8814 92nd St S

Sitting on the north bank of the Mississippi River, Cottage Grove offers the breathing room of suburban Minnesota with a surprisingly easy commute to downtown Saint Paul, just 10 miles to the northwest. Green spaces are woven throughout the city, from the sweeping 515-acre Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park with its wooded trails and prairie landscape to the Grey Cloud Dunes Scientific and Natural Area, where bluffs rise more than 100 feet above the river for some genuinely stunning views. Shopping and dining line major corridors, making everyday errands simple, and Highway 61 connects residents quickly to neighboring communities throughout Washington County.

The rental market here skews toward spacious, well-planned apartment communities with generous square footage, and renters can also find townhome-style options that offer extra room without the upkeep of ownership.