Maple Grove Sets Ridership Record for State Fair Express Bus Service

Fewer people may have attended the Great Minnesota Get-Together this year compared to the last two years, but in Maple Grove, a record number of people took the bus to get there.

A total of 32,182 people utilized the State Fair Express bus at the Maple Grove Transit Station this year.

That’s a nearly seven percent increase compared to 2025, when 30,141 hopped on a State Fair bus.

The strong surge was fueled by heavy demand over the holiday weekend, particularly on Labor Day.

On Monday, Sept. 7, ridership jumped by 30.7 percent year-over-year, with 4,410 passengers taking advantage of the service compared to 3,375 on Labor Day in 2025.

A record 32,182 riders utilized the State Fair Express Bus from the Maple Grove Transit Station in 2026.

Sunday, Sept. 6, also saw a notable surge of 13.7 percent, carrying 6,836 passengers to the fair compared to 6,014 the previous year.

The single busiest day of the service occurred on Saturday, Sept. 5, when 8,002 fair-goers utilized the transit hub—a 4.8 percent increase over the 7,638 riders recorded on the second Saturday of 2025.

State Fair Express bus service from the Maple Grove Transit Station is only available on weekends and Labor Day due to the station’s inability to accommodate fair traffic during the week along with its normal service to Minneapolis.

Maple Grove Transit ridership numbers to the Minnesota State Fair. Courtesy: Metro Transit

Related: Planning State Fair Trip? Northwest Suburbs Face Limited Weekday Bus Service

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