Mississippi River bluffs, 1,300+ acres of parkland, new townhomes at Glacial Valley Estates and an easy drive to downtown St. Paul. Here's what life looks like in Cottage Grove.
Cottage Grove sits on the north bank of the Mississippi River in Washington County, just north of where the river meets the St. Croix. It's part of the southeast Twin Cities metro, about 10 miles south of St. Paul. U.S. Highways 10 and 61 and I-494 connect it to both downtowns, and MSP International Airport is about half an hour away.
The city has more land along the Mississippi than any other city in Minnesota. It was platted in 1871 and started out as a farming township known for some of the state's first creameries. 3M has run a production facility here since 1947. Today it's one of the faster-growing cities in the east metro: the population went from 38,839 in the 2020 Census to an estimated 43,604 in 2025.
The numbers fit a family-oriented, owner-occupied community. 88.2% of homes are owner-occupied, the median household income is $120,791, and 40.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher (Census ACS 2020–2024).
Cottage Grove has issued permits for hundreds of new homes every year this decade. Metropolitan Council data shows a peak of 574 new housing units in 2021 and 426 in 2025 (243 single-family, 39 townhomes and 144 multifamily). The Keystone Report ranked Cottage Grove #10 in the metro for housing starts in 2025, as reported by Finance & Commerce.
Builders listed as active here include Donnay Homes (Glacial Valley Estates), Pulte, D.R. Horton, Lennar, M/I Homes, Michael Lee, Capstone, Stonegate, Hanson Builders and Craft Homes. New neighborhoods are spreading along new trails and parks, like Glacial Valley Park and the planned Mississippi Dunes Park on the riverfront.
Browse new construction Free guide: Buying a New Construction Home
"From" prices were taken from builder websites on Oct 17, 2026. They change often. Always confirm with Thomas or the builder.
Townhomes from $359,900 (prices subject to change)
Glacial Valley Estates is Thomas Moriarty's featured Cottage Grove community: a large, newly established townhome development by Donnay Homes, just off Keats Avenue near 70th Street S. Donnay says Phase 2 units are now available. Thomas is the contact named on Donnay's community page.
View Thomas's New Construction Homes Thomas's New Construction page Donnay's Glacial Valley page Floor plan & gallery
Each listing below describes the home as part of Glacial Valley Estates. 6812 Jody Ave S is a former model home built in 2023.
Pricing, status and availability are on each listing page and can change at any time. Builder renderings and floor plans are © Donnay Homes and may differ from the homes as built.
Locally owned spots worth knowing, from weekend coffee to haunted hayrides.
The city counts more than 1,300 acres of parkland. Highlights include:
Cottage Grove is served by South Washington County Schools (SoWashCo). District schools located in Cottage Grove:
Some Cottage Grove neighborhoods feed East Ridge High School in Woodbury. Lochridge and Northwick Valley are two examples. Boundaries vary by address, so please confirm with the district.
Thomas Moriarty of LivingLocal Realty is your contact for Glacial Valley Estates by Donnay Homes. He also helps buyers compare Cottage Grove's new construction communities and resale homes, and helps sellers price with confidence. Call, text or email. He's happy to talk through floor plans, builders, school boundaries and timing.
612-217-HOME (4663) · Thomas@LivingLocalRealty.com
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Cottage Grove on social
Recent public posts about Cottage Grove. Note: the City's X account (@cottagegrovemn) stopped posting in February 2026, so its posts below are from 2025. For more from Thomas, follow @livinglocalrealty on Instagram and LivingLocal Realty on Facebook.
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