Minneapolis

**Minneapolis** ( ), officially the **City of Minneapolis**, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Minnesota. St. Paul and Minneapolis are known as the Twin Cities.  As of the 2020 census the population was 429,954. The Mississippi River runs through the city.

## Etymology

Minneapolis derives from the Dakota word for "water", _mni,_ and the Greek word for "city" or _polis._ Thus, Minneapolis means "City of Waters." A nearby city called St. Anthony then joined with Minneapolis. The first mayor was Dorilus Morrison.

## History

The American Indians first lived in Minneapolis around Lake Calhoun and St. Anthony Falls waterfall. They are called the Dakota. They thought St. Anthony Falls was a spiritual place. Dakota hunted, fished, and planted food. The United States wanted the land in 1803 and bought it with the Louisiana Purchase. The army built Fort Snelling. Soon, people from the East Coast came to Minneapolis. They used the waterfall for their flour mills. They named the new city Minneapolis.

## Land and weather

Minneapolis is flat near the river and hilly away from it. The weather is like many places in America with hot summers and cold winters. The winter is very long, very cold, and there is a rainy but short spring. The summer, on the contrary, is humid, meaning a lot of water is in the air. Mosquitos are also common in the city.

## People

Minneapolis residents are sometimes known as "Minnesota Nice." That means that they are generally more polite than other people. Most residents of Minneapolis live in houses and apartments, and some now live in tall buildings like condos. Kids and parents work and play in the city. Many different people make up what is Minneapolis today. After the Dakota Indians were people from Britain, French Canada, and Spanish Mexico. They were followed by Scandinavians  from Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. Soon people from almost all parts of the world started arriving including Eastern Europe, Russia, and Asia. Today there are people from East Africa (Somali) and Southeast Asia (Hmong). Once, Minneapolis was even larger than it is today with 520,000 people. Later, many people moved away to the suburbs.

## Work and Shopping

Numerous large companies are located Downtown in skyscrapers. These include lawyers, doctors and bankers. They work near Nicollet Mall where there are restaurants and shops. Minneapolis also has neighborhoods. People there work in small stores too, like barber shops, grocery stores, hardware stores, and coffee shops. Internet is widely available in Minneapolis.

## Theater and Art

There are lots of art and shows in the city. The biggest theater is the Guthrie Theater, and the Children's Theatre Company puts on productions directed at younger audiences. There are also art museums, such as the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Walker Art Center.

## Transportation

Transportation in Minneapolis is mostly handled by Metro Transit. Metro Transit handles transportation in common areas like **Minneapolis**, Saint Paul, and Bloomington. Metro Transit has busses and trains. Door to door is also offered for disabled or elderly riders.

## Sports

Minneapolis hosts lots of sport teams for the state. The Minnesota Vikings play at US Bank Stadium. The Minnesota Twins play in Target Field. The Minnesota Timberwolves play in Target Center.

## Infobox (settlement)

- **name**: Minneapolis
- **settlement type**: City
- **nicknames**: "City of Lakes", "Mill City", "Twin Cities" (with Saint Paul, Minnesota, Saint Paul), "Mini Apple"
- **motto**: (French: 'Forward')
- **image flag**: Flag of Minneapolis.svg
- **image seal**: Minneapolis seal.svg
- **image blank emblem**: City of Minneapolis logo, 2023.svg
- **blank emblem type**: Logo
- **blank emblem size**: 200px
- **subdivision type**: Country
- **subdivision name**: United States
- **subdivision type1**: U.S. state, State
- **subdivision name1**: Minnesota
- **subdivision type2**: List of counties in Minnesota, County
- **subdivision name2**: Hennepin County, Minnesota, Hennepin
- **established title**: Founded
- **established title1**: Platted
- **established title2**: Municipal corporation, Incorporated
- **established date2**: 1867
- **founder**: Franklin Steele and John H. Stevens
- **etymology**: Dakota language, Dakota  ('water') with Ancient Greek, Greek  ('city')
- **government type**: Mayor–council government#Strong-mayor government form, Mayor-council (strong mayor)
- **governing body**: Minneapolis City Council
- **leader name1**: (Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, DFL)
- **area total sq mi**: 57.51
- **area land sq mi**: 54.00
- **area water sq mi**: 3.51
- **area total km2**: 148.94
- **area land km2**: 139.86
- **area water km2**: 9.08
- **unit pref**: Imperial
- **elevation ft**: 830
- **population as of**: 2020 United States census, 2020
- **population total**: 429954
- **pop est as of**: 2024
- **population est**: 428579
- **population density sq mi**: 7962.11
- **population density km2**: 3074.21
- **population urban**: 2914866
- **population density urban km2**: 1109
- **population density urban sq mi**: 2872.4
- **population metro**: 3693729
- **population demonym**: Minneapolitan
- **timezone**: Central Time Zone, Central
- **utc offset**: –6
- **timezone dst**: CDT
- **utc offset dst**: –5
- **postal code type**: ZIP Codes
- **postal code**: 55401-55419, 55423, 55429-55430, 55450, 55454-55455, 55484-55488
- **area code type**: North American Numbering Plan, Area code
- **area code**: area code 612, 612
- **blank name**: Federal Information Processing Standards, FIPS code
- **blank info**: 27-43000
- **blank1 name sec1**: Geographic Names Information System, GNIS ID
- **blank1 info sec1**: 655030