ArchitectureCathedral of Saint Paul
FreeAbout 1 hour
Free to visit and open daily; guided tours by request. About a 30-minute walk uphill from Union Depot.
Details at cathedralsaintpaul.org→
MN · Metro pop. 3.7M
Minneapolis–St. Paul
Minneapolis–St. Paul, two personalities — a Beaux-Arts capital and a creative river town, stitched together by one light-rail line.
A postcard from the city
Downtown Minneapolis from the air, a kayak out on the Lake of the Isles, the Cathedral of Saint Paul's stained glass, the Stone Arch Bridge curving over the falls, and a river sunset at the Ford Dam — Minneapolis–St. Paul as one set of bones.
Rails Midwest · City Guide
Minneapolis–St. Paul share a metro, an airport, and a river, but almost nothing else. St. Paul is the quieter, older, more architecturally interesting twin — the Cathedral of Saint Paul looks down on a downtown of brownstones and Art Deco towers, and Summit Avenue runs four and a half miles of Victorian-era mansions, F. Scott Fitzgerald's old street. Minneapolis, about 45 minutes west on the Green Line, is the louder, younger one: the Midwest's most cosmopolitan food scene, a sophisticated music and theater culture, and a Chain of Lakes threaded into the city grid. Amtrak's Borealis ends at the beautifully restored Union Depot in Lowertown, where the Empire Builder also calls on its way to Seattle and Portland, making St. Paul the natural base — but you can (and should) treat both halves as one city.
ArchitectureHistoryFood & DrinkMusicOutdoorsArtCultureSports
Orient yourself
Minneapolis–St. Paul at a glance
Where the train gets in and where the planes land — tap a pin.
Getting here & around
Getting to & around Minneapolis–St. Paul
Flying in from abroad, connecting from elsewhere in the US, arriving by Amtrak — and then getting around once you’re here, without renting anything.
By Air
Minneapolis–St. Paul (MSP) is the direct entry — 8 European direct routes plus major US domestic service. No need to route through Chicago.
Fly direct to Minneapolis–St. Paul from Europe
MSP · MNDelta's northern hub quietly runs a strong European schedule — year-round nonstops to London, Paris and Amsterdam, plus Dublin, Rome, Reykjavík, Frankfurt and Copenhagen in season.
London → MSP
LHRDelta
Year-round — Frequency varies by season.
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Paris → MSP
CDGDelta · Air France
Year-round (Air France seasonal)
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Amsterdam → MSP
AMSDelta · KLM
Year-round (KLM seasonal)
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Dublin → MSP
DUBDelta · Aer Lingus
Delta several times weekly; Aer Lingus seasonal
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Rome → MSP
FCODelta
Seasonal (roughly late March–early January)
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Reykjavík → MSP
KEFIcelandair
Seasonal (roughly March–early January)
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Frankfurt → MSP
FRADiscover Airlines
Seasonal (summer)
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Copenhagen → MSP
CPHDelta
Seasonal (summer)
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Airport to train station
Metro Transit Route 54 runs from the airport to downtown St. Paul in about 25 minutes. The METRO Blue Line serves both terminals and reaches downtown Minneapolis in about 30 minutes; change there to the Green Line for St. Paul Union Depot (Amtrak), on one fare.
By Train — Amtrak
Amtrak's daily Borealis (to Milwaukee and Chicago) and the Empire Builder (Chicago–Seattle/Portland) stop at the restored Union Depot in Lowertown, a 1923 Beaux-Arts landmark. From MSP airport, the Route 54 bus reaches downtown St. Paul in about 25 minutes; by rail, take the METRO Blue Line into downtown Minneapolis and change to the Green Line, which ends at Union Depot — about an hour, on one fare.
Connecting on Amtrak: The Borealis and Empire Builder both originate or terminate at St. Paul Union Depot, running south to Chicago via Milwaukee. The Empire Builder continues west to Seattle and Portland on its full route — boardable here for the western half of the line.
Borealis
From Chicago
7h 45m · 2 daily — the Borealis and the Empire Builder
Public Transportation
This is the best rail-to-rail handoff in the Midwest: the Green Line light rail terminates in front of St. Paul Union Depot and runs the eleven miles to downtown Minneapolis via the university, and the Blue Line carries on to MSP airport. Between the two you can land, reach either downtown, and catch an Amtrak train without ever touching a car. Buses cover the rest of both cities.
Green LineBlue LineBuses
Near St. Paul Union Depot
Where to stay in Minneapolis–St. Paul
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What to do in Minneapolis–St. Paul
ArchitectureHistoryJames J. Hill House
About 1 hour
The Summit Avenue mansion of the man who built the Great Northern Railway. Guided tours Thursday–Sunday, January through November. Two blocks from the Cathedral.
Details at mnhs.org→OutdoorsPadelford riverboat cruise
Seasonal90 minutes
Sightseeing cruises on the Mississippi from Harriet Island, May to late October — weekends only in the fall.
Details at riverrides.com→Rail stop · about 4 h by Borealis
Wisconsin Dells
Wisconsin Dells sits on the Borealis between St. Paul and Chicago — a sandstone river gorge town that somehow became the Waterpark Capital of the World. The gorge itself is the original attraction: the Wisconsin River cut through bluffs over 100 feet high, and the Original Wisconsin Ducks amphibious tours have run since 1946.
The waterparks are enormous, relentlessly cheerful, and impressive in their scale. Kalahari, Great Wolf Lodge, and several others cluster around the river. It's one of the more effective family add-ons in the Midwest, and it falls directly on the Borealis line.
Stop for a night southbound from St. Paul, then continue to Chicago — or add it northbound on your way up.
Take the train here
Ready-made trips through Minneapolis–St. Paul
Good to know
Questions travelers ask
Which Amtrak station serves Minneapolis–St. Paul?
St. Paul Union Depot in Lowertown, a restored 1923 landmark. The Borealis and the Empire Builder both stop there.
How long is the train from Chicago to St. Paul?
About seven and three-quarter hours. Two trains run each way daily: the Borealis and the Empire Builder.
How do I get from Union Depot to Minneapolis or the airport?
The METRO Green Line light rail starts outside Union Depot and runs to downtown Minneapolis; change there to the Blue Line for MSP airport. From the airport, Route 54 also reaches downtown St. Paul in about 25 minutes.
How far is St. Paul from Minneapolis, and how do I get between them?
The two downtowns are about 11 miles apart along the METRO Green Line, which takes about 45 minutes from St. Paul Union Depot to downtown Minneapolis. It's the easiest way between the two cities without a car.
Which airport should I fly into for Minneapolis–St. Paul?
Fly direct into Minneapolis–St. Paul (MSP) — 8 nonstop European routes, plus extensive non-stop US domestic service — or connect through Chicago O'Hare (ORD) if your preferred carrier isn't available on the direct service. See the "Fly direct to Minneapolis–St. Paul" block for the current carriers and schedules.