Southeast Minnesota comprises the corner of the U.S. state of

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

south of the

Twin Cities Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in stat ...

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...

extending east, and part of the multi-state area known as the

Driftless Area The Driftless Area, also known as Bluff Country and the Paleozoic Plateau, is a topographic and cultural region in the Midwestern United States that comprises southwestern Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, northeastern Iowa, and the extreme ...

. Rochester is the largest city in the area; other major cities include Winona, Owatonna, Faribault, Northfield,

Austin Austin refers to: Common meanings * Austin, Texas, United States, a city * Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...

, and Red Wing. Southeast Minnesota is part of the state's first and

second The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of U ...

congressional districts. Culturally, it is distinct from the Twin Cities in being generally more conservative and staid, with several more diverse areas, such as the college towns of Northfield and Winona. However, the area has become more diverse and more politically competitive. Until 2006, the state's only Independence Party legislator was from Southeast Minnesota, Sheila Kiscaden (IP-Rochester, now DFL-Rochester). Formerly a Republican, Kiscaden is now officially a member of the

Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Minnesota ( ) is a state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the south, and No ...

. The area is one of several distinct

regions of Minnesota The U.S. State of Minnesota is the northernmost state outside Alaska; its isolated Northwest Angle in Lake of the Woods is the only part of the 48 Continental United States, contiguous states lying north of the 49th parallel north. Minnesota is ...

. Additionally, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tim Waltz won the first congressional district in 2018. Many places in Southeast Minnesota, like Lanesboro, have become popular tourist destinations. The scenic

Mississippi Valley The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

to the Whitewater River and Root River in the

(one of the few parts of the state not eroded by glaciers in the last

ice age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages, and g ...

) are among the most visited locations.

References

Regions of Minnesota {{Minnesota-geo-stub