Glenwood City is a small, tight-knit community near the Twin Cities
Rolling hills and open land come to mind when people think about Glenwood City, a rural community in western Wisconsin. It’s common to find acres of farmland, especially as you move farther from the city center. It is a close-knit community with local restaurants like Bonnie’s Café and traditions like Rustic Lore Days. Because of its country setting, residents often travel to nearby larger cities for shopping, entertainment and work. The Twin Cities, Minneapolis and Saint Paul, are about an hour away.
Home styles vary greatly and cost less than in nearby communities
Glenwood City’s terrain has earned it the nickname The City of 57 Hills, according to Dustin Timm, the Glen Hills Park property manager. Mixed in with the rolling hills are acres of land, where you can find farmhouses and traditional or raised ranch-style houses built between the mid-20th century and the early 2000s. Closer to the city center, it’s more common to find older homes, like early-1900s National Folk styles and cottages, on a quarter-acre of land or less. The median single-family home price is lower than in nearby Woodville and significantly lower than in the Twin Cities. You can usually find something from the mid-$100,000s to the low $300,000, but multiacre properties can cost between the low $400,000s and the mid-$500,000s.
The library offers free Wi-Fi to residents
While you can find fixed broadband within the city limits, the surrounding rural properties have less reliable internet. Many residents will head to the Glenwood City Public Library for free Wi-Fi, which is available both inside and outside the building.
Glenwood City School District has a highly rated high school
Homes are zoned for the Glenwood City School District, but Wisconsin’s open enrollment allows families to apply to schools outside the district. The highly rated Glenwood City High School offers career and technical education through organizations like DECA, which focuses on marketing, finance, hospitality and management, and Future Farmers of America.
Residents commute to Hudson and the Twin Cities by car
Because Glenwood City is more rural, residents need a car to get around. State Route 128 goes through the community and connects with Interstate 94. Many people commute for work, traveling about 40 miles to Hudson or 60 miles to the Twin Cities. The Mayo Clinic Health System – Red Cedar offers primary care in Glenwood City, but its emergency services are about 25 miles away, in Menomonie. While the city gets a lot of snow in the winter, the public works department and St. Croix County make sure the roads are cleared quickly.
Local eateries include Bonnie’s Café and the M&M Bar
There are a handful of local restaurants and bars in the city. You can grab breakfast or lunch at Bonnie’s Café, which is known for its friendly staff and comfort food. Leader’s Place is a bowling alley that serves American food like burgers and wraps. At the M&M Bar, you can enjoy a beer and community get-togethers for live music and athletic events. Residents can get groceries from Nilssen’s Foods, but otherwise travel to Menomonie for shopping.
Residents spend time at Hinman Park and the sprawling Glen Hills Park
Even though it is a small community, Glenwood City has plenty to do. Hinman Park is the city’s largest recreational space, with amenities like athletic fields and a playground. It is also home to the city pool, a spring-fed pond that locals lovingly call The Mudhole and is open from June through August. The library has programs for all ages, from the kid-friendly Peter Rabbit Storytime to volunteer opportunities for adults. You can also travel to the nearby Glen Hills Park, a 700-acre park where you can:
- Camp at one of the 80-plus campsites.
- Fish or boat on Glen Lake.
- Play a round of disc golf on the nine-hole course.
- Hike or ski on the multiuse trails.
Timm says one of the reasons people love visiting Glen Hills is its peaceful atmosphere. “It’s very quiet because we’re out in the country...” he says. “At night, there’s no light pollution; it’s just dark. The only thing you see is yard lights from the neighbors.”
Neighbors come together for community events like Rustic Lore Days
Glenwood City celebrates its rural community with Rustic Lore Days, an annual event on the weekend after Labor Day. The packed schedule includes live music, a city-wide garage sale and programming like:
- The Rustic Lore Days Kickoff Dinner, the first event of the weekend
- Family Fun Night, which has kid-friendly games and a petting zoo
- Glen Hills Rustic Lore Days Car Show, which displays well-maintained vintage cars
- The Golden Wheel Hunt, a weekend-long scavenger hunt with a cash prize
- The Grand Parade, with over 100 floats and groups riding through the city
Other popular events include the St. Croix County Fair, a week-long rural fair with agricultural competitions, craft vendors and carnival rides, and Ren in the Glen, a weekend-long renaissance faire.
