POPULATION
Minneapolis: 372, 811
Hennepin County: 1,119,364
Downtown: 30,000
Minnesota: 5,132,799
(Source: 2005 census data estimates)
GEOGRAPHY Lattitude: 44° 58' 39" North
Longitude: 93° 15' 56" West
Area: 59 square miles or 37,516 acres
Land: 35,244 acres
Water: 2,324 acres
Lakes: 22
Elevation: 824 feet above sea level
WEATHER
Average high temperature in January: 22° F
Average high temperature in July: 83° F
Overall: 45° F
Annual precipitation: 27.3 inches
Annual snowfall: 49.5 inches
TRANSPORATION Located halfway between Los Angeles and New York City, Minneapolis is less than a three-hour flight from most U.S. cities. Just minutes from downtown, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) serves 34 million passengers - making it one of the 10 busiest airports in the country.
Board the train
The new light rail train runs from downtown Minneapolis to
the airport and Mall of America, conveniently servicing multiple
stations, including the Warehouse District and Metrodome,
along the route. Fares range from $1.50 to $2 depending on the
time of day. Ride the bus
Metro Transit, which annually provides 73 million bus trips,
off ers a handy, low-cost way to get around. Fares range from
$1.50 to $2.75, depending on time of day and route. Take a
bus up and down Nicollet Mall for just 50 cents.
Catch a cab
Cab service is available anywhere in the metro area. Catch a taxi at the Minneapolis Convention Center and any hotel, or call
ahead for service.
Estimate cab fares:
MSP airport to downtown Minneapolis: $22
Within downtown Minneapolis: $5-10
Downtown Minneapolis to downtown St. Paul: $25
Downtown Minneapolis to Mall of America: $23
Try the skyway
Downtown Minneapolis has a unique skyway system (which first opened in 1962), located
one floor above ground, that offers enclosed travel between
buildings. More than seven miles of glass-enclosed walkways, span 72 blocks to connect hotels, shopping centers, sports and entertainment venues,
restaurants, and parking ramps – which means pedestrians can
travel in climate-controlled bliss.
Did you know? Nicollet Mall, a 12-block thoroughfare with traffic limited to service vehicles and pedestrians, was the second pedestrian mall in the country.
HOTELS Genuine hospitality and some 30,000 hotel rooms make
the Minneapolis/St. Paul area an inviting place to stay.
From executive suites to economy lodging, there’s room
for every style.
Hotels in the city’s vibrant core are comfortable, convenient
and friendly. They’re also steps from theater, entertainment,
shopping and dining. More than 3,500 hotel rooms even offer
weather-proof access to the Convention Center and other
destinations via the city’s famous skyway system.
ANNUAL EVENTS
January: St. Paul Winter Carnival
February: Home and Garden Show, Food & Wine Experience , Scottish Ramble
March: Macy's-Bachman's Flower Display, St. Patrick's Day Parades (Minneapolis and St. Paul)
April: Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival, Festival of Nations
May: Cinco de Mayo Mexican Fiesta, Farmer's Markets open, May Day Parade, Northeast Minneapolis Art-a-Whirl, Syttende Mai
June: Edina Art Fair, Grand Old Days, GLBT Pride Festival, Hot Summer Jazz Festival, Juneteenth, American Swedish Institute's Midsommer, Alive After Five Concerts
August: August Arts Weekend (Uptown Art Fair, Loring Park Art Festival, Powderhorn Art Fair), Minnesota Fringe, Minnesota Renaissance Festival, Minnesota State Fair
September: Minnesota Renaissance Festival, Minnesota State Fair
December: Macy's Holiday Display, Holidazzle Parade, Riverfront New Year's Celebration
FAMOUS MINNESOTANS
Prince: You know, the one known again as Prince. His studio
and home are in suburban Chanhassen.
Bob Dylan: The famed musician once owned the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Minneapolis.
Al Franken: The comedian, screenwriter, political satirist and original writer for Saturday Night Live grew up in a Minneapolis suburb.
Josh Harnett: The heart-throb movie star grew up in St. Paul and currently resides in Minneapolis.
Charles Schulz: The late artist of the “Peanuts” comic strip grew up in St. Paul.
Garrison Keillor: The journalist and radio host of “A Prairie Home Companion” is from Minneapolis/St. Paul and
broadcasts his show from St. Paul’s Fitzgerald Theater.
Jesse Ventura: Former Minnesota governor who once wrestled
under the name “Jesse the Body.”
Other notables include:
Louie Anderson, comedian; Warren Burger, jurist; Robert
Bly, author; Amelia Earhart, pilot; F. Scott Fitzgerald, author;
Judy Garland, singer, actress; Hubert Humphrey, Vice
President; Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, music producers; Jessica Lange, actress; Sinclair Lewis, author; John
Madden, sportscaster; Walter F. Mondale, Vice President; Winona Ryder actress
HISTORY Minneapolis was born along the Mississippi, on land the Sioux and Ojibwe people long called home. Around 1680, Father Louis Hennepin christened scenic St. Anthony Falls -- the only water fall on the river -- which, centuries later, would give the city enormous industrial power. The Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and the construction of Fort Snelling in the 1820s ushered more Europeans into this pristine region for trading, trapping and settlement.
The cultural influences of the city’s first settlers –Scandinavian, Irish, German, Italian, French-Canadian, Greek, Polish, Jewish and people of many nationalities – can be seen in neighborhood churches, businesses, architecture and events.
From the 1880s to the 1930s, St. Anthony Falls fueled the lucrative flour milling industry, making Minneapolis the milling capital of the world, and establishing modern corporate giants such as Cargill, General Mills and Pillsbury.
Rightfully, Minneapolis never lost touch with its source, preserving and developing the Mississippi riverfront to combine restaurants, nightclubs, galleries and shops with antique buildings and natural wonders.
