- Our #1 Best Overall LEGO City Set is the Main Square set.
- LEGO City Sets are all available for children ages 6+, and adults can play too!
- While we’ve listed some of our favorite City Set options, there are currently 70 sets available for purchase. More than 20 more will be released in the next two years.
- Keep these important factors in mind before purchasing a LEGO City Set: price, size, age range, and storage options.
Numerous LEGO sets developed over the course of the company’s over 60+ years of history have been inspired by cities and other urban landscapes. The top LEGO City kits available today offer a wide variety of play choices for kids and adults alike.
Over the past forty years, LEGO has produced 1,353 sets under the LEGO City theme. With more than 70 sets in production at the moment, LEGO city sets are among the brand’s most popular themes. Because there are so many options, picking the greatest sets from this theme is not an easy feat.
After reviewing all the options on the market, here is our list of the six best LEGO City Sets:
- Best Overall: Main Square
- Most Unique: Mars Exploration Vehicle City Sets
- Largest LEGO City Set: City Square
- Best for Animal Lovers: Wildlife Rescue Operation
- Best for All Ages: Freight Train
- Best for Collectors: Rocket Launch Center
Best Overall LEGO City Set: Main Square
- Build the town hall, a classic diner, the city park, and more
- 1517-piece set inspired by the LEGO City Adventures TV show
- Includes 14 minifigures
- For builders ages 6 and up
One of the original and best LEGO City sets is the LEGO Main Square. This delightful set allows people to construct a lively city center — think the New York City type! This kit, which has more than 1,500 pieces, comes with a range of structures, automobiles, and minifigures that will allow you to design cities in any fashion you choose.
The Main Square set consists of a city hall, a stage for shows, and even a tram station It also has some stores and eateries, and includes mini options like vehicles, bicycles, and other smaller accessories. This kit is ideal for anyone who enjoys building and conjuring up their own worlds because it provides countless opportunities for imaginative play.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The set includes bricks to build multiple structures, vehicles, and minifigures. | This is a large set and will take up a lot of room. |
| It has over 1,500 pieces that may be hard for younger builders to keep track of. |
Check this product out on Amazon.
Most Unique: Mars Exploration Vehicle City Sets
- Interactive set that allows kids to complete on-screen missions
- Requires a smartphone or tablet with the free LEGO Building Instructions app
- Spaceship is customizable
- Includes three minifigures
For lovers of space exploration, the Mars Exploration Vehicle city set is a unique set due to its interactive play experience. The set allows kids to complete a variety of fun on-screen space-themed missions via the free LEGO Building Instructions app.
Both children and adults will have fun constructing the mission spacecraft, planet rover, three minifigures, and the robo-dog. The set also comes with a Mars setting and two asteroids. You can even customize the spacecraft by following the on-screen missions. Keep in mind that the set does not come with printed instructions, so you must use the app to discover how to put everything together.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The set is interactive, so kids can use the bricks to complete on-screen missions. | The set does not come with physical instructions. |
| The spaceship can be customized. |
Check out this product on Amazon.
Largest LEGO City Set: City Square
- Build your own LEGO Store, LEGO delivery truck, car dealership, coffee shop, and more
- For builders ages 6-12
- Includes 12 minifigures with accessories
- 1683-piece set
- No longer in production
Want to get the largest LEGO City set available? Then you want the LEGO City Square set. The LEGO City Square kit is the largest City set ever. LEGO recommends this set for builders ages 6-12, but overall, it’s a terrific kit that will provide both kids and adults with many options for building and playing.
This modular set lets you construct a lively city center teeming with life and activity because it comes with a range of unique buildings, vehicles, and minifigures. With this set, you can build a tram, a tram stop, a LEGO Store, a LEGO delivery truck, three cars, a car dealership, a tow truck, a bike, a coffee shop, a pizza delivery scooter, a hot dog stand, and a newsstand!
Although the 1683-piece set has since been retired, you may still be able to find it at third-party retailers like Amazon.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| You can build a wide variety of vehicles, buildings, and minifigures with this set. | The set has a lot of pieces that can be easy for younger children to lose. |
| It requires significant display space. |
Check out this product on Amazon.
Best LEGO City Set For Animal Lovers: Wildlife Rescue Operation
- 525 piece set includes four minifigures, an elephant, her calf, a crocodile, and two monkeys
- Build your own lever-operated tree-and-rockslide function
- Includes bricks to build a vet station, a rescue helicopter, and a tracked vehicle
- For ages 6 and up
The Wildlife Rescue Operation set is the perfect LEGO City set for animal lovers. Not only can the set teach children the value of assisting animals, but let’s be honest, who doesn’t love playing with cute baby animals?
The main components of this kit are a vet clinic, a tracked vehicle, and a rescue helicopter. Builders can also use other parts to construct a scale model of a savanna, including a rockslide feature. Kids can push the level to activate the tree-and-rockslide for animal rescue role-play.
The Wildlife Rescue Operation set also includes four minifigures, plus an elephant and her calf, a crocodile, and two monkeys. This set is great for kids ages 6 and up and it contains 525 pieces.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The set comes with animal figures. | It does not contain your typical LEGO City pieces. |
| It has a lever-operated tree-and-rockslide feature. |
Check out this product on Amazon.
Best LEGO City Set for All Ages: Freight Train
- Can be operated with the remote control or the LEGO Powered Up app
- Comes with 33 track pieces plus 6 minifigs
- 1,153-piece set
- Perfect for ages 7 and up
One of the best LEGO City sets for all ages is the LEGO City Freight Train because it is equipped with LEGO Powered Up. This means it actually drives around the track! You can operate the train using the included remote control or the LEGO Powered Up app. While the model is suitable for young train enthusiasts aged 7 and up, we think it’s also perfect for adults who love trains.
This 1153-piece set includes 33 track pieces, the locomotive, a flatcar with 2 containers, an open wagon, and a double-decker car transporter. It also includes two EVS, a reach stacker, and six minifigures. This is one of the larger sets at 35.5 inches long and 3.5 inches high, so the completed set will take up more space.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This is a full train set, including the track. | It is a large kit and requires more space. |
| The electric train actually goes around the track! |
Check out this product on Amazon.
Best LEGO City Set For Collectors: Rocket Launch Center
- Construct your own rocket, launch tower, observatory, and control center
- The set also includes a service vehicle, a planet rover, and a drone
- Includes six astronauts and one additional minifigure
- Can be combined with other LEGO City Space toys
The Rocket Launch Center is the best LEGO City set for collectors. For aspiring astronauts and those who love to collect space-themed items, this 1010-piece NASA-inspired LEGO City set is perfect for recreating realistic launches. This impressive set is almost 16.5 inches high and 4 inches wide, including the boosters.
The Rocket Launch Center has everything you need to construct a rocket, a launch tower, an observatory, and a control center. The set also includes bricks to build a service vehicle, a planet rover, and a drone. It comes with seven total minifigures, including six astronauts. You can even combine the set with other LEGO City Space toys. The set is still in production at the time of writing, but there’s no doubt it will be sought after by collectors once it has been retired.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Realistic, NASA-inspired details will appeal to collectors. | The set is 16.5 inches in height so it will require a taller display area. |
| The set comes with everything you need to recreate a rocket launch. |
Check this product out on Amazon.
How to Pick the Best LEGO City Sets: Step by Step
There are a few factors to take into account when selecting any of the LEGO City sets, including:
- Price
- Size
- Age Range
- Storage
Let’s go into greater detail about each of these.
Price
Let’s face it, LEGO sets can be pricey, especially when they have a ton of pieces. Luckily, some of the LEGO City sets can be found for under $100. If you don’t mind second-hand options, they can be even cheaper unless it is highly sought after. Before buying either a new or gently-used LEGO set, you should always have a budget in mind.
Size
Each LEGO box lists the total number of pieces inside, as well as the potential size of the set after it’s completed. Remember that while having more pieces means a project may take longer to complete, it also usually means a larger project once completed. You’ll want plenty of space for building, play, or display.
Age Range
Like most toys, LEGO sets are designed for a specific age range. Most of the LEGO City sets are at least ages 6 and up. This doesn’t mean that younger kids can’t work on them with adult supervision, but it’s important to know how many pieces a set has and how big those pieces are.
Storage
Last but not least, you’ll want to have space to store your LEGO City sets, especially if you plan on having quite a few. These sets are usually on the larger end of the spectrum. In fact, many have over 500 pieces, and some of the largest sets can have 1,500 or more. Proper containers for storage of your sets and extra space in which to store them are necessary.
What to Know Before Buying LEGO City Sets
The most important information about every LEGO kit is included on the front of the product box for the benefit of everyone who purchases it. Thanks to the information, it’s simple to find the recommended age range, the pieces included in the set, and what kind of instructions the set requires. Not all LEGO City sets come with printed instructions. Some sets can only be put together using the LEGO Building Instructions app. With each of the LEGO City sets, you should also research which sets they pair well with and how to customize them. Of course, you can always just wing it if you love learning about the process and don’t want to worry about following the blueprint.
Using LEGO City Sets: What It’s Like
With LEGO City sets, it is easy to build your own customized world. Luckily for you or the LEGO lover in your life, each set can be added to existing sets until you have created the city of your dreams. With LEGO, it’s simple to change what you want, when you want.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©AkosHorvathArts/Shutterstock.com.
