Rural living in Rockville near St. Cloud and Cold Spring
Rockville is a rural area of about 2,500 residents just outside of the city of St. Cloud. Locals consider it to be one part of Rocori — Rockville, Cold Spring and Richmond. “It’s a bedroom community to Cold Spring,” says broker Josh Hirschfeld of Hirschfeld Real Estate, who has lived in Cold Spring his whole life. “There aren’t many businesses in Rockville, so Cold Spring is usually the place to be.” Rockville locals enjoy hanging out at the two bars in town, exploring area nature, and boating on the two lakes. The Sauk River also runs through town. Large granite formations in the river gave the town its name, and several granite suppliers still call the area home.
Suburban-style developments, homes with acreage and lakefront houses
Though the area is very rural, a handful of subdivisions in the community have a suburban feel, with houses next to each other on quarter- to half-acre lots. Ranch-style and split-level homes from the mid-1900s to early 2000s are common, ranging from $200,000 to $330,000. Some older bungalows and National-style houses from the early 1900s can also be found, selling for $180,000 to $220,000. Houses out in the countryside on 5 to 40 acres of land range from $480,000 to $720,000. Grand Lake and Pleasant Lake are both lined with houses, though they don’t sell often. In recent years, one ranch-style and two split-level houses along Grand Lake sold for $490,000 to $540,000. A six-bedroom A-frame on Pleasant Lake sold for just over $1 million.
Municipal parks, two recreational lakes and eagle watching
The subdivision near downtown is home to Rockville Community Park, which has a playground, a basketball court and open green space. Lions Park is across the street from Pleasant Lake, featuring a playground, sand volleyball and a picnic pavilion. The park also hosts Music in the Park, held every other Sunday in summer. Locals bring lawn chairs and hang out while local musicians perform. Both Pleasant Lake and Grand Lake also have public boat ramps. Locals also hike through the woods and meadows at Rockville County Park, where they can fish in the Sauk River and spot a few bald eagle nests in the Eagle Park subsection of the park.
Two bars downtown; shopping in Cold Spring and St. Cloud
Rockville’s small downtown area has just a few businesses and local organizations, including two bars, city hall, a woodworking shop and a daycare. Stoney’s Bar offers a lively dive-bar atmosphere with pool tables and live music. “It’s a hot spot for people on motorcycles to stop by on the weekend and relax,” Hirschfeld says. The bar also has an ongoing fundraiser that supports breast cancer awareness. The Hideaway Bar has a more country atmosphere and also frequently features live music. Both bars serve pizza and other pub food. For groceries, there’s a Teal’s Market 5 miles away in Cold Spring. More big-box retailers are about 10 miles away in St. Cloud.
Rocori High School has a competitive football team
Students may attend John Clark Elementary School, which receives a B-minus grade from Niche, followed by B-plus-rated Rocori Middle and B-minus-rated Rocori High, both in the same building. The high school football team made it to the Class AAAA state championship in 2023 and won in 2019.
Commuting to St. Cloud and Minneapolis
Minnesota Highway 23 is the main road that runs through town. It takes about 10 minutes to drive to Cold Spring and 20 minutes to St. Cloud. Interstate 94 is also nearby, leading about 70 miles to Minneapolis and St. Paul. It takes just over an hour to drive to the Twin Cities and the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
Written By
Nicolas Stuart
