Geography of Minnesota "The Cities"), and "Outstate" or "Greater Minnesota". The Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area comprises eleven Minnesota counties centered around Minneapolis, the state's largest city, and adjoining Saint Paul, the capital; plus two Wisconsin counties. About three out of every five residents of the state live in this conurbation. Greater Minnesota is less urbanized than the Twin Cities. It is also geographically more diverse, with farmlands to the south and west, lake country in central Minnesota, and forests in the northern part of the state. Approximately 40% of Minnesotans live in Greater Minnesota. Its major population centers include Duluth, Rochester, Moorhead, St.
Minnesota State Highway 171 59", which intersects I-29 to Canada. In 2006, the closure became official of the nearby Noyes border crossing on U.S. 75. Minnesota and North Dakota have not yet petitioned AASHTO officials to change the definition of U.S. 75 to follow the routing of "171" and "ND 59". As of 2009, nearby U.S. 75 in Minnesota was still signed to what is now a dead-end at the old Noyes border crossing. Minnesota State Highway 171 Minnesota State Highway 171 (MN 171) is a short highway in the northwest corner of Minnesota, which runs from North Dakota Highway 59 at the North