Prior Lake is an exurban city 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Minneapolis, next to Savage and Shakopee in Scott County in the state of Minnesota.

The city's modern rapid growth is due in part to the ease of access for commuters to the rest of the region, via the upgraded State Highway 13.

The council members are Kevin Burkart, Zach Braid, Kim Churchill and Victor Lake.

[citation needed] Prior Lake is in Minnesota's 2nd congressional district, represented by Angie Craig.

Parts of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) tribal lands are within the boundary of the City of Prior Lake as annexed in 1972.

The SMSC is a federally recognized, sovereign Native American tribe of Mdewakanton Dakota people.

[12] The overlap of a Minnesota Statutory City with federally recognized tribal lands resulted in litigation to clarify the boundary and voting rights.

In 1984, the United States District Court affirmed that Prior Lake's municipal boundary did include the tribal lands in question.

In recent years, the SMSC has voluntarily contributed funds to the City of Prior Lake in support of public safety services.

[13] The Prior Lake American was the main city newspaper, but ceased publication after its final issue on April 27, 2024.

She documented her experience in the book Another Planet: A Year in the Life of a Suburban High School (ISBN 0-06-050585-0).