North Oaks, MN

North Oaks is an exurban Ramsey County city about 10 miles north of St. Paul, built around Pleasant Lake and a deliberately private residential landscape. The area began as a water source for the Saint Paul municipal water system, and that protected, low-density character still shapes the city. North Oaks is known for large wooded lots, private roads, trails, and a quieter feel than most Twin Cities suburbs. It is close to the metro, but it presents itself more like a secluded lake-and-woods community.