How to Build a City in Minecraft

Co-authored by GraySun Builds

Last Updated: November 24, 2025

Minecraft creations on the Creative Mode have always fascinated us. The internet is full of wonders created in this game, and even you would have tried creating one, thinking, "I'll make it big this time!". But somehow, you end up with a mud house. Here are some things to keep in mind while creating your own city in Minecraft.

1

Choose the biome you want to build your city in.

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In the latest update, you can choose a small number of seeds from a picture list. Usually people prefer the Superflat biome and the terrain, as the name suggests, is flat. However, some people prefer to build in other biomes (Forests, hills, etc...) to give the city a more natural look. Keep in mind that terrains except for Superflat may need moderate to heavy terraforming.
- An existing plains, desert or village will provide a place that you can build your structures with the least difficulty. Rugged mountains and natural tunnels can provide suitable funnel points to build walls and doors for security. These will make it more difficult for mobs to attack your team, or vandalize your structures.

2

Terraform the terrain.

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Since houses of any city conventionally need to be built on a single level, or in other words, the base of the house needs to be flat, it is essential to terraform the terrain.^{[1]
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GraySun Builds
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Expert Interview} Terraforming can be on a large scale (for the whole city/block) or on an individual, per-house scale. Apart from making building convenient, terraforming also carries an aesthetic value if done properly. (Note: Terraforming can also cover up naturally spawned water bodies which may hinder the construction.)

3

Create a system of roads.

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Without a well-designed system of roads, players won't be able to go anywhere. Create functional roads that allow for many people to walk at the same time.
- If you would like an alternate mode of transportation for the people who live in your city, include a Minecart path in the middle of the roads. This makes it so that people can walk or ride the Minecarts to where they need to go. The catch is that minecarts are very slow, but they might be fixed in a future update.

4

Build homes.

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When designing homes, think of a design and layout that's aesthetically pleasing and functional. You can either choose common materials (e.g wood, cobblestone, glass) or choose materials that fit your city's theme. Build homes that are big enough for one person to live comfortably but small enough for many homes to fit on one road.
- Use height to your advantage. Put multiple rooms of the same size on top of each other to make a home that can house more than one person while using the least amount of space.
- Make sure your home includes the basic structures for a person to live comfortably. A bed, chest, crafting table, and furnace are needed for a person to survive in Minecraft.
- Start with the basic skeleton of the buildings, and add details later. For example, if you're building a hotel, you might want to just create the walls (don't fill them in yet) and place blocks where you want your different levels to be.

5

Create farms.

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Good crops to grow are wheat, potatoes, beets, and carrots. Watermelon is also a good crop to grow as it is a fast and renewable food source. Make sure to include water in your farm design as it will help your crops grow faster and more efficiently.

6

Create a mine.

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Fence off an area of your city to be a mine. There, mine down using your preferred method. Make sure to store the things you obtain in a chest or some other method of storage.^{[2]
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GraySun Builds
Minecraft Expert

Expert Interview}

7

Build a school.

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Your city's school should include at least one classroom with a lectern. Build multiple classrooms on top of one another to make your school more realistic and spacious.
- If you want to make your school even more realistic, you can build some of the common rooms found in a school such as a cafeteria, gym, or music room.

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Question

What types of buildings should I build in my city?

Community Answer

Start with shops, hotels, and restaurants. Then add some residential and commercial buildings.

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How big should a city block be?

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As big as you want! A city block should be unique in its own way. The only thing you should remember is to keep with your style.

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What would be a good size for the roads?

Reuben Ratliff

Community Answer

It depends on the use of the road. For footpaths, alleys, and trails use 3x-5x. For larger foot-traffic or some horse/pig traffic use 5x-9x. Avenues running traffic in 2 directions are always good, in the center you can add decorations, perhaps a small canal for gondolas for full submersion into your city. Avenues work great in larger cities, 5-7 blocks each way with a 5-9 median work the best. Remember 1 block is about 3 feet cubed, a general traffic lane IRL is approx. 9 wide or 3 blocks.

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Tips

Experienced players can also use redstone contraptions to make it seem more lively.

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Build your city with friends for even more fun!

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Make sure you save your "world save" file when you are done.

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The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Don't use super flat if you want a realistic city—you won't be able to build tunnels or underground areas and it can be difficult to make waterways, which are super important. Also, make sure your roads are strong with at least 2 lanes going in both directions. This is the foundation of your city and how you'll organize it as you expand.
Believe in yourself and experiment with different types of construction. Nothing is a failure if you learned while building it.

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Warnings

If you can, refrain from making tall, wooden buildings. Lightning is a real possibility.

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If your city is just in the making, turn off multiplayer to prevent vandalism.

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When you are in survival, make sure you have it on peaceful to make sure that you don't get killed by any mobs.

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