Minnesota |
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| Entered the Union: May 11, 1858 (32) | Capital: St. Paul | |
| Origin of Name: From a Dakota Indian word meaning “sky-tinted water” | ||
| State Nicknames: North Star State • Land of 10,000 Lakes | ||
| State Motto: L'Étoile du Nord (The North Star) | ||
| State Tree: Red (Norway) Pine | State Bird: Common Loon | |
| State Gemstone: Lake Superior Agate | State Flower: Lady's Slipper | |
| State Song: “Hail Minnesota" | State Fruit: Honeycrisp Apple | |
| National Forests: 2 • State Forests: 58 • State Parks: 66 | ||
| Famous for: Lakes • The Mall of America, boating | ||
| Famous Minnesotans: Andrews Sisters • Bob Dylan (singers), F. Scott Fitzgerald • Sinclair Lewis (novelists), Judy Garland (actress), Hubert Humphrey • Walter Mondale (vice presidents), Roger Maris (baseball), Charles Schulz (cartoonist) | ||
| Native Animals and Birds: Click on photos of the animals and birds on this page to find out more about them and to hear the sounds they make. | ||
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| Minnesota was discovered by French explorers and trappers. It was claimed for France in 1679. Eastern Minnesota was aquired from Britain after the Revolutionary War. The western portion was purchased from Napolean (France) in 1803 as part of the "Louisiana Purchase." | |||||||||||||
| In 1898, the Kensington Rune stone was found on the farm of Olaf Ohman, near Alexandria. The Kensington Rune stone carvings allegedly tell of a journey of a band of Vikings in 1362. | |||||||||||||
| The skyway system in Minneapolis allows people to live, eat, work and shop in nearly five miles without ever going outside. | |||||||||||||
| The Mall of America in Bloomington is about 5.6 million square feet in size. | |||||||||||||
| Because of its thousands of lakes, Minnesota has 90,000 miles of shoreline. | |||||||||||||
| Minnesota's waters flow outward in three directions: north to Hudson Bay in Canada, east to the Atlantic Ocean, and south to the Gulf of Mexico. | |||||||||||||
| Minnesota is home to: Green Giant vegetables, Greyhound Lines (the first bus line), and Tonka Trucks. | |||||||||||||
| Minnesota inventions: the snowmobile, the first water skis, the first automatic pop-up toaster, the first canned ham and spam, masking and scotch tape, the stapler, Wheaties, Bisquick, the bundt pan, HMOs. | |||||||||||||
| The showy lady's slipper is Minnesota's state flower. It is one of 43 orchid species that grow in Minnesota. | |||||||||||||
| Minneapolis has more golfers per capita than any other city in the country. | |||||||||||||
| The first open heart surgery and the first bone marrow transplant in the United States were done at the University of Minnesota. | |||||||||||||
| Rochester is home of the world famous Mayo Clinic. The clinic is a major teaching and working facility. It is known world wide for its doctor's expertise and the newest methods of treatments. | |||||||||||||
| The nation’s first Better Business Bureau was founded in Minneapolis in 1912. | |||||||||||||
| Minnesota has one recreational boat per every six people, more than any other state. | |||||||||||||
| Minnesota students Scott and Brennan Olson invented rollerblades in 1980, when they were looking for a way to practice Hockey during the off-season. Their design was an ice hockey boot with 3 inline wheels instead of a blade. | |||||||||||||
| The first Intercollegiate Basketball game was played in Minnesota on February 9,1895. | |||||||||||||
| Minnesota's Ethnic Roots: German 37.3%, Norwegian 17%, Irish 12.2%, Swedish 10%, French 5.5% | |||||||||||||
| Religion in Minnesota: 77% Christian (52% Protestant, 25% Catholic), 14% No Religion, 3% Other Religions | |||||||||||||
| Tonka Trucks were developed and are still manufactured in Minnetonka. | |||||||||||||
| Candy maker Frank C. Mars of Minnesota introduced the Milky Way candy bar in 1923, the Snickers bar in 1930 and the Three Musketeers bar in 1937. | |||||||||||||
At a Glance
Minnesota Quick Facts
| Entered the Union | May 11, 1858 (32) |
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| Capital | St. Paul |
| Nickname | North Star State • Land of 10,000 Lakes |
| State Bird | Common Loon |
| State Flower | Lady's Slipper |
| State Tree | Red (Norway) Pine |
New for 2026
More Minnesota Facts & Photos
The Mississippi River begins at Lake Itasca, 1,475 feet above sea level, and flows 2,552 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. Itasca State Park, created in 1891 to protect the headwaters and its old-growth pines, is Minnesota's oldest state park.
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness stretches across more than a million acres of the Superior National Forest along the Canadian border and holds over 1,100 lakes. It is the most heavily used wilderness area in the country.
A single storm in November 1905 damaged 29 ships on Lake Superior and pushed Congress to fund a lighthouse at Split Rock. Its beacon first shone on July 31, 1910, from a cliff on the North Shore.
In 2025 Minnesota designated the giant beaver as its official state fossil: a bear-sized Ice Age rodent that grew up to 7.5 feet long, weighed more than 200 pounds, and died out about 10,000 years ago.
Voices of America
In Their Own Words
Hubert Humphrey
"The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped.
Vice President
John Adams
"Statesmen may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is religion and morality alone, which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand."
President
Thomas Jefferson
"I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever."
President
Last updated: July 2026