Apple Valley is located 20 minutes from downtown Minneapolis or St. Paul and 15 minutes from the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport. Cedar Avenue runs through the heart of Apple Valley, linking with Interstate 35E and Interstate 494.

Apple Valley is home to the Minnesota Zoo, ranked among the nation's best year-round zoos. The zoo hosts over 2,700 creatures living in natural habitat exhibits. The Zoo features Discovery Bay, with a 500,000 gallon dolphin pool and 200,000 gallon shark tank.

The Twin Cities area offers several professional team sports, music, dance and theater companies, museums, and cultural activities. In addition, the Metro area is home to an abundance of parks, trails and sporting activities. For those who prefer to shop, there are numerous shopping centers, including the nation's largest fully-enclosed retail center, the Mall of America.