C
- Melvin Calvin (1911–1997) – Nobel Prize winner
- Karlyn Kohrs Campbell (born 1937) – academic
- Gino Cappelletti (born 1934) - former collegiate, AFL and NFL wide receiver
- Rod Carew § (born 1945) – Minnesota Twins baseball player
- Ron Carey – politician
- Arne Carlson § (born 1934) – 37th Governor of Minnesota
- Bruce A. Carlson (born 1971) – Commander, Air Force Materiel Command
- Casey Carlson (1989–Present) – Semi-Finalist of American Idol Season 8
- Curt Carlson (1914–1999) – businessperson (Carlson Companies, Radisson Hotels)
- Gretchen Carlson – beauty queen, anchor
- John Carlson (born 1984) – tight end for the Seattle Seahawks
- Kelly Carlson (born 1976) – actor
- Kyle and Lane Carlson (born 1978) – models
- Richard Carlson (1912–1977) – actor
- Herb Carneal (1923–2007) – Minnesota Twins baseball announcer
- David Carr (born 1956) – NY Times Writer
- William Leighton Carss § (1865–1931) – member of U.S. Congress
- Anthony Carter § (born 1975) – Minnesota Timberwolves basketball player
- Kiki Carter (Kimberli Wilson) § (born 1957) Environmental activist, organizer, musician, songwriter, and columnist
- Ryan Carter (born 1983) – hockey player for the New Jersey Devils
- Jonathan Carver § (1710–1780) explorer
- Bob Casey (1925–2004) Minnesota Twins public-address announcer
- Patrick Casey (born 1978) – writer and actor
- Dave Casper (born 1951) – Hall of Fame NFL offensive lineman and tight end, primarily with the Oakland Raiders
- James Castle § (1836–1903) – member of U.S. Congress
- Tracy Caulkins (born 1963) – swimmer
- James M. Cavanaugh § (1823–1879) – member of U.S. Congress
- Chelsea Charms (born 1976) – model
- Sam Childers § (born 1962) – former gang biker, founder of Angels of East Africa located in Sudan
- Leeann Chin – founder of the Leeann Chin Chinese restaurant chain
- Tom Chorske (born 1966) – hockey player
- Chief Chouneau (William Cadreau) (1888–1946) – baseball player
- Victor Christgau (1894–1991) – member of U.S. Congress
- Theodore Christianson (1883–1948) – 21st Governor of Minnesota; member of U.S. Congress
- Charles A. Christopherson (1871–1951) – politician
- Nick Ciola (Dominic Ciola or Caesar) – musician
- Moses E. Clapp (1851–1929) – U.S. Senator
- Frank Clague § (1865–1952) – member of U.S. Congress
- Harlan Cleveland (1918–2008) Championed DIKW, Club of Rome member, founding dean for H. H. Humphrey Institute, politician
- Elizabeth Close (1912–2011) – pioneering female architect in Minneapolis
- David Marston Clough § (1846–1924) – 13th Governor of Minnesota; 12th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota
- Ben Clymer (born 1978) hockey player
- Diablo Cody § (born 1978) – writer
- Ethan Coen (born 1957) – screenwriter, director, producer
- Joel Coen (born 1954) – screenwriter, director, producer
- William Colby (1920–1996) – director of the CIA
- Chris Coleman (born 1961) – politician
- Nick Coleman (born 1950) – columnist
- Nick Coleman (1925–1981) – politician
- Norm Coleman § (born 1949) – U.S. Senator, Mayor of Saint Paul
- Louis L. Collins – 23rd Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota
- Mo Collins (born 1965) – comedic actor
- Solomon Comstock § (1842–1933) – member of the U.S. Congress
- Chester Adgate Congdon § (1853–1916) – lawyer and capitalist
- Rachael Leigh Cook (born 1979) – actor, model
- Roger Cooper (born 1944) – teacher, politician
- Marisa Coughlan (born 1974) – model and actor
- Gratia Countryman (1866–1953) – influential librarian
- Christopher Cox (born 1952) – Chairman of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, United States representative
- Fred Cox – Minnesota Vikings football player, inventor of Nerf football
- Brian Coyle (1944–1991) – openly gay politician
- Seymour Cray § (1925–1996) – founder Cray Research, supercomputer architect, inventor
- Joseph Crétin § (1799–1857) – first Roman Catholic bishop of Saint Paul
- David Crittenden § (born 1960) classical guitarist
- Daunte Culpepper § (born 1977) – former Minnesota Vikings football player
- Randall Cunningham § (born 1963) – former Minnesota Vikings football player
- Robert E. Cushman, Jr. (1914–1985) – Commandant of the Marine Corps
Read more about this topic: List Of People From Minnesota