Duluth MN-WI Metropolitan Area

Coordinates: 46°44′56″N 92°05′24″W / 46.749°N 92.090°W / 46.749; -92.090

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources:  –  ·  ·  · scholar · JSTOR (May 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Duluth-Superior Duluth MSA, MN-WI
Top: Duluth Bottom: Duluth, MN-WI Metro Map
Country	United States
States	Minnesota and Wisconsin
Area
• City	10,522 sq mi (27,250 km2)
• Urban	80 sq mi (208 km2)
Highest elevation	2,301 ft (701 m)
Lowest elevation	600 ft (200 m)
Population
• Density	33/sq mi (13/km2)
• Urban	120,378 (260th)
• MSA	291,638 (170th)
Time zone	UTC−6
• Summer (DST)	CDT
Area code(s)	218,715,320

The Twin Ports of Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin, are located at the western part of Lake Superior (the westernmost of North America's Great Lakes) and together are considered the largest freshwater port in the world.^[1] They are twin cities and seaports, connected to the Atlantic Ocean through the Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence Seaway.

The Twin Ports are at the core of the U.S. Census Bureau's "Duluth, MN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area",^[2] which includes all of Wisconsin's Douglas County, and Minnesota's Carlton, Lake, and Saint Louis counties. With a 2020 census population of 291,638, the Duluth MSA ranked as the 170th largest metropolitan area in the United States. Approximately 6.7 million tourists visit Duluth alone each year, this does not account for surrounding suburbs such as Virginia, Two Harbors, Ely, or Hibbing.

The area is home to two long bridges: the Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge (carrying U.S. Highway 2) and the John Blatnik Bridge (carrying I-535 and U.S. Highway 53).^[3] Each bridge reaches across more than 1.5 miles (2.5 km) across the mouth of the Saint Louis River.^[3] The Aerial Lift Bridge was constructed in 1905 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It must be raised each time a vessel enters or leaves Duluth's harbor; the inlet on the Wisconsin side is not similarly obstructed.

Together, the cities rank as the 19th-busiest port in the country overall (44.2 million short tons [40.1 million tonnes] per year) as of 2002, though the area is the 7th-busiest port (13.8 million short tons [12.5 million tonnes] per year) when measured on foreign exports alone.

Communities[]

The Duluth metropolitan area, or Twin Ports, includes 4 counties,^[4] of which 3 are in Minnesota and 1 in Wisconsin. St. Louis County is Minnesota's largest county by area.

County	Seat	2020 Cenus	Area	Density
St. Louis	Duluth	200,231	6,860 sq mi (17,800 km2)	32/sq mi (12/km2)
Carlton	Carlton	36,207	875 sq mi (2,270 km2)	41.2/sq mi (15.9/km2)
Douglas, WI	Superior	44,295	1,480 sq mi (3,800 km2)	30/sq mi (12/km2)
Lake	Two Harbors	10,905	2,991 sq mi (7,750 km2)	5/sq mi (1.93/km2)

Cities and suburbs[]

Principal City (2020 census)[]

Places with 10,000 to 20,000 inhabitants (2020 census)[]

Places with 1,000 to 9,999 inhabitants (2019 Census estimate)

Places with fewer than 999 inhabitants (2019 census estimate)

Infrastructure[]

This section contains content that is written like an advertisement. Please help by removing promotional content and inappropriate external links, and by adding encyclopedic content written from a neutral point of view. (August 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

The four tallest buildings are in Duluth, the Alworth Building, Historic Old Central High School, Maurices Headquarters, Medical Arts Building. The Bong Bridge leads to from Duluth to Superior. The bong bridge was built in 1985 and is 11,800 ft (3,600 m) long. The Blatnik Bridge also leads to from Duluth to Superior. The Blatnik Bridge was built in 1965 and is 7,975 feet (2,431 m) long. Canal Park is a heavy tourist area in Downtown Duluth. In Virginia the tallest bridge in Minnesota (Hwy 53 Bridge) connecting Eveleth to Virginia. The Hwy 53 Bridge covers the Rouchleau Mine. The bridge opened in 2017 and is 204 ft. high in the air and spans 1,125 ft.

Healthcare[]

Level 1 trauma centers[]

Essentia Health St. Mary's Medical Center (Duluth)

Level 2 trauma centers[]

(Duluth)

Level 3 trauma centers[]

Fairview Range Medical Center (Hibbing)

Level 4 trauma centers[]

Shopping[]

There are 2 main shopping malls in the metro. Miller Hill Mall in Duluth and Uptown Virginia in Virginia. Duluth is the most popular shopping district for people up to 150 miles out of the metro. Duluth holds a JC Penny, Target, Ulta, Cub Foods and much more. Virginia is the 2nd popular shopping district. Virginia holds a Target, Famous Footwear, Hobby Lobby, Super One, and much more.

Attractions[]

Some attractions in the metro are, BentleyVille, Gooseberry Falls, Tallest Bridge in Minnesota, World's Largest Freestanding Hockey Stick, Oldest Operating Hockey Arena in Minnesota. Canal Park.

Transportation[]

Major highways[]

• Interstate 35
• Interstate 535
• U.S. Highway 2
• U.S. Highway 53
• U.S. Highway 169
• Minnesota State Highway 23
• Minnesota State Highway 61 – North Shore
• Minnesota State Highway 194 – Central Entrance – Mesaba Avenue
• Minnesota State Highway 210
• Saint Louis County Road 4 – Rice Lake Road

See also[]

• List of ports in the United States
• McDougall Duluth Shipbuilding Company
• Fraser Shipyards

References[]

External links[]

• Superior WI Community Links Page
• Twin Ports Commonwealth regional community cooperative