Belle Plaine’s quiet community sees suburban growth
Roughly 44 miles southwest of the Twin Cities metro area, Belle Plaine is a growing residential community along the Minnesota River that has both a historic downtown area and sprawling suburban neighborhoods. “A hundred years ago, it used to be a small farming town in the middle of nowhere, and now with U.S. Route 169 going through the area, it’s building up,” says John Clay, a real estate agent and owner of Associated Realtors, who has almost 40 years of experience. “The older part of town is west of 169 closer to the river, and the east side is the newer part of town.” French for “Beautiful Prairie,” Belle Plaine is surrounded by luscious rolling hills that create an abundance of outdoor recreation.
A selection of century-old homes and new construction
Homes in Belle Plaine come in a variety of styles across different time periods. “We have houses, some older two-stories, that are over a hundred years old. And then there are some higher end, newer homes at the southern part of the city and near the high school,” Clay says. Traditional two-story homes built in the 1880s to 1910s are common close to downtown, where properties are lined along gridded residential streets. There are Saltbox homes and those with Victorian-era features – these older homes cost between $110,000 and $320,000, depending on condition.
Ranch-style homes and split levels built between the 1960s and 1980s are found throughout the city. Southeast of U.S. 169, multiple subdivisions are getting built, where houses sit on large lots accompanied by driveways and grassy, decorative lawns. New Traditional homes are popular here, built in the 2000s and 2020s. These properties are both single- and multi-story and can come with Craftsman features such as front gables, stone accents and a porch area. Prices range from $250,000 to $500,000, depending on age and size.
The CAP Index Crime Score for Belle Plaine is 2 out of 10, low when compared to the national average of 4.
Recreation in the parks and along trails
About 20 city-owned parks are scattered across Belle Plaine. Court Square Park has a playground area outfitted with swings and a merry-go-round, plus a disc golf course. The green space sits adjacent to the Red Barn Museum and Hooper Bowler Hillstrom Historical House, which offers tours of the building. Hickory Park is the newest park in the city and has a basketball court that converts into an ice-skating rink in the winter. There’s also a dog park on its grounds. Another notable green space is Heritage Square Park with its soccer fields and skate park. The Belle Plaine Aquatic Center has two outdoor swimming pools, one of which is outfitted with slides, a splash zone and a diving board. Swim lessons take place in the lap pool.
Additional recreation can be explored along various trails through the city. The Beautiful Prairie Trail is a paved path that connects the city’s parks. The Minnesota Valley Trail is open to hiking, biking, horseback riding, skiing and snowmobiling. The first segment of the trail starts in Belle Plaine and travels around 29 miles to Shakopee. More trails can be found within the Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area, which is located along the Minnesota River. “You can swim and fish in the river, but you can’t really cruise. I’ve gone down it in a rowboat before,” Clay says.
Shops and eateries downtown and along U.S. 169
Belle Plaine’s downtown area along Main Street has several restaurants and small businesses along it, including hair and nail salons. Heng Navy Bakery & Diner is a locally owned Vietnamese restaurant, and Riverview Coffee serves breakfast beverages. There are also a handful of breweries and bars in the area, including Oldenburg Brewing Company with its microbrews and Johan’s Sports Bar and Grill. Ediger Auctions is a company in the area that regularly hosts farm auctions in Belle Plaine. “You can buy hay and pigs and cows,” Clay says. “There’s a restaurant at the auction that can take you back to the ’50s and ’60s with its meals.”
For more options, a handful of auto parts stores and eateries are found on either side of U.S. 169. El Loro Mexican Restaurant specializes in traditional cuisine, and fast-food chains in the area include Dairy Queen and Subway. Coborn’s is the area’s grocery store.
Celebrating the community through summer events
Belle Plaine’s community puts on multiple events when it’s warm. All-Wheel Wednesdays is a recurring car show held on Wednesday evenings in the summer. Main Street will close to make room for food trucks and live music. Belle Plaine BBQ Days is the city’s most popular event in July. The festival kicks off with a parade down Main Street and ends with a fireworks show. “I used to go all the time. People will pull up lawn chairs on Main Street and watch the floats go by,” Clay says.
Belle Plaine public schools with quality programs
The Belle Plaine Public School District serves over 1,600 students within the city. Chatfield Elementary School teaches Kindergarten through second grade and earns a C-plus grade from Niche. Oakcrest Elementary School, for grades three through six, has a B-minus. From there, students can attend the C-plus-rated Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School, which offers Career and Technical Education Pathway Programs in arts & communication, business & entrepreneurship and engineering & manufacturing.
Walking, riding and driving through Belle Plaine
Bike lanes, trails and crosswalks all lend to cyclist- and pedestrian-friendly community. Belle Plaine is known to have over 13 miles of trails and more than 21 miles of city sidewalks for those who like to travel on foot or by bike. Commuters with a vehicle can use U.S. Route 169, known as Sioux Trail, which travels east and west through the city. For commercial flights, Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport is roughly 41 miles away.
