Living in Bloomington, MN: Mall of America, the River Refuge & Parks

Bloomington is a Hennepin County city on the north bank of the Minnesota River, south of Minneapolis and near the international airport. Two places draw much of the attention: Mall of America, on the site of the old Metropolitan Stadium, and the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, which runs along the river valley at the city's south and east edges. Between them is a city with a large park system and a long agricultural and suburban history.

This guide uses city, federal, Mall of America and Census sources, plus a dated MLS snapshot. It does not rank neighborhoods, schools or businesses. For property-oriented information, use the Bloomington neighborhood page; this article supplements that page rather than replacing it.

Bloomington at a glance

Measure	Figure and source date
Population estimate	89,034; July 1, 2025 (Census V2025)
Decennial population count	89,987; April 1, 2020 Census
Land area	34.70 square miles; 2020 (Census)
Households	37,601; ACS 2020–2024
Owner-occupied housing unit rate	65.7%; ACS 2020–2024
Mean travel time to work	21.0 minutes; ACS 2020–2024
MLS median sales price, All Property Types	$375,000; trailing 12 months through Oct 2026

Census figures are from QuickFacts. The city's Bloomington. Tomorrow. Together. page describes "nearly 90,000 residents"; that rounded, undated figure is quoted separately.

From mission and farm town to suburb

The city's history summary on its Bloomington. Tomorrow. Together. page says Native Americans traveled, settled and traded along the Minnesota River for centuries, and that some of the earliest non-Native settlers were missionaries. According to that page:

• May 11, 1858 — the town of Bloomington was established, the same day Minnesota became a state. It stayed mainly agricultural for about a century, raising produce for Minneapolis and Saint Paul.
• 1950s — population grew from about 9,900 in 1950 to 50,500 in 1960. In 1960, voters approved changing the village of Bloomington to a city.
• 1954 — the first city parks, Bush Lake Beach and Moir Park, were created.
• 1956 — Metropolitan Stadium opened and became home to the Twins and Vikings. The teams left in 1982, and redevelopment of the site led to Mall of America.

The city's separate history page could not be opened for this draft, so the dates above rely on the page cited.

Pond-Dakota Mission Park

At 401 East 104th Street, the city's 18.3-acre Pond-Dakota Mission Park is the site of the historic Oak Grove Mission and the 1856 Gideon and Agnes Pond House. The city says brothers Gideon and Samuel Pond came to Minnesota in 1834 as farming instructors and missionaries to Chief Cloud Man's band of Dakota, and in 1843 followed Cloud Man to the Minnesota River bluff. Gideon Pond and Eli Pettijohn built a two-story log mission house near the site; in 1856 Pond built the Federal-style brick house from about 60,000 bricks made of local clay (Pond House).

The two city pages name the earlier location differently: the park page says the move came from the "Lake Calhoun area," while the Pond House page says the "Bde Maka Ska area." They refer to the same Minneapolis lake under its former and current names; both are quoted as published.

Mall of America

According to Mall of America, the Twins and Vikings' 1982 move from Metropolitan Stadium to the Metrodome freed 78 acres. The Bloomington Port Authority bought the site three years later, chose Mall of America from four final proposals, and broke ground on June 14, 1989. The mall opened on August 11, 1992, with 330 stores and more than 10,000 employees. It says it now hosts more than 300 events a year.

Attractions listed by the mall include Nickelodeon Universe, Crayola Experience, SEA LIFE, B&B Theatres, FlyOver America and the Museum of Illusions. Tenants and attractions change; check the mall's directory before visiting.

Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge

The Bloomington Education and Visitor Center, which is also the refuge headquarters, is at 3815 American Boulevard East (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). Official descriptions of the refuge's scope differ in wording and are quoted separately:

• The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the refuge was established in 1976 "by motivated residents" to protect wildlife resources along the Minnesota River and spans over 15,000 acres from Bloomington to Henderson. It describes the refuge as a designated urban refuge.
• The city's comprehensive plan, Chapter 7, says it was established by Congress in 1976 and extends from Fort Snelling State Park to LeSueur.

The city's plan adds that the river valley runs along Bloomington's entire south and east boundaries. The USFWS owns about 2,100 acres in Bloomington, mostly in the Long Meadow Lake and Bloomington Ferry units. The city owns about 1,131 acres in the valley, and roughly 400 acres of that city land is managed by USFWS under a memorandum of understanding.

On Nov 12, 2026, the USFWS page noted that the Old Cedar Avenue boardwalk is being replaced, with work expected to wrap up in late December, and listed related trail and parking limits. It also listed holiday closures for the visitor center. Check the refuge page before visiting.

Parks and recreation

The city's comprehensive plan, Chapter 7 says the park system includes 97 parks, recreation or open spaces, putting more than 99% of the city within a half mile of a park or conservation area. Its parks table totals 8,950.8 acres but cites the city's 2008 comprehensive plan as its source, so the acreage may not reflect current boundaries. The city's Tomorrow. Together. page also lists 97 parks, 45 playgrounds and 2 golf courses, and says almost a third of the city is preserved for conservation, public and recreation uses.

• Hyland-Bush-Anderson Lakes Park Reserve — the plan describes this as a 2,565-acre reserve jointly managed by the city and Three Rivers Park District. Its seven units include Hyland Lake, Bush Lake, Anderson Lakes and Normandale Lake. Facilities include the Hyland Hills ski area, a ski jump, Richardson Nature Center, Bush Lake Beach. The plan lists more than 7 miles of paved multipurpose trails, 11.8 miles of unpaved hiking trails and 9.7 miles of cross-country ski trails, plus fishing, picnic areas, swimming, boating and camping. Six of the seven units are entirely within Bloomington; Anderson Lakes is split with Eden Prairie.
• Bloomington Ice Garden — opened in 1970 with one rink, now three indoor rinks, one of them Olympic-sized, according to the plan. The rinks are used mainly for youth and high school hockey and figure skating, with public skating as well.
• Bloomington Civic Plaza — since 2003, home to City Hall, the Police Department and the Bloomington Center for the Arts. A 2,500-square-foot exterior mural by artist Erik Pearson was added in 2007 (Chapter 7).

City Hall is at 1800 West Old Shakopee Road (city page).

Getting around

The city says it is served by the METRO Blue Line light rail and by Red Line, Orange Line and D Line bus rapid transit stations (Tomorrow. Together.). Check Metro Transit for current routes and schedules.

Dining

These restaurants have Bloomington addresses confirmed on Nov 12, 2026, either in Mall of America's dining guide or on the restaurant's own site. Inclusion is not an endorsement; confirm hours before visiting.

At Mall of America

• Twin City Grill, 130 North Garden — American, full service (MOA dining guide).
• Cantina Laredo, 300 West Market, third level — Mexican (Cantina Laredo).
• Kura Sushi, 378 North Garden — Japanese (MOA dining guide).
• Mogouyan Hand-Pulled Noodle, 344 South Avenue — Chinese noodles (MOA dining guide).
• Cedar + Stone, Urban Table, Level 1 of the JW Marriott — full service, with breakfast (MOA dining guide).
• Cowboy Jack's, 320 South Avenue — American bar and grill (MOA dining guide).

Elsewhere in Bloomington

• Carmine's Bar & Grille, 9805 Normandale Boulevard (Carmine's).
• El Loro, 9332 Ensign Avenue South — Mexican (El Loro).
• Sawatdee, 8501 Lyndale Avenue South — Thai (Sawatdee).
• Gyros Grill, 8417 Lyndale Avenue South — Mediterranean; the restaurant says it has served since 2001 (Gyros Grill).

Shopping and entertainment

• Mall of America — stores, Nickelodeon Universe, SEA LIFE, Crayola Experience, FlyOver America, Museum of Illusions and B&B Theatres (MOA).
• Bloomington Center for the Arts at Civic Plaza, and the Normandale Lake Bandshell, which the city's plan lists among its cultural and recreation destinations (Chapter 7).
• Hyland Hills ski area and Richardson Nature Center in the park reserve (Chapter 7).

Schools

Bloomington Public Schools (ISD 271) serves much of the city (Bloomington Public Schools). District boundaries do not always follow city limits, so verify the school district by address. This guide does not rank or compare schools.

Bloomington market snapshot — trailing 12 months through October 2026

InfoSparks area: Bloomington (CITY). With All Property Types selected, the median sales price was $375,000 (+0.0% year over year), with 941 closed sales (-7.3%). Median days on market were 17 (+0.0%); months supply was 1.7 (+6.2%), as displayed in InfoSparks' October 2026, 12 Months view.

Separately reported closed-sale categories were Single-Family: 688 (-8.6%) and Townhouse-Condo: 240 (-7.3%). These are reported categories, not shares of all sales; they should not be assumed to exhaust or reconcile to the total.

NorthstarMLS Matrix showed 217 active-only listings as of Nov 6, 2026 for the municipality. This count uses the Single Family search class, which includes multiple residential styles; it excludes Coming Soon, Pending and other statuses, as well as Lots/Land, Multi-Family, Commercial, Farm and Rental classes. It is not InfoSparks' “Homes for Sale” measure.

These figures summarize recorded activity for Bloomington as a whole; they are not a prediction of future prices or a guarantee of how quickly a particular property will sell. The median price change displays as +0.0%, meaning essentially unchanged at the precision shown, and median days on market were also unchanged. Closed sales fell 7.3%, with similar declines in both reported categories. Use comparable properties for an individual address.

Source: NorthstarMLS via InfoSparks, trailing 12 months through October 2026; active-only count from NorthstarMLS Matrix as of Nov 6, 2026. Data deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Housing forms and Census context

The MLS snapshot reports Single-Family and Townhouse-Condo sales separately; those are reported categories, not shares of all sales. Census adds a different, multiyear view: an owner-occupied housing unit rate of 65.7% and a median value of owner-occupied housing units of $361,700 (ACS 2020–2024) (QuickFacts). That Census value describes the existing owner-occupied stock over a five-year period; it is not an MLS sales price and not an appraisal.

Frequently asked questions

When was Bloomington founded?

The city says the town of Bloomington was established on May 11, 1858, the same day Minnesota became a state. Voters approved changing the village to a city in 1960. Bloomington. Tomorrow. Together..

When did Mall of America open?

The mall says it broke ground on June 14, 1989, on the former Metropolitan Stadium site and opened on August 11, 1992, with 330 stores. Mall of America.

Where is the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge visitor center?

The Bloomington Education and Visitor Center and refuge headquarters are at 3815 American Boulevard East. Check the refuge page for current trail and boardwalk closures. USFWS.

How large is the refuge?

Descriptions differ. USFWS says the refuge spans over 15,000 acres from Bloomington to Henderson; the city plan says it runs from Fort Snelling State Park to LeSueur. The city plan says USFWS owns about 2,100 acres in Bloomington. Chapter 7.

How many parks does Bloomington have?

The city plan counts 97 parks, recreation or open spaces, with more than 99% of the city within a half mile of a park or conservation area. Its 8,950.8-acre total cites the 2008 plan. Chapter 7.

What is Pond-Dakota Mission Park?

An 18.3-acre city park at 401 East 104th Street, site of the Oak Grove Mission and the 1856 Gideon and Agnes Pond House. Pond-Dakota Mission Park.

What transit serves Bloomington?

The city says it is served by the METRO Blue Line light rail and by Red Line, Orange Line and D Line bus rapid transit stations. Check Metro Transit for current routes. Bloomington. Tomorrow. Together..

What are the Bloomington housing-market figures?

For the trailing 12 months through October 2026, All Property Types had a $375,000 median sales price (+0.0% year over year), 941 closed sales (-7.3%), 17 median days on market (+0.0%) and 1.7 months supply (+6.2%). Matrix showed 217 active-only listings as of Nov 6, 2026. These dated figures are not a forecast. See the snapshot above for filters and attribution.

Is the Census housing value the same as the MLS median sale price?

No. Census reports a $361,700 median value of owner-occupied housing units for 2020–2024. That multiyear housing-stock measure differs from the trailing-period MLS sales median and is not an appraisal of an individual home. Census QuickFacts.

Which school district serves Bloomington?

Bloomington Public Schools (ISD 271) serves much of the city. District lines do not always follow city limits, so verify by address. Bloomington Public Schools.

Talk through an address-specific plan

Bryce Schuenke, REALTOR®, eXp Realty; MN Broker #41012271 | WI Salesperson #88518; (651) 302-4812; Info@RealtorBryce.com; 20731 Holyoke Ave Ste 103, Lakeville, MN 55044; www.RealtorBryce.com.