Minnesota Statutes chapter 1 names 20 official state symbols, from the redesigned flag and seal to the loon, the walleye, the blueberry muffin and ice hockey; the motto, “L’Etoile du Nord” (The North Star), and the song, “Hail! Minnesota,” are listed by the Legislative Reference Library.
Each row gives the statute section we read on the Office of the Revisor of Statutes site, with the year the library or statute records. Facts about the state itself come from the Secretary of State’s profile page. We read every page on November 1, 2026.
- 20Symbols in Statute
- 1858Year of Statehood
- 32ndState to Join
- 11,842Lakes Over 10 Acres
Official State Symbols
| Symbol | Statute | What the Statute Names | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seal | § 1.135 | The design certified by the State Emblems Redesign Commission; in force from May 11, 2024 | Redesigned 2023 (statute); the Legislative Reference Library lists the original as 1861 |
| Flag | § 1.141 | The redesigned flag from the same commission; flown at the Capitol from sunrise to sunset | Redesigned 2023 (statute); the Legislative Reference Library lists the first state flag as 1893 |
| Flower | § 1.142 | Pink and white lady slipper (Cypripedium reginae) | 1967 |
| Tree | § 1.143 | Red pine, also called Norway pine (Pinus resinosa) | 1953 |
| Bird | § 1.145 | Common loon (Gavia immer) | 1961 |
| Fish | § 1.146 | Walleye | 1965 |
| Bee | § 1.1465 | Rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) | 2019 |
| Fossil | § 1.1466 | Giant beaver (Castoroides ohioensis), called capa in Dakota and amik in Ojibwe | 2025 |
| Gemstone | § 1.147 | Lake Superior agate | 1969 |
| Fire museum | § 1.1471 | Bill and Bonnie Daniels Firefighters Hall and Museum, Minneapolis | 2023 |
| Fruit | § 1.1475 | Honeycrisp apple | 2006 |
| Grain | § 1.148 | Wild rice (Zizania aquatica), also called manomin | 1977 |
| Soil | § 1.1485 | Lester | 2012 |
| Mushroom | § 1.149 | Morel (sponge or honeycomb morel) | 1984 |
| Constellation | § 1.1493 | Ursa Minor | 2025 |
| Drink | § 1.1495 | Milk | 1984 |
| Muffin | § 1.1496 | Blueberry muffin | 1988 |
| Butterfly | § 1.1497 | Monarch (Danaus plexippus) | 2000 |
| Photograph | § 1.1498 | “Grace” by Eric Enstrom, taken in Bovey | 2002 (the photograph is from 1918) |
| Sport | § 1.1499 | Ice hockey | 2009 |
Years are the earliest session-law year the Revisor page shows, checked against the Legislative Reference Library’s symbols list; for the flag and seal the two sources differ, so both are given. The Revisor page does not say that the earliest cited law was the first adoption.
The Motto and The Song
| Symbol | What It Is | Year, per Library List |
|---|---|---|
| Motto | “L’Etoile du Nord” (The North Star) | 1861 |
| Song | “Hail! Minnesota” | 1945 |
Both come from the Legislative Reference Library’s list. They are not in the chapter 1 index we read, so we give no statute section for them (see Not Confirmed).
State Facts
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Territory organized | March 3, 1849 |
| Statehood | May 11, 1858, the 32nd state |
| Nicknames | Land of 10,000 Lakes; the Gopher State; the North Star State |
| Total area | About 86,939 square miles, the 12th largest state |
| Land and inland water | About 79,610 square miles of land and 7,329 of inland water |
| Width and length | 348 miles by 406 miles |
| Highest point | Eagle Mountain, Cook County, 2,301 feet |
| Lowest point | The surface of Lake Superior, 602 feet |
| Lakes over 10 acres | 11,842 |
| Rivers and streams | 6,564, about 69,200 miles |
| Population | 5,742,036 (a 2021 estimate on the page, not the 2020 Census count) |
| Largest cities, as listed | Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Rochester, Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Duluth |
Source for the facts table: Minnesota Secretary of State, Minnesota in Profile, read November 1, 2026. Minnesota’s capital is Saint Paul; our Historic Sites page covers the Capitol building, though we did not confirm the capital on the Secretary of State page.
Go See Some of Them
Several symbols are places you can visit. The wildlife guide covers loons, walleye and wild rice country, the wildflowers and plants guide has the lady slipper and the red pine, Lake Superior agates wash up along the Duluth and North Shore, and the state fire museum is in Minneapolis (see Minneapolis).
What We Could Not Verify
- Statute sections for the motto and song: not in the chapter 1 index; we give none.
- Original adoption years of the flag and seal: the statute pages show only later laws; the library’s years (1893 and 1861) are the library’s, not confirmed by statute.
- The number of counties and the 2020 Census total: no page we could read carried them, so they are left out.
- The designs of the 2024 flag and seal: the statutes point to a commission report we did not read, so we describe no artwork.
Questions People Ask
What is the Minnesota state bird?
The common loon, named in Minnesota Statutes section 1.145 (library list: 1961).
What is the Minnesota state flower?
The pink and white lady slipper, section 1.142 (1967).
When did Minnesota become a state?
May 11, 1858, as the 32nd state, per the Secretary of State’s profile page we read on November 1, 2026.
What is the state gemstone?
Lake Superior agate, section 1.147 (1969).
Did Minnesota change its flag?
Yes. Statute 1.141 now names the redesigned flag from the State Emblems Redesign Commission, official from May 11, 2024, per the library list.
Sources
- Minnesota Statutes chapter 1 (Revisor of Statutes), and each section linked in the table, read November 1, 2026
- Legislative Reference Library: Minnesota State Symbols, read November 1, 2026
- Minnesota Secretary of State: Minnesota in Profile, read November 1, 2026
Checked November 1, 2026 by It’s Minnesota. Cite this page: It’s Minnesota, “Minnesota State Symbols and Facts” (itsminnesota.com/minnesota-state-symbols-and-facts/), checked November 1, 2026. Free to quote with a link.