The cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul are often referred to as the Twin Cities of Minnesota. Individually, Minneapolis is the largest city in the state followed by St. Paul which is also the state's capital. The cities, which share a border, are located in east-central Minnesota. The Mississippi River serves as the Twin Cities major waterway and played a major historical role in their development.

The name Minneapolis ("City of Waters") is thought to be a combination of the Dakota word for water ("mni") and the Greek word for city ("polis"). St. Paul is named for a church built in a settlement near where the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers merged.

Minneapolis / St. Paul has the unusual distinction of being one of the coldest major cities in the US while at the same time being one of the mildest cities in Minnesota. Winters are typically bitter cold with low temperatures frequently dipping below 0 °F. Summers can be exceedingly hot. Precipitation is plentiful year-round and winter snowfall abundant.

The Twin Cities region has a diverse economy. St. Paul is frequently associated with manufacturing, insurance, high technology, and government services. The economy of Minneapolis includes commerce, finance, and transportation.

Rather than take the name of either city, major sports teams use the term "Minnesota" to describe their home base. These teams include the Minnesota Twins (MLB - AL), the Minnesota Vikings (NFL), the Minnesota Timberwolves (NBA), and the Minnesota Wild (NHL). Former teams that have moved to new venues retain descriptions of the area. The LA Lakers were previously in Minneapolis and took their name from the many lakes in the region. The Dallas Stars were previously known as the Minnesota North Stars, named after one of Minnesota's nicknames, the North Star state.

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