Locally Owned & Operated. Call Now: (952) 446-5064

Norwood is about as small of a town as you’ll find near the Twin Cities Metro area, nestled an hour west at the convergence of MN-5 and US-212. It’s also one of the most uniquely named in the state—and that’s saying something! The city’s full name is Norwood Young America, which it came by in 1997 when the neighboring towns of Norwood and Young America decided to come together. Even despite the merger, the town is only home to about 3,700 people. Quaint, indeed!

Despite being joined, old Norwood and Young America are still relatively separated by US-212, with Norwood to the south and Young America to the north. Depending on which side of the interstate you’re dropping your moving container, you might meet residents who still refer to the city as one or the other—or who abbreviate the new city as simply, NYA.

Like most Minnesota locales, Norwood has almost immediate access to the great outdoors. The town has eight parks, including Casper Park, Friendship Park, Kehrer Park and, for those hot summer days, Legion Park, which includes a pool. There are also dozens of hiking trails spanning hundreds of miles, both paved and unpaved.

If you’re willing to venture outside of city limits just a little bit, head north to the popular Eagle Lake and Baylor Regional Park for a day spent out on the water boating or fishing. Rice Lake and Tiger Lake aren’t far, either. And, to the Northeast, Lake Waconia or Carver Park Reserve are always perfect places to plan a day trip! The confluence of interstates and highways that converge here make planning your next adventure easy.

Norwood is a four-seasons town and gets distinct weather and temperatures for spring, summer, fall and winter, with very few extremes. That said, if you’ve never experienced a Midwest winter before, make sure you’ve got a few extra shovels stashed in your storage container!

In the summer, expect highs in the upper 70s and the occasional 80s during peak months. In winter, single-digit days aren’t uncommon and wind chills can force nighttime temperatures down into the negatives. Fall tends to be a windy time of year and springtime storms are normal. If you’re worried about natural disasters like tornadoes, don’t be—the town hasn’t seen one in the area since 2011, with a very few recorded before then. Blizzards? That’s another story. There’s usually one or two heavy snowfalls each year you’ll need to dig yourself out of!

There’s a surprising number of dining options in Norwood—more than you’d think for a city of only 3,700 people. In the Norwood section of town, you’ll find destinations like Mid-Town and The Pour House—both great nightlife spots. If you’re in the mood for pizza, head towards US-212 and check out one of the area favorites, like Unhinged Pizza! or Hot Stuff Pizza. Up into the Young America section of the city you’ll find Northside Grill, Gasthouse and more for local eats and drink.

After food and drink, there are plenty of other activities to keep you engaged in Norwood. Throw a few frames at the Lazy Loon Bowling and Event Center or swing by Good Times Liquor to grab a bottle of wine or spirit to create your own after party.

Norwood isn’t nearly large enough for any professional sports clubs to call home, but that doesn’t mean fans of nearby Minneapolis teams can’t call this city home. In fact, many do!

Football fans can cheer for the Minnesota Vikings—however, there are Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions transplants in the area. If you prefer college ball, the Minnesota Golden Gophers are the team to watch. Prefer baseball? The Minnesota Twins aren’t far away in Minneapolis! NBA basketball fans have the Timberwolves, and ice hockey fans can cheer on the Minnesota Wild. Soccer fans root for the Minnesota United FC.

Aside from its name and recent history of merging two cities together, there are some very interesting facts that make Norwood an intriguing place to drop a moving pod and call home.

For starters, despite being just 1,500 square miles, this town is home to some 50 zip codes! To put this in perspective, Minneapolis only has 43 zip codes and is home to roughly 425,500 people! The reason for this is because of the Young America Corporation (formerly the Dile Corporation), which is a coupon processor for major brands. The company receives so much mail that the city was awarded more zip codes to handle the influx.

Norwood is also home to Minnesota’s oldest celebration: Stiftungsfest. This Founder’s Day celebration is held during the last full weekend of August each year and has been since 1861.

Despite its small size, Norwood is a relatively upscale community. The average income for a Norwood household is $68,800 and rising—roughly 5% yearly over the past few years. Property values are also on the rise, and the average home in Norwood is worth about $184,700. The population here trends younger, too: the median age is just 36 years old. The town’s population isn’t growing all that fast, which means if you’re unloading a moving container in Norwood, you’ll probably be the new kid on the block for a while.

While its population dwarfs the smallest city in Minnesota (Funkley, population: 8), Norwood is nonetheless the epitome of a small Midwest town. You’ll find churches, restaurants, bars, events centers, parks, trails and just about anything else you could want here—including a home to settle down in and call your own. And, whether you settle on the Norwood side or the Young America side, you’ll still be part of the same great little city.

Located at the crossroads of two highways, not far from the Twin Cities Metro area, Norwood is the place to settle if you prefer a quieter life removed from the city, but still want the adventure and opportunity of nearby nature and the not-too-distant urban sprawl. No matter which of the many zip codes you end up with, the only thing left to say is: welcome home, to Norwood!