Living in Woodbury, MN: Parks, Trails, Transit & Daily Life

Woodbury is a Washington County city on the east side of the Twin Cities, along the Interstate 94 and Interstate 494 corridors. It has grown from a farming township into a city of more than 80,000 residents, and its park and trail system, the METRO Gold Line bus rapid transit line and its school-district split are the practical details that shape daily life at a given address.

This guide covers those details with official sources and a dated MLS snapshot. It does not rank neighborhoods or schools. For the existing property-oriented resource, use the Woodbury neighborhood page; this article supplements that page rather than replacing it.

Woodbury at a glance

Measure	Figure and source date
Population estimate	81,558; July 1, 2025 (Census V2025)
Decennial population count	75,102; April 1, 2020 Census
Land area	34.89 square miles; 2020
Owner-occupied housing unit rate	77.6%; ACS 2020–2024
Mean travel time to work	23.9 minutes; ACS 2020–2024
City parks page: trails / parks	180 miles / 63 parks; undated city page
MLS median sales price, All Property Types	$489,903; trailing 12 months through Oct 2026

Census figures are from QuickFacts. Park figures are from the city's Parks and Places page; a 2026 city report gives a different trail total, discussed below.

From Red Rock township to a growing city

The city's history page gives a compact timeline:

• The first settlers came in 1844. The town was organized as a township in 1858 and renamed in 1859 — it had been called Red Rock — for Judge Levi Woodbury of New Hampshire, a friend of the first town board chairman.
• Wheat, barley, corn and potatoes were early crops, and the rolling land suited dairy farming.
• The first housing development, Woodbury Heights, began in 1955, and urban development spread through the 1960s.
• In 1967 voters approved village incorporation with a mayor-council government, and the city's first comprehensive land use plan was developed the same year. A new city hall followed in 1975.

A Parks and Natural Resources Commission packet posted for May 5, 2026 states that Woodbury's population grew from 47,000 in 2000 to more than 82,000, that approximately three-fourths of the city has been developed, and that the city expects about 90,000 residents by 2040 (commission packet). That 2040 figure is the city's planning expectation, not a housing-market forecast.

Parks and trails — two city figures, quoted separately

Woodbury's Parks and Places page — repeated on the Parks and Facilities Long-Range Plan page — currently describes the system as more than 3,600 acres of city-owned land, 180 miles of trails, 63 parks, 69 athletic fields, 57 play structures and 70 court facilities, plus a sports center with two indoor ice sheets and a field house, an 18-hole golf course, fishing piers, a skate park and six miles of off-road biking trails.

The parks and recreation annual report in the city's May 5, 2026 commission packet uses different figures: more than 3,700 acres of park and open space land, 63 park and open space sites and 192.6 miles of trails within the entire park system (commission packet). The two documents do not explain the difference in trail definitions, so both are quoted as published and not combined or averaged. If a precise figure matters for publication, ask the city which definition each uses.

The city's 2026 focus, according to the same packet, is the Parks and Facilities Long-Range Plan, a guide for planning and managing park projects. Treat any improvement described there as planned until the city reports it complete.

Named parks and facilities from the city map

The city's Parks and Trails Map lists community parks and facilities with addresses, including:

• Central Park, 8595 Central Park Place — the city's indoor park (below).
• M Health Fairview Sports Center, 4125 Radio Drive — listed with Madison's Place Playground, a splash pad and the Woodbury Rotary Miracle Field.
• Eagle Valley Golf Course, 2600 Double Eagle Lane.
• Carver Lake, 3175 Century Avenue South — the map marks off-road cycling trails at Carver Lake Park.
• Tamarack Nature Preserve, 1825 Tower Drive, and Ojibway, 2695 Ojibway Drive.
• Valley Creek (Miller Barn), 11500 Valley Creek Road, and Marsh Creek (Historic House), 8025 Lake Road.
• Andy's Bark Park, 11664 Dale Road, and Colby Lake, 9715 Valley Creek Road.

The map also marks two neighborhood parks — Glacial Valley and Harvest — as future locations. Those are planned, not built.

Central Park, the library and community events

Central Park at 8595 Central Park Place is an indoor, climate-controlled facility, according to Destination Woodbury, which the city describes as its official destination marketing organization (Central Park page; Destination Woodbury). Destination Woodbury reports a renovation that included expanded gathering spaces and a redesigned Lookout Ridge indoor playground. The city's Central Park page lists seasonal programming such as an art and craft fair and "Performance in the Park" concerts; check the page for current dates.

Washington County Library lists its contact address as the same building, 8595 Central Park Place, home of its R.H. Stafford Library. Woodbury City Hall is at 8301 Valley Creek Road (Parks and Places contact).

Destination Woodbury also describes Colby Lake and Edgewater Park near Central Park, with a paved lakefront path, playgrounds, sports courts, picnic shelters and fishing piers (Destination Woodbury).

Shopping and dining districts

The retail areas documented in the sources reviewed for this guide are clustered near I-94 and Radio Drive:

• Tamarack Village, an open-air shopping center at Interstate 94 and Radio Drive, describes itself as a walkable village layout (Tamarack Village).
• CityPlace and Woodbury Lakes are described by Destination Woodbury as two adjacent open-air destinations. CityPlace includes national retailers, a full-service grocery store, fitness studios, medical offices and restaurants; Woodbury Lakes combines national brands, boutiques, restaurants and a dine-in movie theater (Destination Woodbury).

Each center publishes its own directory. Tamarack Village's lists stores such as Cub Foods, Dick's Sporting Goods and TJ Maxx (Tamarack Village directory). CityPlace's merchant directory includes Whole Foods Market at 305 Radio Drive and Barnes & Noble at 375 Radio Drive (CityPlace directory). Woodbury Lakes' directory lists the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema along with apparel and home stores (Woodbury Lakes directory).

Restaurants — a verified sample

The restaurants below were checked today on their own websites (or, where noted, on a shopping-center or Woodbury Area Chamber of Commerce listing) and show Woodbury addresses:

• CRAVE American Kitchen & Sushi Bar, 9100 Hudson Road — American dishes and a sushi bar; Woodbury Lakes lists it in its dining directory (CRAVE; Woodbury Lakes dining).
• Hazelwood Food + Drink, on Hudson Road (9240 Hudson Road in the chamber listing) — a restaurant reached from I-94 via Radio Drive and Hudson Road to Woodbury Lakes Road (Hazelwood; chamber listing).
• Tamarack Tap Room, 8418 Tamarack Village — a restaurant and bar centered on beer, burgers and bourbon (Tamarack Tap Room).
• Legendary Spice, 8300 Tamarack Village — a Sichuan Chinese restaurant whose menu includes dim sum and hot pot (Legendary Spice locations).
• Machete Cocina Mexicana, 803 Bielenberg Drive — a family-owned Mexican restaurant with Mexican beers, tequilas and mezcals (Machete).
• Hope Breakfast Bar, 1930 Donegal Drive — a breakfast and brunch restaurant that also serves brunch cocktails (Hope Breakfast Bar).
• Keys Cafe & Bakery, 1750 Weir Drive — a family-owned café and bakery (Keys Cafe Woodbury).
• Pizzeria Pezzo, 8505 Valley Creek Road — a pizzeria serving coal-fired and Chicago-style deep-dish pizza (Pizzeria Pezzo).
• Osaka Seafood & Steakhouse, Woodbury Lakes — sushi, sashimi and hibachi, as described in the Woodbury Lakes dining directory (Woodbury Lakes dining).
• Café Zupas and Piada Italian Street Food, CityPlace — fast-casual restaurants listed at 365 and 345 Radio Drive (CityPlace directory).

Destination Woodbury says the city has more than 140 dining options; that count is the visitor organization's figure. This is not a complete directory; tenant mixes change, and business mentions are informational, not endorsements. Check each business directly before visiting.

Housing forms and Census context

The supplied MLS snapshot reports Single-Family and Townhouse-Condo sales separately, and Woodbury's counts show substantial activity in both categories. A detached home, an association-governed townhome or condominium, and an apartment rental involve different documents and responsibilities. Where an association applies, review its governing documents, budget, insurance responsibilities and maintenance obligations before comparing total ownership costs.

Census QuickFacts reports a $450,200 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

Woodbury market snapshot — trailing 12 months through October 2026

InfoSparks area: Woodbury (CITY). With All Property Types selected, the median sales price was $489,903 (+1.5% year over year), with 1,109 closed sales (-7.4%). Median days on market were 28 (+0.0%); months supply was 2.5 (+0.0%), as displayed in InfoSparks' October 2026, 12 Months view.

Separately reported closed-sale categories were Single-Family: 653 (-5.2%) and Townhouse-Condo: 445 (-9.9%). These are reported categories, not shares of all sales; they should not be assumed to exhaust or reconcile to the total.

NorthstarMLS Matrix showed 261 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 Woodbury as a whole; they are not a prediction of future prices or a guarantee of how quickly a particular property will sell. Several year-over-year changes are modest (and median days on market was unchanged), so they should not be stretched into a trend claim. 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.

Getting around: I-94, I-494 and the METRO Gold Line

The city's METRO Gold Line page says the Gold Line bus rapid transit line opened for service in 2025 and provides all-day, two-way service to St. Paul, Maplewood, Landfall, Oakdale and Woodbury along the I-94 corridor, with pre-boarding fare payment, park-and-ride lots and real-time arrival information. The line includes three stations in Woodbury.

A 2021 Metropolitan Council project bulletin listed the Woodbury station locations at Bielenberg Drive near the Tamarack Hills business center entrance, Guider Drive and Queens Drive, and Guider Drive and Woodlane Drive (the Woodbury 494 Park & Ride station) (Gold Line bulletin). Station names may have changed since that bulletin; check Metro Transit for current names and schedules.

The city's Gold Line Station Area Master Plan, adopted in April 2022, covers approximately 410 acres in northwestern Woodbury and guides commercial and higher-density residential development near the stations (METRO Gold Line page).

Washington County's GoWashington transportation site lists additional options for Woodbury, including Metro Micro on-demand service in a Woodbury-area zone and routes connecting Woodbury with the Sun Ray Transit Center and with Newport and the Mall of America/MSP area (GoWashington). Confirm current routes and zones before relying on them. The Census mean commute of 23.9 minutes is background, not a trip estimate.

Schools and address verification

The city's schools page says Woodbury is served by three public school districts: the majority of the city is in South Washington County School District 833, while Stillwater Area Schools (District 834) and North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale (District 622) also serve parts of the city. The page notes that District 834 operates one elementary school in northeast Woodbury and District 622 has no school facilities in Woodbury. It also lists two parochial schools and two charter schools located in the city.

Because three districts serve Woodbury, the resident district must be confirmed for the exact address. District 834's district map page lists "a portion of Woodbury" among its communities; use each district's own boundary tool or enrollment office for a specific address. Do not infer an assignment from the nearest school or a listing remark.

For the parcel itself, use Washington County property records for legal description, tax and recorded-document detail, and check the city for zoning or planned projects near the address — including the Gold Line station-area plan if the property is in northwestern Woodbury.

Continue with current home search, the buying guide, the selling guide, or a property evaluation request. An individual property's current information still needs to be checked separately from this dated city reference.

Frequently asked questions

How many miles of trails does Woodbury have?

The city Parks and Places page currently reports 180 miles of trails and six miles of off-road biking trails. A parks annual report in the city’s May 5, 2026 commission packet reports 192.6 miles of trails within the entire park system. The documents do not reconcile definitions, so the figures are quoted separately. Parks and Places.

Which school district serves Woodbury?

The city says most of Woodbury is in South Washington County District 833, with parts served by Stillwater Area Schools District 834 and North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale District 622. Confirm the resident district for the exact address with the district. City schools page.

What are the Woodbury housing-market figures?

For the trailing 12 months through October 2026, All Property Types had a $489,903 median sales price (+1.5% year over year), 1,109 closed sales (-7.4%), 28 median days on market (+0.0%) and 2.5 months supply (+0.0%). Matrix showed 261 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 $450,200 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.

Does the METRO Gold Line serve Woodbury?

Yes. The city says the Gold Line bus rapid transit line opened for service in 2025, with three stations in Woodbury and all-day, two-way service along the I-94 corridor toward St. Paul. Check Metro Transit for current schedules. City Gold Line page.

What is Woodbury’s Central Park?

Central Park, at 8595 Central Park Place, is an indoor, climate-controlled city facility with the Lookout Ridge indoor playground and seasonal events. Washington County Library lists the same address. Central Park.

Where are Woodbury’s main shopping areas?

Tamarack Village sits at I-94 and Radio Drive, and Destination Woodbury describes CityPlace and Woodbury Lakes as adjacent open-air shopping and dining areas with access from I-94 and Radio Drive. Check each center for current tenants. Destination Woodbury.

How did Woodbury get its name?

According to the city, the township was originally named Red Rock and was renamed in 1859 for Judge Levi Woodbury of New Hampshire, a friend of the first town board chairman. City history.

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.