Living in Cottage Grove, MN: Parks, Water, Growth & Daily Life

Cottage Grove is a Washington County city along the Mississippi River southeast of St. Paul. Several topics come up again and again when people research it: a large park and trail system, a long-running effort to treat drinking water for PFAS, ongoing planning for new business and residential areas, and highway and express-bus links toward St. Paul and Minneapolis.

This guide covers those topics using city, county-area visitor-bureau and Census sources, plus a dated MLS snapshot. It does not rank neighborhoods, schools or businesses. For the property-oriented resource, use the Cottage Grove neighborhood page; this article supplements that page rather than replacing it.

Cottage Grove at a glance

Measure	Figure and source date
Population estimate	43,604; July 1, 2025 (Census V2025)
Decennial population count	38,839; April 1, 2020 Census
Land area	33.64 square miles; 2020
Owner-occupied housing unit rate	88.2%; ACS 2020–2024
Mean travel time to work	23.9 minutes; ACS 2020–2024
MLS median sales price, All Property Types	$407,675; trailing 12 months through Oct 2026

Census figures are from QuickFacts. City park acreage and trail mileage figures differ from page to page; they are quoted separately below rather than combined.

A short history

Discover Cottage Grove, the city's visitor site, gives a brief outline (About): the village was platted in 1871, and 3M opened a facility in Cottage Grove in 1947, which the site connects with later suburban growth. The strawberry theme of the annual community festival is tied by the festival organizers to the area's farming past (Strawberry Fest).

The city's History page focuses on historic preservation. It describes a heritage preservation ordinance adopted in 1981, Certified Local Government status in 1985, and a list of locally designated historic properties. Anyone interested in an older property should ask the city whether it is designated and what review applies.

Parks, trails and recreation

How big is the park system? The city's figures differ

The city describes its park system in several places, and the numbers are not the same:

• The Parks & Trails page says Cottage Grove has "over 1,500 acres" of parks and open space.
• The Parks & Recreation page says "almost 2,000 acres," lists 38 neighborhood parks and 10 trails, and refers to "nearly 100 miles of trails & sidewalks," an 18-hole golf course and a three-sheet ice arena.
• The Our Community page says "nearly 2,000 acres" and "45+ miles of trails," and mentions an all-inclusive playground.
• Discover Cottage Grove's parks page refers to 35 parks.

The pages likely count different things (for example, trails alone versus trails and sidewalks, or city parkland versus all open space). This guide does not choose between them. If a specific figure matters, ask the Parks & Recreation office which scope each one uses.

Named parks and facilities

• Glacial Valley Park, 9900 Ravine Parkway South — the city describes it as its newest community park, with a 4,000-square-foot park building and connections to more than 200 acres of watershed land (Glacial Valley Park).
• West Draw Park, 7050 Meadow Grass Avenue — 26 acres in the Pine Summit neighborhood, with soccer fields, trails and a playground, plus a 2.4-acre bike park with a pump track, dirt jumps, a skills area and a four-cross track (Bike Park).
• WAG Farms Dog Park, 9475 Glendenning Road — an off-leash dog park (WAG Farms).
• Ravine Regional Park — a Washington County regional park that the city lists within its parks and trails overview (Parks & Trails).
• River Oaks Golf Course, 11099 South Highway 61 — the city's 18-hole course (River Oaks contact).
• Cottage Grove Ice Arena — 8020 80th Street South, which also houses the Parks & Recreation office (Parks & Recreation).

The city's Park Projects page lists 2027 park improvement projects, including native habitat restoration and a Camel's Hump Park project. Project lists change; check the page for current status.

Drinking water and PFAS treatment

Water quality is a topic many buyers ask about in Cottage Grove, and the city publishes detailed information on its Clean Water for Cottage Grove page. Key dated points from the city's pages:

• The city's water work follows the February 2018 settlement between the State of Minnesota and 3M; a long-term plan was released on Aug. 18, 2021.
• The city has operated interim treatment since 2017 and reports seven interim or permanent treatment facilities by 2024.
• The Low Zone Water Treatment Plant, at Ideal Avenue South and 110th Street South with Well No. 13, became operational in June 2025 (Low Zone plant).
• The Intermediate Zone Water Treatment Plant, by the water towers behind Central Fire Station on 80th Street, is under construction and scheduled for 2028 (Intermediate Zone plant).
• Some homes previously on private wells were connected to city water: about 160 homes in 2020 (River Acres and Granada areas) and 32 in 2022 (Goodview area).

This guide does not characterize the safety of any specific water source. For a particular address, check whether it is on city water or a private well, review the city's latest water information, and ask the Minnesota Department of Health about any private-well advisories.

Growth and planning

Cottage Grove is updating its comprehensive plan. The city's 2050 Comprehensive Plan page describes the update as underway; the 2040 plan remains in effect until a new plan is adopted.

The Highway 61 and Innovation Small Area Plan covers land south of Highway 61 between Jamaica Avenue and Keats Avenue, including a planned extension of 100th Street; the city described planning work in late 2024. The city's About page also refers to a 600-acre business park. These are planning documents and descriptions, not predictions of when or whether specific projects will be built. For a specific address, check the current zoning and any nearby approved projects with the city's planning staff.

Getting around

The city's Transit Information page lists:

• Express Route 363, between the Cottage Grove Park & Ride and downtown Minneapolis via downtown St. Paul, with a limited number of weekday morning and afternoon trips.
• Transit Link, a dial-a-ride service that must be booked in advance.
• Metro Mobility for eligible riders.
• The Red Rock Corridor, described as a proposed 30-mile transitway; it is a proposal, not a current service.

Schedules change, so confirm current trips with Metro Transit before relying on them. Highway 61 and Highway 10 run through the city.

Housing forms and Census context

The supplied MLS snapshot reports Single-Family and Townhouse-Condo sales separately, and in Cottage Grove the Single-Family count is much larger. Housing ranges from older homes and rural-residential lots to newer subdivisions and association-governed townhomes. Ask about well and septic records for rural parcels, and review the governing documents, budget and maintenance obligations where an association applies.

Census QuickFacts reports a $378,800 median value of owner-occupied housing units for 2020–2024. That Census measure concerns the owner-occupied housing stock over a multiyear survey period. It is not the median MLS sales price, an appraisal or a current asking price. Keep it separate from the transaction-based snapshot below. Source: Census QuickFacts.

A dated market snapshot, with the filters visible

Cottage Grove market snapshot — trailing 12 months through October 2026

InfoSparks area: Cottage Grove (CITY). With All Property Types selected, the median sales price was $407,675 (+1.9% year over year), with 690 closed sales (+4.4%). Median days on market were 25 (+13.6%); months supply was 2.8 (+27.3%), as displayed in InfoSparks' October 2026, 12 Months view.

Separately reported closed-sale categories were Single-Family: 559 (+9.8%) and Townhouse-Condo: 129 (-15.1%). These are reported categories, not shares of all sales; they should not be assumed to exhaust or reconcile to the total.

NorthstarMLS Matrix showed 178 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 Cottage Grove as a whole; they are not a prediction of future prices or a guarantee of how quickly a particular property will sell. The 27.3% increase in months supply reflects a change from a small base (2.8 months now) and should not be read as a trend. The Townhouse-Condo count (129) is a modest sample, so its year-over-year change is especially sensitive. 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.

Local restaurants and things to do

The examples below were checked today on each restaurant's own website, except where the source column notes that Discover Cottage Grove's listing supplied the street address. This is a sample, not a complete or ranked list:

• Junction 70 Grill, 6933 Pine Arbor Drive South — scratch-made dishes and smokehouse barbecue, with 36 beers on tap.
• Carbone's Kitchen & Pub, 7155 Jorgensen Lane — a locally owned franchise serving thin-crust pizza along with soups and sauces made from scratch.
• Las Margaritas, Cottage Grove — a family-owned Mexican restaurant that says it has served the community since 2014.
• Eagles Bar & Grill at River Oaks, 11099 South Highway 61 — a grill at the municipal golf course with a patio overlooking the Mississippi River and the course.
• Muddy Cow, 7350 Hardwood Court — a locally owned bar and grill that says it sources fresh ingredients from farms within 300 miles.
• Lisu's Thai Taste, 7145 East Point Douglas Road South, Suite 140 — a Thai restaurant near 80th Street South and East Point Douglas Road.
• Rocco's Pizza, 7424 East Point Douglas Road South, Suite 200 — a pizza restaurant that takes orders online.
• Bella Pizza, 7155 80th Street South, Suite 160 — a pizza restaurant offering dine-in service.
• Cassini's Pizzeria, 8711 East Point Douglas Road South — pizza delivery and carryout.

Discover Cottage Grove also keeps directories of sit-down restaurants and pizza, quick bites and coffee shops. Restaurants open, close and move; confirm before visiting.

Community events include Strawberry Fest (festival site), along with seasonal events the city and visitor bureau promote. For recreation, River Oaks Golf Course, the Ice Arena and the West Draw bike park are described above.

Schools: verify by address

Cottage Grove is within South Washington County Schools (ISD 833), which the city describes as covering all or parts of Cottage Grove, Newport, St. Paul Park and Woodbury, as well as Afton, Denmark and Grey Cloud Island townships. The district's enrollment information directs families to its boundary map tool to find the boundary school for an address (city schools page). This guide does not compare or rank schools. Confirm the attendance area for the exact address with the district, because boundaries can change.

Questions to ask about a specific address

• Is the home on city water and sewer, or a private well and septic system? What does the city's latest water information say for that area?
• Is the property part of a homeowners or townhome association? What do the documents, budget and fees show?
• Are there approved or proposed projects nearby, including Highway 61 corridor plans?
• Which school attendance area applies, according to the district's boundary tool?
• Is the property locally designated as historic?

Frequently asked questions

How many acres of parks does Cottage Grove have?

City pages give different figures. The Parks & Trails page says over 1,500 acres; the Parks & Recreation page says almost 2,000 acres, with 38 neighborhood parks and 10 trails; and the Our Community page says nearly 2,000 acres. Ask the city which scope each figure uses. Parks & Trails.

How many miles of trails are in Cottage Grove?

The Parks & Recreation page refers to nearly 100 miles of trails and sidewalks, while the Our Community page says 45+ miles of trails. The scopes appear to differ, so the figures are quoted separately. Parks & Recreation.

What is Cottage Grove doing about PFAS in drinking water?

The city has operated interim treatment since 2017 under the 2018 State of Minnesota–3M settlement. Its Low Zone treatment plant became operational in June 2025, and the Intermediate Zone plant is scheduled for 2028. Check the city page for current information. Clean Water for Cottage Grove.

What are the Cottage Grove housing-market figures?

For the trailing 12 months through October 2026, All Property Types had a $407,675 median sales price (+1.9% year over year), 690 closed sales (+4.4%), 25 median days on market (+13.6%) and 2.8 months supply (+27.3%). Matrix showed 178 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 $378,800 median value of owner-occupied housing units for 2020–2024. That multiyear housing-stock measure is different from the trailing-period MLS sales median and is not an appraisal of an individual home. Census QuickFacts.

Which school district serves Cottage Grove?

South Washington County Schools (ISD 833). The district provides a boundary map tool to identify the boundary school for an address; confirm with the district before relying on any attendance area. City schools page.

Is there public transit from Cottage Grove?

The city lists Express Route 363 from the Cottage Grove Park & Ride to downtown Minneapolis via St. Paul, plus Transit Link dial-a-ride and Metro Mobility. Confirm current schedules with Metro Transit. Transit information.

What is the Highway 61 and Innovation Small Area Plan?

It is a city planning study for land south of Highway 61 between Jamaica and Keats avenues, including a planned 100th Street extension. It is a plan, not a construction schedule. Small area plan.

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.