The United States of America is a federal union of 50 states and a capital district. Although Minnesota Territory was established in 1849 Minnesota did not assume its present borders until it was admitted to the Union as the 32nd state in 1858. The state borders Wisconsin to the southeast, Iowa to the south, North and South Dakota to the west, and the Canadina provinces of Ontario and Manitoba to the north. Minnesota is about as far away from the ocean as it is possible to be in the United States, but it has a shoreline on Lake Superior and a major port at Duluth. Much of the ship traffic carries iron ore from the Mesabi Range north of Duluth. The Port of Duluth is the world's farthest inland port accessible to oceangoing ships: it is 2300 mi (3700 km) from the Atlantic Ocean by way of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway. In southern Minnesota the city of Minneapolis is the head of navigation on the Mississippi River; the navigable channel in the river extends 1811 mi (2914 km) to the Gulf of Mexico. Aids to navigation in Minnesota are maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team Duluth, but ownership (and sometimes operation) of historic lighthouses has been transferred to local authorities and preservation organizations in many cases. ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. USCG numbers are from volume 7 of the U.S. Coast Guard List of Lights.
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Lake Superior Lighthouses
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![]() East Breakwater Light, Two Harbors, October 2018 ex-Flickr Creative Commons photo by Paul Rosemeyer |
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![]() Duluth South Breakwater Outer Light, Duluth, August 2008 Flickr Creative Commons photo by Ron Wiecki (no longer online) |
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![]() Duluth South Breakwater Inner Light, Duluth, July 2018 Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by McGhiever |
Mississippi River Lighthouses
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![]() Lake City Marina Light, Lake City, 2008 contributed photo copyright Larry Nielson; used by permission |
Information available on lost lighthouses:
Notable faux lighthouses:
Adjoining pages: Northeast: Western Ontario | Southeast: Northern Wisconsin | South: Iowa
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Posted November 15, 2003. Checked and revised October 1, 2023. Lighthouses: 13. Site copyright 2023 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.