - White Bear Lake, MN - panoramio, Gabriel Vanslette, CC BY 3.0
- McDonalds - White Bear Lake, MN - panoramio, Gabriel Vanslette, CC BY 3.0
- White Bear Lake Depot Museum, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
- White Bear Lake, Minnesota-03, Myotus, CC BY 4.0
- White Bear Lake, Minnesota-02, Myotus, CC BY 4.0
- Vegan East Bakery - Downtown White Bear Lake, Minnesota (42731738640), Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Vegan East - White Bear Lake, Minnesota (29602884627), Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0
- White Bear Lake Armory Restoration-02, Myotus, CC BY 4.0
- White Bear Lake Armory Restoration-01, Myotus, CC BY 4.0
- White Bear Lake Armory Restoration-03, Myotus, CC BY 4.0
- White Bear Lake Armory, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Matoska Park - White Bear Lake, Minnesota (30670681208), Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Buerkle Rd and White Bear Ave - White Bear Lake, MN - panoramio, Gabriel Vanslette, CC BY 3.0
- Ramsey County Poor Farm Barn isometric, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
- E. H. Hobe House, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Idyll on the pond-photo-watercolor - panoramio, shcostello, CC BY 3.0
- Freeze over - panoramio, shcostello, CC BY 3.0
- End of pond hockey season - panoramio, shcostello, CC BY 3.0
- Tree trimmer - panoramio, shcostello, CC BY 3.0
- Early morning on the pond - panoramio, shcostello, CC BY 3.0
- Meeting on the pond - panoramio, shcostello, CC BY 3.0
- Spring breakup - panoramio, shcostello, CC BY 3.0
- Blue Heron with bullhead photo-watercolor - panoramio, shcostello, CC BY 3.0
- South campus football field, Worldlybeing9879, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cyrus B. Cobb House, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Cyrus Cobb House resized, Elkman, CC BY-SA 3.0
- MNNR Job 19, chief_huddleston, CC BY 2.0
- First National Bank of White Bear, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
- FirstNatlBank WhiteBear 1, Elkman, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Charles Noyes Cottage 3, Elkman, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 61 and County Rd E - Vadnais Heights, MN - panoramio (2), Gabriel Vanslette, CC BY 3.0
- 61 and County Rd E - Vadnais Heights, MN - panoramio (1), Gabriel Vanslette, CC BY 3.0
- 61 and County Rd E - Vadnais Heights, MN - panoramio, Gabriel Vanslette, CC BY 3.0
- County Rd E and 61- Vadnais Heights, MN - panoramio, Gabriel Vanslette, CC BY 3.0
- Coffee grinder - store, Pkgx, CC BY-SA 4.0
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