Apr 25, 2023 - News

These Minnesota towns share a name with foreign places

Data: U.S. Census, Wikipedia. Visual: Will Chase, Jacque Schrag, Tory Lysik/Axios
Data: U.S. Census, Wikipedia. Visual: Will Chase, Jacque Schrag, Tory Lysik/Axios

Minnesota is filled with towns and cities that share a name with foreign places, Axios' Will Chase, Jacque Schrag, and Tory Lysik report.

The big picture: The Axios Visuals team found hundreds of localities across the nation with current names that appear to be inspired by sites abroad.

  • You can take a trip to Naples, N.Y., or Paris, Texas. — and go on a world tour without ever leaving Minnesota.

Between the lines: In many cases, immigrants frequently renamed their new homes after the areas they came from.

  • That's why most of the 79 Minnesota towns on the list nod to places in Germany, Norway, and other Scandinavian nations.

Yes, but: Other names are tied to countries ranging from the Czech Republic (New Prague) to Spain (Altura).

  • Our neighbor to the north is also represented (Little Canada).

🚗 Go Deeper: With interactive maps and graphics, the Axios Visuals team conjured up curated routes for a Mediterranean getaway or a tour of the ancient world — all in the U.S.

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