8 Reasons Why Minnesota is America's Coziest State

To understand how important heated rocks and low humidity are to Minnesotans, try saying the word “saw-nah” out loud. Chances are someone — especially if their family is Finnish — will gently correct you, explaining how it’s actually “sow-nah,” as in the barnyard animal. 

Don’t get discouraged. They simply want to share their genuine love of stress-reducing, Nordic-style dry saunas — the kind you’ll find spread throughout the state and featured everywhere from a Duluth-centric “Daily Show” segment to a toasty New York Times story. The latter leaned into the literal coziness of sitting shoulder to shoulder with swimsuit-wearing strangers in the icy depths of winter. 

“You can show up on your own,” explained a Minneapolis-based sauna organizer, “and soon you’re in this very intimate environment with eight other people. You can never do that in a bar.” 

Visit a sauna that floats on Lake Superior and read about other local wellness businesses that boast ice baths, sit atop a four-star hotel, or feature special forest bathing sessions.

Much like New Yorkers with secret off-the-grid spots upstate, it’s common to find multigenerational Minnesotans who treat their cabin like a treasured heirloom — something to be shared, protected and passed down. 

It’s no wonder Minnesota ranks among the best states for great outdoors getaways. Whether you’re looking for a luxury escape along a lake or a rustic retreat deep within the woods, cabin life is within reach for everyone.

Check out some of our favorite resorts, cabins, and vacation rentals, including state park standbys, an island full of A-frames, and an Insta-worthy Airbnb with vivid Norwegian pine views. 

One of the quickest ways to understand Minnesota’s global palate is to experience its many expressions of comfort food. For a familiar Midwestern take, look out for soul-affirming staples like wild rice soup, cheese-stuffed Juicy Lucy burgers, supper club steak and walleye, and Spoon and Stable’s signature pot roast, which chef Gavin Kaysen modeled after his grandmother Dorothy. (The New York Times highlighted it here.)

That merely scratches the surface of our vast culinary universe, however. Other local favorites that crank up the coziness include Hmong sausage and sticky rice, several regional styles of Vietnamese pho, restorative Mexican soups like pozole, menudo and birria, and generous, shareable platters of Ethiopian stews that prove “Minnesota spicy” is a myth frozen in time. 

After all, there were plenty of years where most of the country — not just the Midwest —preferred Old El Paso and Pace Picante Sauce over anything with actual peppers in it. 

Plan an entire trip around Minnesota’s stellar restaurant scene, including top-notch takes on African, Asian, Middle Eastern, South Asian, Mexican and Latin American food. 

To bring things back to Minnesota’s Scandinavian roots for a moment, consider Sweden’s own concept of coziness: mys (pronounced “mees”). The American Swedish Institute embodies this soothing mindset in Minneapolis every winter. Aside from hosting a popular solstice party, one of the region’s largest handicraft markets (Julmarknad), and a storybook-style holiday exhibition, ASI invites visitors to escape the everyday grind at its FIKA Café. 

Named after Sweden’s national coffee break, FIKA is the perfect spot to slow things down with a Hot Swede (coffee with cardamom-flavored syrup and whipped cream) and either a freshly baked cardamom bun or a dialed-in dessert like a sea buckthorn torte layered with dark chocolate mousse and praline crumbs. 

The all-day café also specializes in smörgåsar, open-faced sandwiches topped with classic Swedish combinations, such as shrimp, lemon dill aioli, cornichons, red onions, roe, and a soft-boiled egg, or smoked mackerel, horseradish cream, radish, cucumber, celery, and microgreens. 

Prefer a cocktail over coffee? FIKA’s savory dishes pair perfectly with a Bloody Swede (Aquavit, beet brine, dill and a house-made tomato mix). Take a closer look at Minnesota’s coffee-obsessed cafes, progressive cocktail programs, and delightful nonalcoholic drinks.

Take a closer look at Minnesota’s coffee-obsessed cafes, progressive cocktail programs, and delightful nonalcoholic drinks.  

Minnesotans have a helpful saying about meeting the winter months head-on: “There is no bad weather — just bad clothing.” This is often followed by one simple, yet crucial, word: “Layer.” 

Build the ultimate winter-ready wardrobe here. That way, you can start to see winter the way Minnesotans do: As an opportunity to spend more time with friends and family, seize brisk, sunny days, and curl up in the creature comforts of home. 

Nigel Slater, one of England’s most influential food writers, sums this spirit up beautifully in his book “The Christmas Chronicles.” Much of it explains why he’ll always prefer winter over summer, including this paragraph, which pretty much nails it: 

“The arrival of the first snap of cold is invigorating, like jumping into an ice pool after the long sauna of summer. Winter feels like a renewal, at least it does to me. I long for that ice-bright light, skies of pale blue and soft grey light that is at once calm and gentle, fresh and crisp. Away from the stifling airlessness of summer, I once again have more energy. Winter has arrived. I can breathe again.”

Read more about the wonders of winter in Minnesota.