City Tour of Wayzata


The name Wayzata (pronounced Wise-etta) is derived from the American Indian word Waziyata, which had almost a mystical connotation to the Sioux tribes who originally inhabited the area. "Waziya" was their god of the North, a giant who blew the cold winds from his mouth. With the suffix "ta" added, the name meant "North Shore". Though Lake Minnetonka was discovered in 1822, it was not until 1852 that two pioneer families settled on the present site of Wayzata. Over the next few years others followed. A town site was laid out and several establishments sprang up, among them a general store, a sawmill, a post office, and a log schoolhouse.

The coming of the railroad in 1857 marked the village's true flowering point. James J. Hill, one of the more colorful and controversial characters in Wayzata's history, brought his great Northern Railroad to the village. Daily runs from Minneapolis left passengers at the gangplank for the waiting Lady of the Lake, a 50-foot side-wheeler steamer which carried them to other villages and summer homes on Lake Minnetonka. People from Minneapolis and St. Paul began to make Wayzata their weekend retreat, a tradition that continues to this day.

By 1890, the height of the resort era on Lake Minnetonka had been reached. A nationwide financial depression and the migration of tourists to newer resort territory gradually transformed Wayzata. Today, the crude lumber settlement has been replaced by beautiful homes, the grand hotel and resorts by quaint shops and restaurants. Wayzata remains the gateway to Lake Minnetonka and the picturesque focal point of lake life for Minneapolis-St. Paul.

The Wayzata Depot, with its exceptional view of the lake, still stands as a symbol of the village's glory years. It is now home to the Greater Wayzata Area Chamber of Commerce and the Wayzata Historical Society.

Since Wayzata was founded 145 years ago, residents and visitors have spoken about the beauty of its setting. Located at the northeast tip of Lake Minnetonka, the community nestles around scenic Wayzata Bay and looks out over the long expanse of historic Lake Minnetonka, with its sparkling blue waters, wooded and meandering shoreline, islands and many secluded bays.

Wayzata, which lies about 12 miles west of downtown Minneapolis, is not a large community. The 2000 census indicated a population of 4113, up approximately 300 from the figure 10 years earlier. But the city is the center of a sizable and growing trade area of some 30,000 people, which includes the lakeshore communities to the west and part of the cities of Plymouth on the north and Minnetonka to the east.

Wayzata has provided this area with a retail center that features dozens of high-quality specialty shops and many other fine businesses located along the lakefront in a half-dozen shopping centers and elsewhere in the city. This retail hub remains strong, and Wayzata has recently added another facet to it's character - that of an area financial and office center.


Wayzata Links
City of Wayzata
Wayzata Schools
Wayzata Chamber of Commerce