Living Near Augsburg Without a Car: Blue Line, Green Line and the Walkable Cedar-Riverside Apartments

Yes, you can live near Augsburg University without a car. Campus sits roughly half a mile from two light rail stations, Cedar-Riverside on the Blue Line and West Bank on the Green Line, and the Auggie Pass gives eligible Augsburg students unlimited Metro Transit bus and light rail rides. Among Find My Place listings for student housing in Minneapolis near Augsburg, the most walkable is GrandMarc Seven Corners, 0.6 miles from Augsburg with shared beds listed from $364, and the Green Line puts a whole second set of buildings one stop across the river.

Key Takeaways

• Two stations, two lines: Cedar-Riverside (Blue) heads downtown and south toward the airport, while West Bank (Green) crosses the river to the University of Minnesota and on to St. Paul.
• The Auggie Pass covers Metro Transit buses and light rail. Pick it up with your student ID.
• Without a pass, a light rail ride is $2, and a 7-day pass is $20.
• GrandMarc Seven Corners is the closest big building, about 0.1 miles from West Bank station (check its 2.7 review score first).
• Stadium Village Flats, roughly 0.2 miles from the East Bank and Stadium Village stations, lists beds from $699 and holds a 5.0 FMP score.

How the Auggie Pass Works for Augsburg Students

The Auggie Pass is Augsburg's student transit pass, and it's the reason going car-free here costs almost nothing. It's paid for partly through the student Green Fee, so there's no separate purchase. Augsburg was the first Twin Cities school to hand every eligible student a pass automatically when the program launched in fall 2019, according to Metro Transit.

Coverage is wide. Augsburg's Auggie Pass page lists Metro Transit local and express buses, METRO light rail, and Northstar between Target Field and Anoka. It does not cover the U of M's Campus Connector or Metro Mobility.

Getting one is simple. First-year and transfer undergrads receive it at orientation, and returning students pick it up at the ShareShop with a student ID. Grad students can request one by email, though the supply is limited. Passes run September 1 through August 31, so you need a new one every fall.

If you don't have a pass

Pay as you go. Since January 2025, Metro Transit's standard bus and light rail fare has been $2 at all hours, and a 7-day pass is $20.

Blue Line vs. Green Line: Where Each Train Takes You From Augsburg

The Blue Line is your downtown-and-south line. From Cedar-Riverside station on 15th Avenue South, trains head northwest to U.S. Bank Stadium and downtown, or south through Franklin Avenue, the 38th Street area, the airport and Mall of America.

The Green Line is your river-crossing line. West Bank station on Washington Avenue sits next to the U of M's West Bank campus, and the very next stop is East Bank. Keep riding and you hit Stadium Village, Prospect Park and eventually downtown St. Paul.

Why that matters for housing: a lot of the apartments that come up for Augsburg on Find My Place aren't in Cedar-Riverside at all. They're in Dinkytown and Stadium Village, a Green Line stop or two away. Of the Augsburg-linked properties in FMP's data with a street address, 34 sit in the 55414 ZIP code across the river, versus a single large building in Cedar-Riverside.

Walkable Cedar-Riverside Apartments Near Augsburg

Walking to class takes the transit question off the table completely. Two Find My Place listings sit inside a short walk of campus.

GrandMarc Seven Corners (1849 Washington Ave S)

This is the closest purpose-built student building. Its commute widget lists Augsburg at 0.6 miles, and West Bank station is basically out the front door, about 0.1 miles away. Prices are labeled by room: a bed in a shared 2x2 lists from $364, and private rooms start at $764.

Here's the honest part. GrandMarc carries a 2.7 FMP score across five reviews, and Management scores 2.6. Read those reviews before you tour, and ask pointed questions about maintenance.

515 15th Ave S

Got four friends? 515 15th Ave S is a five-bedroom, two-bath unit 0.5 miles from Augsburg, listed at $3,500 for the whole place. That's $700 each if you split it evenly, before utilities. It's also a few blocks from Cedar-Riverside station.

For a full neighborhood-by-neighborhood comparison, including Seward and Longfellow on the Blue Line, see our guide to Augsburg off-campus housing neighborhoods.

Green Line Apartments One Stop Across the River

The Green Line turns the University of Minnesota side of the river into a realistic option for Augsburg students. These buildings are all on Find My Place's Augsburg inventory, and each sits close to an East Bank or Stadium Village station (distances are straight-line estimates from listing coordinates).

• Stadium Village Flats, 850 SE Washington Ave. About 0.2 miles from both East Bank and Stadium Village stations, with Augsburg 0.9 miles away per its commute widget. Beds start at $699. A studio lists at $1,499 while four-bedroom plans list at $849 to $899, a falling curve that only makes sense as per-bed pricing. FMP score: 5.0.
• Factory Lofts, 2655 Essex St SE. Roughly 0.3 miles from Stadium Village station and 1.1 miles from Augsburg. Four-bedroom floor plans list from $726 (the page doesn't say whether that's per bed, so ask).
• The Knoll, 1101 University Ave SE. About 0.7 miles from East Bank station. One-bedrooms list at $1,420 and four-bedroom units drop to $875 to $925, so those are per-bed prices.

The tradeoff is real, though. You're living in Gopher territory, with game-day crowds and a commute that depends on the train. Want more on getting around that side of the river? Our U of M transit and winter guide covers it.

Is Car-Free Actually Easier at Augsburg?

For most undergrads, yes. Augsburg is small, around 3,100 students, and it sits in the middle of a light rail triangle. Downtown and the airport are both on the Blue Line, and the U of M is one Green Line stop away.

Winter is the real test. A half-mile walk to the station in January is a different animal than in September. If that sounds rough, pick a building near a station rather than near campus, since GrandMarc and Stadium Village Flats both put you a short walk from a platform.

Start your search on Find My Place's student housing near Augsburg page and filter by price, then check each building's commute widget before you book a tour.

Frequently Asked Questions About Living Near Augsburg Without a Car

Do Augsburg students get a transit pass?

Eligible students do, with no separate purchase. The Auggie Pass covers Metro Transit buses and METRO light rail, funded partly through the student Green Fee. Undergrads get it at orientation or at the ShareShop; grad students request one by email.

Which light rail station is closest to Augsburg?

Cedar-Riverside (Blue Line) and West Bank (Green Line) are both roughly half a mile from campus. Pick based on where you're headed: Blue for downtown and the airport, Green for the U of M and St. Paul.

What's the cheapest apartment near Augsburg I can walk from?

$364 a month, for a bed in a shared 2x2 at GrandMarc Seven Corners, 0.6 miles from campus. Private rooms there start at $764.

Can I live in Dinkytown or Stadium Village and still get to Augsburg?

Yes. West Bank to East Bank is a single Green Line stop. Stadium Village Flats sits about 0.2 miles from a station and lists beds from $699.

How much does light rail cost without the Auggie Pass?

$2 a ride, any time of day, on Metro Transit buses and light rail. A 7-day pass costs $20.