▁St . ▁Sch ol ast ica ▁- ▁Sat ellite ▁location ▁Mc N ally ▁Smith ▁College ▁of ▁Music ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Category : Ne igh bor hood s ▁in ▁Saint ▁Paul , ▁Minnesota ▁Category : M inn esota ▁populated ▁places ▁on ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁River ▁Saint ▁Paul <0x0A> </s> ▁The ▁Minnesota ▁River ▁() ▁is ▁a ▁trib ut ary ▁of ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁River , ▁approximately ▁ 3 3 2 ▁miles ▁( 5 3 4   km ) ▁long , ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁state ▁of ▁Minnesota . ▁It ▁dra ins ▁a ▁waters hed ▁of ▁nearly ▁, ▁ ▁in ▁Minnesota ▁and ▁about ▁ ▁in ▁South ▁Dak ota ▁and ▁Iowa . ▁ ▁It ▁r ises ▁in ▁south western ▁Minnesota , ▁in ▁Big ▁Stone ▁Lake ▁on ▁the ▁Minnesota – S outh ▁Dak ota ▁border ▁just ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁Laurent ian ▁Div ide ▁at ▁the ▁Tra verse ▁G ap ▁port age . ▁It ▁flows ▁sout heast ▁to ▁M ank ato , ▁then ▁turns ▁n ortheast . ▁It ▁joins ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁T win ▁C ities ▁of ▁Min ne apolis ▁and ▁St . ▁Paul , ▁near ▁the ▁historic ▁Fort ▁Sn elling . ▁The ▁valley ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁several ▁distinct ▁regions ▁of ▁Minnesota . ▁The ▁name ▁Minnesota ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁Dak ota ▁language ▁phrase , ▁" M nis ota ▁M ako ce " ▁which ▁is ▁translated ▁to ▁" land ▁where ▁the ▁waters ▁reflect ▁the ▁sky ", ▁as ▁a ▁reference ▁to ▁the ▁many ▁la kes ▁in ▁Minnesota ▁rather ▁than ▁the ▁cloud iness ▁of ▁the ▁actual ▁river . ▁For ▁over