LAKE MINNETONKA
COMMUNITY GUIDE 2026
Minnetonka: Metro Convenience, Lakeside Soul
Minnetonka is one of the largest cities in the West Metro, boasting nearly 53,000 residents a mere 10 miles from Minneapolis.
The city features a scenic shoreline on Libbs Lake, spanning close to half of Gray’ s Bay and parts of Wayzata Bay. Minnetonka claims much of the eastern shore of Lake Minnetonka, one of the largest lakes in Minnesota, as its own.
During the summer months, Gray’ s Bay Marina is a popular destination for boaters. The east end of Gray’ s Bay includes a small park highlighting the headwaters of Minnehaha Creek, which serves as the outlet for Lake Minnetonka. When it comes to outdoor adventure and nature access, the headwaters, the Lake Minnetonka LRT Regional Bike Trail, and a host of wooded walking trails and parks serve both residents and visitors.
Inside the city, the largest commercial hub is the Ridgedale area. It is anchored by the Ridgedale Center, a 1.1 millionsquare-foot mall containing about 140 tenants, including department stores like Macy’ s, Nordstrom, JCPenney, and Dick’ s Sporting Goods, and dining opportunities like The Cheesecake Factory, Redstone, The Tavern Grill, and Kona Grill.
The area outside the mall includes the new community park, Ridgedale Commons, which is ripe for city activity, as well as Crane Lake Preserve. While the city hosts large employers like Cargill, United-
Health Group and Carlson Companies, the neighborhoods of Minnetonka Mills, Glen Lake and Minnehaven also bring young entrepreneurs to town for other ventures like breweries and restaurants.
Across from the city’ s community center, residents can purchase a membership and exercise at the city-owned Williston Fitness Center. The city-operated Marsh Fitness Center also provides another membership-based option for health and wellness.
Minnetonka’ s City Hall serves as a home base for municipal government. Beyond housing municipal offices, City Hall serves as a community hub for the farmers market and senior center events.
The Minnetonka City Council includes the mayor and six council members, all serving four-year terms. Meetings take place at 6 p. m. on the second and fourth Mondays of the month, unless otherwise noted. The same council also acts as the Economic Development Authority, making decisions regarding economic development, housing and redevelopment matters.
The city is served by the Hopkins, Minnetonka, and Wayzata school districts. The majority of students attend either Hopkins or Minnetonka schools.
For more information regarding city events, news and meetings, visit minnetonkamn. gov.
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