Two recent events — the I-35W bridge collapse and the arrest of Idaho Sen. Larry Craig — highlighted Minnesota’s flyover status in national media circles. The bridge was described in some network reports as connecting Minneapolis and St. Paul, and Craig’s restroom encounter was reported to have taken place at the “Minneapolis airport.” As all true Minnesotans should know:

There is no “Minneapolis airport.”

There is no “Twin Cities International Airport.”

The Minneapolis VA Medical Center is not in Minneapolis.

Mounds View High School is in Arden Hills, not Mounds View.

Wayzata High School is in Plymouth, not Wayzata.

The State Fairgrounds lie in Falcon Heights, not St. Paul.

St. Paul’s streets were designed by “drunken Irishmen.”

I’m sure you can add to this short list of geographical misnomers and curiosities. But first, read what the Minneapolis Star had to say about the long-running airport dispute more than 44 years ago.

SORE POINT

Is Airport in
Minneapolis
Or St. Paul?

Is the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in Minneapolis? Or is it St. Paul?

The St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce is somewhat sensitive on this point, and in the current issue of Sports Illustrated magazine a St. Paul Chamber official takes issue with a magazine article that said Ron VanderKelen, of the Minnesota Vikings football team, “flew to Minneapolis.”

“Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is located in St. Paul,” John T. Hay, executive vice president of the St. Paul Chamber, wrote Sports Illustrated.

The airport even has a St. Paul ZIP code number, 55111, wrote Hay.

Hay admitted today a portion of the letter was “badly phrased” and should have said the airport “is in the St. Paul postal zone.”

Actually, land south of 62nd St., detached for airport use, was in Richfield before the transfer. Land north of 62nd St. was in Minneapolis. Some of the area once was part of Fort Snelling. None of it was in St. Paul.

Land abstracts are registered in Hennepin County.

Although Hay didn’t mention it, St. Paul had magazine trouble last year. Then the St. Paul Chamber wrote Life magazine protesting omission of the Minnesota State Fair from a list of annual summer events worth seeing.

This year Life listed the fair – and said it was in Minneapolis.

Primo parking places — and classic cars — were just a short walk from the terminal at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in 1962. (Photo courtesy mnhs.org)

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