North Oaks, Minnesota is the only city in the United States that is not on Google Maps Street View. YouTube documentarian Chris Parr, who grew up not too far from North Oaks, set out to change that earlier this year. For a brief few days, he literally put North Oaks on the map. And then it was gone again.

"It's known by Minnesotans as a place where executives and CEOs live," Parr told 404 Media. "Famously Walter Mondale is from North Oaks, but also like United Healthcare executives and Target executives."



North Oaks has managed to largely stay unmapped on Street View because of the way the city handles its streets. In almost every city and town in the United States, property owners give an easement to their local government for the roads in front of their homes (or don't have any claim to the roads at all). In North Oaks, homeowners' property extends into the middle of the street, meaning there is literally no "public" property in the city, and the roads are maintained by the North Oaks Homeowners' Association (NOHOA): "the City owns no roads, land, or buildings. The 50-60 miles of roads in the city are owned by the NOHOA members whose property extends to the center of the road subject to easements in favor of NOHOA," the homeowners association's website, which has very little information on it and notes that it is "unable to share most private documents with the public." The roads entering North Oaks have no trespassing signs posted and automated license plate readers.

In the early days of Google Maps, North Oaks was on Street View. But in May, 2008, the city threatened Google with a lawsuit because its Street View cars had trespassed. Google deleted its Street View images and North Oaks hasn't been on Street View since.

. . .