What Borders Minnesota? States and Water Bodies

Minnesota, the Land of 10,000 Lakes, shares borders with four U.S. states and two major water bodies—and an international boundary.

Land Borders (Four States)

• North: North Dakota (Red River Valley)
• West: South Dakota (prairie border)
• South: Iowa (agricultural transition zone)
• East: Wisconsin (St. Croix River, St. Louis River)

Water Borders

• Lake Superior (Northeast): World's largest freshwater lake by surface area; Minnesota's "North Shore" — 189 miles of rugged coastline
• Lake of the Woods (Northwest): Shared with Ontario (Canada) and Manitoba; famous for the Northwest Angle — only part of contiguous US north of 49th parallel
• Rainy River / Lake: Forms part of Minnesota-Ontario border (Voyageurs National Park)
• Mississippi River: Headwaters at Lake Itasca; forms part of Wisconsin border downstream
• Red River of the North: Forms North Dakota border; flows north to Hudson Bay

International Border

• Canada (Ontario, Manitoba): 547 miles (880 km) — longest state-Canada border
• Crossings: International Falls, Baudette, Warroad, Roseau, Grand Portage

Unique Geographic Features

• Triple watershed: Rain falls in Minnesota flows to Hudson Bay (north), Gulf of Mexico (south via Mississippi), and Great Lakes/Atlantic (east)
• Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness: 1M+ acres on Ontario border
• Northwest Angle: Geographic anomaly from 1783 treaty mapping error

Minnesota's borders reflect glacial history, treaties, and surveying—creating a state defined by water in all directions.