Minnesota moved up two spots and ranked No. 2 in the nation on list of the most Bike Friendly States released Thursday by the League of American Bicyclists.

Washington held onto the top spot for the seventh year in a row, but the Gopher State jumped from fourth in 2013 to second this year thanks to innovative mapping efforts, new bike-friendly legislation and increased funding for Safe Routes to School and bike routes.

"This year's Bicycle Friendly State ranking is a great acknowledgement of the dedication and commitment of our many agency partners, advocates and bicyclists from across the state," said Tim Mitchell, the state's Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator.

Minnesota was followed by Wisconsin at No. 3, Delaware at No. 4 and Oregon at No. 5. The rest of the top 10 included Colorado, Maryland, Utah, California and Massachusetts. Last year, Utah ranked 14th and California 19th.

"We're excited and encouraged to see real progress in states like California, Minnesota and Utah," said League President, Andy Clarke. "Overall, we still see a lot of opportunity to realize the huge potential of bicycling to promote health, economic development, and quality of life in all 50 states."

The list was released in conjunction with first day of National Bike Month.

The League annually ranks all 50 states on how bikeable they are. We do this based on a multi-faceted Bicycle Friendly State questionnaire that is answered by each state's bicycle coordinator.

League officials will host a Twitter chat about the rankings at 1 p.m. Central Time on Friday. Use the hashtag #bikemonth to join in.