Minneapolis–Saint Paul is a major metropolitan area built around the confluence of the Mississippi, Minnesota and St. Croix rivers in east central Minnesota. The area is commonly known as the Twin Cities after its two largest cities, Minneapolis, the most populous city in the state and home of the largest university in the state, and Saint Paul, the state capital, which directly borders Minneapolis to the east. It is an example of twin cities in the sense of geographical proximity. Minnesotans often refer to the two together (or the seven-county metro area collectively) simply as "the Cities". There are varying definitions what should be considered the "Twin Cities". Many refer to the "Twin Cities" as the seven-county region which is governed under the Metropolitan Council regional governmental agency and planning organization. The United States Office of Management and Budget officially designates 15 counties as the "Minneapolis–St. Paul–Bloomington MN–WI Metropolitan Statistical Area", the 16th largest metropolitan statistical area with a population of 3,690,261 according to 2020 census estimate. The larger 21-county Minneapolis–St. Paul MN–WI Combined Statistical Area, which is also the 16th largest, has a population of 4,046,181 according to 2020 census estimates. The two cities are independent municipalities with defined borders. Minneapolis sits mostly on the west side of the Mississippi River, and is somewhat more modern with a relatively young downtown and trendy uptown. Saint Paul, which sits mostly on the east side of the river, has been likened to an East Coast city, with quaint neighborhoods, a vast collection of well-preserved late-Victorian architecture, and a large number of colleges.Originally inhabited by Ojibwe and Dakota groups, the cities were subsequently settled by many groups of Europeans. Minneapolis was influenced by early Scandinavian and Lutheran settlers, while Saint Paul was settled predominantly by French, Irish and German Catholic communities. Today, the cities are home to large immigrant communities, including Somali, Hmong, Oromo, and Liberian groups.

Minneapolis ( (listen)) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the seat of Hennepin County. With a population of 429,954 as of 2020, it is the 46th most populous city in the US. Seven counties encompassing Minneapolis and its neighbor Saint Paul are known as the Twin Cities. In 2019, those counties are among sixteen making up the Minneapolis–St. Paul–Bloomington MN–WI metropolitan area of 3.6 million, and twenty-two making up the combined statistical area of 4.0 million — the sixteenth largest metropolitan area in the United States.Minneapolis lies on both banks of the Mississippi River, just north of the river's confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Saint Paul, the state's capital. With one of the nation's best park systems, the city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls, many connected by parkways in the Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway. The city and surrounding region is the largest population and primary business center between Chicago and Seattle. Minneapolis was historically a marketplace for timber, became the flour milling capital of the world, and, to the present day, preserved its financial clout. Anchoring strong music and performing arts scenes, Minneapolis is home to both the Guthrie Theater and the First Avenue nightclub. Reflecting the region's status as a center of folk, funk, and alternative rock music, the city was the launching pad for several of the 20th century's most influential musicians, including Bob Dylan and Prince. Hip-hop and rap scenes produced artists Lizzo, Brother Ali, Atmosphere, and Dessa. In May 2020, the murder of George Floyd, a black man, by Derek Chauvin, a white officer of the Minneapolis Police Department, occurred in the city. It resulted in global protests and put Minneapolis and racism in the national and international spotlights.

Richfield is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States. An inner-ring suburb of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul region, it is bordered by Minneapolis to the north, Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport to the east, Bloomington to the south, and Edina to the west. Best Buy, the U.S.'s largest electronics retailer, has its headquarters in Richfield. The population was 36,994 at the 2020 census.

Roseville is a city in Ramsey County, Minnesota, United States, just north of Saint Paul and east of Minneapolis. It is one of two Twin Cities suburbs that are adjacent to both Saint Paul and Minneapolis (the other is Lauderdale). The land comprising Falcon Heights, Lauderdale, and southern Roseville was unincorporated until Roseville incorporated in 1948 and Falcon Heights and Lauderdale incorporated in 1949.