The city of St. Paul, commonly referred to as “the most livable city”, is one of the largest and most famous cities within the state of Minnesota. As the state’s capitol, St. Paul holds a special significance among the hearts of Minnesota residents. Encompassing an area of over 56 square miles and acting as the home to nearly 300,000 residents, St. Paul is the second most highly-populated city within Minnesota, second only to its twin city Minneapolis. As one of the “Twin Cities”, St. Paul joins with Minneapolis to form the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, the 16th largest metro in the nation.

While St. Paul is not as well known as the city of Minneapolis, it still holds significance in that it is the center of the state government as well as several other major organizations and companies. In addition to hosting the state capitol building, St. Paul is also home to the St. Paul Cathedral, Xcel Energy Center- home of the Minnesota Wild hockey team, the corporate headquarters for Ecolab, the Science Museum of Minnesota, and more. While not boasting as impressive of a skyline as Minneapolis, St. Paul does have a very prominent downtown area in which much of the city’s industrial and commercial development has taken place.

When it comes to residential living within the city, St. Paul has 17 distinct neighborhoods. Each neighborhood offers unique amenities in addition to being located in specific geographical areas. Residents enjoy the variety that each neighborhood brings in regards to housing, parks, and community options. Major geographical and infrastructure landmarks often have an impact on the desirability of specific neighborhoods. With sections of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers located within and around the city as well as several prominent lakes, residents enjoy some beautiful housing locations in historically significant sections of the city.

Residents use Interstate 35E running north and south as well as Interstate 94 running east and west. Other highways include U.S. Highway 52, Minnesota State Highway 280, and Minnesota State Highway 5. These roads offer easy access to downtown Minneapolis, which is just ten or fifteen minutes away, and the rest of the surrounding suburbs. Biking is also attaining popularity, due to the construction of more paved bike lanes that attach to other bike lanes throughout the city. Downtown Saint Paul offers a five mile enclosed skyway system over twenty-five city blocks adding to the transportation convenience.