EDEN PRAIRIE
COMMUNITY GUIDE 2025
Eden Prairie: Nature within reach
Eden Prairie is a community that has grown in reach but hasn’ t traveled far from its roots. Named after its Eden-like appeal for settlers, the city is tied closely to its natural amenities. The city also continues to boast a continually growing economic base as it flourishes with businesses of all varieties and a mall at its heart that remains relevant while others continue to struggle nationwide.
The town has been recognized as one of the best places to live, work, and play in the Twin Cities metro and at the end of the day, Eden Prairie residents are proud to call the city home.
The city is a place of opportunity with its many natural outdoor spaces for gathering and recreation, as well as a bustling commercial presence and a renowned, top-of-the-line school system. Local governments preside over it all, constantly working to make the city a better place for its residents, while dedicated police and fire departments ensure residents feel safe and protected.
Located less than 20 miles southwest of Minneapolis – and with even better access come the 2027 light rail extension’ s completion – Eden Prairie can still be reached by several highways, like highways 62, 169 and 212, and Interstate-494. One of the city’ s highlights is Flying Cloud Airport, which serves corporate business travel and recreational fliers looking to skip the much larger Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport. It is also home to the nonprofit Wings of the North, which serves to promote local aviation history and keep it alive.
Travelers looking for convenient transportation into other cities can opt for SouthWest Transit, which provides service to those commuting in and out of the city for business or recreation. In support of public transit and helping the community, SouthWest Transit recently released its autonomous vehicles. The self-driving vehicles have the ability to connect the community to a variety of destinations within a designated zone in Eden Prairie as well as provide what SouthWest
Transit calls“ first and last mile transportation” to different mobility stations across Eden Prairie. Riders are able to travel to and from pre-determined stops by using their current Prime mobile app, powered by Spare.
Eden Prairie’ s outdoor spaces include more than 125 miles of trails and 1,000 acres of developed parkland. The city is not short of park places for residents to gather for sporting activities, dogs to stretch their legs, event spaces for the many city-wide events throughout the year or just a spot for visitors to take in the scenic landscapes.
The city is also home to several dedicated recreational facilities, including the Community Center, Senior Center, Art Center, Staring Lake Park Amphitheater, Riley-Jacques Barn and the Outdoor Center.
It also owns and is responsible for three liquor stores, all of which are a part of the city’ s Capital Improvement Fund, which is used to help fund park and trail improvements.
In Eden Prairie, the city council is at the heart of all policy-making and legislative decisions. Eden Prairie residents can find representation in the mayor and four council members. The council delegates additional staff, including a city manager responsible for administrative duties accountable to the council regarding the effective administration of city business.
A variety of city commissions act as advisors for the council on subjects like sustainability, conservation, human rights and diversity, heritage preservation, parks and natural resources. The Students on Commissions program also serves as a way to get young residents involved in local government.
Eden Prairie City Center 8080 Mitchell Road 952-949-8300 edenprairie. org
EDEN PRAIRIE | COMMUNITY GUIDE 2025 | 5