Pine City is a city in Pine County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,127 at the 2010 census. Pine City is the county seat of, and the largest city in, Pine County. The Initiative Foundation named Pine City "Outstanding Community" of 2009 and the NAMM Foundation identified it as one of the "Best Communities for Music Education in America" for 2010, 2011 and 2012.Its name is a loose translation of "Chengwatana", originally an Ojibwe village located just east of Pine City, along the Snake River. The Ojibwe name for the city is Ne-zhingwaakokaag. A portion of the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation is located within Pine City.