Overview
White Bear Lake is a small city in Minnesota. It is an outlying suburb of Minneapolis-St.Paul.
1 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 83°F; winter lows dip to about 9°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Jun and Aug. (climate data from nearby Saint Paul)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- MSP Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field, Minneapolis — 18 mi away (major hub). Directions
- STC Saint Cloud Regional Airport, Saint Cloud — 60 mi away. Directions
White Bear Lake is poorly served by the Twin Cities' poorly implemented bus system. The majority of service is commuter based, and hence is mostly outbound during AM rush hour, and inbound during PM rush hour. It is advisable to avoid bus travel in the Twin Cities for all but the most researched mass transit users. A bus journey from White Bear Lake to Minneapolis St. Paul international airport, for example, is a very long and complicated journey involving numerous bus transfers. Bear in mind that just like the rest of the Twin Cities, White Bear Lake is littered with numerous "Bus Stops," yet again these stops are only used by well researched bus riders and one should never assume that an actual bus is going to drive by apart from the AM/PM rush hours. To attempt to plan your journey using the Twin Cities bus system try
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Food for you
During the summer, a fun place to treat yourself to an ice cream is the Cup and Cone (www.cupandconewbl.com)located at 2126 Fourth St, just off of Highway 61. The flavor of the month is always fun to try with prices starting at $0.47 for a kiddie cone.
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Get in
By bus
White Bear Lake is poorly served by the Twin Cities' poorly implemented bus system. The majority of service is commuter based, and hence is mostly outbound during AM rush hour, and inbound during PM rush hour. It is advisable to avoid bus travel in the Twin Cities for all but the most researched mass transit users. A bus journey from White Bear Lake to Minneapolis St. Paul international airport, for example, is a very long and complicated journey involving numerous bus transfers. Bear in mind that just like the rest of the Twin Cities, White Bear Lake is littered with numerous "Bus Stops," yet again these stops are only used by well researched bus riders and one should never assume that an actual bus is going to drive by apart from the AM/PM rush hours. To attempt to plan your journey using the Twin Cities bus system try
By car
White Bear Lake lies on MN Highway 61, the same highway made famous by Bob Dylan and Robert Johnson. Therefore, from US694 use the Highway 61 exit and travel North until you hit 4th Street. Alternatively, from US35E use the Highway 96 exit and travel East, then head North on Highway 61 until 4th Street.
By boat
The old paddle-wheel ferry that traveled between Willernie and Manitou Island, White Bear Lake was shut down in the 1920s and scuttled to the bottom of the lake. You can view the wreck by plane or scuba.
Get around
By far the most reasonable way to get around Minnesota is to, unfortunately, rent a car. In the unlikely event you've traveled this far away from MSP International without renting a car, all three of the major national car rental firms have locations in nearby Vadnais Heights.
Taxi
Eat
During the summer, a fun place to treat yourself to an ice cream is the Cup and Cone (www.cupandconewbl.com)located at 2126 Fourth St, just off of Highway 61. The flavor of the month is always fun to try with prices starting at $0.47 for a kiddie cone.
Sleep
Stay Best Western
Go next
- Pine City, just north on Old Highway 61 aka. the St. Croix Scenic Byway. A nostalgic drive, and town!
Nearby
Arden Hills
City / town · 1 listings · 8 mi away
Roseville
City / town · 31 listings · 9 mi away
Stillwater
City / town · 13 listings · 10 mi away
Saint Paul
City / town · 81 listings · 10 mi away
Woodbury
City / town · 7 listings · 11 mi away
Columbia Heights-Fridley
City / town · 9 listings · 12 mi away
Bayport
City / town · 1 listings · 12 mi away
Columbus
City / town · 2 listings · 13 mi away
My experience
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