Dakota County is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of Minnesota, located in the east central portion of the state. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 439,882. The county seat is Hastings. Dakota County is named for the Dakota Sioux tribal bands who inhabited the area. The name is recorded as "Dahkotah" in the United States Census records until 1851. Dakota County is included in the Minneapolis–St. Paul–Bloomington, MN–WI Metropolitan Statistical Area, the sixteenth largest metropolitan area in the United States with about 3.64 million residents. The largest city in Dakota County is the city of Lakeville, the eleventh-largest city in Minnesota and sixth-largest Twin Cities suburb. The county is bordered by the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers on the north, and the state of Wisconsin on the east.
Burnsville is a city 15 miles (24 km) south of downtown Minneapolis in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. The city lies on bluff overlooking the south bank of the Minnesota River upstream from its confluence with the Mississippi River. Burnsville and nearby suburbs form the southern portion of Minneapolis–Saint Paul, the 16th-largest metropolitan area in the United States, with about 3.6 million residents. According to the 2020 census, the population is 64,317.
Lakeville is an exurb of Minneapolis-Saint Paul, and the largest city in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. It is approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of both downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul along Interstate Highway 35. Starting as a flourishing milling center, its agriculture industry and other major industries are still in operation. Lakeville is one of the fastest-growing cities in the Twin Cities area. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated its population to be 69,490 in 2020.
Lake Minnetonka is a lake located approximately 15 miles (24 km) west-southwest of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Today Lake Minnetonka is a collection of 16 interconnecting lakes with about 23 named bays and areas. The lake lies within Hennepin and Carver counties and is surrounded by 13 incorporated municipalities. At 14,528 acres (5,879 ha), it is Minnesota's ninth largest lake and is popular among boaters, sailors, and fishermen.
Lake Winnebago is a shallow freshwater lake in the north central United States, located in east central Wisconsin. At 137,700 acres it is the largest lake entirely within the state, covering an area of about 30 miles by 10 miles, with 88 miles of shoreline, an average depth of 15.5 feet, and a maximum depth of 21 feet. It has many shallow reefs along the west shore, and a drop-off type shoreline on the east. There are several islands along the west shore.
The Saint Louis River is a river in the U.S. states of Minnesota and Wisconsin that flows into Lake Superior. The largest U.S. river to flow into the lake, it is 192 miles (309 km) in length and starts 13 miles (21 km) east of Hoyt Lakes, Minnesota. The river's watershed covers 3,634 square miles (9,410 km2). Near the Twin Ports of Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin, the river becomes a freshwater estuary.
Bde Maka Ska is the largest lake in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, and part of the city's Chain of Lakes. Surrounded by city park land and circled by bike and walking trails, it is popular for many outdoor activities. The lake has an area of 401 acres (1.62 km2) and a maximum depth of 87 feet (27 m).
Lake Vermilion is a shallow freshwater lake in northeastern Minnesota, United States. The Ojibwe originally called the lake Nee-Man-Nee, which means “the evening sun tinting the water a reddish color”. French fur traders translated this to the Latin word Vermilion, which is a red pigment. Lake Vermilion is located between the towns of Tower on the east and Cook on the west, in the heart of Minnesota's Arrowhead Region at Vermilion Iron Range. The area was mined from the late 19th century until the 1960s, and the Soudan Mine operated just south of the lake.
Lake Harriet is a lake in the southwest part of Minneapolis, just south of Bde Maka Ska and north of Minnehaha Creek. The lake is surrounded by parkland as part of the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes. The lake has an area of 335 acres (1.36 km2) and a maximum depth of 85 feet (26 m).
Cedar Lake is a lake in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, and part of the city's Chain of Lakes. It is located on the west side of the city, north of Bde Maka Ska and west of Lake of the Isles. The lake is surrounded by parkland on the west side, while the east side borders the Kenwood residential area. The north side is bordered by the Cedar Lake Trail and the BNSF Railway. Cedar Lake has an area of 169 acres (0.68 km2) and a maximum depth of 51 feet (16 m). Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board manages parkland around the lake.
Lake George is a small lake in Anoka County, Minnesota, located within the city of Oak Grove, 12 miles (19 km) north of the city of Anoka. Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources tracks the lake by the name George and the identifier 02-0091-00. The USGS tracks the lake by the ID 644081 and the coordinates of 45°21′25″N93°20′10″W
Bewabic State Park is a public recreation area covering 315 acres (127 ha) on the shore of Fortune Lake, four miles (6.4 km) west of Crystal Falls in Iron County, Michigan. The state park's rich Civilian Conservation Corps history is evidenced by the CCC structures still in use. The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its CCC-related architecture in 2016.
Big Sandy Lake is a lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota, approximately nine miles north of McGregor. The lake is considered fertile walleye ground with several habitat types, including the open main basin, the deep, cold eastern basin, and a shallow, more isolated south basin. Shallow bays containing dense beds of wild rice are found on south, west, and northwest sides of the lake.
The Tampa City Council is the legislative body of the municipal government of the U.S. city of Tampa, in Hillsborough County, Florida. The City Council consists of seven members, each representing one of seven corresponding districts from which they were elected. City Council, as the city's legislative branch, is responsible for enacting ordinances and resolutions administered by the corresponding executive branch, the Mayor of Tampa.
Wisconsin, a state in the Midwestern United States, has a vast and diverse geography famous for its landforms created by glaciers during the Wisconsin glaciation 17 thousand years ago. The state can be generally divided into five geographic regions—Lake Superior Lowland, Northern Highland, Central Plain, Eastern Ridges & Lowlands, and Western Upland. The southwestern part of the state, which was not covered by glaciers during the most recent ice age, is known as the Driftless Area. The Wisconsin glaciation formed the Wisconsin Dells, Devil's Lake, and the Baraboo Range. A number of areas are protected in the state, including Devil's Lake State Park, the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, and the Chequamegon–Nicolet National Forest.
Burntside Lake is a 7,139-acre (28.89 km2) lake, located 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of Ely, Minnesota, in Saint Louis County, Minnesota. Its western boundary adjoins the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness on Tamarack Creek.
The Fond du Lac State Forest is a state forest in Minnesota, United States, principally managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MDNR). The main segment of the forest is located between the towns of Sawyer and Cromwell, in Carlton County. The boundaries of the forest overlap with those of the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation, some state forest land falls within the reservation. The Kettle Lake Wildlife Management Area is located in the southern half of the main segment. A smaller segment is located adjacent to Jay Cooke State Park and the border with Wisconsin in Saint Louis County.
Mille Lacs Lake is a large but shallow lake in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is located in the counties of Mille Lacs, Aitkin, and Crow Wing, roughly 75 miles north of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area.
Greenleaf Lake State Recreation Area is a state park unit of Minnesota, USA, currently in development. It includes undeveloped shoreline on both Greenleaf and Sioux Lakes, halfway between the cities of Hutchinson and Litchfield in Meeker County. Portions of the state recreation area (SRA) are open to the public for day-use recreation, but there are no facilities yet on site. The park boundaries were set by the Minnesota Legislature and the state is still acquiring land from willing sellers; two-thirds of the property remain privately owned.
Lake Byllesby is a 1,432-acre artificial lake on the Cannon River in Dakota and Goodhue counties, in the U.S. State of Minnesota. The lake was formed as a result of construction of the Byllesby Dam by the H.M. Byllesby & Company, which would later become Northern States Power Company for hydroelectric power generation. Today, the lake serves as a popular recreational destination and is the largest lake in Southern Dakota County, approximately 30 miles (48 km) southeast of the Twin Cities.
