The University of Minnesota is located in the heart of the metropolitan twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, a lively urban area of more than 2.5 million people. The Twin Cities have one of the most active and progressive artistic communities in the country. They are a center for new music, both popular and classical, radical and traditional visual arts, experimental theater, creative writing, and more.
Recreational opportunities abound as well.
The cities lie within easy access of prairie and forest wilderness. Throughout the region are abundant opportunities for swimming, canoeing, sailing, water skiing, hiking, cycling, camping, fishing, cross-country skiing, and skating. Voyageurs National Park and the Boundary Waters Canoe and Wilderness Area are within a five-hour drive.