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is a suburb 10 miles north of Saint Paul in Ramsey County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Formerly a gated community that now posts private access signage, all land is owned by homeowners with the North Oaks Home Owners Association maintaining all roads, plowing, parks, facilities, and recreation trails. Each homeowner's property extends halfway into the street. There is also a city government with a Mayor and City Council that administers basic services such as fire, police, planning, and licensing. The City owns no property. As such the Metropolitan Council has no jurisdiction over the city's comprehensive plan within Minneapolis-Saint Paul the sixteenth largest metropolitan area in the United States. The Council estimated the City of North Oaks' population to be 4,457 in 2006.
Structured around Pleasant Lake, it began as a water source for the Saint Paul municipal water system, which still maintains water access rights today. The land was later purchased by Twin Cities magnate James J. Hill in 1883 and expanded it into a 5,000 acre breeding and hobby farm. His son Louis Hill later owned North Oaks Farm until his death in 1950, when Louis' children incorporated the North Oaks Company to create a model residential community based on respect for the natural environment, as metropolitan growth had reached the area. Land was subdividied and sold with a warranty deed that created the North Oaks Home Owners’ Association (NOHOA) to be responsible for roads and recreation. The North Oaks Company to date owns and develops property not owned by residents.
The town made news in May 2008, when it sent a letter to internet search company Google, stating that its Street View software contained images that violated their trespassing ordinance, and requested that they be removed. A Google spokesperson told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that it was the first time she knew of an entire city asking to be removed from Street View.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.7 square miles (22.4 km²), of which, 7.3 square miles (18.9 km²) of it is land and 1.4 square miles (3.5 km²) of it (15.59%) is water. County Road 96 serves as a main route.