Isle, MN

Isle is a Mille Lacs County city on Isle Harbor at the southeastern end of Mille Lacs Lake. The 2020 census counted 803 residents. Minnesota Highway 27 runs southwest through Wahkon and Onamia, while Highway 47 follows the east shore toward Malmo. Isle Public Schools serve the community, and the harbor, beach, municipal park, and city services give the small city a water-facing working map. The municipal liquor store and water system are also local institutions.

A post office called Isle has operated since 1896, and the city took its name from the island near the harbor. Mille Lacs County's history runs through the city's school district and the Rum River headwaters, which begin in Mille Lacs Lake before flowing south through the county. Isle's local life is tied to the big lake in a practical way: school and municipal services on shore, roads out to the rest of the county, and boats and winter traffic using the harbor country around town.