Duluth is a port city and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota. It is the fourth largest city in Minnesota with a population of 86,918 as of the 2000 census. Duluth forms a metropolitan area with Superior, Wisconsin and the two are called Twin Ports. The Twin Ports ship coal, iron ore, and grain. The city is not only known for its port but also as a great tourist destination.

Duluth was originally settled by Sioux (Dakota) and Chippewa (Ojibwa). Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut, arrived in 1679 to settle rivalries between the two Indian nations as well as to advance fur trading missions in the area. Because of his efforts, the area prospered and hence the city was named after him. In the 1850s, Duluth became widely popular because of rumors of copper mining in the area. When copper resources became scarce, financier Jay Cooke convinced the Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad to create an extension from St. Paul to Duluth. Duluth became a thriving city by the end of the 19th century and became home to more millionaires per capita than any city in the world. With the decline of the city's industrial core, economic focus turned on to tourism. Duluth's tourist industry expanded greatly and around 3.5 million visitors each year contribute to more than $400 million in the local economy.