Belle Plaine (/bɛl ˈplaɪn/ bel PLAYN)[6] is a city in Scott County, Minnesota, United States, about 40 minutes southwest of Minneapolis.

[4] Minnesota Territorial Supreme Court Judge Andrew G. Chatfield selected the townsite of Belle Plaine in 1853 while traveling from Mendota to Traverse des Sioux to hold court, as it was a halfway marker on his usual path of travel.

Chatfield chose to name the townsite Belle Plaine, which is French for "Beautiful Prairie.

[9] In 1870, the Minnesota State Legislature passed "An act to aid in the development of the salt springs at Belle Plaine", which donated six pieces of state-owned salt land to a holding company under certain conditions, notably that a well be drilled at Belle Plaine.

The U.S. Highway 169 corridor travels from the city of Virginia along the western edge of Mille Lacs Lake, through the western suburbs of Minneapolis, south through Belle Plaine and Mankato, and then into Iowa.

It is a central route of travel and provides easy access to the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota.

Belle Plaine is along the Minnesota River, which flows northeast through town.

A bridge crosses on the north side of town via Minnesota State Highway 25.

The ancient river's banks are discernible as the slopes of the valley rise up on either side of the town.