| Duluth–Superior | |
| Other Name: | Duluth, MN–WI MSA Twin Ports |
| Settlement Type: | Metropolitan Statistical Area |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Minnesota Wisconsin |
| Subdivision Type2: | Principal cities |
| Subdivision Name2: | Duluth, MN Superior, WI Grand Rapids, MN |
| Area Code: | 218, 715, 320 |
| Area Urban Sq Mi: | 80 |
| Area Urban Km2: | 208 |
| Timezone: | CST |
| Utc Offset: | -6 |
| Timezone Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -5 |
The Duluth MN–WI Metropolitan Area,[1] commonly called the Twin Ports, is a small metropolitan area centered around the cities of Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin. The Twin Ports are located at the western part of Lake Superior (the westernmost part of North America's Great Lakes) and together are considered one of the larger cargo ports in the United States.[2] The Twin Ports are close to many natural attractions such as the North Shore, the Apostle Islands, and the Superior National Forest.
The area is home to two long bridges: the Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge (carrying U.S. Highway 2) and the John Blatnik Bridge (carrying I-535 and U.S. Highway 53).[3] Each bridge reaches across more than 1.5 miles (2.5 km) across the mouth of the Saint Louis River. The Aerial Lift Bridge was constructed in 1905 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It must be raised each time a vessel enters or leaves Duluth's harbor; the inlet on the Wisconsin side is not similarly obstructed.
Together, the cities rank as the 19th-busiest port in the country overall (44.2 million short tons [40.1 million tonnes] per year) as of 2002, though the area is the 7th-busiest port (13.8 million short tons [12.5 million tonnes] per year) when measured on foreign exports alone.
The census bureau's Twin Ports metropolitan statistical area, an area much larger than the Duluth metropolitan area includes all of Wisconsin's Douglas County, and Minnesota's Carlton and Saint Louis counties. With a 2020 census population of 291,638, the Duluth MSA ranked as the 170th largest metropolitan area in the United States. A tourist location that boasts many scenic natural amenities, approximately 6.7 million tourists visit The City of Duluth each year.
Populations as of 2020 Census:
The four tallest buildings are in Duluth, the Alworth Building, Historic Old Central High School, Maurices Headquarters, Medical Arts Building. The Bong Bridge leads to from Duluth to Superior. The Bong bridge was built in 1985 and is 11,800 ft (3,600 m) long. The Blatnik Bridge also leads to from Duluth to Superior. The Blatnik Bridge was built in 1965 and is 7,975 feet (2,431 m) long. Canal Park is a heavy tourist area in Downtown Duluth. In Virginia the tallest bridge in Minnesota (Hwy 53 Bridge) connecting Eveleth to Virginia. The Hwy 53 Bridge covers the Rouchleau Mine. The bridge opened in 2017 and is 204 ft. high in the air and spans 1,125 ft.
See also: Transportation in Minnesota.
The Twin Ports metropolitan statistical area, an area much larger than the Duluth MN–WI metropolitan area, includes 4 counties,[4] of which 3 are in Minnesota and 1 in Wisconsin. St. Louis County is Minnesota's largest county by area.
Duluth MN–WI Metropolitan Statistical Area
| County | Seat | 2020 Census | 2010 Census | Change | Area | Density |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | Duluth | 6860sqmi | ||||
| Douglas, WI | Superior | 1480sqmi | ||||
| Carlton | Carlton | 875sqmi | ||||
| Lake | Two Harbors | 2991sqmi | ||||
| Total | 12206sqmi |