Prior Lake is an exurban city located in Scott County, Minnesota, in the United States. It is situated approximately 20 miles southwest of Minneapolis and neighbors the cities of Savage and Shakopee. The city serves as part of the urban fringe for the south-southwest portion of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, which ranks as the 16th-largest metropolitan area in the country.
The city is positioned south of the Minnesota River in a region known as RiverSouth. It surrounds the shores of both Lower and Upper Prior Lake. According to the 2020 census, the population of Prior Lake was 27,617.