Hastings, Minnesota
Hastings is a city in Dakota and Washington counties, in the U.S. state of Minnesota, near the confluence of the Mississippi, Vermillion, and St. Croix Rivers. Its population was 22,172 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Dakota County, which contains most of the city; a small part extends into Washington County along the Mississippi River's north bank. It is named for the first elected governor of Minnesota, Henry Hastings Sibley.The advantages... Show more of Hastings' location that led to its original growth are that it is well-drained, provides a good riverboat port, and is close to a hydropower resource at the falls of the Vermillion River. Other sites closer to the river confluence are either too swampy or too hilly. U.S. Highway 61 and Minnesota State Highways 55 and 316 are three of Hastings's main routes.