Welcome

People across the country often think of Minnesota as just another small population, fly-over state with weather challenges.  That is, until they visit and discover what an amazing place this is.

It’s no accident that national groups have named Minnesota the healthiest, smartest, and most livable state in America.  Minnesota leads the nation in workforce participation, home ownership, voter turn-out, and educational test scores.  We lead the nation because our citizens are engaged in making this great place even better.

We work hard and we play hard.  We enjoy the outdoors all four seasons.  We have festivals throughout the year that celebrate our cultures and heritage.  Our system of parks and trails is second to none.  Our museums and theaters continue to win national awards.  We are small enough to have a “home-town feel” but large enough to have four major professional sports teams and attract top concert tours.

We’re a modest people (someone described Minnesota as "a dog that is too shy to wag its own tail").  But we gave the world Judy Garland, Bob Dylan, Garrison Keillor, and Charles Lindbergh, as well as scotch tape, water skiing and SPAM, so we're worth checking out.  We have lots of new and interesting things to offer and hope you'll come see for yourself.

 

Sincerely,
Governor Tim Pawlenty