About Circle Pines

Welcome to Circle Pines! We're thrilled to have you here. 

We are a community with deep roots: some of our residents have lived here their whole lives.  Many grew up here, headed out into the world and then decided to come back to reunite with friends and family.  The sense of belonging and small-town feel are what keep people around for a long time.  Some of these folks are likely your neighbors -- it won't take you long to find them.

Our city is small, but the opportunities to explore and play are huge.  In the middle of town along Lake Drive you will find our public campus, which includes City Hall, the Post Office and the Anoka County library.  If you like baseball we have excellent fields at Carl Eck, Inner and Baldwin parks.  Or maybe you have a green thumb, then try one of our two community gardens and grow your own food.  Ready to hit the water?  Visit Golden Lake Park and try out the public beach, fishing pier and many other amenities.

My favorite hidden gem is Circle Pines' extensive trail system running throughout the city.  It connects our neighborhoods with wide-open natural spaces, many of which you will find on the southern and eastern sides.  There you will find woods, grasslands and water in abundance.  Rice Creek runs through this area and is a well-used waterway for local paddlers.  Go to the end of Golden Lake Lane and use the floating pier to launch your favorite canoe or kayak.  The Rice Creek Regional Trail runs through two ends of the city and connects bicyclists to many miles of trail in other communities.

Want to know more? Stop by City Hall, we love meeting new neighbors and helping you discover your favorite spots!  We have excellent people here who will go the extra mile to make sure you have exactly what you need to settle in. 

You are going to love it in Circle Pines.  Now get out there and explore!

 Mayor Matt Percy

History of Circle Pines
In 1945, while lying in the shade of the trees at the picnic ground at Golden Lake after swimming V.S. Petersen sat up and announced "I have an idea".

V.S. Petersen found two men sympathetic to cooperative notions. They were Thomas Ellerbe, head of the engineering and architecture firm that did the Ramsey County Courthouse in St. Paul, and Paul Steenberg. Steenberg was president of Steenberg Construction Company that had built the Coffman Memorial Union at the University of Minnesota.

In May of 1946 the cooperative village of 1,203 acres was announced "to unite the habitation benefits of a functional and contemporary community with the economic advantages of a consumer's cooperative." Each home would front a park or a walkway. There would be adult education, nurseries, educational and recreational activities; and the commercial facilities and services would be owned cooperatively, as would the municipal utilities. The minimum housing costs within 3 specified areas were set at $4,000, $6,000, and $8,000. The maximum for a house was set at $20,000. Each buyer had to purchase at least one share in the cooperative, @ $100 per share.

If an owner decided to sell their home, the development association held the first option to buy. The terms were decided by a three-member panel representing the association, the owner and a neutral party. The developers anticipated construction of 500 homes in the first two years, and that it would take five years to complete the total project. The 3 developers planned to turn over control of the development to the homeowners upon completion. For every 500 homes sold, one of the sponsors' three votes would be transferred to the residents.

The symbol for cooperatives was a pine tree with a circle around it. Thus, the name Circle Pines was born. After only three years, the cooperative lifestyle was abandoned, in part because of problems in securing financing and rifts among leaders.

On April 8, 1950, the area, former territory in Blaine and Centerville townships, was incorporated as a village. In 1974, Circle Pines received city status.

With fields of oaks and elms scattered throughout the two-square mile city, its rural appearance can be deceiving. The number of homes (which many are placed close together) and businesses, give the community a more suburban-type of setting.

Circle Pines is the only suburban city that operates its own natural-gas distribution company- a result of its cooperative past. The system also serves a portion of Lino Lakes.

Portions  of the History of Circle Pines was written by Steve Lee, Circle Pines Resident.