Columbia Heights, MN

Columbia Heights is an inner-ring suburb just north of Minneapolis. It became a village in 1898 after separating from Fridley Township, and its older street grid, local schools, and commercial corridors still give it a compact first-suburb feel. The Heights Theater is a standout local landmark, while University Avenue and Central Avenue connect the city to Northeast Minneapolis and the broader metro. Columbia Heights is dense, practical, and diverse, with the access of Minneapolis close by and its own small-city identity.