St. Paul, Minnesota

Lore & Background

The Minnesota State Capitol and the state government offices sit on a hill next to downtown Saint Paul overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River. Local cultural offerings include the Science Museum of Minnesota, the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, and the Minnesota History Center. Three of the region's professional sports teams play in Saint Paul: the Minnesota Wild and Frost (at the Grand Casino Arena) and Minnesota United FC (at Allianz Field).

The minor-league baseball team the St. Paul Saints play at CHS Field, 10 miles (16 km) from their major-league affiliate the Minnesota Twins in downtown Minneapolis. The Legislative Assembly of the Minnesota Territory established the Town of Saint Paul as its capital near existing Dakota Sioux settlements in November 1849. Named after a log chapel established by Lucien Galtier, it remained a town until 1854. The city rose to prominence as the headquarters of 19th-century industrialist James J. Hill's railroad empire, with his transcontinental Great Northern Railway then one of the nation's most dominant. Saint Paul has a mayor–council government. The mayor is Kaohly Her, who took office in 2026.

Reader's Guide

Saint Paul's history and growth as a landing port are tied to water. The city's defining physical characteristic, the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers, was carved into the region during the last ice age, as were the steep river bluffs and dramatic palisades on which the city is built. Receding glaciers and Lake Agassiz forced torrents of water from a glacial river that served the river valleys. The city is situated in east-central Minnesota. The Mississippi River forms a municipal boundary on part of the city's west, southwest, and southeast sides. Minneapolis, the state's largest city, lies to the west.

Did You Know?

• Burial mounds in present-day Indian Mounds Park suggest the area was inhabited by the Hopewell Native Americans about 2,000 years ago.
• The Dakota called the area Imniza-Ska ('white cliffs') for its exposed white sandstone cliffs on the river's eastern side.
• In 1841, Catholic missionary Lucien Galtier had a chapel named for St. Paul built on the bluff above the riverboat landing downriver from Fort Snelling.
• On August 20, 1904, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes damaged hundreds of downtown buildings, causing $1.78 million in damages and ripping spans from the High Bridge.