Living in Oakdale, MN: Parks, Gold Line, Growth & Daily Life

Oakdale is a Washington County city on the east side of the Twin Cities, bordered by Interstate 694 and crossed by Highway 36 and Highway 120. Several topics come up often when people research it: a park system that the city is actively replanning, the METRO Gold Line bus rapid transit line, the large Willowbrooke residential area, and a city hall that is under construction.

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

Oakdale at a glance

Measure	Figure and source date
Population estimate	30,588; July 1, 2025 (Census V2025)
Decennial population count	28,303; April 1, 2020 Census
Land area	10.96 square miles; 2020
Owner-occupied housing unit rate	77.5%; ACS 2020–2024
Mean travel time to work	23.5 minutes; ACS 2020–2024
MLS median sales price, All Property Types	$340,004; trailing 12 months through Oct 2026

Census figures are from QuickFacts. City park counts and acreage differ across city documents; they are quoted separately below.

From township to city

The city's History of Oakdale page traces the community to the Township of Oakdale, formed Oct. 20, 1858, with 36 sections. At the first town meeting on Nov. 1, 1858, the name was suggested by Arthur Stephen. The page describes early farming and ice cutting on Tanners Lake.

The township later divided: East Oakdale split off in 1951, and Landfall and Northdale followed in 1959. Northdale and part of East Oakdale rejoined the township and were incorporated as Oakdale on Feb. 20, 1968; the rest of East Oakdale joined Lake Elmo. In 1974, Oakdale, Lake Elmo and Landfall were designated cities. The Washington County Historical Society has more background.

Parks, trails and recreation

Park counts and acreage: quoted separately

Oakdale's park figures depend on which document you read:

• The Park System Plan, approved Aug. 12, 2025, describes 29 parks with 3 planned, over 500 acres and 33 miles of trails in its body text. Its appendix and benchmark table list 473 acres across 28 parks (plan PDF).
• The city's Park System Plan Update page says that as of October 2024, there are 29 parks, with new parks planned.
• The Parks Division page refers to recreational facilities at over 30 locations.
• The Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan, approved Nov. 14, 2023, counts 33 miles of shared-use paths and 19 miles of sidewalks (Bike & Pedestrian Plan).

The differences likely reflect different dates and definitions. This guide does not reconcile them.

What the 2025 Park System Plan covers

The Park System Plan focuses on the outdoor park system; it says it does not assess the trail system or indoor recreation facilities. The plan describes an initial public survey, multilingual outreach, pop-up events such as Summerfest, and input from the Oakdale Athletic Association and Wellness 50+, and says over 1,000 comments were received.

The plan identifies three planned parks — Willowbrooke North Park, Willowbrooke West Park and Helmo Park — and notes that names may change once they are developed. Its facility inventory lists 3 ice rinks, 6 tennis courts and 4 pickleball courts, and it includes a separate long-range plan chapter for Tanners Lake Park, which the plan says offers a swim-at-your-own-risk beach. The plan's comparisons with other communities are benchmarking tools, not a ranking, and this guide does not repeat them as one.

Plan recommendations are not construction commitments. The city's Park Projects page is the better place to see which projects are scheduled, and it notes that schedules are subject to change.

Named parks and facilities

• Oakdale Nature Preserve, 4444 Hadley Avenue North — a 200-acre passive outdoor recreation area with a 28-acre lake and prairie land, surrounding the Discovery Center (Nature Preserve). The city says the Discovery Room is temporarily closed during construction for the police expansion and City Hall remodel (Discovery Center).
• Tanners Lake Park, 400 Glenbrook Avenue North — the city lists improvements with engagement and design in 2026 and substantial construction in 2027 (Park Projects).
• Oakdale Bark Park, 4957 Helena Road North — a free 4.6-acre dog park (Bark Park).
• Willowbrooke Commons, 3800 Henna Avenue North — the city's newest park, opened October 2024 (Willowbrooke).
• Willowbrooke Fields, 3700 Hayward Avenue North — under construction since 2025 and expected to open in 2027, with a soccer field and pickleball courts planned (Park Projects).
• Oak Marsh Golf Course, 526 Inwood Avenue North — listed among the city's licensed businesses (Licensed Businesses).

Growth and planning

Willowbrooke

The city's Willowbrooke page describes a 208-acre mixed residential development north of 34th Street North, between I-694 and Ideal Avenue. The city says it is expected to bring more than 1,000 housing units, that nearly 80 percent is under construction or complete, and that the first residents moved in during fall 2022. These are the city's figures; check the page for updates.

Plans

The Glenbrook Small Area Plan was adopted by the City Council on Sept. 26, 2023, as a framework for future development in a triangular area bounded by Highway 120, Highway 36 and I-694 (Glenbrook plan). The city's Comprehensive Plan page covers the 2040 plan, which the city lists as last amended in March 2023. These are planning frameworks, not predictions of specific projects.

City Hall construction

The city's home page says City Hall is closed for construction, and that City Hall and police services have moved to other city facilities. During construction, city services are at Public Works, 3200 Granada Avenue North, and police services are at Fire Station Two, 6633 15th Street North. Check the city's site for current locations before visiting.

Getting around: the METRO Gold Line

The city's Gold Line page describes the METRO Gold Line as a 10-mile bus rapid transit line through St. Paul, Maplewood, Landfall, Oakdale and Woodbury. It opened in 2025, and two stations serve Oakdale: Helmo and Greenway. The page also describes a planned Gold Line extension project. Confirm schedules with Metro Transit. Interstate 694 and Highway 36 provide road connections.

Housing forms and Census context

The supplied MLS snapshot reports Single-Family and Townhouse-Condo sales separately. In Oakdale, the Townhouse-Condo count is a substantial reported category alongside Single-Family. Where an association applies, review its governing documents, budget, reserves and maintenance obligations; for newer areas such as Willowbrooke, ask which parks, trails and roads are complete and which are still planned.

Census QuickFacts reports a $318,100 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

Oakdale market snapshot — trailing 12 months through October 2026

InfoSparks area: Oakdale (CITY). With All Property Types selected, the median sales price was $340,004 (+1.8% year over year), with 374 closed sales (+2.2%). Median days on market were 21 (+5.0%); months supply was 2.1 (+16.7%), as displayed in InfoSparks' October 2026, 12 Months view.

Separately reported closed-sale categories were Single-Family: 206 (+1.5%) and Townhouse-Condo: 154 (+2.7%). These are reported categories, not shares of all sales; they should not be assumed to exhaust or reconcile to the total.

NorthstarMLS Matrix showed 93 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 Oakdale as a whole; they are not a prediction of future prices or a guarantee of how quickly a particular property will sell. The 16.7% increase in months supply reflects a change from a small base (2.1 months now), and the 5.0% change in median days on market is about one day; neither should be read as a trend. 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 restaurants below were checked today on their own websites, and each also appears with an Oakdale address on the city's current liquor-license list or the Oakdale Area Chamber of Commerce directory. This is a sample, not a complete or ranked list:

• Sgt. Peppers Grille and Bar, 930 Helena Avenue North — a bar and grille with banquet space.
• Wild Boar Bar and Grill, 950 Helena Avenue North — a bar and grill that also offers catering and party bookings.
• JW's Bierstube, 7121 10th Street North — the Oakdale location of the Bierstube restaurants, which describe their menu as German favorites.
• Mana Brewing, 7600 2nd Street North — a brewery and restaurant with locations in Oakdale and Shakopee.
• Duke's Pizza Pub, 1285 Geneva Avenue North — a pizza pub with party space.
• Catrinas Cerveza & Mexican Grill, 1091 Geneva Avenue North — a fast-casual Mexican grill; the company says Oakdale was its first location, opened in late 2014.
• Bambu Restaurant, 7061 10th Street North — Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese and Japanese dishes. The city license list uses the name "Bambu Kitchen."

For entertainment, the city's license list includes Marcus Oakdale Cinema (5677 Hadley Avenue North), Pinz Entertainment (7520 32nd Street North) and Ugly Putters Indoor Golf & Event Center (1799 Geneva Avenue North), whose own site describes indoor golf simulators. Oak Marsh Golf Course is listed above. The Oakdale Area Chamber of Commerce restaurant directory lists more local options. Businesses change; confirm before visiting.

Schools: verify by address

North St. Paul–Maplewood–Oakdale School District 622 includes Oakdale in its name and publishes a district boundary map. The Metropolitan Council also publishes a map of the school districts affecting Oakdale. This guide does not compare or rank schools. Confirm the resident district and attendance area for the exact address with the district, because boundaries can change.

Questions to ask about a specific address

• Is the property part of an association? What do the documents, budget and fees show?
• In Willowbrooke or other newer areas, which parks and trails are complete, and which are planned?
• Are there approved projects nearby, including in the Glenbrook area?
• How far is the address from the Helmo or Greenway Gold Line stations?
• Which school district and attendance area apply, according to the district?
• Is the address near a park with scheduled construction, such as Tanners Lake Park or Willowbrooke Fields, and what does the city's project page say about timing?
• During the City Hall construction, which city facility handles the permit, utility or licensing question you have?

Frequently asked questions

How many parks does Oakdale have?

It depends on the document. The 2025 Park System Plan describes 29 parks with 3 planned and over 500 acres, while its appendix lists 473 acres across 28 parks. The Parks Division page refers to facilities at over 30 locations. Park System Plan Update.

How many miles of trails are in Oakdale?

The 2023 Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan counts 33 miles of shared-use paths and 19 miles of sidewalks; the 2025 Park System Plan also cites 33 miles of trails. Bike & Pedestrian Plan.

Where does the METRO Gold Line stop in Oakdale?

The city says two stations serve Oakdale: Helmo and Greenway. The 10-mile line opened in 2025 and runs through St. Paul, Maplewood, Landfall, Oakdale and Woodbury. City Gold Line page.

What is Willowbrooke in Oakdale?

The city describes Willowbrooke as a 208-acre mixed residential development north of 34th Street North between I-694 and Ideal Avenue, expected to bring more than 1,000 housing units. Willowbrooke page.

What are the Oakdale housing-market figures?

For the trailing 12 months through October 2026, All Property Types had a $340,004 median sales price (+1.8% year over year), 374 closed sales (+2.2%), 21 median days on market (+5.0%) and 2.1 months supply (+16.7%). Matrix showed 93 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 $318,100 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 Oakdale?

North St. Paul–Maplewood–Oakdale School District 622 includes Oakdale in its name and publishes a boundary map; the Metropolitan Council also maps the districts affecting Oakdale. Confirm the district for the exact address. ISD 622 boundary map.

Is Oakdale City Hall open?

The city says City Hall is closed for construction and that City Hall and police services have moved to other city facilities. Check the city website for current locations. City of Oakdale.

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.