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Probably why I have the idea it is flat and flatter than my specific area of Florida. 95% of my midwest experience is in an around Chicago and driving constantly through Indiana or Illinois. Iowa in my experience was far hillier in Illinois and was surprised when I saw quite a few wineries out there.
The short answer is that those are both very small slivers of the state's total land area and the rest of Minnesota is flatter than the almost every other midwestern state.
Minnesota has the largest proportion of the flattest land classification with the least local relief of anywhere in the midwest except N. Dakota, which has a higher proportion of the state's total land mass in bigger hills. Over 1/3 of the Minnesota is in the flattest land classification possible, and over half of it falls into the one of the 2 flattest land classfications. To give you a comparison, less tha 1/4 of Kansas' total landmass falls into either of those classifications. Then most of the rest of Minnesota is the same classification the vast majorities of Iowa and Kansas. While the hilliest strip of Minnesota is hillier than anything in most midwestern states, the combined "hilly" regions of Minnesota are geographically smaller (in absolute terms) and relative to the total land mass of the state than any other hill region in the midwest, except Illinois, Indiana and Iowa. And Iowa is rolling terrain throughout 85% of the state.
Does that make sense?
I guess that makes sense....I mean lakes can't reside on hills easily!
Yeah, there's no shortage of beauty in Minnesota. Flatness is not an indictment, in my mind. Lots of people LOVE Florida and find it beautiful. And there's a lot of mountainous areas people fawn over that look like barren, rocky wastelands to me.
No it isn't, but around Chicago, it mostly is. Also, the stretch of
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, Kansas are all pretty much flat the majority of the states and around the cities in them. Most of I-80 and I-65 is just straight up flat for 100's of miles. Many of the areas in the Midwest are flatter than parts of Florida or coastal plains even if they are at a higher elevation, the topographical variety is flatter. So, that is where it gets it's rep from.
Interesting as I-80 runs over the Cuyahoga river valley through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park; one of the top 10 most visited national parks in the country.
AR has the three mountains ranges between the MO borher and Hot Springs.
IL does have prairie land. It's easy enough to find as 1-55 passes through it. Move 50 miles west and one finds cliffs, state and national forests. wetlands wild life refuge, Mississippi Flyway, high rolling hills, Illinois River Valley, Illinois Ozarks, all types of flora and fauna, outdoor outdoor sports, and a very large park systems.
Like hills? TX has a dandy 9degree monster on I-40. It also has a wonderful state park called Palo Duro Canyon that is very worth seeing. Don't forget White Sands National Park in NM and its mountains. AZ is flat too, but it also has some interesting mountains from Phoenix to is northern border. .
If you like hills tryI-70 to MO 20 and follow it south to Hermann.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If all one wants to see in Illinois is flat land and prairie then hop on one of the many Interstate routes. Drivers won't be terribly disappointed but they you won't learn much either.
I've lived in parts of the Midwest and driven across much of the area, and short of a few localized areas, I think it's true that it is indeed extremely flat. Maybe not quite as flat as a coastal plain, but still basically flat. I've driven across Nebraska from north to south, and east to west and it is very flat, short of a few river valley areas that have some minor rolling hills and the localized areas shown here out west or up north that have some hills. Same with South Dakota- I've driven that state in all directions and it is FLAT except for the Black Hills, Badlands, and a few localized areas along rivers that have some bluffs or hills. Same with North Dakota.
I've lived in parts of the Midwest and driven across much of the area, and short of a few localized areas, I think it's true that it is indeed extremely flat. Maybe not quite as flat as a coastal plain, but still basically flat. I've driven across Nebraska from north to south, and east to west and it is very flat, short of a few river valley areas that have some minor rolling hills and the localized areas shown here out west or up north that have some hills. Same with South Dakota- I've driven that state in all directions and it is FLAT except for the Black Hills, Badlands, and a few localized areas along rivers that have some bluffs or hills. Same with North Dakota.
few people would argue that the Midwest does not have flat areas, rather the argument is that not ALL of the Midwest is flat. If you think the Ozarks, Black Hills, or even the Driftless area of WI/IA/IL/MN is flat, you're seeing the world in your own special way. If a place does not have mountains as tall as the Cascades or something, that doesn't necessarily make them flat either. Similarly, if somebody from the Himalayas comes to the US and calls Utah flat, that'd be just as obnoxious.
Location: Jefferson City 4 days a week, St. Louis 3 days a week
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Originally Posted by jm31828
I've lived in parts of the Midwest and driven across much of the area, and short of a few localized areas, I think it's true that it is indeed extremely flat. Maybe not quite as flat as a coastal plain, but still basically flat. I've driven across Nebraska from north to south, and east to west and it is very flat, short of a few river valley areas that have some minor rolling hills and the localized areas shown here out west or up north that have some hills. Same with South Dakota- I've driven that state in all directions and it is FLAT except for the Black Hills, Badlands, and a few localized areas along rivers that have some bluffs or hills. Same with North Dakota.
Have to point out one thing about Nebraska...Omaha is hilly, and those hills aren't exactly what i'd call minor...not major, but not minor. As far as the Midwest overall, I'd classify it as flat to rolling hills. Saying the region is overall flat is a big mistake though.
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