Explore this Minnesota Map to learn about the thirty-second state of the US. Learn about Minnesota’s location in the United States, official symbol, seal, flag, geography, climate, area/zip codes, time zones, etc. Check out Minnesota’s history, major cities, hiking, cycling, backpacking trails, the capital city’s location, national parks, facts and trivia, Top 10 FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), and many more. 

About Minnesota

The US State of Minnesota is the 32nd state in the United States. On May 11, 1858, it was admitted to the Union, and Minnesota achieved statehood. The State of Minnesota’s nicknames is “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” “Gopher State,” and “North Star State.” 

Saint Paul is Minnesota’s capital city. Minneapolis is the state’s largest city. English is the most spoken language of the state. In the US, Minnesota is the 22nd most populous state. 

Minnesota Flag 

The 1957 legislature adopted the State of Minnesota’s current state flag. However, in 1983, the state seal’s design at the flag’s center was modified. The contemporary flag design depicts the displacement of the native Americans by the white settlers. Many people allege that the current design of Minnesota’s state flag is a racist and white supremacist. A new task force has been created during the 2021–2022 session of the Minnesota Legislature for further modification of the flag design. 

The current state flag of Minnesota has a royal blue background with a gold fringe. The state seal is there at the center of the flag. Three critical dates, 1858, 1819, and 1893, are woven into the state flower’s wreath. 

• 1858 was the year when Minnesota attained statehood and was inducted into the Union as the 19th state. 
• 1819 was the year when Fort Snelling was established.
• 1893 was the year when the original flag of Minnesota was adopted. 

The word Minnesota is written at the bottom of the outer circle. Nineteen stars are placed around the inner circle of the seal. At the top, there are three stars, whose top-most star is a larger one than the rest. This more giant star symbolizes the North Star and Minnesota. The remaining sixteen stars are placed in groups of four in four different directions around the inner circle of the seal. 

Minnesota Symbol

Minnesota’s official government symbol is the Great Seal of the State of Minnesota. The seal’s original design was based on the drawing by a St. Paul lithographer and engraver, Louis Buechner. St. Paul druggist Robert Ormsby Sweeny did a second design. Over the years, there have been many changes in the seal’s design. Minnesota’s current and modern official seal was designed based on a draft created by a state employee, Jacki Bradham. However, before statehood, the seal of Minnesota Territory was created based on a drawing done by the commanding officer at Fort Snelling, Captain Seth Eastman. 

The seal’s design has two circles: An outer ring and an inner circle.

• Outer circle features:
  • THE GREAT SEAL OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA
  • The year when Minnesota was admitted to the Union as the 19th state, 1858
• Inner ring features:
  • Sun is visible on the western horizon.  
  • Horizon is flat, symbolizing the flat plains covering most of the state’s landform.
  • The ground is cultivated and plowed. It symbolizes the significance of agriculture in the state. 
  • St. Anthony Falls, as well as the Mississippi River, are shown in the seal. They symbolize the importance of the state’s natural resources in both commerce and trade. 
  • Pine trees in the symbol represent Norway pine (also called Red Pine), the state tree of Minnesota. Three pine trees represent Lake Superior, Mississippi, and the St. Croix, Minnesota’s three great pine regions.
  • Tree stumps in the image represent the importance of the timber industry in the Minnesota economy. 
  • A native American Indian can be seen riding a horse towards the south. It symbolizes the heritage of the Native Americans in the state.
  • A white settler is seen plowing the land. Both the native and white man is seen looking at each other. 
  • The image shows essential tools such as a plow, ax, spear, rifle, and horse. They symbolize the standard tools used by the inhabitants of Minnesota for labor and hunting. 
  • In the sky, above the sun, the French motto “L’Étoile du Nord” (which means “the Star of the North”) is written. 

Minnesota Location

Minnesota Location Map shows the exact location of the US state of Minnesota on the USA map. This map shows the boundaries of this US state, neighboring countries, and oceans. 

The State of Minnesota is situated in the upper midwestern region of the country. It shares its border with:

• Canada’s two provinces, Ontario and Manitoba (in the north)
• Michigan (in the east)
• Wisconsin (a land and water border) (in the east)
• Iowa (in the south)
• North Dakota (in the west)
• South Dakota (in the west)

Minnesota’s precise location (latitude and longitude) is 43° 30′ N to 49° 23′ N Latitude and 89° 29′ W to 97° 14′ W Longitude. Check this Minnesota Latitude and Longitude Map for more information.

Minnesota Geography

The total area of Minnesota is 86,935.83 sq mi (225,163 sq km). Out of which 79,626.74 sq mi (206,232 sq km) is land area and 7,309.09 sq mi (18,930 sq km) is water area. It is the USA’s twelfth largest state in terms of size. 

At 2,301 feet (701.3 m), Eagle Mountain is the highest elevation point. The state’s lowest point is Lake Superior, at an elevation of 602 feet (183.5 m). The Red River of the North, Mississippi River, Minnesota River, St. Croix River, and Rainy River are some major rivers in Minnesota. The state’s major lakes are Upper Red Lake, Vermillion Lake, Mille Lacs Lake, Lower Red Lake, Lake of the Woods, Rainy Lake, etc. 

Various landforms of Minnesota include:

• The Landform in Northern Minnesota consists of rocky ridges, deep lakes and streams, and thick forests. The state’s highest elevation point is also located in this region. 
• Red River Valley is predominantly a flat land area characterized by fertile soil. It starts from Minnesota’s border with Canada and runs west to South Dakota’s edge. 
• Southwestern Minnesota’s landform features thick glacial deposits of gravel and clay. However, you’ll find high bluffs, caverns, and stream-cut valleys in the far southeastern region of Minnesota. Check this Minnesota Topographic Map to learn more.

Learn more about the location of mountain peaks, rivers, lakes, state boundaries, the state capital, neighboring states, ocean, and from this Physical Map of Minnesota. 

Minnesota Climate 

The climatic condition in Minnesota is humid continental. You’ll find four distinct seasons. While the summers remain warm and wet, the winters remain freezing, windy, and snowy. Throughout the year, it remains partly cloudy. 

The average temperature in this state usually ranges from 9 °F (-12.8 °C) to 83 °F (28.3 °C). Mid-June to early September is the best time to visit Minnesota because it remains warm during this time of the year. The southeast part of Minnesota gets more rainfall than the northwest region. While southeast Minnesota receives 35 inches (889 mm), northwest receives 19 inches (483 mm) of average yearly rain. 

The average annual snowfall level ranges from 70 inches (1,778 mm) in Lake Superior’s northern highlands to 40 inches (1,016 mm) in the southern and western parts of the state. 

Minnesota History

The Minnesota area was initially inhabited by “Browns Valley Man” around 9,000 years back. In southwest Minnesota, especially at the Jeffers Petroglyphs site, the presence of the Native Americans can be found around 2,500-5,000 years back. Dakota Sioux was the largest Native American tribe that lived in the Minnesota area. 

Europeans arrived here in the 1600s. Medard des Groseilleirs and Pierre Radisson, two French explorers, were the first Europeans to visit this place. They mapped Lake Superior’s coast and claimed it as France’s land. In 1671, they traded fur with the Ojibwa people here. A peace agreement was negotiated between the Dakota and Ojibwa tribes by French trader Daniel Grayson, Sieur Du Luth, in 1679. 

In 1763, the French and Indian war ended, and the British took over the reins of Minnesota’s eastern part from the French. After the Revolutionary War, the United States took the territory from the British. Under the Louisiana Purchase, the rest of Minnesota was bought from France. 

Explorer Zebulon Pike was sent by United States President Thomas Jefferson to learn more about the vast land area. In 1805, Pike arrived in Minnesota. He signed a treaty with the Dakota Indians for land in the area. Another US explorer Henry Schoolcraft took help from the Ojibwa people to find the source of the Mississippi River in 1832. Henry called the Mississippi River’s source Lake Itasca. 

In 1825, Fort Snelling was completed. It was the first significant outpost of the United States in Minnesota. This outpost was created at the meeting point of the Mississippi River and the Minnesota River. Eventually, Minneapolis and St. Paul (two significant cities) came up on both sides of the Mississippi River. Both these cities are also called the Twin Cities. In Minnesota, St. Paul and Minneapolis are also the most significant cities. 

Minnesota became a United States territory in 1849 and ultimately the thirty-second state of the Union on May 11, 1858. 

Minnesota Counties

Minnesota has 87 counties. Saint Louis County is the largest, and Ramsey County is the smallest. Check the Minnesota County Map to learn more about the location and boundaries of different counties in the state. 

Minnesota Area Codes

The area codes in Minnesota are:

• 218
• 320
• 507
• 612
• 651
• 763
• 952

The Minnesota Area Codes Map will help you locate any area code you are searching for. You can also use it to learn about the area code boundary, county and state boundaries, and state capital. 

Minnesota Zip Codes

There are 884 active zip codes in Minnesota as of 2022. The zip codes best for you to live in the state are 55344, 55439, 55446, 55347, 55424, etc. You can locate the location of a particular zip code, boundary, state boundary, and state capital with the help of the Minnesota Zip Codes Map. 

Minnesota Major Cities

Learn about Minnesota’s significant places from this map of cities. You can know the exact location of the state capital, other cities, state boundaries, neighboring states and oceans, and many more. Minnesota’s most prominent cities are Minneapolis, St. Paul, Brooklyn Park, Bloomington, Rochester, and many more. Check out the Minnesota Cities Map for more details.

Minnesota Airports

The busiest airports in Minnesota are Minneapolis–St. Paul International/Wold-Chamberlain Airport, Rochester International Airport, Duluth International Airport, and others. Explore the location of different airports in the state on the Minnesota Airports Map. This map also shows Minnesota’s state and country boundaries, cities, the state capital, neighboring states, and oceans.

Minnesota National Park and Trails

Minnesota has five national parks. Around 971,763 visitors visit these national parks annually. Major national parks in the State are Voyageurs National Park, Mississippi National River & Recreation Area, St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, and others.

In Minnesota, you can enjoy 1,310 recreational trails (hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, and other adventurous trails). Superior Hiking Trail, Fifth Falls, and Superior Hiking Trail Loop, Pike Island Loop, Oberg Mountain Loop, Lebanon Hills Top, etc., are some of Minnesota’s most popular hiking routes. 

Check out the National Parks in Minnesota Map to get a clear idea about the locations of different national parks, monuments, preserves, etc.

Minnesota Time Zones

In Minnesota, UTC−06:00 (Central) is the time zone. This state’s summer (DST) time zone is UTC−05:00 (CDT). 

Top 10 FAQs on Minnesota

FAQ #1: What Time Zone Is Minnesota? 

Ans: In Minnesota, UTC−06:00 (Central) is the time zone. The state’s summer (DST) time zone is UTC−05:00 (CDT).

FAQ #2: What Is The Capital Of Minnesota?

Ans: Saint Paul is the capital of Minnesota. 

FAQ #3: What Is Minnesota Known For? 

Ans: Minnesota is known for over ten thousand lakes (11,842 lakes are estimated to be there), the presence of major companies (including Target, Land O’Lakes, General Mills, UnitedHealth Group, 3M, etc.), snowmobiling, availability of significant fishing spots in the USA, popular tourist destinations like Port of Duluth, the largest mall in the USA (Mall of America), Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and others. 

FAQ #4: Does It Snow In Minnesota?

Ans: Yes, snowfall takes place in Minnesota. The average snowfall level ranges from 70 inches (1,778 mm) in Lake Superior’s northern highlands to 40 inches (1,016 mm) in the southern and western parts of the state. 

FAQ #5: Who Is The Governor Of Minnesota?

Ans: Democratic Party’s Tim Walz is the incumbent Governor of Minnesota in 2022. He assumed office as the 41st Governor of Minnesota on January 7, 2019.

FAQ #6: What Is The Population Of Minnesota?

Ans: Minnesota’s population in 2022 is estimated to be 5.7 million, making it the twenty-second populous state in the United States. 

FAQ #7: What Is The State Bird Of Minnesota?

Ans: Common loon is Minnesota’s state bird.  

FAQ #8: When Did Minnesota Become A State?

Ans: On May 11, 1858, Minnesota became a state. 

FAQ #9: How Many Counties Are In Minnesota?

Ans: There are 87 counties in Minnesota. 

FAQ #10: What is the Largest College in Minnesota?

Ans: The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, is the largest college in Minnesota.