Mankato
Located at the intersection of the Minnesota River and the Blue Earth Rivers, and across the river from the town of North Mankato, Mankato, Minnesota is one of the region’s most naturally beautiful cities. Home to the Minnesota State University at Mankato, and south of the larger metropolis of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Mankato was settled by European settlers in the middle of the 19th Century. The city’s largest employers are the Mayo Clinic Health System and Minnesota State University at Mankato, and with a number of local parks and trails, there is ample opportunity for visitors and residents to enjoy biking and walking through the city. This small college town in the Land of 10,000 Lakes offers outdoor amusements and interesting historic attractions all within a short drive of many of the Midwest’s larger cities.