Exhibit 12(a).


Norwest Corporation and Subsidiaries    
COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
(Unaudited)



                          Six Months Ended                     
                                June 30,                        Year Ended December 31,    
In thousands                 1997       1996       1996       1995       1994       1993       1992

                                                                     
Computation of Income:
 Income before
  income taxes         $1,006,075    872,440  1,781,509  1,422,814  1,180,601    879,755    645,568
 Capitalized interest           -        (14)       (14)      (112)       (69)       (65)       (24)
 Income before income
  taxes and capitalized
  interest              1,006,075    872,426  1,781,495  1,422,702  1,180,532    879,690    645,544
 Fixed charges          1,345,026  1,324,291  2,685,447  2,503,603  1,640,049  1,485,936  1,651,664
 Total income for
  computation          $2,351,101  2,196,717  4,466,942  3,926,305  2,820,581  2,365,626  2,297,208
 Total income for
  computation excluding 
  interest on deposits
  from fixed charges   $1,636,410  1,560,544  3,142,024  2,770,005  1,957,224  1,513,317  1,281,619

Computation of Fixed
 Charges:
 Net rental
  expense (a)          $  102,730     97,868    205,409    166,591    149,462    128,573    123,342
 Portion of rentals
  deemed 
  representative
  of interest          $   34,243     32,623     68,470     55,530     49,821     42,858     41,114
 Interest:
  Interest on
   deposits               714,691    636,173  1,324,918  1,156,300    863,357    852,309  1,015,589
  Interest on 
   federal funds
   and other 
   short-term
   borrowings             215,131    227,329    454,013    515,646    290,211    238,046    277,835
  Interest on
   long-term debt         380,961    428,152    838,032    776,015    436,591    352,658    317,102
  Capitalized
   interest                     -         14         14        112         69         65         24
  Total interest        1,310,783  1,291,668  2,616,977  2,448,073  1,590,228  1,443,078  1,610,550
 Total fixed
  charges              $1,345,026  1,324,291  2,685,447  2,503,603  1,640,049  1,485,936  1,651,664
 Total fixed
  charges excluding
  interest on
  deposits             $  630,335    688,118  1,360,529  1,347,303    776,692    633,627    636,075
Ratio of Income
 to Fixed Charges:
 Excluding
  interest on
  deposits                  2.60x       2.27       2.31       2.06       2.52       2.39       2.01
 Including
  interest on
  deposits                  1.75x       1.66       1.66       1.57       1.72       1.59       1.39

(a) Includes equipment rentals.

                                        37