Minnesota Fun Facts: 51 Interesting Things to Know
Ready to learn some epic fun facts about Minnesota?
The Land of 10,000 Lakes, the Gopher State, the State of Hockey, frozen tundra, whatever you call it, Minnesota is a great place.
Growing up here, I had some idea that Minnesota was an awesome place, but didn’t realize that it was this awesome!
With so much history, interesting information, and fun facts, there’s so much more to learn about the grand ole’ state of Minnesota.
So sit back, relax, and let’s get into these fun facts about the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
General Minnesota Fun Facts
1. Many great things were invented in Minnesota including the Post-It Note, microwave popcorn, water skis, Scotch Tape, and Honeycrisp apples.
2. With so many lakes and waterways, it’s no wonder Minnesota leads the country in the number of recreational watercraft (boats, kayaks, etc.) per capita. There is 1 boat for every 6 people in the state.
3. There are approximately 1 million white-tailed deer roaming the woods and fields in Minnesota.
4. Although it’s known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes, it’s actually suggested that there are over 14,000 lakes in the state of Minnesota. This counts lakes that are over 10 acres and are mostly within Minnesota’s state border.
5. Minnesota is home to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), one of the most visited wilderness areas in the United States and some of the cleanest water in the world. Over one million acres of land make up this area with over 1,200 miles of canoe routes.
6. Minnesota gained its name from a Dakota word that means “sky-tinted water,” which is what they called the Minnesota River, the Mississippi River’s largest tributary.
7. A small piece of land off of the northern border of Minnesota makes it the most northerly state in the contiguous United States of America.
8. The highest point in Minnesota is located in Grand Marais on the North Shore and sits at 2,301 feet above sea level. It can be reached by a moderately challenging, 6-mile hike.
9. Minnesota’s lowest point is the massive Lake Superior, which sits at 602 feet above sea level.
10. The largest number of Minnesota’s people are of German descent, and about 1 in 4 people have a Scandinavian background.
11. The Minnesota State Fair comes in as the 2nd largest state fair in the country, just behind Texas, with about 2 million people in attendance every year.
12. Out of 87 counties in the state of Minnesota, only 4 of them have no natural lakes. Mower, Olmstead, Pipestone, and Rock have only man-made lakes.
13. Glacial activity that covered the state and then melted and refroze several times is what created the rolling hills and thousands of lakes that we see in Minnesota today. For very obvious remnants of glacial activity, head to Interstate State Park and see the glacial potholes.
14. The popular power sports machine manufacturer, Polaris Industries, was founded in 1954 in Roseau, Minnesota. The first Polaris snowmobile was built in 1955.
15. When a Minnesotan walks past another person and does that little shoulder rub, it’s impossible for an “ope, let me just squeeze past you,” not to slip out. (Okay, okay. I’m just kidding. But seriously, listen for it if you’re living (or visiting) in MN. It’s a real thing!)
16. The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden has been named the largest urban sculpture garden in the United States at 11 acres.
17. The great Mississippi River’s headwaters are found in Park Rapids, Minnesota. They start here before making their way down to the Gulf of Mexico. You can visit them and walk across the start of the river at Itasca State Park.
18. Itasca State Park is also Minnesota’s oldest state park, established way back in 1891, over 100 years ago. It was built to protect the remnants of virgin pines and the Mississippi River’s source.
19. The latest measurable snowfall in Minnesota was back in 1935 when 1.5 inches of snow fell on June 4th in Mizpah.
20. On June 13th, 2014, a 7-year-old girl led 1,093 people to win a Guinness World Record in Grand Rapids. At the Judy Garland Museum, where Judy’s childhood home is located, the record was set for the most people dressed in Wizard of Oz costumes in one place. (Another fun fact; I was there!)
21. The original and largest Mayo Clinic campus is found in Rochester, Minnesota. They are ranked #1 for more specialties than any other hospital in the state.
22. With over 14,000 lakes actually being found in Minnesota, it’s no doubt that there is a ton of shoreline. In fact, there is over 44,000 miles of shoreline in Minnesota alone.
23. Voyageurs National Park in International Falls is Minnesota’s only national park. As one would expect, it’s filled with lakes and waterways, and 40% of the park is made up of the waters of Rainy, Kabetogama, Namakan, and Sand Point Lakes.
24. Minnesota’s largest city by land area, not by population, is Hibbing. This small (but not in size!) town is located in northern Minnesota, about 40 minutes northeast of Grand Rapids. It’s 181.83 square miles, but only has a population of about 16,000 people.
25. There are 66 state parks in Minnesota. It’s the second oldest state park system in the country, behind California, with the establishment of Itasca State Park in 1891.
26. Just over the border in Grantsburg, Wisconsin, an event called snowmobile watercross was invented in 1977. This is basically snowmobiles racing across open water. Today, about 4 races take place in Minnesota each summer and it remains a fun sport that many people are surprised to see!
27. Minnesota is home to many famous artists. Most of them were born here or raised into childhood and then moved. Bob Dylan (Duluth), Judy Garland (Grand Rapids), Prince (Minneapolis), Charles Shulz (Minneapolis), Winona Ryder (Winona), and Chris Pratt (Virginia) are just a few.
28. A law in Minnesota states that any area where mosquitos hatch or incubate is declared to be a nuisance to the public and the nest may be removed. Thank goodness.
29. Following behind Alaska, Minnesota has the largest population of bald eagles, America’s national bird, in the United States. Minnesota has the largest population in the contiguous United States.
30. Shopping lovers will enjoy hitting up some of the many malls in Minnesota, as there is no sales tax on clothing in the state.
31. The coldest temperature ever recorded during a Minnesota winter was -60 degrees F in Tower on February 2nd, 1996. This is tied with North Dakota for the lowest temperature ever recorded in a non-mountainous state.
32. Behind Alaska, Minnesota has the second-highest population of wolves with about 3,000 that have been counted.
33. There are approximately 12,000 loons in Minnesota. The loon is the state bird. This is just behind Alaska. (Darn you, Alaska!)
Facts About The Twin Cities, MN
34. The two largest cities by population in the state of Minnesota are located in a metro area in the southern half of the state and are known together as The Twin Cities. Many locals consider the entire area surrounding them as The Twin Cities Metro.
35. Although St. Paul is actually the capital of Minnesota, Minneapolis takes the cake for the highest population. There are over 420,000 people living in Minneapolis while there are only 300,000 in St. Paul.
36. The delicious and popular Honeycrisp apple was first created at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis in 1960 through cross-breeding programs. Today, the Minnesota state fruit is the Honeycrisp apple.
37. Doctor C. Walton Lillhei performed the world’s first successful open-heart surgery in 1952 at the University of Minnesota.
38. Chanhassen, Minnesota, a suburb of the Twin Cities, is home to the largest dinner theater in the country, the Chanhassen Dinner Theater. There are 4 stages with over 90,000 square feet of space.
39. At the Minnesota State Fair, held in Falcon Heights, Sweet Martha’s Cookie Jar produces over 3 million cookies each of the 12 days of the fair.
40. The Mall of America stands on the old home of the Metropolitan Stadium, where the Vikings and Twins played. It was demolished in 1981. Today, a home plate sits in its original place in Nickelodeon Universe. There also is a red chair marking where Harmon Killebrew’s huge home run landed back in 1967.
41. The largest mall in the entire country is found in the Twin Cities Metro area. In Bloomington, about 15 minutes from St. Paul, the Mall of America is over 96 acres and over 500 stores to shop in. Plus, an indoor amusement park and over 50 restaurants.
42. The extremely popular shopping center, Target, was founded in Minneapolis back in 1902. Today, the headquarters are still located in the Twin Cities.
43. The popular phrase “holy cow” was first used on a baseball broadcast by Halsey Hall in Minneapolis. The phrase was used to avoid saying words that would otherwise get the reporters in trouble.
Facts About Duluth, MN
44. Duluth is home to the nation’s only all-freshwater aquarium, the Great Lakes Aquarium. Here you can learn about freshwater wildlife and the Great Lakes in the USA.
45. Duluth is bordered by the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. Lake Superior has a total surface area of 31,700 square miles, also making it the largest of the five Great Lakes.
46. Coming in as the second largest city in Minnesota by area, behind Hibbing, Duluth measures 80.16 square miles.
47. Duluth is the largest port on all of the Great Lakes. It’s also the furthest-inland freshwater port in America.
48. The iconic Aerial Lift Bridge in Duluth lifts approximately 4,500 times every year, so your chance of seeing it lift during your visit is pretty high.
49. One of the state’s largest walk-through Christmas light displays happens each year in Duluth, Minnesota. Bentleyville Tour of Lights has over 3 million lights on display.
50. Duluth acts as the gateway into the North Shore of Minnesota, which is home to 8 state parks and some of the best hikes in the entire state.
51. The world’s longest freshwater bay mouth bar is found in Canal Park in Duluth, called Minnesota Point. Locals often called it Park Point. It spans 7 miles.
Wrap-Up: Minnesota Fun Facts
There are so many great reasons to visit the grand state of Minnesota.
Whether it be to check out the 2nd largest state fair in the country or see if you can be here when we reach a new world record temperature.
All of these Minnesota fun facts make the Land of 10,000 Lakes what it is and surely make a great place to call home!
Now you’ll be an expert on all things Minnesota and can get out and quiz your friends and family.
