Geography & Climate

Geography

Length: Slightly over 400 miles
Width: 200-350 miles
Land area: 83,574 square miles
Water area: 7,326 square miles

Mean Elevation: 1,200 feet above sea level
Highest point: 2,301 feet at Eagle Mountain
Lowest point: 602 feet at Lake Superior shore

Location: upper Midwest, north central United States. Minnesota is bordered by Canada on the north; Iowa on the south; Lake Superior and Wisconsin on the east; and North and South Dakota on the west.

Longitude: 89° 34'W to 97° 12'W
Latitude: 43° 34'N to 49° 23'N

Minnesota’s waters

11,842 lakes (more than 10 acres)
69,200 miles of rivers and streams
680 miles of the Mississippi River’s 2,552 total miles flow through Minnesota.
Minnesota borders Lake Superior, which is the world’s largest freshwater lake. Lake Superior is at the end of the St. Lawrence Seaway, which brings boats from around the world to the port of Duluth, Minnesota.
Minnesota’s rivers and streams flow in three directions: north to Hudson Bay in Canada, east to the Atlantic Ocean and south to the Gulf of Mexico.

Major waterfalls

Big Falls, Pigeon River
Caribou Falls, Caribou River
High Falls, Baptism River
Manitou Falls, Manitou River
Minneopa Falls, Minneopa River
Minnehaha Falls, Minnehaha Creek
Gooseberry Falls, Gooseberry River

Population

Capital: St. Paul

Total population: 5 million

11.8% of Minnesotans are African American, Asian, Hispanic, American Indian or another non-white ethnicity.

Five largest cities

Minneapolis: (Largest city in Minnesota) 387,711

St. Paul: (Capital of Minnesota) 287,385

Minneapolis and St. Paul together are known as the “Twin Cities”

Rochester: (Home of Mayo Clinic) 90,515

Duluth: (Major shipping port on Lake Superior) 85,889

Bloomington: (Home of Mall of America) 84,347

(Minnesota State Demographic Center, 2005 estimates)

Four Seasons of Fun

The weather changes often in Minnesota! Each season comes with its own pleasures. Spring brings warming temperatures and a major "green-up" as trees grow leaves and flowers and vegetation spring to life.

Summer is sunny and pleasant. It is common to have several days as warm as 90 degrees Fahrenheit (and a few warmer).

In the fall, the trees turn brilliant colors as the days cool down. "Fall colors" are a major attraction to Minnesota late August – October. You can see fall color reports (link) during this time period on this site.

Minnesota is known for its cold winters..., but we just bundle up and go out and play in the snow.

Temperatures are usually slightly warmer south of the Twin Cities, and cooler in northern parts of the state. There is also typically less snow in southern Minnesota and more in northern Minnesota, especially in the northeast inland from Lake Superior.