Did You Know!
Minnesota Has an Incredible Amount of Shoreline
Minnesota is famous as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” but one surprising fact about the state is just how much shoreline all those lakes create.
Minnesota has roughly 11,800 lakes that are at least 10 acres in size, meaning the state’s famous nickname actually understates the number of substantial lakes found within its borders.
When the shorelines of Minnesota’s thousands of lakes, rivers, and streams are added together, the total becomes enormous. One frequently repeated comparison even claims that Minnesota has more shoreline than California, Florida, and Hawaii combined.
There’s an important catch to that famous claim: shoreline totals can vary dramatically depending on exactly what bodies of water are counted and how shoreline is measured. Coastlines and lake shorelines are particularly difficult to compare because increasingly detailed measurements produce increasingly large totals—a geographical phenomenon known as the coastline paradox.
Still, the underlying point is impressive.
Minnesota contains an extraordinary amount of inland water. From enormous Lake Superior along the state’s northeastern edge to the thousands of smaller lakes scattered throughout central and northern Minnesota, water has helped shape the state’s geography, economy, wildlife, recreation, and culture.
Fishing, boating, swimming, cabin life, and lakeside vacations are consequently a major part of Minnesota’s identity.
And there’s another interesting detail hidden inside the state’s nickname.
Minnesota didn’t simply round up when it called itself the Land of 10,000 Lakes. By the state’s standard, it actually has well over 10,000 qualifying lakes.
So while the exact “more shoreline than California, Florida, and Hawaii combined” comparison depends on how shoreline is calculated, one thing isn’t in doubt:
Minnesota has far more water—and far more shoreline—than most people realize.