City of Pine Springs History

To view the complete history of the City, click here (PDF file).

Pine Springs, incorporated as a village in 1959, is a small 4th class Minnesota statutory city located in the St. Paul-Minneapolis metropolitan area. It is classified as a rural residential community by the Metropolitan Council. It is comprised of 582 acres (almost one square mile) of which approximately 120 acres are open water and wetlands. It is located in Washington County near the intersection of Interstate 694 and State Highway 36 northeast of St. Paul, MN. The City includes:

  1. primarily residential homes, no commercial or industrial activity, and several open spaces,

  2. a small lake - Long Lake,

  3. land (other than City side streets) which is utilized for highway purposes:

    a.     U.S. Interstate 694
    b.     Minnesota State Highway 36
    c.     Washington County State Aid Highway 29 (Hilton Trail),

  4. land which is utilized for utility purposes:

    a.     a major Xcel Energy transmission line which extends east and west through the southern portion of the community,
    b.     an underground petroleum pipeline along the eastern and southern border of the City,
    c.     a telecommunications tower near Highway 36,

  5. direct access to a network of State trails that extends over 18 miles from St. Paul to Pine Point Regional Park, just four miles northwest of the city of Stillwater

The City is bordered on the west by Oakdale, on the north and west by Mahtomedi, on the east by Grant Township, and on the south by Lake Elmo. The Gateway Trail, a repurposed railroad right-of-way, actually forms the southern boundary of the City. It is a paved trail intended for pedestrian traffic (walking, running, biking, etc.) with an adjacent unpaved trail that is available for horseback riding. As you approach from North St. Paul to Pine Springs, the mid-trail access point on 55th Street, just east of Hadley Avenue, offers ample parking and a good starting point for the more scenic section of the Gateway State Trail’s eastern segment.

The City has developed areas of platted subdivisions, land area for recreational use, storm water ponds, and other uses as they were needed for public facilities and services in the future. Highly sensitive elements of the environment, such as lake shore, low wet-lands, and wooded areas, have been preserved and protected via easements, homeowner associations, and other methods.

Some of the earlier homes in Pine Springs were summer cottages on Long Lake, all of which have now been converted to year-round homes. The community is classified as 90% residential, 10% exempt (City, State, or utility owned) with most of the homes on two-acre or more sized lots. The rural atmosphere is furthered by the fact the community has no City water or sewer, street lights, or sidewalks. There are also no schools within the City limits, so the majority of students are bused to Mahtomedi schools. There are a few houses in the southwest portion of the City whose students may attend the North St. Paul schools. All city positions are manned by volunteers with the exception, as of this date, of the City Clerk.

Lake, wet-land areas, rolling terrain, and wooded land cover characterize the environment and combine to create a very attractive setting for low density residential use. These sensitive elements of the physical environment have been carefully reviewed and considered in the development process within the City. The community has remained, since its inception, a vital and involved group of people representing all walks of life and economic backgrounds.