Minnesota River - Definition and Overview

The Minnesota River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles (534 km) long, in the state of Minnesota in the United States.

It rises in southwestern Minnesota, in Big Stone Lake on the Minnesota-South Dakota border. It flows southeast to Mankato, then turns northeast. It joins the Mississippi south of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Its name comes from the Dakota language mini meaning "water" and sota which is alternately translated "smoky-white" or "like the cloudy sky".

The Minnesota River was formed after the last ice age in North America.

See also

• List of Minnesota rivers

References

• Place Names: the Minnesota River (http://mrbdc.mnsu.edu/mnbasin/fact_sheets/pn_mr.html)