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Welcome to The Midwestern Connection - Minnesota - Iron Range
The Iron Range and Arrowhead are overlapping regions that make up the northeastern section of Minnesota in
the United States. "The Range", as it is known by locals, is a region with multiple distinct bands of iron ore.
The far eastern area, along the shore of Lake Superior, and the far northern area, along the Canadian border, of
the region are not associated with iron ore mining, and are collectively referred to as the Arrowhead region of
the state. The total population of the region is 322,073. The area consists of seven counties: Aitkin, Carlton,
Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, and St. Louis.
The area contains a mixture of deciduous forest populated by maple, oak, poplar, and birch, as well as areas of
coniferous forest that include red, white, and jack pine, and various species of spruce. The area includes hundreds
of small lakes, and is home to the Chippewa National Forest and Superior National Forest. The Iron Range does not
contain any large cities; some of the more substantial communities in the region include:
Hibbing (pop. 17,071) Former home of Bob Dylan, Basketball great Kevin McHale and home of the Hull-Rust Mine, which
has the largest iron-ore pit in the world. Also birthplace of Roger Maris.
Virginia (pop. 9,157) Is the shopping center of the northern part of the Iron Range, has the Thunderbird Mall.
The area has a recognizably Central European heritage. A strong "Minnesota accent" is present in the area, especially among the older part of the populace, hence the popular nickname, "Da Range". The region is known for unrelentingly harsh winters, and pleasant, albeit mosquito-infested summers. The average year-round temperature is in the 30's °F. Temperatures below -40 °F/°C occur somewhere in the region during most winters. For example, statistics from the Midwestern Regional Climate Center climate summaries, record that Virginia has a mean annual temperature of 38 °F, with an average January low temperature of -6.2 °F (about -21 °C) and July high of 77.4 °F (25 °C). Precipitation there averages 27 in (690 mm) annually and snowfall 53.2 in (135 cm). Near Lake Superior, the temperature differences are somewhat less extreme.
Source: Wikipedia