Why Woodbury
Woodbury is a city situated in Washington County, Minnesota, located eight miles east of Saint Paul along Interstate 94. Forming part of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, the municipality encompasses nearly 36 square miles bounded by Century Avenue to the west, Manning Avenue to the east, 60th Street South to the south, and Interstate 94 to the north. Surrounding neighboring communities include Oakdale, Landfall, Lake Elmo, Cottage Grove, Maplewood, Newport, and Afton.
The terrain sits on an upland stretch between the Mississippi River and St. Croix River valleys. Water features are prominent throughout the landscape, including several small bodies of water such as Powers, Wilmes, Colby, Carver, and Battle Creek lakes. Battle Creek flows westward into Saint Paul to meet the Mississippi River, while the northeast area lies within the watershed of Valley Creek, a notable local trout stream that drains eastward into the St. Croix River at Afton.
Originally inhabited by Native Americans, the region was opened to non-Indigenous settlement following land cessions. First settled in 1844, the heavily forested terrain was gradually converted into agricultural land, and a township government was formally established in 1858. Initially named Red Rock, the town was later renamed in honor of Levi Woodbury, the first United States Supreme Court justice to attend law school. A surviving 19th-century site, the Charles Spangenberg Farmstead, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Suburban expansion commenced in 1955 with the creation of the Woodbury Heights development, leading to the official incorporation of the Village of Woodbury in 1967.
Outdoor recreation and community spaces are abundant across the city. Woodbury contains 63 parks covering roughly 3,600 acres, linked by approximately 180 miles of predominantly paved trails. Major green spaces surround Colby, Wilmes, and Powers lakes, offering amenities such as playgrounds, splash pads, a skatepark, a sand volleyball court, and a disc golf course. Additional facilities include the indoor Central Park next to the public library, golf options at the private Prestwick and public Eagle Valley courses, and the M Health Fairview Sports Center, which features athletic fields as well as indoor and outdoor ice arenas.
Visitors and residents can access broad commercial and cultural offerings throughout the area. Major retail centers include Tamarack Village, Woodbury Village, and Woodbury Lakes, an upscale open-air layout. Every year on the final weekend of August, Ojibway Park hosts Woodbury Days, a community festival featuring a parade, carnival games, live musical performances, fireworks, and the Taste of Woodbury food section highlighting local vendors.
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