Welcome to Minnetonka
24,924 Active Homes For Sale | Median Home Price $306,504
The city of Minnetonka is a fully developed community about eight miles west of Minneapolis. The name, Minnetonka, a reference to Lake Minnetonka, is a combination of two Dakota Indian words: mni meaning “water” and tanka, meaning “great.” Although very little of the city butts up against the lake, it does so at a very unique place: Gray’s Bay, the headwaters of the Minnehaha Creek (little water), which flows east through Minneapolis all the way to the Mississippi River.
Minnetonka has more than 50,000 residents and is home to Cargill, a privately held producer and marketer of foods and agricultural products, United Health Care, a diversified health care company, and Ridgedale, an upscale, indoor shopping mall, plus many parks and recreational opportunities. If you are searching for homes for sale in Minnetonka, MN,
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Recreation
Minnetonka provides fantastic recreational amenities for its residents. The city shares a joint recreation department with the city of Hopkins. Together, the cities have a combined 14 outdoor skating rinks, 50 park sites, and extensive adaptive recreation programs. Joint recreation services are also responsible for the Minnetonka Summer Festival, an annual celebration with fun activities for the whole family, including a fireworks show.
Shopping
Minnetonka is a vibrant city with plenty to see and do. If you happen to like shopping, there are several must-visit destinations. Ridgedale Center, home to stores like Coach, Sephora, Swarovski, and more, provides an upscale shopping experience to those who frequent it. The surrounding area is filled with absolutely everything and anything you could need. If you’re looking for a local favorite, the General Store of Minnetonka is a great place to pick up Minnetonka Moccasins, locally made jewelry, and more.
Dining
The dining scene in Minnetonka is home to fantastic restaurants to squelch any craving you may have. From Italian at Bacio to burgers at Redstone American Grill, to seafood at Blue Point Restaurant & Oyster Bar, and everything in between, Minnetonka has it all.
Green/Environmental
Minnetonka is dedicated to environmental sustainability and the conservation of green space. The city provides single-sort recycling to its residents, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The Natural Resource Stewardship Program run by the city promotes natural habitat restoration, ensuring that the city will retain its natural beauty for years to come.
Schools
Minnetonka is served by three independent school districts. The first, Minnetonka Public Schools, is known for its VANTAGE program, which incorporates advanced professional studies into students’ curriculum, better preparing them for their future careers. Hopkins Public Schools has extensive Spanish and Chinese language immersion programs. The last district, Wayzata Public Schools, has been nationally recognized for academics and a consistently high percentage of college-bound graduates. Minnetonka is also served by three private schools: Accell Academy, Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School, and Minnetonka Christian Academy.
Transportation
Metro Transit and Metro Mobility offer public transportation services, with express bus routes running from Minnetonka to Minneapolis daily. The Southwest Transitway light rail line, due to begin service in 2018, will provide Minnetonka with light rail service to downtown Minneapolis and other areas of the Twin Cities Metro area.
Local Government
Minnetonka’s local government consists of a City Council consisting of the Mayor and six city council members. Two of the city council members are elected at-large, while the four wards of the city elect the remaining members.
City History
Born in 1852, Minnetonka began as a 36-square-mile township, first settled at the current site of Minnetonka Mills. The area grew into the largest business center in Hennepin County, staking claim to mills and a furniture factory. That is, until the 1890s when the mills at St. Anthony Falls proved too large to compete with.
Minnetonka’s population continued to grow, but after World War II other communities began annexing parts of the township to incorporate into villages. Because the township had no authority to stop the annexation, in 1956 the decision was made to become a village itself. Twelve years after cementing its borders, Minnetonka became a city and has since grown into the thriving suburb of 50,000 residents that it is today.
