Minneapolis, Minnesota

"Minneapolis" redirects here. There is also Minneapolis, Kansas.

Minneapolis is the county seat of Hennepin County, Minnesota. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 382,618 making it the largest city in Minnesota. It is in the southeast part of the state, adjoining the second-largest city and state capital, Saint Paul. The two cities on the Mississippi River together are known as the Twin Cities. Minneapolis takes its name from the Dakota word for water ('minne') and the Greek word for city ('polis'), and is sometimes called the "City of Lakes".

History

Minneapolis grew up around the Falls of Saint Anthony, which are the highest falls on the Mississippi River and were the end of the commercially navigable section of the river until locks were installed in the 1960s. Father Louis Hennepin was the first European to explore the area, giving the falls their name, as well as lending his name to the county in which Minneapolis is located. The nearby Fort Snelling spurred the growth of the villages of Minneapolis and Saint Anthony around the falls in the 1840s. Minneapolis grew on the southern bank while Saint Anthony grew on the north. Minneapolis became a city in 1867, and merged with Saint Anthony in 1872. The early growth of the city was directed by the river, which ran to the southeast, and most early streets ran parallel to it to maximize the amount of land that could be used. Later growth of Minneapolis eventually turned to using north-south/east-west streets, so many unique intersections were formed to translate between the two layouts (probably the most famous of these is a place known as Seven Corners, on the eastern periphery of downtown).

Following an initial burst of activity in the lumber industry, the city's economy developed around the processing of grain from the Great Plains, which is reflected by the presence of companies such as General Mills and Pillsbury in the city. In its heyday, it was known as the "milling capital of the world." Today, it is still referred to as the mill city. More recently the city has become notable for its medical and financial industries, as well as the largest shopping mall in the United States, the Mall of America (actually located in Bloomington, a suburb south of Minneapolis). Minneapolis was the headquarters of Honeywell International Inc.

Minneapolis is home of the original and by far the largest campus of the University of Minnesota, a Big Ten Conference university with more than 45,000 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in the Twin Cities alone.

Transportation

A system of "skyways" (small, fully enclosed pedestrian bridges) links buildings in the downtown region, providing a way to travel around the city without being exposed to the cold of winter or the heat of summer. The Minneapolis/Saint Paul International Airport is located at the southern edge of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. One terminal of the airport is located in Minneapolis; the other terminal is in St. Paul.

Most residents of Minneapolis get around the region by car, bus, or taxi, but the area once boasted an extensive streetcar system operated by Twin City Rapid Transit. However, the streetcars were totally removed and replaced by buses in the 1950s. TCRT's descendant is Metro Transit, which runs most of the area's buses and is currently testing a light rail system, the Hiawatha Line. The line was scheduled to be open to the public in April 2004, but that was pushed back during a strike by the bus drivers. It is now supposed to partially open in June and come to full operation in December 2004. New commuter rail lines linking the city to the suburbs are also in the planning stages.

Historically, Minneapolis and St. Paul provided some of the earliest rail passages across the Mississippi River, which widens significantly at Fort Snelling where the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers merge. Today, rail traffic through the city is diminished, and some of the old bridges have been converted for pedestrian use. These link into the extensive park system of the city.

Two Interstate highways cross through Minneapolis, along with the corresponding spur routes.

Media and arts

The major newspaper in Minneapolis is the Minneapolis Star Tribune, which competes with St. Paul's Pioneer Press. Both of those are subscription-based papers, while a number of other publications in the city are entirely funded by advertising. The Minnesota Daily, a student-run newspaper at the University of Minnesota, is also produced in Minneapolis and has the third-largest circulation in the region. Significant weeklies include City Pages, The Rake and Pulse of the Twin Cities.

Along with St. Paul, Minneapolis claims to have the highest per capita attendance at theater and arts events outside of New York City, perhaps boosted by its famously harsh winters. The Guthrie Theatre is the most famous theater in the city.

The most extensive museum in the city is the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Modern art is displayed in the Walker Art Center

Recreation

Minneapolis has a large park system that is interlinked in many places. The Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway circles through the city, with a parkway for cars, a bikeway for riders, and a walkway for pedestrians all running in roughly parallel paths along the 50-mile route. It is the first natural scenic byway totally located in a major urban area, and traces a route that brings together the Mississippi River, many of the city's lakes, and other scenic areas of the city. Additional routes in the Minneapolis park system criss-cross the city, and the number of bikeways and walkways continues to grow. They also interconnect with neighboring cities.

One of the most famous parks in Minneapolis is Minnehaha Park, where Minnehaha Falls is located. A number of cultural heritage events also take place there every year. Some of Minneapolis' lakes include Lake Nokomis, Lake Harriet, Lake Calhoun, Lake of the Isles, and Cedar Lake.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 151.3 km² (58.4 mi²). 142.2 km² (54.9 mi²) of it is land and 9.1 km² (3.5 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 6.01% water.

Demographics

Minnesota has historically been a home to Scandinavian and German immigrants, Scandinavians, (mostly Swedish and Norwegian) tending to settle in the colder, forested north, and Germans often residing in the warmer rolling hills of the south. Minneapolis sits between these two regions and thus has large populations of people of German and Scandinavian descent. Minnesota also has a large Native American population, which is reflected in Minneapolis having the largest native population of any major American city. After the war in Vietnam, Minneapolis became a destination city for Hmong and Vietnamese refugees. More recently, a large influx of Somali refugees has modified Minneapolis's ethnic makeup.

The city's population has seen a significant decrease since its peak of 521,718 in 1950, although the number of people residing in the city has seen a rebound in recent years. The 1990 census recorded a low of 368,383, and the next census saw a small increase from that level. The rebounding growth has largely been due to an increase in the number of non-white residents, as the number of white residents has continued to decline and is now at its lowest level since the early 20th century. The city suburbs, however, have seen massive growth, and the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area has roughly doubled since 1950 and now has about three million residents.

As of the census of 2000, there are 382,618 people, 162,352 households, and 73,870 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,691.4/km² (6,970.3/mi²). There are 168,606 housing units at an average density of 1,186.0/km² (3,071.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 65.13% White, 17.99% African American, 2.19% Native American, 6.13% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 4.13% from other races, and 4.36% from two or more races. 7.63% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 162,352 households out of which 22.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.0% are married couples living together, 12.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 54.5% are non-families. 40.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.25 and the average family size is 3.15.

In the city the population is spread out with 22.0% under the age of 18, 14.4% from 18 to 24, 36.6% from 25 to 44, 17.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every 100 females there are 101.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 100.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $37,974, and the median income for a family is $48,602. Males have a median income of $35,216 versus $30,663 for females. The per capita income for the city is $22,685. 16.9% of the population and 11.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 24.5% are under the age of 18 and 10.9% are 65 or older.

Minneapolis neighborhoods

Additionally, some areas of the city are not organized into neighborhoods or are otherwise well-known. One such place is Dinkytown. A new neighborhood is also being planned for the University of Minnesota region.

Major highways

• Interstate 94
• Interstate 394
• Interstate 494
• Interstate 694
• Interstate 35W
• State Highway 100
• U.S. 169

See also

• Mayors of Minneapolis, Minnesota

Famous people

So far, this section is a stub.

• Hubert Humphrey, Walter Mondale
• Garrison Keillor
• Al Franken
• Andrews Sisters
• J. Paul Getty
• Terry Gilliam
• Kent Hrbek, Kirby Puckett
• Prince
• Semisonic
• Jesse Ventura
• Additionally, the fictional characters of The Mary Tyler Moore Show resided in and around Minneapolis.

External links

• City of Minneapolis Home Page
• Downtown Minneapolis - Minneapolis Downtown Council
• Minneapolis Neighborhood Organizations
• Minneapolis Who's Who
• A song about Minneapolis