Minnesota is a U.S. state in the upper Midwest, covering 225,163 square kilometers with a mean elevation of 365 meters. It became the 32nd state on May 11, 1858, after the Territory of Minnesota had been organized on March 3, 1849. With a population of 5,706,494, it is shaped in nearly every physical detail by glacial forces: its 11,842 lakes of at least ten acres were carved from bedrock basins or left in kettle holes when the last ice sheets retreated. Professional and business services led its real GDP contribution in 2025 at $61.4 billion, placing Minnesota among the more economically diversified states in the country.
Key facts
- Country: United States
- Type: U.S. state
- Located in: United States
- Coordinates: 46.0000, -94.0000
- Population: 5,706,494
- Area: 225,163 km²
- Elevation: 365 m
- Founded: 11 May 1858
Geography and Landscape
Minnesota spans 225,163 square kilometers, taking in prairie, boreal forest, and lake country, with a mean elevation of 365 meters. No part of its terrain carries the imprint of glacial geology more visibly than the northeastern corner of the state.
Nearly every one of the state’s 11,842 lakes traces its origin to glacial action, whether a basin scoured out of bedrock or a depression left when a buried ice block melted and the ground above collapsed. The lakes are not scattered evenly; they cluster most densely across the central and northern portions of the state.
The state’s only national park, Voyageurs, was established on April 8, 1975. It spans 218,054 acres along the Minnesota-Ontario border and is named for the French-Canadian fur traders who worked its waterways during the 18th and 19th centuries.
History
The Territory of Minnesota was formally organized on March 3, 1849, and statehood followed less than a decade later on May 11, 1858. Those early years of American governance were marked by deep tension between the federal government, settlers, and the Dakota people who had lived across the region for generations.
That tension broke into open conflict on August 18, 1862, when Dakota warriors attacked trading posts and settlements along the Minnesota River Valley, starting what became known as the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. The aftermath was severe. President Abraham Lincoln reviewed 392 sentences handed down after the fighting ended and reduced the list, but 38 Dakota men were hanged together at Mankato on December 26, 1862. The event remains the largest mass execution in United States history.
Economy
In 2025, professional and business services contributed $61.4 billion to Minnesota’s real GDP, the largest share of any sector. Real estate, rental, and leasing followed at $51.9 billion, and manufacturing came third at $48.9 billion. The spread across those three sectors reflects an economy not concentrated in a single industry.
Did you know
- Minnesota’s highest point, Eagle Mountain at 2,301 feet (701 meters), and its lowest point, the shore of Lake Superior at 602 feet (183 meters), sit only about 13 miles apart in the northeastern corner of the state. (kids.kiddle.co)
- The 38 Dakota men hanged together at Mankato on December 26, 1862, following the U.S.-Dakota War, remain the largest mass execution in United States history. President Abraham Lincoln had reviewed 392 sentences before reducing the list to those 38. (statedoku.com)
- The name “Itasca,” given to the glacial lake recognized as the official source of the Mississippi River, was coined in 1832 by explorer Henry Rowe Schoolcraft. He constructed it by splicing parts of two Latin words, verITAS CAput, which together mean “true head.” (lowestravels.com)
Data sources
Data updated: 2026-10-28