Expo 2031: A World's Fair Is Coming to Dakota County

Picture 240 acres in Dakota County hosting a world’s fair: five climate biodomes, a USA Pavilion, pavilions from up to 80 countries and 4 to 6 million visitors. When I first heard about it, I figured it was hype. It’s not. It’s approved, and here’s what it could mean for homes in the south metro.

What Expo 2031 is

The official name is Expo 2031 Minnesota, USA. It’s America’s first A1 International Horticultural Exposition: a world’s fair built around plants, food, water, energy and the future of how we live. The A1 license is the highest level these exhibitions get.

The last world’s fair in the United States was New Orleans in 1984, and about 7 million people came. Earlier fairs left landmarks behind: Seattle got the Space Needle, and Spokane got its riverfront park.

Why it’s real

As I covered in the video above (August 2026):

• Expo 2031 has federal approval. The U.S. Commerce application is approved and the State Department’s exposition unit is on board.
• It runs six months, May through October 2031.
• Up to 80 countries are expected to send pavilions, and organizers project 4 to 6 million visitors. That’s about as many people as live in the whole state.

What’s planned on the site

The master plan calls for a 240-acre site with a horticultural stage at the center and five climate biodomes behind it, including a desert dome and a tropical dome. CEO Wendy Medley describes it as being “transported into a desert or the tropics without ever leaving Dakota County.” A USA Pavilion is the main landmark, ringed by the global pavilions.

The part almost nobody is talking about is the legacy district. When the fair ends, the site isn’t bulldozed. It becomes what the CEO calls a “mini city,” with homes and everyday amenities. The roads, utilities and infrastructure all go in before 2031.

Where will it be built?

When I made the video, no final site had been announced, and organizers expected a decision around July. Three names kept coming up, mostly because they still have wide-open land that’s getting hard to find anywhere else in the metro:

• Rosemount. People are calling it the next Maple Grove. It still has hundreds of open acres, sits close to the airport, and has landed one big project after another. The median sale price was around $470,000, up double digits from a year earlier.
• Farmington. One of the more affordable ways into Dakota County for years, with lots of new construction and room to grow. Much of the open land in southern Dakota County sits between Farmington and Hastings.
• Hastings. The river town on the east edge of the county, with a historic downtown and the Mississippi riverfront. I’ve always loved Hastings, and a world’s fair nearby would put it on the map.

What it could mean for home values

I’m not promising anyone anything. But history shows a pattern: big infrastructure plus millions of visitors plus permanent development usually means demand. Hotels get built, restaurants open, roads get widened, and thousands of construction and hospitality jobs show up. When jobs and amenities arrive, buyers follow, and land prices tend to climb.

Who pays for it?

Organizers say not local taxpayers. Expo 2031 is set up as a nonprofit, with funding meant to come from federal and private sources rather than Dakota County property taxes. County Commissioner Bill Droste has been vocal that taxpayers shouldn’t foot the bill for an event they might not attend. It’s worth watching how that plays out.

What to do now

• If you already own in Rosemount, Farmington or Hastings, sit tight and watch for the site announcement.
• If you’ve been thinking about buying in southern Dakota County, don’t wait until 2031 to pay attention. The time to buy is before the shovels hit the dirt.

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