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Want a large acreage lot with convenient access to downtown? Consider Cardinal Pass.
There's a common misconception about acreage living: to get the space and privacy you want, you have to sacrifice convenience. You'll spend hours in your car every week commuting to work, running errands, or getting kids to activities. It's the price you pay for those rolling acres and that sense of separation from the suburban hustle.
But what if you didn't have to make that trade-off? What if you could have genuine acreage—2.5 to 4+ acres—without the long daily commutes and isolation from amenities?
That's exactly what Cardinal Pass delivers in Prior Lake's Credit River area. Let's explore why location and highway access matter just as much as lot size when you're investing in acreage property.
Most acreage buyers face a frustrating reality: the lots that offer the space they want are often 45+ minutes from work, far from good schools, and distant from the services and amenities they use regularly.
Let's do some math. If you're commuting 45 minutes each way to work, five days per week, that's:
Add in trips for groceries, kids' activities, appointments, and entertainment, and you could easily be spending 500+ hours annually in your vehicle. That's a part-time job's worth of time that could be spent actually enjoying your acreage.
Faced with this reality, many acreage buyers make compromises:
Option A: Choose Location, Sacrifice Space
They buy in convenient locations but settle for ½ to 1-acre lots marketed as "estate properties." The commute is manageable, but they don't get the true acreage lifestyle they wanted.
Option B: Choose Space, Sacrifice Convenience
They buy the acreage they want but spend excessive time commuting and driving for every need. Over time, the inconvenience can diminish the enjoyment of acreage living.
Option C: Wait and Hope
They keep waiting for the perfect property that offers both space and access—watching inventory disappear while hoping something perfect appears.
Cardinal Pass solves this dilemma by offering genuine acreage with exceptional highway access.
Cardinal Pass's location off Texas Avenue in Prior Lake's Credit River area provides quick access to Highway 35—and this single feature transforms the entire ownership experience.
Highway 35 is one of the South Metro's most important transportation corridors, providing direct routes to:
North to Minneapolis
South Through the Growing South Metro
Quick Access to Other Major Routes
This connectivity means Cardinal Pass residents can reach most South Metro destinations in 15-20 minutes and get to downtown Minneapolis in about 30 minutes—comparable to many traditional suburban neighborhoods, but with genuine acreage.
As Arc Properties describes it, Cardinal Pass offers a "super quick jaunt" to Highway 35. This isn't marketing speak—it's a material advantage that affects your daily life.
Quick highway access means:
When you're minutes from the highway rather than 15-20 minutes deep into rural roads, you gain significant time back in your life.
The Credit River area of Prior Lake represents an ideal location within the South Metro for several reasons beyond just highway access.
Credit River isn't a brand-new development area still finding its identity. It's an established part of Prior Lake with:
One challenge with true rural acreage is often inadequate infrastructure—poor roads, limited utilities, and services that lag behind development. Credit River offers mature infrastructure while maintaining its natural character:
Cardinal Pass is described as "nestled off Texas Avenue"—and this positioning is significant. You're not on a busy main road with constant traffic passing your property. You're in a residential area with the character and quiet of acreage living, but with easy access when you need it.
This creates the best scenario: privacy and peace on your property, with convenience just moments away.
For many Cardinal Pass buyers, the property will serve as a commuter acreage—a home base that offers space and luxury while still allowing practical access to metro area employment.
Not all acreage properties work well for commuters. The best commuter acreage locations share several characteristics:
Highway Access Under 10 Minutes
If it takes 15-20 minutes just to reach the highway, your "30-minute commute" becomes 45-50 minutes with unpredictable traffic on rural roads. Cardinal Pass's quick highway access keeps your actual commute time close to what you'd expect.
Reliable All-Season Access
Minnesota winters are real. Properties on difficult roads or with challenging driveways can make commuting stressful when weather hits. Prior Lake's infrastructure and services ensure reliable access year-round.
Multiple Route Options
Good commuter locations offer flexibility. If there's an accident or construction on your primary route, you can quickly adjust. Cardinal Pass's Credit River location provides several options for reaching different destinations.
Proximity to Services on the Commute Path
When you can stop for gas, groceries, or other errands on your way home rather than making separate trips, you reclaim significant time. Cardinal Pass's location puts you near services without requiring detours.
The rise of hybrid and remote work has changed the calculus for many acreage buyers. If you're only commuting 2-3 days per week instead of five, the distance matters less—but the space and home office potential of acreage matters more.
Cardinal Pass's location works perfectly for hybrid workers:
For families with children, the combination of acreage living and highway access is particularly valuable.
Cardinal Pass provides access to Prior Lake schools, which are well-regarded throughout the South Metro. The highway access means:
Kids involved in competitive sports or arts programs often have practices, games, and performances across the metro. Living on acreage doesn't mean limiting their opportunities when you have easy highway access.
Acreage living shouldn't mean isolation from friends and family. Cardinal Pass's location makes it practical for:
When evaluating acreage properties, it's worth calculating the actual time cost of different locations.
Let's compare two hypothetical properties:
Property A: Remote Acreage
Property B: Cardinal Pass
The Cardinal Pass location saves roughly 200-250 hours annually. That's an extra 30+ full days over the next decade—time you could spend:
Time has value. If you calculate the value of 200 hours per year at even modest rates, the convenience of Cardinal Pass's location provides thousands of dollars of annual value in time savings.
Additionally, less commuting means:
Beyond commuting, Cardinal Pass's location provides practical advantages for the actual experience of acreage living.
Prior Lake's established infrastructure means reliable emergency services response times. This peace of mind matters, especially for families with children or elderly relatives.
When you need contractors for home projects, maintenance, or repairs, being in a convenient location matters:
Modern life involves a lot of deliveries—packages, food, groceries, furniture. Prior Lake's location means:
In rural Minnesota, snow removal quality varies dramatically. Some acreage properties are last to be plowed, creating commute challenges after storms. Prior Lake's infrastructure and Cardinal Pass's location ensure:
The combination of acreage and highway access isn't just convenient—it also supports property values over time.
When it's time to sell (even if that's decades away), Cardinal Pass properties will appeal to a broad buyer pool:
Properties requiring long commutes or lacking highway access have more limited appeal, potentially affecting resale values and time on market.
Quality acreage with excellent highway access becomes increasingly scarce as metro areas grow. Cardinal Pass's combination of characteristics is difficult to replicate, which supports long-term value.
Let's paint a picture of what daily life looks like at Cardinal Pass versus more remote acreage locations:
Cardinal Pass:
Remote Acreage Alternative:
Cardinal Pass:
Remote Acreage Alternative:
Cardinal Pass lets you actually enjoy acreage living rather than spending your life driving to and from it.
Cardinal Pass's combination of acreage and access is ideal if you:
If these priorities align with yours, Cardinal Pass delivers in ways that few acreage developments can match.
Cardinal Pass's 15 luxury acreage lots combine the best of both worlds: genuine space for the lifestyle you want, with the highway access that makes it practical for daily life. This isn't about compromise—it's about having it all.
With only 12 lots available, now is the time to explore whether Cardinal Pass is the perfect location for your custom home dreams.
Arc Properties has developed thousands of home sites throughout the South Metro over 35+ years. We understand what makes locations special and what matters for long-term satisfaction with acreage living. Cardinal Pass features a building partnership with Homes by Moderno, ensuring your custom home is built with quality and expertise.
Let our expertise become your experience.
When you work with Arc Properties, you're working with local experts who live and work in this community. We're not just selling you a lot—we're helping you make a sound investment in your family's future and lifestyle.
