Best Web Design in Minneapolis, MN (2026)

Web Design for Minneapolis, Minnesota

Minneapolis rose on the power of Saint Anthony Falls, the Mississippi River's only natural major waterfall, to become the flour-milling capital of the world in the late 1800s. Today the City of Lakes pairs a chain of urban lakes with the world-famous Minneapolis Sculpture Garden and a music legacy defined by Prince and the First Avenue nightclub. Downtown is wrapped in nine and a half miles of enclosed skyways that let people cross the city without stepping into the Minnesota winter.

AppWT works with Minneapolis, MN businesses from Livonia, Michigan, mostly online and travelling as needed.

About Minneapolis

Also known as. Mill City. City of Lakes. Flour Milling Capital of the World. City of Flour and Sawdust.

History. The territorial legislature authorized Minneapolis as a town on the Mississippi's west bank in 1856; it incorporated as a city in 1867 and merged with the neighboring city of St. Anthony in 1872. The city grew up around Saint Anthony Falls, the only natural waterfall on the Mississippi River, whose water power drove its mills. Flour milling drove explosive growth: the population went from about 13,000 in 1870 to nearly 165,000 by 1890, and flour output rose from 2 million barrels in 1880 to 15.4 million barrels roughly 30 years later. In 1880 and for about 50 years after, Minneapolis was known as the Flour Milling Capital of the World; the industry declined after World War I, and in 1930 Buffalo, New York, overtook it as the nation's flour-milling capital. George Floyd, a Black man, was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020, an event that ignited nationwide and global protests against police brutality.

Local economy. The city's two founding 19th-century industries were flour milling and lumber milling, each dominating for roughly 50 years around the water power of Saint Anthony Falls. Lumber sawmills arrived first in the 1840s but were supplanted within decades by the flour mills that made the city's name. Downtown now clusters three professional sports venues within about a mile of each other: Target Center, Target Field, and U.S. Bank Stadium. The metro is home to the Minnesota Twins (MLB), Vikings (NFL), Timberwolves (NBA), and Lynx (WNBA), anchoring a downtown entertainment economy.

Culture and community. Prince's legacy looms over the city, from a 100-foot downtown mural to Paisley Park, and his favorite venue First Avenue, which opened in 1981 and appeared in Purple Rain. First Avenue's black exterior is covered in silver stars, each bearing the name of a band or artist that has played the club or its 7th St Entry. The Juicy Lucy, a burger with the cheese sealed inside the beef patty, is a local signature claimed by both Matt's Bar and the 5-8 Club. Minnesota holds one of the largest Hmong diasporas in the world, and Minneapolis has a large Somali population, giving the city rich Hmong and Somali food scenes. The Chain of Lakes and Theodore Wirth Park anchor a strong summer culture of kayaking, paddleboarding, canoeing, and biking.

What makes Minneapolis distinct. The Minneapolis Skyway System is a network of enclosed second-level bridges spanning 9.5 miles and connecting 80 city blocks; it held the record as the world's largest continuous skyway until Riyadh's King Abdullah Financial District surpassed it in February 2025. The Spoonbridge and Cherry's spoon alone weighs about 5,800 pounds and the cherry adds another 1,199 pounds. Saint Anthony Falls is the only natural major waterfall on the entire Mississippi River. The city carried the working nickname 'City of Flour and Sawdust' during its 19th-century milling heyday.

Minneapolis Landmarks and Local Life

• Saint Anthony Falls - the Mississippi's only natural waterfall, and the historic Stone Arch Bridge that crosses the river beside it
• Spoonbridge and Cherry - the 51.5-foot Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen sculpture (1985-1988) at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, run by the Walker Art Center
• Mill City Museum - built in the ruins of a riverfront flour mill
• First Avenue nightclub in downtown Minneapolis.
• The Mary Tyler Moore statue on Nicollet Avenue - capturing her tam-toss from the sitcom's opening credits (installed 2001)
• The Bde Maka Ska / Chain of Lakes district.