Lake Minnetonka

Lake Minnetonka is an inland lake located approximately 15 miles west-southwest of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The lake lies within Hennepin County and Carver County and is surrounded by 13 municipalities. At 14,528 acres (59 km²), it is Minnesota’s ninth largest lake and is popular among boaters, sailors, and fishermen. It is also one of Minnesota’s most affluent residential areas. Lake Minnetonka was officially named by Minnesota’s territorial governor, Alexander Ramsey, in 1852. He had been informed that the Dakota used the phrase Minn-ni-tanka (“Big Water” in the Dakota language) to refer to the lake.