#1Victoria
Carver County · 12,447 peopleOutdoors grade, among the top in the U.S.·Overall A+ · #20 of 271 in MN
Victoria, #1 on this list · Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0Minnesota rankings · Outdoors
Best towns for the outdoors in Minnesota
Victoria ranks first on outdoors among Minnesota’s 274 towns of 2,500+; 134 of the 274 grade A− or better on outdoors nationally.
The Outdoors grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): the share of land conserved and the trail miles per square mile. How grades work
#1A+
#2White Bear Township
Ramsey County · 10,399 peopleOutdoors grade, among the top in the U.S.·Overall A · #68 of 271 in MN
#3Champlin
Hennepin County · 23,125 peopleOutdoors grade, among the top in the U.S.·Overall A · #91 of 271 in MN
All 274 towns
Outdoors grade, best first (the letter is national). Towns with the same score share a rank; the overall grade and state rank are beside each.
274 towns ranked. Not here? See why a town may be missing.
#TownGradeOverall
15BloomingtonHennepin County · 89,034 peopleA+better than 97% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #225 of 271
17Lake ElmoWashington County · 14,376 peopleA+better than 97% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #117 of 271
19Oak Park HeightsWashington County · 4,625 peopleA+better than 96% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #165 of 271
21Mendota HeightsDakota County · 11,475 peopleA+better than 96% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #109 of 271
25Vadnais HeightsRamsey County · 13,052 peopleA+better than 95% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #94 of 271
42Fergus FallsOtter Tail County · 14,246 peopleAbetter than 93% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #208 of 271
44St. Louis ParkHennepin County · 50,027 peopleAbetter than 92% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #180 of 271
49North St. PaulRamsey County · 12,780 peopleAbetter than 91% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #227 of 271
64Cottage GroveWashington County · 43,604 peopleAbetter than 88% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #50 of 271
66Brooklyn ParkHennepin County · 83,543 peopleAbetter than 87% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #199 of 271
92North MankatoNicollet County · 14,165 peopleA−better than 83% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #98 of 271
94Columbia HeightsAnoka County · 22,482 peopleA−better than 82% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #260 of 271
97Inver Grove HeightsDakota County · 36,873 peopleA−better than 82% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #89 of 271
99Northern TownshipBeltrami County · 3,701 peopleA−better than 82% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #248 of 271
106White Bear LakeRamsey County · 23,392 peopleA−better than 80% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #122 of 271
117Grand RapidsItasca County · 11,181 peopleA−better than 78% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #211 of 271
119West St. PaulDakota County · 21,950 peopleA−better than 78% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #217 of 271
124Mountain IronSt. Louis County · 2,835 peopleA−better than 77% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #99 of 271
127Brooklyn CenterHennepin County · 31,846 peopleA−better than 77% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #261 of 271
129Albert LeaFreeborn County · 18,217 peopleA−better than 77% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #246 of 271
132PrincetonMille Lacs County · 5,480 peopleA−better than 76% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #151 of 271
139Granite FallsYellow Medicine County · 2,691 peopleB+better than 73% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #193 of 271
149Detroit LakesBecker County · 10,019 peopleB+better than 70% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #243 of 271
150Monticello TownshipWright County · 3,374 peopleB+better than 70% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #52 of 271
155South St. PaulDakota County · 20,532 peopleB+better than 69% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #206 of 271
156Thomson TownshipCarlton County · 5,624 peopleB+better than 69% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #81 of 271
157Forest LakeWashington County · 20,952 peopleB+better than 69% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #168 of 271
160Silver Creek TownshipWright County · 2,620 peopleB+better than 68% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #85 of 271
165Norwood Young AmericaCarver County · 3,777 peopleB+better than 67% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #120 of 271
166Cannon FallsGoodhue County · 4,209 peopleB+better than 67% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #128 of 271
173St. Paul ParkWashington County · 5,396 peopleB+better than 65% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #77 of 271
180Thief River FallsPennington County · 8,799 peopleBbetter than 63% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #182 of 271
182Linwood TownshipAnoka County · 5,403 peopleBbetter than 62% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #170 of 271
184International FallsKoochiching County · 5,481 peopleBbetter than 62% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #207 of 271
192Spring Lake ParkAnoka County · 7,127 peopleBbetter than 59% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #204 of 271
194Eagle LakeBlue Earth County · 3,357 peopleBbetter than 58% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #167 of 271
198La Grand TownshipDouglas County · 4,309 peopleBbetter than 56% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #131 of 271
201Little CanadaRamsey County · 10,567 peopleB−better than 54% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #145 of 271
203White TownshipSt. Louis County · 3,088 peopleB−better than 53% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #219 of 271
206HermantownSt. Louis County · 10,110 peopleB−better than 52% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #190 of 271
209Sylvan TownshipCass County · 3,030 peopleB−better than 50% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #136 of 271
211North BranchChisago County · 12,398 peopleB−better than 49% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #146 of 271
212Cedar Lake TownshipScott County · 3,080 peopleB−better than 49% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #115 of 271
213West Lakeland TownshipWashington County · 3,931 peopleB−better than 49% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #60 of 271
225Wakefield TownshipStearns County · 2,829 peopleC+better than 44% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #194 of 271
226Marion TownshipOlmsted County · 4,111 peopleC+better than 44% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #157 of 271
229Blue Hill TownshipSherburne County · 2,625 peopleC+better than 43% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #159 of 271
231Orrock TownshipSherburne County · 3,698 peopleC+better than 43% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #141 of 271
232Spring Lake TownshipScott County · 3,498 peopleC+better than 42% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #154 of 271
233Chisago CityChisago County · 5,955 peopleC+better than 42% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #140 of 271
238May TownshipWashington County · 2,638 peopleC+better than 39% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #149 of 271
241Alexandria TownshipDouglas County · 3,114 peopleCbetter than 34% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #87 of 271
244Corinna TownshipWright County · 2,596 peopleCbetter than 34% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #134 of 271
247Brockway TownshipStearns County · 3,016 peopleCbetter than 31% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #123 of 271
250Cambridge TownshipIsanti County · 2,592 peopleCbetter than 28% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #200 of 271
252Livonia TownshipSherburne County · 6,436 peopleCbetter than 26% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #65 of 271
254Chisago Lake TownshipChisago County · 4,958 peopleCbetter than 25% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #103 of 271
255New London TownshipKandiyohi County · 2,965 peopleC−better than 25% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #34 of 271
256Collegeville TownshipStearns County · 3,262 peopleC−better than 23% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #257 of 271
257Grand Lake TownshipSt. Louis County · 2,705 peopleC−better than 22% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #247 of 271
258Cascade TownshipOlmsted County · 2,810 peopleC−better than 22% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #183 of 271
259Pelican RapidsOtter Tail County · 2,608 peopleC−better than 21% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #126 of 271
262Harris TownshipItasca County · 3,364 peopleC−better than 19% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #226 of 271
263Bradford TownshipIsanti County · 3,549 peopleC−better than 18% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #215 of 271
264New Market TownshipScott County · 3,574 peopleC−better than 16% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #164 of 271
265Watab TownshipBenton County · 3,478 peopleC−better than 16% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #172 of 271
267Breezy PointCrow Wing County · 2,771 peopleDbetter than 15% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #132 of 271
268Bemidji TownshipBeltrami County · 4,031 peopleDbetter than 14% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #229 of 271
269Big Lake TownshipSherburne County · 8,283 peopleDbetter than 13% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #106 of 271
270Pokegama TownshipPine County · 2,884 peopleDbetter than 13% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #263 of 271
271Franklin TownshipWright County · 2,939 peopleDbetter than 9% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #130 of 271
272Rockford TownshipWright County · 3,474 peopleDbetter than 8% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #107 of 271
273Palmer TownshipSherburne County · 2,633 peopleD−better than 5% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #222 of 271
Quick answers
Questions people ask
Which Minnesota town is best for the outdoors?
Victoria (Carver County) ranks first on outdoors among 274 towns, with an A+; White Bear Township and Champlin follow.
How are these towns ranked?
The Outdoors grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): the share of land conserved and the trail miles per square mile. Towns are sorted on the grade’s score; the letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.
Why isn’t my town on this list?
The list covers towns of 2,500+ residents with a outdoors grade (274 in Minnesota). Smaller towns have the grade on their page but no rank. Every town is on the Minnesota page.
Go deeper
All Minnesota rankings →More Minnesota lists
Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.
Best places to live271 towns · #1 ChatfieldBest small towns167 towns · #1 ChatfieldMost affordable towns273 towns · #1 White TownshipSafest towns166 towns · #1 Caledonia and Chatfield and MontevideoTowns with the best schools274 towns · #1 Plymouth and WayzataHealthiest towns271 towns · #1 DeephavenBest towns for jobs & income273 towns · #1 IndependenceMost walkable towns273 towns · #1 MinneapolisTowns with the lowest natural-hazard risk274 towns · #1 ElyMost historic towns273 towns · #1 St. PaulTowns with the most civic life271 towns · #1 BarnesvilleTowns with the least snow271 towns · #1 Lake CityDescribed, no lettersSnowiest towns271 towns · #1 Grand Lake TownshipDescribed, no lettersTowns with the mildest winters270 towns · #1 La CrescentDescribed, no lettersTowns with the hottest summers270 towns · #1 MarshallDescribed, no lettersTowns with the coolest summers270 towns · #1 Two HarborsDescribed, no lettersTowns with the highest incomes273 towns · #1 North OaksDescribed, no lettersTowns with the lowest property taxes271 towns · #1 EvelethDescribed, no lettersFastest-growing towns270 towns · #1 DaytonDescribed, no lettersTowns with the most-used libraries18 towns · #1 ElyDescribed, no letters
Other states