Bloomington (Minnesota)

Bloomington, Minnesota is a suburb of Minneapolis. It is near the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and home to the Mall of America, the United States' largest shopping mall. Bloomington has a population of 89,000 people (as of 2021).

Bloomington was established as a post–World War II housing boom suburb connected to Minneapolis's urban street grid, and is served by two major freeways: Interstate 35W and Interstate 494.

Get in
Bloomington is centrally located and convenient to many Twin Cities Metro area attractions. Bloomington is approximately 10 miles south of Minneapolis.

By plane
The Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport is near Bloomington and from there it is easy to get on a light rail train to take you into the city.

By car
Bloomington is intersected by two major interstates and a number of major highways. Interstate 35W runs north/south through the center of Bloomington. Interstate 494 runs east/west along Bloomington's northern edge, intersecting with Interstate 35W near the center of the city.

By public transit
There are no regional buses that have drop-off points in Bloomington. The nearest Greyhound bus terminal is in downtown Minneapolis (see Minneapolis). The bus terminal is at 950 Hawthorne Ave (at 10th St, one block west of Hennepin) in downtown Minneapolis and is 4-5 blocks away from the light rail station, which you can take into Bloomington. If you need to get into Bloomington from anywhere else in the Twin Cities metro area, you can generally take a local bus or light rail line. Metro Transit is the public transit authority for the entire Twin Cities area, including Minneapolis, St. Paul and Bloomington. Their website has a great and easy-to-use route finder.

Get around
Bloomington has abundant public transit options and it is well connected to Minneapolis and St. Paul and other cities in the Twin Cities metro area. The south end of the Metro Blue Line light rail ends in Bloomington at the Mall of America, giving easy access from Bloomington to Downtown Minneapolis for a sports game, shopping or night out on the town. There is an interchange with the Red Line, a bus rapid transit (BRT) line. Within the city of Bloomington, there are a plethora of bus lines to get you just about anywhere that you need to go.

Bloomington's uses the same public transit system as the rest of the Twin Cities Metro area, including Minneapolis and St. Paul. This integrated system is called Metro Transit. Metro Transit fares are valid for 2 1/2 hours of unlimited transfers from first use and are valid on all Metro Transit buses and light Rail (excluding the Northstar Light Rail Line which requires an additional fare.)

Adult fares as of 2022 are $2 non-rush hour/$2.50 rush hour ($2.50 for express buses during non-rush hours and $3.25 for express buses during rush hour.) Discounts apply for senior citizens and children, as well as disabled veterans and people with disabilities. Up to 3 children under the age of 5 ride for free with a paid adult fare.

Mall of America
The Mall of America has several good eating options inside from fast food to upscale restaurants.

Sleep

 * Try the new Water Park of America looked adjacent to the Mall of America. Hotel features indoor water slides soaring 90 feet above the Twin Cities' skyline.