City of Eagan
—  City  —
The 1914 Town Hall
Flag of City of Eagan Flag
Location in Dakota County and the state of Minnesota
Coordinates: 44°49′04″N 93°10′01″W / 44.81778°N 93.16694°W / 44.81778; -93.16694Coordinates: 44°49′04″N 93°10′01″W / 44.81778°N 93.16694°W / 44.81778; -93.16694
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
County	Dakota
Established	1860
Incorporated	1972
Named for	Patrick Eagan
Government
• Mayor	Mike Maguire
Area
• City	33.4 sq mi (86.6 km2)
• Land	32.3 sq mi (83.7 km2)
• Water	1.1 sq mi (2.9 km2)
Elevation	958 ft (288 m)
Population (2010)[1]
• City	64,206
• Density	1,967/sq mi (759.3/km2)
• Metro	3,269,814
• Demonym	Eaganite
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes	55121, 55122, 55123
Area code(s)	651
FIPS code	27-17288[2]
GNIS feature ID	0654525[3]
Website	www.ci.eagan.mn.us

Eagan ( /ˈiːɡɨn/) is a city south of Saint Paul in Dakota County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies on the south bank of the Minnesota River, upstream from the confluence with the Mississippi River. Eagan and nearby suburbs form the southern portion of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the fifteenth largest metropolitan area in the United States, with about 3.6 million residents. The population of Eagan was 64,206 at the 2010 census.^[1]

Originally a rural Irish farming community and "Onion Capital of the United States",^[4] Eagan became the eighth largest Minnesota city in the 2000 Census. The largest growth in Eagan took place following the relocation and expansion of Highway 77 along with the construction of the new six-lane bridge (with three northbound and three southbound lanes) over the Minnesota River in 1980 and also the completion of the final Interstate 35E freeway section southbound from Minnesota State Highway 110 in Mendota Heights to the area where it joins 35W in Burnsville in the mid 1980s. Its northern border is primarily along Interstate 494. Its southern border is about a mile south of Cliff Road. Its eastern border runs primarily along Minnesota State Highway 3. The western border runs primarily along the South bank of Minnesota River. Currently the fourth largest suburb in the metro area, Eagan is predominantly a commuter town of both Minneapolis and Saint Paul.^{[citation needed]} The city's influence in the region grew when the companies Northwest Airlines (now Delta Air Lines) and Thomson West (now Thomson Reuters) established their headquarters.

History[link]

Eagan was named for Patrick Eagan who was the first chairman of the town board of supervisors. Patrick Eagan tamed a 220-acre (0.89 km²) parcel of land near the present-day town hall. Eagan (born 1811) and his wife Margaret Twohy (born 1816), emigrated from Tipperary, Ireland to Troy, New York where they married in 1843. They arrived in Mendota around 1853-1854, before settling in the Eagan area.^[5]

Geography[link]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 33.4 square miles (86.6 km²), of which, 32.3 square miles (83.7 km²) of it is land and 1.1 square miles (2.9 km²) of it (3.38%) is water.

Interstate Highway 35E, Interstate Highway 494, Minnesota Highways 13, 55, 77, and 149 are six of the main routes in the city.

The Eagan Core Greenway is an ongoing-project to preserve Eagan's environmentally-sensitive green space, with particular emphasis on Patrick Eagan Park and a two-mile (3 km) greenway connecting the park with Lebanon Hills Regional Park.^[6]

Demographics[link]

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 63,557 people, 23,773 households, and 16,427 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,967.6 people per square mile (759.3/km²). There were 24,390 housing units at an average density of 755.1 per square mile (291.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.03% White, 3.41% African American, 0.26% Native American, 5.31% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.96% from other races, and 1.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.24% of the population.

There were 23,773 households out of which 41.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.9% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the city the population was spread out with 30.0% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 38.2% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 4.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.7 males.

According to the 2000 census, median household income was $67,388.[3] Males had a median income of $52,029 versus $35,641 for females. The per capita income for the city was $30,167. About 1.9% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.5% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

Politics[link]

Eagan's municipal government is a Type A Statutory City, which provides for a council size of 5 members, one of whom is the mayor. Eagan's Mayor since 2007 has been Mike Maguire (2nd term, council member since 2003, seat up again in 2014).

The Council members are:

• Paul Bakken (3rd non-consecutive term, 1997 and since 2007, seat up again in 2014)
• Gary Hansen (2nd term, since 2009 special election, seat up again in 2014)
• Cyndee Fields (3rd term, since 2001 seat up again in 2012)
• Meg Tilley (3rd term, since 2001, seat up again in 2012)

In general, city government is non-partisan. Candidates need not be (and usually aren't) selected or endorsed by political parties, and no such endorsement appears on the ballot by state law. All five council seats including the mayor are elected at-large in the general election every four years. Terms are staggered with two council members being elected one election cycle, while the remaining two seats and the mayor are elected two years later. The non-mayoral seats are elected in pairs giving voters the chance to vote for up to two candidates on the same question. If necessary, races are narrowed down during a primary election.

As a part of Dakota County, Eagan's northern precincts (1-9, 11, 17 and 21) join with regions northward to form the Third District on the County Commission. It has been represented by former Eagan Mayor Thomas Egan since 2005. The southern portions of the city (precincts 10, 12-16) are joined by regions south and west to form the Fourth District of the County Commission which has been represented by Nancy Schouweiler since 1999. County commissioners serve four year terms.

Eagan is located in Minnesota's 2nd congressional district, and has been represented by John Kline (R) since 2003.

Since redistricting last occurred in 2002, Eagan straddles two Minnesota State Senate districts. Twenty out of twenty-one Eagan precincts are joined with three precincts in neighboring Burnsville to form Senate District 38. District 38 is currently represented by Senator Ted Daley (R). Eagan’s northeastern-most precinct is a part of Senate District 39, represented by Senator James Metzen (DFL), who was first elected to the State House in 1974.

In the Minnesota House of Representatives, each Senate District is divided in to an “A” and a “B” side. The western half of District 38 makes up House District 38A, which is represented by Rep. Diane Anderson (R). The eastern half of District 38 makes up House District 38B, which is currently represented by Rep. Doug Wardlow (R). Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL) represents precinct one as part of House District 39A.

Eagan is home to Minnesota’s 38th and former Governor Tim Pawlenty (R), 2003–2011, who previously represented Eagan in the Minnesota House, and on the city council. Former mayor Patricia Anderson (R) also served as the 17th State Auditor from 2003-2007.

Recently there have been two city questions that have gone to the ballot for city residents to vote for. In 2008 the citizens voted 53% to 47% to allow for private development of a defunct golf course instead of having the City purchase the land for future public development or open space. In 2004 and in 2007 voters were presented with plans drafted by an established Charter Commission calling for the city to scrap its current governing structure as a statutory city and adopt a new home-rule city charter. The measure failed 80% to 20% in 2004 and 91% to 9% in 2007. The Charter Commission was dissolved on June 18, 2008.

Eagan lies in Minnesota’s First Judicial District.

Economy[link]

Northwest Airlines headquarters in Eagan

Mesaba Airlines (closing December 26, 2011)^[7],^[8] Regional Elite Airline Services,^[9] and Buffets, Inc. are headquartered in Eagan.^[10]

Northwest Airlines had its headquarters in Eagan.^[11][12] After Northwest merged with Delta, the Northwest headquarters was disestablished. Todd Klingel, president of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce, said that losing Northwest, a Fortune 500 company, would be "certainly a blow." He added, "But it's been expected for so long. Let's get on with it. The key is what can we do to minimize the loss to Minnesota."^[13] Northwest Airlines employed around 1,830 people at the time of its merger with Delta.^[14][15]

Eagan is home to businesses such as the legal publisher West, (part of Thomson Reuters^[16] (7,350 employees), Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota (3,900 employees) and Coca-Cola's Midwest bottling facility (900 employees).^[17] The sparsely populated northern portions of the city, being convenient to freeways and MSP Airport, are also home to a number of warehouses and distribution centers including Minnesota's largest UPS hub with 1400 employees.^[17]

Top employers[link]

According to Eagan's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,^[18] the top employers in the city were:

Notability[link]

Eagan was also famously visited by the "20th hijacker" of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Zacarias Moussaoui, prior to the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. Moussaoui attempted to complete flight training school, but was ultimately refused service by local resident Tim Nelson.

Eagan was named the 15th best place to live in the United States by Money Magazine.^[19]

Education[link]

Colleges and universities[link]

• Rasmussen College
• Argosy University

Primary and secondary schools[link]

Public schools[link]

Eagan is served by three school districts: Independent School District 191, Independent School District 196, & Independent School District 197. Some students, however, choose to attend public schools in other school districts chosen by their families under Minnesota's open enrollment statute.^[20]

High schools[link]

• Burnsville High School (191)†
• Eagan High School (196)
• Eastview High School (196)†
• Henry Sibley High School (197)†
• School of Environmental Studies (196)†

Middle schools[link]

• Blackhawk Middle School (196)
• Dakota Hills Middle School (196)
• Falcon Ridge Middle School (196)†
• Friendly Hills Middle School (197)†
• Metcalf Junior High School (191)†

Elementary schools[link]

• Deerwood Elementary School (196)
• Glacier Hills Elementary School (196)
• Northview Elementary School (196)
• Oak Ridge Elementary School (196)
• Pilot Knob Elementary School (197)
• Pinewood Community School (196)
• Rahn Elementary School (191)
• Red Pine Elementary School (196)
• Rosemount Elementary School (196)
• Thomas Lake Elementary School (196)
• William Byrne Elementary School† (191) (in Burnsville, Minnesota)
• Woodland Elementary School (196)

† Denotes schools located outside of Eagan with attendance boundaries that cover part of the city.

Private schools[link]

• Faithful Shepard Catholic School
• Trinity Lone Oak Lutheran School

Public libraries[link]

Wescott Library

The Dakota County Library operates the Wescott Library in Eagan.^[21] The library houses the headquarters of Dakota County Library.^[22][23]

Gallery of images[link]

• 

  Modern City Hall Building

• 

  Cascade Bay

• 

  Civic Arena

See also[link]

• Cedarvale, Eagan, Minnesota
• H. Timothy ("Tim") Vakoc – former associate pastor of St. John Neumann Catholic Church, in Eagan, and the first U.S. military chaplain to die from wounds received in the Iraq War.

References[link]

1. ^ ^{a b} "2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File". American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_PL_GCTPL2.ST13&prodType=table. Retrieved 27 April 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
3. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
4. ^ "City of Eagan History". City of Eagan. 2004. http://www.ci.eagan.mn.us/live/page.asp?menu=1986. Retrieved 2008-10-31. 
5. ^ "Eagan Historical Trail Guide". Boy Scout Troop 453. http://troop_453.tripod.com/eagan_historical_trail_guide.htm. Retrieved 2007-07-23. 
6. ^ "Friends of the Eagan Core Greenway". Friends of the Eagan Core Greenway. http://www.eagancoregreenway.org/. Retrieved 2007-07-23. 
7. ^ http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/338016/
8. ^ "General Office." Mesaba Airlines. Retrieved on May 19, 2009. "Mesaba Airlines 1000 Blue Gentian Rd. Suite 200 Eagan, Minnesota 55121"
9. ^ "Important Notice from Regional Elite Airline Services About Your Prescription Drug Coverage and Medicare." Regional Elite Airline Services. Retrieved on October 3, 2010. "1000 Blue Gentian Rd, Suite 200, Eagan, MN 55121]"
10. ^ "Whadja Think?" Buffets. Retrieved on July 28, 2009.
11. ^ "NWA pilots threaten to oppose merger." Minnesota Public Radio. April 14, 2008. Retrieved on July 28, 2009.
12. ^ "creditapp.pdf." Northwest Airlines. Retrieved on May 18, 2009.
13. ^ Chapman, Dan. "In Minnesota, opposition, resignation to merger." Cox News Service at Atlanta Journal Constitution. Wednesday April 16, 2008. Retrieved on September 16, 2009.
14. ^ "Eagan, Minnesota at a Glance." City of Eagan. Retrieved on July 28, 2009.
15. ^ "General Office." Mesaba Airlines. Retrieved on May 19, 2009.
16. ^ [1]
17. ^ ^{a b} [2]
18. ^ City of Eagan CAFR
19. ^ "Best Places to Live". Money Magazine. http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2010/snapshots/PL2717288.html. Retrieved 2010-08-01. 
20. ^ "Open Enrollment". Minnesota Department of Education. http://education.state.mn.us/mde/Academic_Excellence/School_Choice/Public_School_Choice/Open_Enrollment/index.html. Retrieved 19 November 2010. 
21. ^ "Wescott Library (Eagan)." Dakota County Library. Retrieved on October 3, 2010.
22. ^ "Departments." County of Dakota. Retrieved on October 3, 2010. "Library Administration & Support Services Administrative Offices Wescott Library 1340 Wescott Rd Eagan MN 55123-1029"
23. ^ "Library Administration & Support Services." County of Dakota. Retrieved on October 3, 2010. "Library Administration & Support Services Ken Behringer, Director Wescott Library 1340 Wescott Rd Eagan MN 55123-1029."

External links[link]

• City of Eagan, MN -- Official site

v t e Municipalities and communities of Dakota County, Minnesota, United States County seat: Hastings Cities Apple Valley Burnsville Coates Eagan Farmington Hampton Hastings‡ Inver Grove Heights Lakeville Lilydale Mendota Mendota Heights Miesville New Trier Northfield‡ Randolph Rosemount South St. Paul Sunfish Lake Vermillion West St. Paul Townships Castle Rock Douglas Empire Eureka Greenvale Hampton Marshan Nininger Randolph Ravenna Sciota Vermillion Waterford Unincorporated communities Castle Rock Eureka Center Waterford Ghost town Nininger Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

v t e  State of Minnesota Saint Paul (capital) Topics Index Cities Climate Colleges and universities Congressional districts Demographics Ecology Economy Geography Geology Governors High schools Historical Congressional delegations Historical Landmarks History Lakes Movies and television Music People Political parties Rivers School districts Scouting Sports State fair State parks Territory Townships Transportation Visitor Attractions Regions Arrowhead Boundary Waters Buffalo Ridge Central Coteau des Prairies Driftless Area Iron Range Minnesota River Valley North Shore Northwest Angle North Woods Pipestone Red River Valley Southeast Twin Cities metropolitan area Larger cities pop. over 60,000 Bloomington Brooklyn Park Burnsville Coon Rapids Duluth Eagan Eden Prairie Maple Grove Minneapolis Plymouth Rochester Saint Paul St. Cloud Woodbury Smaller cities pop. over 10,000 Albert Lea Alexandria Andover Anoka Apple Valley Austin Bemidji Big Lake Blaine Brainerd Brooklyn Center Buffalo Champlin Chanhassen Chaska Cloquet Columbia Heights Cottage Grove Crystal East Bethel Edina Elk River Fairmont Faribault Farmington Fergus Falls Forest Lake Fridley Golden Valley Grand Rapids Ham Lake Hastings Hibbing Hopkins Hugo Hutchinson Inver Grove Heights Lakeville Lino Lakes Mankato Maplewood Marshall Mendota Heights Minnetonka Monticello Moorhead Mounds View New Brighton New Hope New Ulm North Branch North Mankato North St. Paul Northfield Oakdale Otsego Owatonna Prior Lake Ramsey Red Wing Richfield Robbinsdale Rosemount Roseville Sartell Sauk Rapids Savage Shakopee Shoreview South St. Paul St. Louis Park St. Michael St. Peter Stillwater Vadnais Heights Waconia West St. Paul White Bear Lake Willmar Winona Worthington Counties Aitkin Anoka Becker Beltrami Benton Big Stone Blue Earth Brown Carlton Carver Cass Chippewa Chisago Clay Clearwater Cook Cottonwood Crow Wing Dakota Dodge Douglas Faribault Fillmore Freeborn Goodhue Grant Hennepin Houston Hubbard Isanti Itasca Jackson Kanabec Kandiyohi Kittson Koochiching Lac qui Parle Lake Lake of the Woods Le Sueur Lincoln Lyon Mahnomen Marshall Martin McLeod Meeker Mille Lacs Morrison Mower Murray Nicollet Nobles Norman Olmsted Otter Tail Pennington Pine Pipestone Polk Pope Ramsey Red Lake Redwood Renville Rice Rock Roseau St. Louis Scott Sherburne Sibley Stearns Steele Stevens Swift Todd Traverse Wabasha Wadena Waseca Washington Watonwan Wilkin Winona Wright Yellow Medicine

State of Minnesota
State seal of Minnesota Flag Seal
Nickname(s): North Star State; Land of 10,000 Lakes; The Gopher State
Motto(s): L’Étoile du Nord (French: The Star of the North)
Demonym	Minnesotan
Capital	Saint Paul
Largest city	Minneapolis
Largest metro area	Minneapolis-Saint Paul
Area	Ranked 12th in the U.S.
- Total	86,939 sq mi (225,181 km2)
- Width	c. 200–350 miles (c. 320–560 km)
- Length	c. 400 miles (c. 640 km)
- % water	8.4
- Latitude	43° 30′ N to 49° 23′ N
- Longitude	89° 29′ W to 97° 14′ W
Population	Ranked 21st in the U.S.
- Total	5,344,861
- Density	67.1/sq mi  (25.9/km2) Ranked 31st in the U.S.
- Median household income	$55,802 (10th[1])
Elevation
- Highest point	Eagle Mountain[2][3] 2,302 ft (701 m)
- Mean	1,200 ft  (370 m)
- Lowest point	Lake Superior[2][3] 601 ft (183 m)
Before statehood	Minnesota Territory
Admission to Union	May 11, 1858 (32nd)
Governor	Mark Dayton (DFL)
Lieutenant Governor	Yvonne Prettner Solon (DFL)
Legislature	Minnesota Legislature
- Upper house	Senate
- Lower house	House of Representatives
U.S. Senators	Amy Klobuchar (DFL) Al Franken (DFL)
U.S. House delegation	4 Democrats, 4 Republicans (list)
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5
Abbreviations	MN Minn. US-MN
Website	www.state.mn.us

Minnesota (ⁱ/mɪnɨˈsoʊtə/)^[4] is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state on May 11, 1858. Known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes", the state's name comes from a Dakota word for "sky-tinted water". Those waters, together with forests, parks, and wilderness areas, offer residents and tourists a variety of outdoor recreational opportunities.

Minnesota is the 12th most extensive and the 21st most populous of the U.S. states. Nearly 60% of its residents live in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area (known as the "Twin Cities"), the center of transportation, business, industry and education and home to an internationally known arts community. The remainder of the state consists of western prairies now given over to intensive agriculture; deciduous forests in the southeast, now cleared, farmed and settled; and the less populated North Woods, used for mining, forestry, and recreation.

Minnesota is known for its relatively mixed social and political orientations, and has a high rate of civic participation and voter turnout. Minnesota ranks among the healthiest states, and has a highly literate population. The large majority of residents are of Scandinavian and German descent. The state is known as a center of Scandinavian American culture. Ethnic diversity has increased in recent decades. Substantial influxes of African, Asian, and Latin American immigrants have joined the descendants of European immigrants and the original Native American inhabitants.

Etymology[link]

The word Minnesota comes from the Dakota name for the Minnesota River: Mnisota. The root mni (also spelled mini or minne) means, "water". Mnisota can be translated as sky-tinted water or somewhat clouded water.^[4][5] Native Americans demonstrated the name to early settlers by dropping milk into water and calling it mnisota.^[5] Many locations in the state have similar names, such as Minnehaha Falls ("waterfall"), Minneiska ("white water"), Minneota ("much water"), Minnetonka ("big water"), Minnetrista ("crooked water"), and Minneapolis, which is a combination of mni and polis, the Greek word for "city".^[6]

Geography[link]

Minnesota, showing roads and major bodies of water

Minnesota is the northernmost U.S. state apart from Alaska; its isolated Northwest Angle in Lake of the Woods is the only part of the 48 contiguous states lying north of the 49th Parallel. The state is part of the U.S. region known as the Upper Midwest and part of the Great Lakes Region of North America. The state shares a Lake Superior water border with Michigan and Wisconsin on the northeast; the remainder of the eastern border is with Wisconsin. Iowa is to the south, North Dakota and South Dakota to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba to the north. With 86,943 square miles (225,180 km²),^[7] or approximately 2.25% of the United States,^[8] Minnesota is the twelfth-largest state.^[9]

Geology and terrain[link]

Tilted beds of the Middle Precambrian Thompson Formation in Jay Cooke State Park^[10]

Minnesota contains some of the oldest rocks found on earth, gneisses some 3.6 billion years old, or 80% as old as the planet.^[10][11] About 2.7 billion years ago, basaltic lava poured out of cracks in the floor of the primordial ocean; the remains of this volcanic rock formed the Canadian Shield in northeast Minnesota.^[10][12] The roots of these volcanic mountains and the action of Precambrian seas formed the Iron Range of northern Minnesota. Following a period of volcanism 1.1 billion years ago, Minnesota's geological activity has been more subdued, with no volcanism or mountain formation, but with repeated incursions of the sea, which left behind multiple strata of sedimentary rock.^[10]

In more recent times, massive ice sheets at least one kilometer thick ravaged the landscape of the state and sculpted its current terrain.^[10] The Wisconsin glaciation left 12,000 years ago.^[10] These glaciers covered all of Minnesota except the far southeast, an area characterized by steep hills and streams that cut into the bedrock. This area is known as the Driftless Zone for its absence of glacial drift.^[13] Much of the remainder of the state outside of the northeast has 50 feet (15 m) or more of glacial till left behind as the last glaciers retreated. Gigantic Lake Agassiz formed in the northwest 13,000 years ago. Its bed created the fertile Red River valley, and its outflow, glacial River Warren, carved the valley of the Minnesota River.^[10] Minnesota is geologically quiet today; it experiences earthquakes infrequently, and most of them are minor.^[14]

Palisade Head on Lake Superior formed from a Precambrian rhyolitic lava flow.^[10]

The state's high point is Eagle Mountain at 2,301 feet (701 m), which is only 13 miles (21 km) away from the low of 601 feet (183 m) at the shore of Lake Superior.^[12][15] Notwithstanding dramatic local differences in elevation, much of the state is a gently rolling peneplain.^[10]

Two major drainage divides meet in the northeastern part of Minnesota in rural Hibbing, forming a triple watershed. Precipitation can follow the Mississippi River south to the Gulf of Mexico, the Saint Lawrence Seaway east to the Atlantic Ocean, or the Hudson Bay watershed to the Arctic Ocean.^[16]

The state's nickname, The Land of 10,000 Lakes, is no exaggeration; there are 11,842 Minnesota lakes over 10 acres (0.040 km²) in size.^[17] The Minnesota portion of Lake Superior is the largest at 962,700 acres (3,896 km²) and deepest (at 1,290 ft (390 m)) body of water in the state.^[17] Minnesota has 6,564 natural rivers and streams that cumulatively flow for 69,000 miles (111,000 km).^[17] The Mississippi River begins its journey from its headwaters at Lake Itasca and crosses the Iowa border 680 miles (1,090 km) downstream.^[17] It is joined by the Minnesota River at Fort Snelling, by the St. Croix River near Hastings, by the Chippewa River at Wabasha, and by many smaller streams. The Red River, in the bed of glacial Lake Agassiz, drains the northwest part of the state northward toward Canada's Hudson Bay. Approximately 10.6 million acres (42,900 km²) of wetlands are contained within Minnesota's borders, the most of any state except Alaska.^[18]

Flora and fauna[link]

A groundhog seen in Minneapolis, along the banks of the Mississippi River

Minnesota has four ecological provinces: Prairie Parkland in the southwestern and western parts of the state, the Eastern Broadleaf Forest (Big Woods) in the southeast, extending in a narrowing strip to the northwestern part of the state, where it transitions into Tallgrass Aspen Parkland, and the northern Laurentian Mixed Forest, a transitional forest between the northern boreal forest and broadleaf forests to the south.^[19] These northern forests are a vast wilderness of pine and spruce trees mixed with patchy stands of birch and poplar.

Much of Minnesota's northern forest underwent logging at some time, leaving only a few patches of old growth forest today in areas such as in the Chippewa National Forest and the Superior National Forest where the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness has some 400,000 acres (161,874 ha) of unlogged land.^[20] Although logging continues, regrowth keeps about one third of the state forested.^[21] Nearly all of Minnesota's prairies and oak savannas have been destroyed or fragmented because of farming, grazing, logging, and suburban development.^[22]

While loss of habitat has affected native animals such as the pine marten, elk, woodland caribou, and bison,^[23] others like whitetail deer and bobcat thrive. The state has the nation's largest population of timber wolves outside Alaska,^[24] and supports healthy populations of black bear and moose. Located on the Mississippi Flyway, Minnesota hosts migratory waterfowl such as geese and ducks, and game birds such as grouse, pheasants, and turkeys. It is home to birds of prey including the largest number of breeding pairs of bald eagles in the lower 48 states as of 2007,^[25] red-tailed hawk, and snowy owl. The lakes teem with sport fish such as walleye, bass, muskellunge, and northern pike, and streams in the southeast are populated by brook, brown, and rainbow trout.

Climate[link]

Minnesota endures temperature extremes characteristic of its continental climate; with cold winters and hot summers. The record high and low span is 174 degrees Fahrenheit (96C°) (from −60 °F (−51 °C) at Tower on February 2, 1996 to 114 °F (46 °C) at Moorhead on July 6, 1936) Fahrenheit.^[26] Meteorological events include rain, snow, blizzards, thunderstorms, hail, derechos, tornadoes, and high-velocity straight-line winds. The growing season varies from 90 days per year in the Iron Range to 160 days in southeast Minnesota near the Mississippi River, and mean average temperatures range from 37 °F (2 °C) to 49 °F (9 °C).^[27] Average summer dew points range from about 58 °F (14.4 °C) in the south to about 48 °F (8.9 °C) in the north.^[27][28] Depending on location, average annual precipitation ranges from 19 in (48.3 cm) to 35 in (88.9 cm), and droughts occur every 10 to 50 years.^[27]

Protected lands[link]

Pose Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

Minnesota's first state park, Itasca State Park, was established in 1891, and is the source of the Mississippi River.^[29] Today Minnesota has 72 state parks and recreation areas, 58 state forests covering about four million acres (16,000 km²), and numerous state wildlife preserves, all managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. There are 5.5 million acres (22,000 km²) in the Chippewa and Superior National Forests. The Superior National Forest in the northeast contains the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, which encompasses over a million acres (4,000 km²) and a thousand lakes. To its west is Voyageurs National Park. The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MNRRA), is a 72 miles (116 km) long corridor along the Mississippi River through the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Area connecting a variety of sites of historic, cultural, and geologic interest.^[30]

History[link]

Map of Minnesota Territory 1849–1858

Before European settlement, Minnesota was populated by the Anishinaabe, the Dakota, and other Native Americans. The first Europeans were French fur traders that arrived in the 17th century. Late that century, Ojibwe Indians migrated westward to Minnesota, causing tensions with the Sioux.^[31] Explorers such as Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut, Father Louis Hennepin, Jonathan Carver, Henry Schoolcraft, and Joseph Nicollet, among others, mapped out the state.

The portion of the state east of the Mississippi River became a part of the United States at the end of the American Revolutionary War, when the Second Treaty of Paris was signed. Land west of the Mississippi River was acquired with the Louisiana Purchase, although a portion of the Red River Valley was disputed until the Treaty of 1818.^[32] In 1805, Zebulon Pike bargained with Native Americans to acquire land at the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers. The construction of Fort Snelling followed between 1819 and 1825.^[33] Its soldiers built a grist mill and a sawmill at Saint Anthony Falls, the first of the water-powered industries around which the city of Minneapolis later grew. Meanwhile, squatters, government officials, and tourists had settled near the fort. In 1839, the Army forced them to move downriver, and they settled in the area that became St. Paul.^[34] Minnesota Territory was formed on March 3, 1849. Thousands of people had come to build farms and cut timber, and Minnesota became the 32nd U.S. state on May 11, 1858.

Settlers escaping the Dakota War of 1862

Treaties between European settlers and the Dakota and Ojibwe gradually forced the natives off their lands and on to smaller reservations. As conditions deteriorated for the Dakota, tensions rose, leading to the Dakota War of 1862.^[35] The result of the six-week war was the execution of 38 Dakota — the largest mass execution in United States history — and the exile of most of the rest of the Dakota to the Crow Creek Reservation in Dakota Territory.^[32] As many as 800 white settlers died during the war.^[36]

Logging and farming were mainstays of Minnesota's early economy. The sawmills at Saint Anthony Falls, and logging centers like Marine on St. Croix, Stillwater, and Winona, processed high volumes of lumber. These cities were situated on rivers that were ideal for transportation.^[32] Later, Saint Anthony Falls was tapped to provide power for flour mills. Innovations by Minneapolis millers led to the production of Minnesota "patent" flour, which commanded almost double the price of "bakers" or "clear" flour, which it replaced.^[37] By 1900, Minnesota mills, led by Pillsbury, Northwestern and the Washburn-Crosby Company (a forerunner of General Mills), were grinding 14.1% of the nation's grain.^[38]

Phelps Mill in Otter Tail County

The state's iron-mining industry was established with the discovery of iron in the Vermilion Range and the Mesabi Range in the 1880s, and in the Cuyuna Range in the early 20th century. The ore was shipped by rail to Duluth and Two Harbors, then loaded onto ships and transported eastward over the Great Lakes.^[32]

Industrial development and the rise of manufacturing caused the population to shift gradually from rural areas to cities during the early 20th century. Nevertheless, farming remained prevalent. Minnesota's economy was hard-hit by the Great Depression, resulting in lower prices for farmers, layoffs among iron miners, and labor unrest. Compounding the adversity, western Minnesota and the Dakotas were hit by drought from 1931 to 1935. New Deal programs provided some economic turnaround. The Civilian Conservation Corps and other programs around the state established some jobs for Indians on their reservations, and the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 provided the tribes with a mechanism of self-government. This provided natives a greater voice within the state, and promoted more respect for tribal customs because religious ceremonies and native languages were no longer suppressed.^[33]

After World War II, industrial development quickened. New technology increased farm productivity through automation of feedlots for hogs and cattle, machine milking at dairy farms, and raising chickens in large buildings. Planting became more specialized with hybridization of corn and wheat, and the use of farm machinery such as tractors and combines became the norm. University of Minnesota professor Norman Borlaug contributed to these developments as part of the Green Revolution.^[33] Suburban development accelerated due to increased postwar housing demand and convenient transportation. Increased mobility, in turn, enabled more specialized jobs.^[33]

Minnesota became a center of technology after World War II. Engineering Research Associates was formed in 1946 to develop computers for the United States Navy. It later merged with Remington Rand, and then became Sperry Rand. William Norris left Sperry in 1957 to form Control Data Corporation (CDC).^[39] Cray Research was formed when Seymour Cray left CDC to form his own company. Medical device maker Medtronic also started business in the Twin Cities in 1949.

Cities and towns[link]