Alexandria is a city in and the county chair of Douglas County, Minnesota, United States. First contracted in 1858, it was named after brothers Alexander and William Kinkead from Maryland. The form of the publicize alludes to Alexandria, Egypt, a center of learning and civilization.

The village of Alexandria was incorporated February 20, 1877. Its city charter was adopted in 1908, and it was incorporated as a city in 1909. W. E. Hicks was pivotal to the town’s beforehand development. He purchased the townsite in 1868 and time-honored a mill, hotel, newspaper, and store. He donated property for a courthouse, jail, and two churches: Methodist and Congregational.

The population was 14,335 as of the 2020 census. Alexandria is close I-94, along Minnesota State Highways 27 and 29. It is ten miles south of Lake Carlos State Park. In 2013, Alexandria was named a “Top 10 Best Small Town” by the Livability website. The city is often edited as “Alex” (sometimes pronounced “Alec”).

The city is known as a hot spot for tourism, due to its many lakes and resorts. Tourism activities include a Grape Stomp hosted by the Carlos Creek Winery all September, an Apple Fest in October, the Douglas County Fair all August, and Art in the Park every July. The city has a museum housing the Kensington Runestone. Outside the museum stands huge Ole, a 25-foot-tall statue of a Viking built for the 1965 World’s Fair in New York City. Extensive repairs to huge Ole were completed in 2016. The city hosts the annual Vikingland Band Festival parade marching championship.