Plymouth is the seventh largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Located 15 miles (24 km) west of downtown Minneapolis in Hennepin County, the city is the third largest suburb of Minneapolis–Saint Paul, which is the sixteenth largest metropolitan area in the United States, with about 3.52 million residents. The population was 70,576 at the 2010 Census.

Once named for Medicine Lake, the city's name was chosen by Hennepin County Commissioners during the county's inception.

Plymouth's history can be traced back to the pre-Columbian period around 1400 to 1500 AD. The original inhabitants were the Dakota. Their encampment was at the north end of Medicine Lake. The name Medicine Lake is derived from the Dakota word Mdewakanton, meaning "Lake of the Spirit." The Dakota named the lake after a warrior overturned his canoe and his body was never recovered.

Antoine LeCounte, a guide and explorer, was the first settler to this area. He arrived in 1848, but did not settle until 1852. He carried mail from the Red River country to points south, trading goods to Native Americans for horses on the way. LeCounte built the first cabin at what is now East Medicine Lake Boulevard at 29th Avenue North.

Plymouth's beginning as a town occurred in 1855 on the northwest shores of what is now known as Parkers Lake. A gristmill and other structures were built in the area. In the spring of 1857, when Parkers Lake flooded, the mill was taken down and moved to Freeport. Freeport is now named Wayzata.

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