Northwestern Minnesota

The Northwestern region of Minnesota is where the western prairies, the northern conifer forests, and the eastern hardwood forests converge. It includes Becker, Beltrami, Cass, Clay, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Douglas, Grant, Hubbard, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Otter Tail, Pennington, Polk, Pope, Red Lake, Roseau, Stevens, Traverse, Wadena, and Wilkin counties.

Photo: Wikimedia, CC0.

Essential Destinations

Top destinations include Saint Cloud and Bemidji.

Saint Cloud

Photo: Wikimedia, CC BY 2.0.

Saint Cloud is a city in Central Minnesota with a population of 68,000. Although it may have few attractions to draw the tourist, it is a nexus of medical advances, particularly in orthopedics.

Bemidji

Photo: Matthew Stinar, CC BY 2.0.

Bemidji is a city in and the county seat of Beltrami County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 14,574 as of the 2020 census, and was estimated at 15,770 in 2025, making it the largest commercial center between Grand Forks, North Dakota and Duluth.

Moorhead

Photo: Bobak, CC BY 3.0.

Moorhead is a city in Minnesota of about 35,000. Moorhead is sometimes referred to as the "twin city" of the larger Fargo, North Dakota, its neighbor across the Red River in North Dakota.

Destinations to Discover

Explore places such as Brainerd and Fergus Falls.

Brainerd

Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0.

Brainerd is a city in and the county seat of Crow Wing County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was 14,395 at the 2020 census. Brainerd straddles the Mississippi River several miles upstream from its confluence with the Crow Wing River, having been founded as a site for a railroad crossing above the confluence.

Fergus Falls

Photo: Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Fergus Falls is a city in and the county seat of Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 14,119 at the 2020 census, and was estimated to be 14,258 in 2024.

Crookston

Photo: Wikimedia, Public domain.

Crookston is a small town in Northwestern Minnesota, home to the world's largest ox-cart, and the original Happy Joe's Pizzeria.

Alexandria

Photo: Omar sansi, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Alexandria is a city in and the county seat of Douglas County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 14,335 as of the 2020 census. I-94 passes through Alexandria, along with Minnesota State Highways 27 and 29.

Roseau

Photo: Wikimedia, Public domain.

Roseau, "Minnesota's North Star City", is a city of 3000 people in Northwestern Minnesota less than 10 miles from the Canadian border.

Little Falls

Photo: Dustin Simmonds, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Little Falls is a city of 9,000 people in Northwestern Minnesota. Established in 1848, Little Falls is one of the oldest European-American cities in Minnesota. Its main draw is the Charles A. Lindbergh State Park and Historical Site on the Mississippi River.

Walker

Photo: Bjoertvedt, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Walker is in northern Minnesota. Walker is about 35 mi south of Bemidji and 60 mi north of Brainerd. Walker is a very small city on the southern shore of Leech Lake, in the core of a heavily-wooded and rural area.

Sauk Centre

Photo: Kirs10, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Sauk Centre is a city in Stearns County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 4,555 at the 2020 census. Sauk Centre is part of the St. Cloud metropolitan area.

Detroit Lakes

Photo: Myotus, CC BY 4.0.

Detroit Lakes is a city in and the county seat of Becker County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 9,869 at the 2020 census. Its unofficial population during the summer is higher, estimated by citizens to peak at 13,000, due to seasonal residents and tourists.

Morris

Photo: Gobonobo, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Morris, population 5286, is the county seat of Stevens County and home to the University of Minnesota - Morris, part of the University of Minnesota system.

Elk River

Photo: 123dieinafire, Public domain.

Elk River is a city and the county seat of Sherburne County, Minnesota, United States, about 34 miles northwest of Minneapolis. It is at the confluence of the Mississippi and Elk Rivers.

Thief River Falls

Photo: Wikimedia, Public domain.

Thief River Falls is in Minnesota. It offers a quiet relaxing location to get away from the big city life.

Foley

Photo: Skvader, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Foley is a city and the county seat of Benton County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,711 at the 2020 census. Foley is part of the St. Cloud metropolitan area.

East Grand Forks

Photo: Russell Lee (photographer), Public domain.

East Grand Forks is a city in Northwestern Minnesota. It's the smaller neighbor of the much better known Grand Forks, North Dakota. EGF's population peaked at about 8,985 in 1996 estimate, before the city was badly damaged during the incredible Red River Flood of 1997.

Breckenridge

Photo: Malepheasant, CC BY-SA 2.5.

Breckenridge is a city of 3,708 in Northwestern Minnesota. Breckenridge and its sister city, Wahpeton, are situated at the confluence of the Bois De Sioux and Otter Tail Rivers. The metropolitan area is referred to as "Two States. Two Cities. One community."…