POPULATION: 382,578 (city), 3,495,176 (metro) | TIME ZONE: Central | CLIMATE: Humid continental climate (cold snowy winters, warm, humidsummers)
As befits the third most literate city in the U.S., Minneapolis was (probably) named by the city’s first schoolmaster of record, Charles Hoag. As you know, Minneapolis is a City Of Lakes in a Land of 10,000 Lakes. Not to mention that the Mississippi River figures prominently in local geography. Water is big here. So, Master Hoag combined mni, a Dakota Sioux word for water, and polis, the Greek word for city, and the name Minneapolis was born. Lying on both banks of the Mississippi, Minneapolis abuts the state capitol St. Paul, hence the famous Twin Cities moniker. Saint Anthony Falls is the highest waterfall on the Mississippi, and back in the 1800s was often used to power the sawing and milling industries. (With 34 flour mills, we might have the beginning of an explanation for Minneapolis’ invention of the Bundt pan.) Sawing and milling were once so hugely active here, The Minnesota Archeologist once described Minneapolis as the greatest direct-drive waterpower center the world has ever seen. Interestingly, given the occupational hazards of sawing and milling, Minneapolis also had a prodigious industry in artificial limbs and prosthetics.
NICKNAME(S)
City of Lakes
Mill City
Twin Cities (shared with Saint Paul)
Mini Apple
MOTTO(S)
En Avant (Forward)
RANDOM SONG ABOUT THE CITY
Minneapolis, by Jill Corey
PRO SPORTS TEAMS
Minnesota Vikings (NFL)
Minnesota Twins (MLB)
Minnesota Timberwolves (NBA)
Minnesota Lynx (WNBA)
Minnesota Wild (NHL)
Minnesota United FC (NASL)
Minnesota Lynx (WNBA)
Minnesota Vixen (IWFL)
Minnesota Machine (WFA)
St. Paul Saints (AA)
Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks (AA)
Minnesota Wind Chill (AUDL)
ALSO KNOWN FOR...
Former flour-milling capitol of the world
America’s third most literate city
Invention of the pop-up toaster
The Twinkie Law
The world’s longest continuous skyway system
Invention of the Bundt pan
The Honeycrisp apple
The country’s best parks
The Geek Squad
The only sports facility to host a Super Bowl, World Series, MLB All-Star Game and NCAA Division I
Basketball Final Four
Home to Mary Richards on the Mary Tyler Moore Show
Lots and lots of Scandinavian- and German-Americans
Target HQ
Charles Schultz, W. Harry Davis, Prince, Betty Crocker, The Andrews Sisters, The Coen Brothers, Jessica Lange,F. Scott Fitzgerald, Billy Graham, George Roy Hill, Sinclair Lewis, J. Paul Getty, Jessie Ventura, Tiny Tim