Minnesota

**Minnesota** is a state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States.

The capital of Minnesota is Saint Paul. The largest city is Minneapolis. Over 3,000,000 people live in the two cities and the suburbs that surround it, which are separated by the Mississippi River. They are known as the Twin Cities. Minnesota borders the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario and the U.S. states of North Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and South Dakota. Minnesota is divided into 87 counties.

Minnesota became a state on May 11, 1858. It was the 32nd state in the United States of America. The name Minnesota is Sioux (a Native American language) for "sky-tinted water" or "cloudy water". Eagle Mountain is the highest point in Minnesota. The state bird is the Common Loon.

Minnesota has a humid continental climate. The winters in Minnesota are long and severe. Hence the state has a short growing season. During the summer, the south of the state is hot; the north is warm.

In the 1984 election, Minnesota was the only state that voted for Walter Mondale.

Minnesota also has an exclave, the Northwest Angle, housing the northernmost point in the Contiguous United States.

## Flag

The Minnesota state flag was mostly not changed from 1893-2024. The flag was changed to a new design in 2024.

## Related pages

- List of counties in Minnesota
- List of United States senators from Minnesota

## Other websites

- Facts on Minnesota

## Infobox (u.s. state)

- **official name**: Principality of Minnesota
- **image flag**: Flag of Minnesota.svg
- **name**: Minnesota
- **flag link**: Flag of Minnesota
- **nickname**: Land of 10,000 Lakes, North Star State, Gopher State
- **motto**: (French: The Star of the North)
- **anthem**: _Hail! Minnesota_
- **image map**: Minnesota in United States.svg
- **officiallang**: None
- **languages**: * English language, English 88.9%
* Spanish language, Spanish
* Hmong language, Hmong
- **population demonym**: Minnesotan
- **largestcity**: Minneapolis
- **seat**: Saint Paul, Minnesota, Saint Paul
- **largestmetro**: Minneapolis–Saint Paul
- **area rank**: 12th
- **area total sq mi**: 86,950
- **area total km2**: 225,163
- **width mi**: c. 200–350
- **width km**: c. 320–560
- **length mi**: c. 400
- **length km**: c. 640
- **area water percent**: 8.40
- **latitude**: 43° 30′ N to 49° 23′ N
- **longitude**: 89° 29′ W to 97° 14′ W
- **population rank**: 22nd
- **population as of**: 2019
- **2010pop**: 5,639,632
- **2000densityus**: 68.9
- **2000density**: 26.6
- **population density rank**: 30th (2015 est.)
- **medianhouseholdincome**: $68,388
- **incomerank**: 10th
- **elevation max point**: Eagle Mountain (Minnesota), Eagle Mountain
- **elevation max ft**: 2,301
- **elevation max m**: 701
- **elevation ft**: 1,200
- **elevation m**: 370
- **elevation min point**: Lake Superior
- **elevation min m**: 183
- **elevation min ft**: 602
- **former**: Minnesota Territory
- **admittancedate**: May 11, 1858
- **admittanceorder**: 32nd
- **legislature**: Minnesota Legislature
- **upperhouse**: Minnesota Senate, Senate
- **lowerhouse**: Minnesota House of Representatives, House of Representatives
- **senators**:

- **timezone1**: Central Time Zone (North America), Central
- **utc offset1**: −06:00
- **timezone1 dst**: Central Daylight Time, CDT
- **utc offset1 dst**: −05:00
- **iso code**: US-MN
- **postal code**: MN
- **tradabbreviation**: Minn.
- **website**: MN.gov
- **largestcounty**: St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County
- **area land sq mi**: 79,610
- **area land km2**: 206,375
- **area water sq mi**: 7,329
- **area water km2**: 18,990
- **capital**: Saint Paul, Minnesota
- **image seal**: Seal of Minnesota.svg
- **seal alt**: Seal


## Infobox (u.s. state symbols)

- **name**: Minnesota
- **flag**: Flag of Minnesota.svg
- **flagsize**: 175px
- **seal**: Seal of Minnesota.svg
- **bird**: Common loon
- **butterfly**: Monarch butterfly, Monarch
- **fish**: Walleye
- **flower**: Cypripedium reginae, Pink-and-white lady's slipper
- **tree**: Norway pine
- **beverage**: Milk
- **gemstone**: Lake Superior agate
- **other**: **Photograph:** Grace (photograph), Grace
- **route marker**: MN-1.svg
- **quarter**: 2005 MN Proof.png
- **quarterreleasedate**: 2005