Minneapolis–Saint Paul

"Twin Cities" (note capitalization) redirects here. This article is about the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. For the generic term and other paired cities called "The Twin Cities" and capitalized as such, see Twin cities. For the twin city, see Winston-Salem.

A map of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Shown in blue are the original seven counties, and in red, the remainder of the present-day thirteen counties included in the metropolitan area.

The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul and the surrounding area is the most highly populated area in Minnesota and the 16th-largest metropolitan area in the United States as of the 2000 census. Both built along the Mississippi River, Minneapolis is the largest city in the state, and St. Paul is the second largest and also the capital of Minnesota. There are other places around the world that are considered twin cities, but Minneapolis-St. Paul is one of the best known. Some consider Minneapolis to be the first city of the West, and Saint Paul to be the last old city of the East. Often, the area is referred to "The Cities", both within Minnesota and even in the bordering states of Iowa, Wisconsin, and the Dakotas (many people in the area are drawn from these states by the perpetually healthy economy and flourishing cultural scene). Areas of Minnesota outside of the Twin Cities are collectively referred to as "Greater Minnesota" or "Outstate" by people from the Twin Cities metro area. Today, the two cities directly border each other and their downtown districts are about 10 miles (16 km) apart. The Twin Cities are generally said to be in "east central" Minnesota. The Cities are seen as the economic engine of the entire upper midwest, and draw workers from as far away as St. Cloud.

The region

Minneapolis Skyline from Mall of America Parking in Bloomington

The U.S. Census Bureau defines the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington Metropolitan Statistical Area as a region of eleven counties in Minnesota and two in neighboring Wisconsin, an area which had a population of nearly three million people (2,968,805) in 2000. The area is growing rapidly; its population is projected to increase to four million in 20 years, and the Minnesota counties in this area were estimated to have a population of 3,090,377 as of April 1, 2005. When speaking of the Twin Cities however many locals are referring to an older seven-county area entirely within Minnesota, which is under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Council. It is common for Outstate Minnesotans to refer to the area as the Cities. The majority of state residents live in the Twin Cities region, although fewer than one in four people in the metro lives in the two core cities.

7 counties	13 counties
Anoka Carver Dakota Hennepin Ramsey Scott Washington	Minnesota		Wisconsin
	Anoka Carver Chisago Dakota Hennepin Isanti	Ramsey Scott Sherburne Washington Wright	Pierce St. Croix

Bloomington, Minnesota, home of the Mall of America, is the third-largest city in the metro area and is in close contention for third place in the state, coming in at just about the same size as Duluth and Rochester in the 2000 census. (While most locals do not consider Bloomington to be a major city but a very large suburb, since the 2000 census it has been included as a named city in what is now termed the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MSA.)

There are multiple "rings" of suburbs extending outward from the core area, and having two central cities can make it difficult for visitors or new residents to learn the arrangement of cities and towns. There are 188 municipalities in the seven-county region alone, and there are 334 in the thirteen-county region.

Minneapolis and St. Paul have competed for attention ever since they were founded, sometimes resulting in a fair amount of duplication of effort. The two cities have sometimes tried to outdo one another by building bigger or more extravagantly. In the 1950s, both cities competed for a major league baseball franchise, and there was a brief period in the 1960s where the two cities did not agree on a common calendar for daylight saving time, resulting in a period of a few weeks where the two cities were one hour apart. In the early to mid 1900s, the rivalry was particularly strong as each city sought for dominance over the other; this could occasionally erupt into inter-city violence, as happened at a 1923 game between the Minneapolis Millers and the St. Paul Saints, both of the American Association.

The cities' mutual antagonism was largely healed by the 1960s, and the simultaneous arrival in 1961 of the Minnesota Twins of the American League and the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League, both of which identified themselves with the state as a whole (the former explicitly named for both Twin Cities) and not with either of the major cities (unlike the earlier Minneapolis Lakers). Since 1961, it has been common that any major sports team based in the Twin Cities is named for Minnesota as a whole, with the Twins and Vikings followed by the Minnesota North Stars (1967-93), Minnesota Muskies (1967-68), Minnesota Pipers (1968-69), Minnesota Fighting Saints (1972-77), Minnesota Kicks (1976-81), Minnesota Strikers (1984-88), Minnesota Timberwolves (1989-present), Minnesota Thunder (1990-present), Minnesota Lynx (1999-present), Minnesota Wild (2000-present) and Minnesota Swarm (2005-present).

Culture

Arts and Entertainment

The Twin Cities area is considered the capital for the arts in the Upper Midwest, the lead region among others such as the Twin Ports (Duluth, Minnesota-Superior, Wisconsin), Madison, Wisconsin and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There is a very high per-capita attendance of theatrical, musical, and comedy events across the area, which some believe may be boosted by the cold winters but can be more realistically attributed to the large number of colleges, universities, and a generally strong economy, providing strong supply and demand for arts. In 2000, 2.3 million theater tickets were sold in the region. There are more theatre seats per capita than in any other American city, including New York City.

Minnesotan musicians from all genres have gained notoriety over the years, with the singing Andrews Sisters gaining worldwide prominence during World War II, followed most notably by Hibbing, MN native Bob Dylan (who launched his career playing free shows on the West Bank of the University of Minnesota Minneapolis campus), to the rise of punk rockers Hüsker Dü, Soul Asylum, the Replacements, and the rhythm and blues stylings of Morris Day and the Time and Prince in the 1980s. R&B mega-producing team Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis have origins in the Twin Cities, and jazz musician Lester Young lived there for a time in his youth.

These later sources brought the Minneapolis music scene to national attention; the period from about 1977 to 1987 was a period of incredible dynamism in the Minneapolis music scene, with offshoots in the punk scene including Soul Asylum, Babes in Toyland, the Clams and many other seminal favorites, while Prince's immense power in the industry (which peaked during this period) created a Rhythm and Blues mini-empire at his Paisley Park Studios, based in suburban Chanhassen.

While contemporary local artists continue to enjoy critical acclaim — examples include hip-hop duo Atmosphere and frontman Slug's label Rhymesayers Entertainment; the smaller Doomtree; and commercially successful pop-rockers Semisonic — things have slowed considerably; but the Twin Cities are still the region's musical hotbed. The area has also shown an unusual affinity for certain artists. For instance, while largely unnoticed on their home turf in New York City, the Twin Cities accounted for the majority of national sales for Soul Coughing's second album Irresistible Bliss during its first eight weeks of release; this followed from the fledgling fan that Soul Coughing found here while touring for their first effort, Ruby Vroom.

Minnesota and Wisconsin have also contributed significantly to comedy in its many different forms. Ole and Lena jokes can't be fully appreciated unless delivered in the sing-songy accent of Scandinavian-Americans, and Garrison Keillor is known around the country for resurrecting the old-style radio comedy with A Prairie Home Companion. Local television had the satirical show The Bedtime Nooz in the 1960s, while area natives Lizz Winstead and Craig Kilborn helped create the increasingly influential Daily Show decades later. The standup scene of Minneapolis-St. Paul during the 1980s and 1990s was a major force in national comedy. Joel and Ethan Coen have produced many films featuring dark comedy, and numerous others brought the offbeat cult shows Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Let's Bowl to the national cable-waves from the Twin Cities.

Outdoors

There are a number of lakes in the region, and cities in the area have some very extensive park systems for recreation. Some studies have shown that area residents take advantage of this, and are among the most physically fit in the country, though others have disputed that. Nonetheless, medicine is a major industry in the region and the southeasterly city of Rochester, as the University of Minnesota has joined other colleges and hospitals in doing significant research, and major medical device manufacturers started in the region (the most prominent is Medtronic). Technical innovators have brought important advances in computing, including the Cray line of supercomputers.

It is common for residents of the Twin Cities area to own or share cabins and other properties along lakes and forested areas in the central and northern regions of the state, and weekend trips "up North" happen through the warmer months. Ice fishing is also a major pastime in the winter, although each year some overambitious fishermen find themselves in dangerous situations when they venture out onto the ice too early or too late. Hunting, snowmobiling, ATV riding and numerous other outdoor activities are also popular. This connectedness with the outdoors also brings a strong sense of environmentalism to many Minnesotans.

Religion

Minneapolis-Saint Paul is also a major center for religion in the state, especially Christianity. The headquarters of the missionary efforts of no fewer than three churches for the state are found here: The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota and the Presbyterian Synod of Lakes and Prairies find themselves in, respectively, Saint Paul and Minneapolis; Minneapolis; and Bloomington. The headquarters of the former American Lutheran Church were located in Minneapolis; the headquarters of the Augsburg Fortress publishing house of its successor, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, still are. Also, the Minneapolis Area Synod and the St. Paul Area Synod are the 1st and 3rd largest synods of the ELCA, respectively. In non-Christian traditions, the Twin Cities have always been home to several Jewish synagogues, with influxes of immigrants in recent years bringing many religions once thought foreign to find their home in the fertile soil of the Mississippi River Valley.

Sports

Club	Sport	League	Venue	Championships
Minnesota Twins	Baseball	Major League Baseball; AL	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	World Series: 1987, 1991
Minnesota Vikings	American football	National Football League; NFC	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Minnesota Timberwolves	Basketball	National Basketball Association; Western	Target Center
Minnesota Wild	Ice Hockey	National Hockey League; Western	Xcel Energy Center
Minnesota Swarm	Indoor lacrosse	National Lacrosse League; Western Division	Xcel Energy Center
Minnesota Lynx	Basketball	Women's National Basketball Association; Western	Target Center
Saint Paul Saints	Baseball	American association; North Division	Midway Stadium	Northern League Championship: 1993, 1995, 1996, 2004
Minnesota Thunder	Football (soccer)	USL First Division	James Griffin Stadium
Minneapolis/St. Paul Slamma Jammas	Basketball	American Basketball Association: White Conference	TBA

Some other sports teams gained their names from being in Minnesota. The Los Angeles Lakers get their name from once being based in Minneapolis, the "City of Lakes" (Minne-"lake" or "water" in Dakota, -polis-"city" in Greek). Minnesota is also known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes". The Dallas Stars got their name from being a Minnesota team, the Minnesota North Stars, as Minnesota is also known as "The North Star State".

The annual Twin Cities Marathon is held in the fall.

Politics

Minneapolis and St. Paul have combined to submit bids to host both the 2008 Democratic National Convention and the 2008 Republican National Convention. They are competing against Denver and New York to host the Democratic Convention, and against New York, Cleveland and Tampa to host the Republican Convention. The Democrats would hold the convention at the St. Paul Xcel Energy Center, while the Republicans have not announced their preferred venue: either the Xcel Energy Center, or in Minneapolis, the Target Center, or the Metrodome.

History

The first European settlement in the region was near what is now known as the town of Stillwater, Minnesota. The city is approximately 20 miles from downtown Saint Paul and lies on the western bank of the St. Croix River, which forms the border of central Minnesota and Wisconsin. Another settlement that began fueling early interest in the area was the outpost at Fort Snelling, which was constructed from 1820 to 1825 at the confluence of the Minnesota River and the Mississippi River.

Fort Snelling held jurisdiction over the land south of Saint Anthony Falls, thus a town known as Saint Anthony grew just north of the river. For several years, the only resident to live on the south bank of the river was Colonel John H. Stevens, who operated a ferry service across the river. As soon as the land area controlled by Fort Snelling was reduced, new settlers began flocking across to the new village of Minneapolis. The town grew quickly, and Minneapolis and Saint Anthony eventually merged. On the eastern side of the Mississippi, a few villages such as Pig's Eye and Lambert's Landing developed and would soon grow to become Saint Paul.

The oldest farms in the state are located in Washington County, the eastern most county on the Minnesota side of the metropolitan area. Lake Elmo, just southwest of Stillwater, began with one farm in 1852 on the southwest corner of the intersection of what is now Manning Avenue and 30th Street, just east of downtown Lake Elmo. It was built in 1875, restored in 1998 and still stands today.

The Grand Excursion, a trip into the Upper Midwest sponsored by the Rock Island Railroad, brought more than a thousand curious travelers into the area by rail and steamboat in 1854. The next year, in 1855, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow published The Song of Hiawatha, an epic poem based on the Ojibwe legends of Hiawatha. A number of natural area landmarks were included in the story, such as Lake Minnetonka and Minnehaha Falls. Tourists inspired by the coverage of the Grand Excursion in eastern newspapers and those who read Longfellow's story flocked to the area in the following decades.

Lock and Dam No. 1, on Mississippi River just upstream of Minnesota River.

At one time, the region also had numerous passenger rail services, including both interurban streetcar systems and interstate rail. Due to the width of the river at points further south, the Minneapolis-St. Paul area was briefly one of the few places where the Mississippi could be crossed by railroad. A great amount of commercial rail traffic also ran through the area, often carrying grain to be processed at mills in Minneapolis or delivering other goods to Saint Paul to be transported along the Mississippi. Saint Paul had long been at the head of navigation on the river, prior to new lock and dam facilities being added upriver in Minneapolis.

Passenger travel hit its peak in 1888 with nearly eight million traversing to and from the Saint Paul Union Depot. This amounted to approximately 150 trains daily. Before long, other rail crossings were built farther south and travel through the region began to decline. In an effort by the rail companies to combat the rise of the automobile, some of the earliest streamliners ran from Chicago, Illinois to Minneapolis/Saint Paul and eventual served distant points in the Pacific Northwest. Today, the only vestige of this interstate service comes by Amtrak's Empire Builder service, running once daily in each direction. The line is named after James J. Hill, a railroad tycoon who settled on Summit Avenue in St. Paul at what is now known as the James J. Hill House.

Transportation

Roads and highways

In the 20th century, the Twin Cities area expanded outward significantly. Automobiles made it possible for suburbs to grow greatly. The area now has a number of freeways to transport people by car. The area incorporates a large number of traffic cameras and ramp meters to monitor and manage traffic congestion. There is some use of high-occupancy vehicle (carpool) lanes, though it is not as pervasive as in other regions. When the roads do become congested, buses are allowed to drive on road shoulders to bypass traffic jams.

Interstate 94 comes into the area from the east and heads northwest from Minneapolis. Two spur routes form the I-494/I-694 loop, and I-394 continues west when I-94 turns north. Additionally, Interstate 35 splits in Burnsville in the southern part of the Twin Cities region, bringing I-35E into St. Paul and I-35W into Minneapolis. (This is one of only two examples of an Interstate highway splitting off into branches and then rejoining into one again; the other split occurs in Dallas-Fort Worth, where I-35 splits into I-35E for motorists who want to go into Dallas, and I-35W for traffic heading into Fort Worth.) They join together again to the north in Forest Lake and continue to the highway's terminus in Duluth.

The many rivers and lakes in the Twin Cities are visible in this satellite photo of the region.

Other major highways in the area include:

• Minnesota State Highway 5 (West 7th Street)
• Minnesota State Highway 13 (Sibley Memorial Highway)
• Minnesota State Highway 36
• Minnesota State Highway 47 (University Avenue)
• Minnesota State Highway 51 (Snelling Avenue)
• Minnesota State Highway 55 (Olson Memorial Highway / Hiawatha Avenue)
• Minnesota State Highway 62 (Crosstown Highway, usually referred to as "the Crosstown")
• Minnesota State Highway 65 (Central Avenue)
• Minnesota State Highway 77 (Cedar Avenue)
• Minnesota State Highway 95 (Hastings to near Saint Cloud)
• Minnesota State Highway 100 (Belt Line Highway/Lilac Drive)
• Minnesota State Highway 110
• Minnesota State Highway 252
• Minnesota State Highway 280
• Minnesota State Highway 610 (North Crosstown)
• U.S. Highway 10
• U.S. Highway 12
• U.S. Highway 52 (Lafayette Freeway)
• U.S. Highway 61
• U.S. Highway 169 (Mendelson Highway)
• U.S. Highway 212

Air travel

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport

File:MSPAirportAerial2.jpg

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (North is Up)

The main airport in the region is Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), which is a major hub for Northwest Airlines. A number of other smaller airports are also in the area, a number of which are owned and operated by the Metropolitan Airports Commission (the same organization operates the main MSP airport). Some people even commute by air to the Twin Cities from the northern part of the state.

Public transit

Metro Transit, by far the biggest bus service provider in the area, owes its existence to the old streetcar lines that ran in the area. Metro Transit provides about 95% of the public transit rides in the region, although some suburbs have other bus services. The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities operates a free bus system on its campus. This system includes the Campus Connector Bus Rapid Transit line which travels between the Minneapolis and St. Paul Campuses by a dedicated bus line, and throughout the two campuses on normal access roads. The Hiawatha Line light rail corridor began regular operations in June 2004, and is run by Metro Transit. In many ways a return to what existed in the past, it is being used as a stepping-stone to other projects.

A variety of rail services are currently being pondered by state and local governments, including neighborhood streetcar systems, intercity light rail service, and commuter rail options out to exurban communities. In addition, Minnesota is one of several states in the Midwest examining the idea of setting up high-speed rail service using Chicago as a regional hub.

Media

Main article: Media in the Twin Cities

Print

The Twin Cities have two major newspapers: The Star Tribune and The Saint Paul Pioneer Press. Additionally, the Minnesota Daily serves the University of Minnesota's Twin Cities campus and surrounding neighborhoods. A number of other weekly papers (most of which are fully supported by advertising, including City Pages) are also available.

Television

The region is currently ranked as the 13th or 14th largest television market, depending on the source. Area broadcasters include the following; each analog station is also broadcast in ATSC digital television on the -1 subchannel, except where noted:

• KTCA Channel 2 (PBS) (KTCI-DT Channel 17-1)
• WCCO Channel 4 (CBS)
• KSTP Channel 5 (ABC)
• KMSP Channel 9 (Fox)
• KARE Channel 11 (NBC)
• WUMN Channel 13 (Univision)
• KTCI Channel 17 (PBS) (KTCI-DT Channel 17-2)
• KMWB Channel 23 (WB)
• WFTC Channel 29 (UPN)
• KPXM Channel 41 (i)
• KSTC Channel 45 (Independent)
• KTCA-DT TPT-HD Channel 2-1 (PBS-HD)
• KSTP-DT News Channel 5-2
• KARE-DT Wx Channel 11-2
• KTCI-DT TPTyou Channel 17-3, TPT-Kids Channel 17-4, TPT-Wx Channel 17-5

Twin Cities Public Television operates both KTCA and KTCI. Hubbard Broadcasting Corporation owns KSTP and has a second TV station, KSTC, which is not affiliated with any network. KMSP and WFTC have now merged as well, and KARE currently has a marketing agreement with KPXM. The only station with its main studios in Minneapolis is WCCO, while St. Paul is host to KSTP/KSTC, KTCA/KTCI, and KMWB. Other stations are located in the suburbs. For much of the last two decades, KARE has had the most popular evening newscasts of the area channels. On the other end, KSTP has struggled to maintain ratings on its news programs. KMSP has had a 9 o'clock newscast since at least the early 1990s when it was an independent channel.

Communities in the region have their own public/educational/government-access cable television channels. One channel, the Metro Cable Network, is available on channel 6 on cable systems across the seven-county region.

Several television programs originating in the Twin Cities have been aired nationally on terrestrial and cable TV networks. KTCA created the science program Newton's Apple and distributes a children's program today. A few unusual comedic shows also originated in the area. In the 1980s, KTMA (predecessor to KMWB) created a number of low-budget shows, including cult classic Mystery Science Theater 3000. The shortlived Let's Bowl started on KARE, and PBS series Mental Engineering originated on the St. Paul cable access network.

Radio

The radio market in the Twin Cities is considered to be somewhat smaller than for TV, ranked 16th. The area lineup includes:

• KUOM 770 AM/106.5 FM ("Radio K", college rock)
• WCCO 830 AM ("The Good Neighbor", talk)
• KTNF 950 AM (Air America Radio, Liberal talk)
• KFAN 1130 AM (sports)
• WWTC 1280 AM (talk) - conservative talk.
• KSTP 1500 AM (talk)
• KBEM 88.5 FM ("Jazz 88", jazz)
• KCMP 89.3 ("The Current", freeform), Minnesota Public Radio
• KFAI 90.3 FM Minneapolis, 106.7 FM St. Paul ("Fresh Air Radio", community radio / freeform)
• KNOW 91.1 FM (talk), Minnesota Public Radio
• KQRS 92.5 FM ("KQ92", classic rock)
• KXXR 93.7 FM ("93X", modern/hard rock)
• KSTP 94.5 FM ("KS95", hot adult contemporary)
• KTTB 96.3 FM ("B96", hip hop)
• KTCZ 97.1 FM ("Cities 97", adult alternative
• KSJN 99.5 FM (classical), Minnesota Public Radio
• KTLK 100.3 FM (talk)
• KEEY 102.1 FM (K102, country)
• KDWB 101.3 FM (Top 40)
• WLTE 102.9 FM ("102.9 Lite FM", adult contemporary)
• KZJK 104.1 FM ("Jack FM", adult hits)
• WGVX 105.1/WGVY 105.3/WGVZ 105.7 FM ("Drive 105", alternative)
• WFMP 107.1 ("FM107", female-oriented talk radio)
• KQQL 107.9 ("Kool 108", oldies)

For decades, WCCO radio was the most well-known and most popular broadcaster in the region, with an all-day talk format. WCCO was eventually pushed out of the top spot by KQRS, a classic rock station with a popular morning show.

KSTP also has some fairly popular radio stations, with pop music format on FM and a talk format on AM. KSTP-AM and FM are owned by Hubbard Broadcasting. In 1985, Hubbard - valued at $400 million - was a large corporate media companies in the United States; in 2005, valued at US $1.2 billion, Hubbard is a fairly small major-market media operation.

Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) is also a major force in the state and across the country, best known across the U.S. for the variety show A Prairie Home Companion. Based in St. Paul, MPR is reportedly the nation's second-most powerful public radio organization behind National Public Radio (of which MPR is an affiliate).

Geography and geology

Mississippi River near Minnehaha Falls (IR photo)

Along with much of Minnesota, the Twin Cities area was shaped by water and ice over the course of millions of years. The land of the area sits on top of thick layers of sandstone and limestone laid down as seas encroached upon and receded from the region. Erosion caused natural caves to develop, which were expanded into mines when white settlers came to the area. In the time of Prohibition, at least one speakeasy was built into these hidden spaces—eventually refurbished as the Wabasha Street Caves in St. Paul.

While a few of the caverns have been cleaned up and are safe places, most are not. Over the decades, many people have been injured and killed while exploring them. A number of these incidents involved asphyxiation, sometimes caused by smoldering fires which used up much of the oxygen in the caves and left deadly levels of noxious gases behind.

Because it is comparatively easy to dig through limestone and there are many natural and man-made open spaces, it has often been proposed that the area should examine the idea of building subways for public transportation. In theory, it could be less expensive in the Twin Cities than in many other places, but the cost would still be much greater than surface projects. Additionally, a number of existing utility lines would have to be moved. There are extensive networks under the cities, particularly St. Paul where at least seven distinct tunnel systems have been built since the 1840s. Most are still used today.

Lakes across the area were formed and altered by the movement of glaciers. This left many bodies of water in the region, and unusual shapes may appear. For example, Lake Minnetonka out toward the western side of the Twin Cities consists of a complex arrangement of channels and large bays.

Of the major U.S. metropolitan areas in the lower 48 states, Minneapolis-St. Paul is farther north than all but Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon.

Climate

Owing to its northerly latitude and inland location, the Twin Cities experience a relatively harsh climate, though not as much so as in most other parts of the state, partially due to the urban heat island effect.

The average annual temperature at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is 45.4° F (7.4°C). Monthly average daily high temperatures range from 21.9° F (-5.6°C) in January to 83.3° (28.5°C) in July; the average daily minimum temperatures for the two months are 4.3°(-15.4°C) and 63.0°(17°C) respectively.

Minimum temperatures of 0° F (-18° C) or lower are seen on an average of 29.7 days per year; 76.2 days do not have a maximum temperature exceeding the freezing point. Temperatures above 90° F (32° C) are reported on 15, according to the same climatic threshold normals. Those above 100° F have been rare in recent years, the last occurring in July, 2006, during an unusually hot period in which the high temperature exceeded 90°F on 17 of July's 31 days. The lowest temperature ever reported at the station was -34° F (-36.6°C) on January 22, 1936; the highest, 108°(42°C), was reported on July 14 of the same year.[1]

Precipitation averages 29.41" a year, and is most plentiful in June (4.34") and February (0.79") the least so. The greatest one-day rainfall amount was 9.15", reported on July 23, 1987. The city's record for lowest annual precipitation was set in 1910, when 11.54" fell throughout the year; interestingly, the opposite record was set the following year, which observed a total 40.15".[2]

At an average of 56.3 inches per year, snowfall is generally abundant (though some recent years have proved an exception).[3]

A normal growing season in the metro extends from late April or early May through the month of October.[4] The USDA places the area in the 4a plant hardiness zone. [5]

Buildings and structures

File:Minn01.jpg

view of St. Anthony Falls from Stone Arch Bridge

The four tallest buildings in the area are located in downtown Minneapolis. The first skyscraper built west of the Mississippi in 1929 was the Foshay Tower. Today there is some contention over exactly which building is the tallest—most Minnesotans would immediately think of the IDS Center if queried on the point, although most sources seem to agree that 225 South Sixth is slightly taller. But in early 2005, it was found that the IDS Center is taller by a 16-foot washroom garage on top, which brings its total height to 792 feet (241 m). 225 South Sixth and the Wells Fargo Center only differ in height by a foot or two, a rather negligible amount when considering all of the factors that can throw off the measurement of large structures. The IDS has communications towers that definitely are the highest points in Minneapolis, though some suburban broadcast towers in the region reach a much greater height.

view of Stone Arch Bridge

Buildings have gone up and been torn down rapidly across the region. Some city blocks have been demolished six or seven times since the mid-19th century, and will undoubtedly reach an eighth or ninth cycle in short order. No single architectural style dominates the region. Instead, the cities have a mish-mash of different designs, although structures from a few eras stand out. There were once a great many stone buildings constructed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style (or at least Romanesque-inspired variants). Minneapolis City Hall is one big example of this, though buildings of all types—including personal residences such as that of James J. Hill—were similarly designed. A few decades later, Art Deco brought several structures that survive today, including St. Paul City Hall, the Foshay Tower, and the Minneapolis Post Office.

File:Minn04.jpg

view of Mississippi River in Minneapolis

view of Minneapolis from Stone Arch Bridge

view of St. Paul, MN taken from Indian Mounds Park

view of St. Paul, MN taken from Indian Mounds Park

St. Paul and Minneapolis in particular went through some massive urban renewal projects in the post-World War II era, so a vast number of buildings are now lost to history. Some of the larger and harder to demolish structures have survived. In fact, the area might be signified more by bridges than buildings. A series of reinforced concrete arch spans crossing the Mississippi River were built in the 1920s and 1930s. They still carry daily traffic, but remain pleasing to the eye despite their age (a number have undergone major repair work, but retain the original design). Several of the bridges are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. They include the Cedar Avenue Bridge, Intercity Bridge (Ford Parkway), Robert Street Bridge, and the longest, the 4119 ft (1255 m) Mendota Bridge next to Fort Snelling. The area is also noted for having the first known permanent crossing of the Mississippi. That structure is long gone, but a series of Hennepin Avenue Bridges have been built since then at the site. Both downtowns have extensive networks of enclosed pedestrian bridges known as skyways. Individually, the cities appear to have the largest such networks outside of Canada. However, the combination of the two cities' networks is believed to make the largest system in the world. Skyways have their drawbacks however. Most prominently, they reduce the amount of foot traffic at street level, so the cities appear to have little activity. An additional problem is that the skyways tend to be closed fairly early—especially in Minneapolis—but they are hives of activity on weekdays.

view of St. Paul, MN taken from Indian Mounds Park

view of St. Paul, MN featuring the Minnesota State Capitol Building taken from Indian Mounds Park

Honors

The United States Navy currently has one ship named for the region, the USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul, a Los Angeles-class submarine launched in 1983. Previously, two sets of two ships each had carried the names USS Minneapolis and USS Saint Paul.

External links

• Fact sheet about Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Area Comparison
• History of the National Weather Service in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota
• Twin Cities Daily Photo - One photo a day of the Twin Cities Metro Area