Saint Paul The capital of Minnesota, in the southeast part of the state on the Mississippi River adjacent to Minneapolis. Founded on the site of an early fur-trading post, it became territorial capital in 1849 and state capital in 1858.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.Saint Paul n (Placename) a port in SE Minnesota, capital of the state, at the head of navigation of the Mississippi: now contiguous with Minneapolis (the Twin Cities). Pop: 280 404 (2003 est) Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014