10 Biggest Cities in Minnesota: How Well Do You Know The North Star State?

Minnesota is a big state – ranked 12th of 50 in terms of land area – so there’s lots of space for people to spread out. According to 2009 figures provided by the United States Census Bureau, Minnesota ranks 21st of 50 in terms of population, so there’s more land than people. While there is plenty of rural space, urban areas dominate, especially in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Let’s check out the approximate population figures for the 10 biggest cities in Minnesota, with figures coming from Minnesota-demographics.com and the United States Census.

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1. Minneapolis: 400,079

Minneapolis is the state’s most recognizable city and is also home to three of its four major pro sports teams. It also hosted the 2008 Republican National Convention. In terms of its national rank, Minneapolis is ranked 46th according to the City University of New York.

2. St. Paul: 294,873

St. Paul is home to the Minnesota Wild hockey team, touts the most Mississippi River shoreline of any city in the nation, and is also the state capital, according to the city’s website.

3. Rochester: 110,731

Rochester is the largest city that’s not part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metro Area, located between that area and the southern state border. It is home to the Mayo Clinic, which employs 33,179 people according to the Mayo Clinic.

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4. Bloomington: 86,321

A southern suburb in the metro area, Bloomington is famously known as the home of the Mall of America. According to bloomingtonmn.org, the mall is large enough to hold 32 Boeing 747 airplanes. Bloomington also borders Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport’s southern edge.

5. Duluth: 86,125

Duluth is located in the northeastern corner of the state, bordering both Wisconsin and Lake Superior. According to visitduluth.com, Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world. The city also is located near the Superior National Forest and touts its four-season climate.

6. Brooklyn Park: 78,373

Brooklyn Park is located in the northwestern part of the metro area and borders the Mississippi River on its east side. The city touts that is has more than 2,000 acres of parkland, according to its website.

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7. Plymouth: 73,987

Plymouth is on the western edge of the metro area and according to the city’s website, it was named No. 1 in the “Best Places to Live” series by Money Magazine in 2008 for cities with populations between 50,000 and 300,000. In 2010, the city placed in the top 12 in the same rankings.

8. Woodbury: 65,659

Woodbury sits on the southeastern side of the metro area, with a majority of its land away from freeways. According to the city’s website, it was ranked 12th by Money Magazine for the 2014 “Best Places to Live” series.

9. Eagan: 65,453

Eagan is located on the southern edge of the metro area and at one time it was the called the “Onion Capital of the United States” due to its plentiful cropland, according to the city.

10. Maple Grove: 65,406

Maple Grove is on the northwestern corner of the metro area. The city’s website says it has seven lakes, 1,000 acres of parkland and 48 playgrounds.

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