Minnesota’s demographic development has been fundamentally shaped by successive waves of migration, beginning with the region’s Indigenous populations and continuing through the arrival of diverse communities seeking new opportunities and refuge. Spurred by a range of factors—political turmoil, economic aspirations, land availability, religious persecution, and broader global conflicts—these migrations have played a central role in forming the state’s cultural, social, and economic fabric.
Research your ancestors on MyHeritage
List of Minnesota historical migration routes
| Time Period | Ethnic Group | Origination Location | Arrival Location | Motivating Factors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-contact – 18th century | Dakota (Sioux) | Indigenous to the Upper Mississippi region; migrations also from areas of the Great Lakes region | Primarily in the Minnesota River Valley and surrounding areas | Traditional homeland; natural resources (hunting, fishing); complex tribal movements and territorial shifts |
| 17th – 19th centuries | Ojibwe (Anishinaabe/Chippewa) | Moved westward from the Great Lakes (around Sault Ste. Marie and Lake Superior’s eastern shores) | Northern Minnesota (around Mille Lacs Lake and further north) | Fur trade opportunities; intertribal competition; displacement by European settlers along eastern Great Lakes |
| 17th – 18th centuries | French Fur Traders and Voyageurs | New France (primarily Quebec and other parts of eastern Canada) | Fort Beauharnois, Grand Portage, and along key waterways of Minnesota | Expansion of the fur trade; exploration of the Mississippi River region; trading alliances with Native American nations |
| 1820s – 1850s | "Yankee" Settlers from New England | Northeastern United States (New England states) | St. Croix Valley, St. Anthony Falls, and emerging frontier towns | Westward expansion; land speculation; economic opportunity; establishment of milling and lumber operations |
| 1840s – 1900 | German Immigrants | Various German states (e.g., Prussia, Bavaria, Hanover) | Rural areas of southern and central Minnesota (Stearns County, Brown County), as well as urban centers like St. Paul | Escape from political upheaval (1848 revolutions); search for farmland; chain migration networks |
| 1840s – 1900 | Irish Immigrants | Ireland (often via port cities on the East Coast) | St. Paul and surrounding areas; some rural settlements | Fleeing the Great Famine; seeking economic opportunities; construction jobs (railroads) |
| 1850s – early 1900s | Scandinavian (Norwegian, Swedish, Danish) Immigrants | Norway, Sweden, Denmark | Extensive rural settlements (western and southern MN); urban clusters in Minneapolis and St. Paul | Availability of farmland; Homestead Act; chain migration; cultural/language communities |
| 1880s – 1920s | Central and Eastern European (Poles, Bohemians, Czechs, Slovaks) | Austro-Hungarian Empire, Russian partition of Poland | Mining towns in the Iron Range; agricultural communities; Twin Cities neighborhoods | Industrial labor (mining, railroads); farmland; political persecution; chain migration |
| Late 19th – early 20th century | Jewish Immigrants | Eastern Europe (Russia, Poland, Lithuania, etc.) | Minneapolis (North Side); St. Paul neighborhoods | Escaping pogroms and religious persecution; seeking economic opportunity; established Jewish communities in urban centers |
| 1865 – 1970 (multiple waves) | African Americans (Great Migration) | Southern United States (Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, etc.) | Minneapolis and St. Paul primarily; also Duluth and other cities | Escaping racial violence and Jim Crow laws; better job opportunities in manufacturing and service industries |
| 1970s – 1990s | Hmong and Other Southeast Asian Refugees | Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia[1] | Primarily the Twin Cities (St. Paul’s Frogtown and surrounding areas); some secondary migration to smaller cities | Refugee resettlement following the Vietnam War; family reunification; ethnic community networks |
| 1990s – present | Somali and Other East African Refugees | Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea | Minneapolis (Cedar-Riverside neighborhood), St. Cloud, Rochester, and beyond | Refugee resettlement due to civil war; seeking security and community; robust nonprofit and community support networks |
| 1980s – present | Latin American (Mexican, Central American) Immigrants | Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, etc. | Urban centers (Minneapolis, St. Paul) and agricultural communities (southern MN) | Economic opportunities in agriculture, construction, and service sectors; family reunification |
| 2000s – present | Global Refugees and Immigrants (Karen from Myanmar, Oromo from Ethiopia, etc.) | Various conflict zones or economically depressed regions worldwide | Twin Cities metropolitan area and secondary migration to smaller cities such as Worthington, Willmar, Moorhead | Refugee resettlement programs; family reunification; labor demand in meatpacking, manufacturing, and service industries |
