Fargo, North Dakota
Encyclopedia
Fargo is the largest city in the U.S. state
of North Dakota
and the county seat
of Cass County
. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777. Fargo, along with its twin city of Moorhead, Minnesota
, as well as adjacent West Fargo, North Dakota
and Dilworth, Minnesota
, form the center of the Fargo-Moorhead
, ND-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Founded in 1871, Fargo is the crossroads and economic center of southeastern North Dakota and a portion of northwestern Minnesota
. Fargo is a cultural, retail, manufacturing, health care, and educational hub for the region. Fargo is home to North Dakota State University
.
s floating down the Red River
during the 1870s and 1880s. The city was originally named "Centralia," but was later renamed "Fargo" in honor of Northern Pacific Railway
director and Wells Fargo
Express Company founder William Fargo
. The area started to flourish after the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railroad and the city became known as the "Gateway to the West".
During the 1880s, Fargo became the "divorce capital" of the Midwest
because of lenient divorce
laws.
A major fire struck the city on June 7, 1893 when the proprietor of a grocery store accidentally started the blaze as she emptied ashes behind her store on a windy day. The fire destroyed 31 blocks of downtown Fargo. However, the city was quickly rebuilt with new buildings made of brick, new streets, and a water system. Over 246 new buildings were built within one year.
The North Dakota State Agricultural College was founded in 1890 as North Dakota
's land-grant university
, becoming first accredited by the North Central Association in 1915. In 1960, NDAC became known as North Dakota State University
.
Fargo-Moorhead
boomed after World War II
and the city grew rapidly despite being hit by a violent tornado in 1957. The tornado destroyed a large portion of the north end of the city. Dr. Ted Fujita, famous for his Fujita tornado scale, analyzed pictures of the Fargo tornado, which helped him develop his ideas for "wall cloud" and "tail cloud." These were the first major scientific descriptive terms associated with tornadoes. The coming of two interstates (I-29
and I-94
) revolutionized travel in the region and pushed growth of Fargo to the south and west of the city limits. In 1972, the West Acres Shopping Center
, currently the largest shopping mall in North Dakota, was constructed near the intersection of the two Interstates. This mall would become the catalyst for retail growth in the area. It would also spell the beginning of decline for Fargo's downtown.
, Navteq
and Cetero Research. The city's major retail districts on the southwest side have seen rapid expansion as has the downtown area due, at least, in part to investments made by the city and private developers in the Renaissance Zone. Planning agencies have also been active in promoting housing rehabilitation in older sections of the city such as the Roosevelt neighborhood to stem blight and strengthen the city's core.
Since the late 1990s, the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Statistical Area
has consistently had one of the lowest unemployment rates among MSAs in the United States
. This, coupled with Fargo's low crime rate and the decent supply of affordable housing in the community, has prompted Money
magazine to rank the city near the top of its annual list of America's most livable cities throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Fargo's largest challenge in recent years has been the rising water of the Red River, which flows from the United States into Lake Winnipeg
in Manitoba
, Canada
. The Red flows northward, which means melting snow and river ice, as well as runoff from its tributaries, often create ice dams, which cause the river to overflow. Fargo's surrounding Red River Valley terrain is essentially flat, leading to overland flooding. With the Red flowing right through the heart of the city, permanent flood protection will be an issue for many years to come.
This geographical setup leaves the city currently vulnerable to flooding during seasons with above average precipitation. The Red River's "minor" flood stage in Fargo begins at a level of 18 feet, with "major" flooding categorized at 30 feet and above. Many major downtown roadways and access to Moorhead, MN are closed off at this level. Record snowfalls late in 1996 led to flooding in 1997, causing the Red to rise to a record crest of 39.5 feet, nearly overtaking city defenses. In 2008-2009, significant fall precipitation coupled with a rapid snowmelt in March 2009 caused the Red to rise to a new record level of 40.84 feet, but again Fargo remained safe, in large part due to flood mitigation efforts instituted after the '97 event. Further upgrades were made to city infrastructure and additional resources brought to bear following the '09 flood, which caused no issues for the city in 2010 despite another rapid melt that caused the Red to rise to 37 feet (which ranks among the top ten highest levels ever recorded). Recent discussions have focused on a $1.5 billion diversion project that would channel the Red's water away from the city, but such a project is very much in the planning stages and being evaluated by various government agencies.
metropolitan area which also includes Moorhead, West Fargo, and Dilworth as well as outlying communities.
Fargo sits on the western bank of the Red River of the North
in a flat geographic region known as the Red River Valley
. The Red River Valley resulted from the withdrawal of glacial
Lake Agassiz
, which drained away about 9,300 years ago. The lake sediments deposited from Lake Agassiz made the land around Fargo some of the richest in the world for agricultural
uses. Early settlers sometimes called the Red River Valley a new "Garden of Eden
".
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 37.9 square miles (98.2 km²), all land.
and its distance from both mountains and oceans, the city has a humid continental climate
(Koppen
Dfb), and a USDA Plant Hardiness of Zone
rating of 4.The city features long, cold, windy, and snowy winters, with lows falling below 0 °F (-17.8 °C) 48 nights per year, and sometimes falling to -20 F. Snowfall averages 46 inches (117 cm) per season. Spring and autumn are short and highly variable seasons. Summers are warm with frequent thunderstorms, and highs reach 90 °F (32 °C) on an average of 13.6 days each year. Annual precipitation of 21.2 inches (538 mm) is concentrated in the warmer months.
of 2000, there were 90,599 people, 39,268 households, and 20,724 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,388.2 inhabitants per square mile (922.0/km²). There were 41,200 housing units at an average density of 1,086.0 per square mile (419.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.17% White, 1.02% African American, 1.24% Native American, 1.64% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.44% from other races
, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.29% of the population.
The top seven ancestry groups in the city are German
(40.6%), Norwegian
(35.8%), Irish
(8.6%), Swedish
(6.5%), English
(5.2%), French
(4.7%), Italian
(3.6).
There were 39,268 households out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 41.8% were married couples
living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.2% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.1% under the age of 18, 19.2% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,510, and the median income for a family was $50,486. Males had a median income of $31,968 versus $22,264 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $21,101. About 6.6% of families and 11.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
According to the 2006-2008 American Community Survey
, the racial composition was as follows:
Source:
According to the 2006-2008 American Community Survey, the top ten European ancestries were the following:
Source:
are elected at large for four-year terms. The current mayor of Fargo is Dennis Walaker
, who was elected in 2006 over five challengers with 34% of the votes cast. Walaker, the city's longtime Public Works Director, presided over the city's successful 2009 and 2010 Red River flooding battles, which contributed to his re-election in June 2010 with 92% of the popular vote against three other candidates. One of the commissioners, currently Dr. Tim Mahoney, is selected by the commission members to serve as deputy mayor. The Fargo City Commission meets every two weeks in its chambers above the Fargo Civic Center
. The meetings are broadcast on a Government-access television (GATV) cable channel.
Although politically diverse, Fargo has a history as a Republican-leaning area. Democrats tend to do well in state elections in the older and established areas of Fargo (Districts 11 and 21), but Republicans dominate throughout much of the newer areas of the city. George W. Bush carried Fargo as well as the rest of Cass County in the 2004 presidential election, with nearly 60 percent of the vote in both areas. In 2008, Democratic candidate Barack Obama won the majority of votes in Cass County, with a voting percentage very close to the percentage Obama received in the entire nation, while John McCain won the majority of votes in the entire state of North Dakota.
Although less Democratic-leaning than Grand Forks, Fargo is considerably more moderate/liberal than Bismarck
, where Democrats hold only a single seat in the state senate. In the 2006 elections, several Fargo-area Republican incumbents to the state legislature were defeated.
. That dominance has decreased substantially in recent decades. Now, the city of Fargo has a growing economy based on food processing, manufacturing, technology, retail trade, higher education, and healthcare. The largest non-governmental employers in the city include Sanford Health, Innovis Health
, Blue Cross/Blue Shield
, US Bank
, Microsoft
, Case New Holland and Swanson Health Products
. North Dakota State University
is the largest public sector employer in the city. In a study published by Forbes
, Fargo was ranked the 7th best small city in the nation to start a business or a career.
The Fargo Public Schools
system serves most of the city, operating fifteen elementary schools, three middle schools, and four high schools Fargo North High School
, Fargo South High School
, Judge Ronald N. Davies High School, and an alternative high school (Woodrow Wilson).
The West Fargo Public Schools system serves most of the southwestern part of the city.
The Fargo Catholic Schools Network operates Holy Spirit Elementary (North), Nativity Elementary (South), Sullivan Middle School, and Shanley High School
. The Oak Grove Lutheran School, Grace Lutheran School, and Park Christian School serve grades Pre-K–12.
(NDSU) which has over 14,000 students. NDSU was founded in 1890 primarily as an agricultural school, but has since branched out to cover many other fields of study.
Fargo is also home to several private institutions, including Rasmussen College
, a branch location of the University of Mary
, and Masters Baptist College operated by Fargo Baptist Church. Until recently, Globe University/Minnesota School of Business maintained a Fargo Student Resource Center, now replaced by the college's Moorhead campus.
, and the Fargo-Moorhead Youth Symphony. Fargo also boasts a dance company in the Fargo-Moorhead Ballet.
The Fargo Theatre
is a restored 1926 Art Deco
movie house that features first-run movies, film festivals, and other community events. The Fargodome
routinely hosts concerts, Broadway musicals, dance performances, sporting events, as well as fairs and other gatherings.
The Winter Carnival in Fargo is a tradition that began in 1928.
The Plains Art Museum is the largest museum of art in the state. It is located in downtown Fargo and features regional and national exhibits. It also houses a large permanent collection of art. There are several other museums in Fargo including The Children's Museum at Yunker Farm, The Fargo Air Museum
, The Courthouse Museum, The Roger Maris Museum in West Acres Shopping Center
, the North Dakota State University
Wall of Fame in the Scheels All Sports
store and the historic Bonanzaville village (West Fargo).
The Fargo Public Library was established in 1900 and for many years was housed in a Carnegie-funded building. In 1968, the library moved into a new facility as part of urban renewal efforts in the downtown area. In 2002, the Fargo Public Library established the first branch library in North Dakota with the opening of the Southpointe Branch. In 2004, voters passed an 18-month sales tax measure for new library facilities with 62% of voters in favor. The new Northport Branch opened in 2006 and serves the north side of Fargo. The Dr. James Carlson Library, which replaced the earlier Southpointe Branch, opened to the public on November 16, 2007 and serves the south side of Fargo. The new main library downtown, designed by Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle, opened April 25, 2009.
The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead
is the city's major newspaper. The High Plains Reader
, an independent weekly tabloid, also operates in the community. North Dakota State University's student paper, The Spectrum
, is printed twice weekly during the academic year. The city is also served by other publications such as OPEN Magazine
, Area Woman, From House To Home, Bison Illustrated
and Valley Faith.
Fargo is also home to several radio and television stations. Forum Communications
, which also owns The Forum, owns WDAY-TV
and WDAY radio. Local resident James Ingstad
owns six radio stations under Radio Fargo-Moorhead, Inc.
, including KFGO
. SMAHH Communications owns WZFG
and KEGK
. GoRadio, a division of Triad Broadcasting, owns Froggy 99.9
, 107.9 The Fox
, FM 105.1
, Q98
and 1660 ESPN Radio
.
Fargo television includes KVLY-TV
(NBC), KXJB (CBS), KVRR
(FOX), WDAY-TV
(ABC) and KFME (PBS), which also is home base for Prairie Public Television
. Cable television
service is provided by Cable One
.
Fargo has 4 local yellow pages publishers. SMARTSEARCH, which is locally owned and operated; yellowbook, owned by the Yell Group, a foreign United Kingdom based company; Dex, owned by RH Donnelley and based in North Carolina; and Phone Directories Company (PDC), based in Utah.
Fargo is served by Hector International Airport
. Hector has the longest public runway in the state and scheduled passenger flights to Minneapolis
, Chicago
, Denver
, Las Vegas
, Mesa
, Los Angeles
, Orlando
and Salt Lake City
. The city is served by Delta Air Lines
, Delta Connection
, American Eagle
, United Express
and Allegiant Air
. An Air National Guard
unit and the Fixed-Base Operation Fargo Jet Center are located at Hector.
The BNSF Railway
runs through the metropolitan area as successor to the Great Northern Railway and Northern Pacific Railroad. Amtrak
service is provided via the Empire Builder
passenger train at the Fargo Amtrak station
.
The city sits at the intersection of Interstate 29
and Interstate 94
. U.S. Highway 81, U.S. Highway 10, and U.S. Highway 52 also run through the community. Some other major roadways in the city include 45th St., 32nd Ave. S, 13th Ave. S, Main Ave. and University Drive.
A public bus service named Fargo Moorhead Metro Area Transit
(MAT) operates several routes. Greyhound Lines
, Jefferson Lines
and Rimrock Stages Trailways bus services also link Fargo to other communities.
The street system of Fargo is structured in the classic grid pattern. Routes that run from north to south are called streets, and routes that run from east to west are called avenues.
is an Academy Award winning 1996
film starring Frances McDormand
, Steve Buscemi
, and William H. Macy
and directed and produced by Joel and Ethan Coen. The film is named after the city which is only seen briefly at the film's opening scene set in a bar and mentioned a total of twice in the film. None of Fargo was shot on location in or near Fargo (the establishing shot
noted in the movie as Fargo was instead filmed in northeast Minneapolis
). The majority of the movie was filmed in Minneapolis and the local areas around Grand Forks, North Dakota
, which served as a substitute for Brainerd, Minnesota
due to mild Minnesota weather during production. According to an interview with Charlie Rose
on the Special Edition DVD, the Coens claim they actually titled the movie Fargo because it sounded more interesting than "Brainerd".
Fargo North, Decoder was a trenchcoat-wearing character on The Electric Company
, who tried to make sense of messages with scrambled words or missing letters.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
and the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Cass County
Cass County, North Dakota
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 123,138 people, 51,315 households, and 29,814 families residing in the county. The population density was 70 people per square mile . There were 53,790 housing units at an average density of 30 per square mile...
. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777. Fargo, along with its twin city of Moorhead, Minnesota
Moorhead, Minnesota
Moorhead is a city in Clay County, Minnesota, United States, and the largest city in northwest Minnesota. The population was 38,065 at the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Clay County....
, as well as adjacent West Fargo, North Dakota
West Fargo, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 14,940 people, 5,771 households, and 4,091 families residing in the city, however the current population of West Fargo is estimated at over 26,000 residents. The population density was 2,049.2 per square mile . There were 5,968 housing units at an average...
and Dilworth, Minnesota
Dilworth, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,001 people, 1,160 households, and 787 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,510.6 people per square mile . There were 1,238 housing units at an average density of 623.2 per square mile...
, form the center of the Fargo-Moorhead
Fargo-Moorhead
Fargo-Moorhead is a common name given to the metropolitan area comprising Fargo, North Dakota, Moorhead, Minnesota, and the surrounding communities. These two cities lie on the North Dakota-Minnesota border, on opposite banks of the Red River of the North...
, ND-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Founded in 1871, Fargo is the crossroads and economic center of southeastern North Dakota and a portion of northwestern Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. Fargo is a cultural, retail, manufacturing, health care, and educational hub for the region. Fargo is home to North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, more commonly known as North Dakota State University , is a public university in Fargo, North Dakota. NDSU has about 14,000 students and it is the largest university in North Dakota based on full time students and land size...
.
Early history
The area that is present-day Fargo was an early stopping point for steamboatSteamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
s floating down the Red River
Red River of the North
The Red River is a North American river. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers in the United States, it flows northward through the Red River Valley and forms the border between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota before continuing into Manitoba, Canada...
during the 1870s and 1880s. The city was originally named "Centralia," but was later renamed "Fargo" in honor of Northern Pacific Railway
Northern Pacific Railway
The Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
director and Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational diversified financial services company with operations around the world. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by assets and the largest bank by market capitalization. Wells Fargo is the second largest bank in deposits, home...
Express Company founder William Fargo
William Fargo
William George Fargo , pioneer American expressman, was born in Pompey, New York. From the age of thirteen he had to support himself, obtaining little schooling, and for several years he was a clerk in grocery stores in Syracuse....
. The area started to flourish after the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railroad and the city became known as the "Gateway to the West".
During the 1880s, Fargo became the "divorce capital" of the Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
because of lenient divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
laws.
A major fire struck the city on June 7, 1893 when the proprietor of a grocery store accidentally started the blaze as she emptied ashes behind her store on a windy day. The fire destroyed 31 blocks of downtown Fargo. However, the city was quickly rebuilt with new buildings made of brick, new streets, and a water system. Over 246 new buildings were built within one year.
The North Dakota State Agricultural College was founded in 1890 as North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
's land-grant university
Land-grant university
Land-grant universities are institutions of higher education in the United States designated by each state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890....
, becoming first accredited by the North Central Association in 1915. In 1960, NDAC became known as North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, more commonly known as North Dakota State University , is a public university in Fargo, North Dakota. NDSU has about 14,000 students and it is the largest university in North Dakota based on full time students and land size...
.
The 20th century
Early in the century, the automobile industry flourished, and in 1905, Fargo was home to the Pence Automobile Company.Fargo-Moorhead
Fargo-Moorhead
Fargo-Moorhead is a common name given to the metropolitan area comprising Fargo, North Dakota, Moorhead, Minnesota, and the surrounding communities. These two cities lie on the North Dakota-Minnesota border, on opposite banks of the Red River of the North...
boomed after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the city grew rapidly despite being hit by a violent tornado in 1957. The tornado destroyed a large portion of the north end of the city. Dr. Ted Fujita, famous for his Fujita tornado scale, analyzed pictures of the Fargo tornado, which helped him develop his ideas for "wall cloud" and "tail cloud." These were the first major scientific descriptive terms associated with tornadoes. The coming of two interstates (I-29
Interstate 29
Interstate 29 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern United States. I-29 runs from Kansas City, Missouri, at a junction with Interstate 35 and Interstate 70 to the Canadian border near Pembina, North Dakota, where it connects with Manitoba Highway 75 via the short Manitoba Highway 29.-Route...
and I-94
Interstate 94
Interstate 94 is the northernmost east–west Interstate Highway, connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. I-94's western terminus is in Billings, Montana at a junction with Interstate 90; its eastern terminus is the U.S...
) revolutionized travel in the region and pushed growth of Fargo to the south and west of the city limits. In 1972, the West Acres Shopping Center
West Acres Shopping Center
West Acres Shopping Center is a regional shopping mall located in Fargo, North Dakota near the intersection of Interstates 29 and 94. It is the largest mall in North Dakota and includes five major anchors, nearly 130 stores and services, and a 750 seat food court...
, currently the largest shopping mall in North Dakota, was constructed near the intersection of the two Interstates. This mall would become the catalyst for retail growth in the area. It would also spell the beginning of decline for Fargo's downtown.
Recent history
Several businesses now have major operations in the community including MicrosoftMicrosoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, Navteq
NAVTEQ
Navteq is a Chicago, Illinois-based provider of Geographic Information Systems data and is a dominant company in providing the base electronic navigable maps...
and Cetero Research. The city's major retail districts on the southwest side have seen rapid expansion as has the downtown area due, at least, in part to investments made by the city and private developers in the Renaissance Zone. Planning agencies have also been active in promoting housing rehabilitation in older sections of the city such as the Roosevelt neighborhood to stem blight and strengthen the city's core.
Since the late 1990s, the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Statistical Area
United States metropolitan area
In the United States a metropolitan statistical area is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are not legally incorporated as a city or town would be, nor are they legal administrative divisions like...
has consistently had one of the lowest unemployment rates among MSAs in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. This, coupled with Fargo's low crime rate and the decent supply of affordable housing in the community, has prompted Money
Money (magazine)
Money is published by Time Inc. Its first issue was published in October 1972. Its articles cover the gamut of personal finance topics ranging from investing, saving, retirement and taxes to family finance issues like paying for college, credit, career and home improvement...
magazine to rank the city near the top of its annual list of America's most livable cities throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Fargo's largest challenge in recent years has been the rising water of the Red River, which flows from the United States into Lake Winnipeg
Lake Winnipeg
Lake Winnipeg is a large, lake in central North America, in the province of Manitoba, Canada, with its southern tip about north of the city of Winnipeg...
in Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The Red flows northward, which means melting snow and river ice, as well as runoff from its tributaries, often create ice dams, which cause the river to overflow. Fargo's surrounding Red River Valley terrain is essentially flat, leading to overland flooding. With the Red flowing right through the heart of the city, permanent flood protection will be an issue for many years to come.
This geographical setup leaves the city currently vulnerable to flooding during seasons with above average precipitation. The Red River's "minor" flood stage in Fargo begins at a level of 18 feet, with "major" flooding categorized at 30 feet and above. Many major downtown roadways and access to Moorhead, MN are closed off at this level. Record snowfalls late in 1996 led to flooding in 1997, causing the Red to rise to a record crest of 39.5 feet, nearly overtaking city defenses. In 2008-2009, significant fall precipitation coupled with a rapid snowmelt in March 2009 caused the Red to rise to a new record level of 40.84 feet, but again Fargo remained safe, in large part due to flood mitigation efforts instituted after the '97 event. Further upgrades were made to city infrastructure and additional resources brought to bear following the '09 flood, which caused no issues for the city in 2010 despite another rapid melt that caused the Red to rise to 37 feet (which ranks among the top ten highest levels ever recorded). Recent discussions have focused on a $1.5 billion diversion project that would channel the Red's water away from the city, but such a project is very much in the planning stages and being evaluated by various government agencies.
Geography
Fargo is located at 46°52′17"N 96°48′31"W (46.871414, -96.808658). Fargo is a core city of the Fargo-MoorheadFargo-Moorhead
Fargo-Moorhead is a common name given to the metropolitan area comprising Fargo, North Dakota, Moorhead, Minnesota, and the surrounding communities. These two cities lie on the North Dakota-Minnesota border, on opposite banks of the Red River of the North...
metropolitan area which also includes Moorhead, West Fargo, and Dilworth as well as outlying communities.
Fargo sits on the western bank of the Red River of the North
Red River of the North
The Red River is a North American river. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers in the United States, it flows northward through the Red River Valley and forms the border between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota before continuing into Manitoba, Canada...
in a flat geographic region known as the Red River Valley
Red River Valley
The Red River Valley is a region in central North America that is drained by the Red River of the North. It is significant in the geography of North Dakota, Minnesota, and Manitoba for its relatively fertile lands and the population centers of Fargo, Moorhead, Grand Forks, and Winnipeg...
. The Red River Valley resulted from the withdrawal of glacial
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
Lake Agassiz
Lake Agassiz
Lake Agassiz was an immense glacial lake located in the center of North America. Fed by glacial runoff at the end of the last glacial period, its area was larger than all of the modern Great Lakes combined, and it held more water than contained by all lakes in the world today.-Conception:First...
, which drained away about 9,300 years ago. The lake sediments deposited from Lake Agassiz made the land around Fargo some of the richest in the world for agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
uses. Early settlers sometimes called the Red River Valley a new "Garden of Eden
Garden of Eden
The Garden of Eden is in the Bible's Book of Genesis as being the place where the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, lived after they were created by God. Literally, the Bible speaks about a garden in Eden...
".
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 37.9 square miles (98.2 km²), all land.
Climate
Due to its location in the Great PlainsGreat Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
and its distance from both mountains and oceans, the city has a humid continental climate
Humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
(Koppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Dfb), and a USDA Plant Hardiness of Zone
Hardiness zone
A hardiness zone is a geographically defined area in which a specific category of plant life is capable of growing, as defined by climatic conditions, including its ability to withstand the minimum temperatures of the zone...
rating of 4.The city features long, cold, windy, and snowy winters, with lows falling below 0 °F (-17.8 °C) 48 nights per year, and sometimes falling to -20 F. Snowfall averages 46 inches (117 cm) per season. Spring and autumn are short and highly variable seasons. Summers are warm with frequent thunderstorms, and highs reach 90 °F (32 °C) on an average of 13.6 days each year. Annual precipitation of 21.2 inches (538 mm) is concentrated in the warmer months.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 90,599 people, 39,268 households, and 20,724 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,388.2 inhabitants per square mile (922.0/km²). There were 41,200 housing units at an average density of 1,086.0 per square mile (419.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.17% White, 1.02% African American, 1.24% Native American, 1.64% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.44% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.29% of the population.
The top seven ancestry groups in the city are German
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
(40.6%), Norwegian
Norwegian American
Norwegian Americans are Americans of Norwegian descent. Norwegian immigrants went to the United States primarily in the later half of the 19th century and the first few decades of the 20th century. There are more than 4.5 million Norwegian Americans according to the most recent U.S. census, and...
(35.8%), Irish
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
(8.6%), Swedish
Swedish American
Swedish Americans are Americans of Swedish descent, especially the descendants of about 1.2 million immigrants from Sweden during 1885-1915. Most were Lutherans who affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ; some were Methodists...
(6.5%), English
English American
English Americans are citizens or residents of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England....
(5.2%), French
French American
French Americans or Franco-Americans are Americans of French or French Canadian descent. About 11.8 million U.S. residents are of this descent, and about 1.6 million speak French at home.An additional 450,000 U.S...
(4.7%), Italian
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
(3.6).
There were 39,268 households out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 41.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.2% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.1% under the age of 18, 19.2% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,510, and the median income for a family was $50,486. Males had a median income of $31,968 versus $22,264 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $21,101. About 6.6% of families and 11.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
According to the 2006-2008 American Community Survey
American Community Survey
The American Community Survey is an ongoing statistical survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, sent to approximately 250,000 addresses monthly . It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census...
, the racial composition was as follows:
- WhiteWhite AmericanWhite Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
: 92.4% (Non-Hispanic WhitesNon-Hispanic WhitesNon-Hispanic Whites or White, Not Hispanic or Latino are people in the United States, as defined by the Census Bureau, who are of the White race and are not of Hispanic or Latino origin/ethnicity. Hence the designation is exclusive in the sense that it defines who is not included as opposed to who is...
: 91.0%) - Black or African AmericanAfrican AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
: 2.5% - American IndianNative Americans in the United StatesNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
: 1.3% - AsianAsian AmericanAsian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
: 2.1% - Pacific IslanderPacific Islander AmericanPacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...
: 0.1% - Some other race: 0.4%
- Two or more racesMultiracial AmericanMultiracial Americans, US residents who identify themselves as of "two or more races", were numbered at around 9 million, or 2.9% of the population, in the census of 2010. However there is considerable evidence that the real number is far higher. Prior to the mid-20th century many people hid their...
: 1.3%
- Hispanic or LatinoHispanic and Latino AmericansHispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
(of any race): 2.1%
Source:
According to the 2006-2008 American Community Survey, the top ten European ancestries were the following:
- GermanGerman AmericanGerman Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
: 42.7% - NorwegianNorwegian AmericanNorwegian Americans are Americans of Norwegian descent. Norwegian immigrants went to the United States primarily in the later half of the 19th century and the first few decades of the 20th century. There are more than 4.5 million Norwegian Americans according to the most recent U.S. census, and...
: 35.0% - IrishIrish AmericanIrish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
: 9.4% - SwedishSwedish AmericanSwedish Americans are Americans of Swedish descent, especially the descendants of about 1.2 million immigrants from Sweden during 1885-1915. Most were Lutherans who affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ; some were Methodists...
: 6.2% - EnglishEnglish AmericanEnglish Americans are citizens or residents of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England....
: 5.3% - FrenchFrench AmericanFrench Americans or Franco-Americans are Americans of French or French Canadian descent. About 11.8 million U.S. residents are of this descent, and about 1.6 million speak French at home.An additional 450,000 U.S...
: 4.7% - PolishPolish AmericanA Polish American , is a citizen of the United States of Polish descent. There are an estimated 10 million Polish Americans, representing about 3.2% of the population of the United States...
: 2.9% - RussianRussian AmericanRussian Americans are primarily Americans who traces their ancestry to Russia. The definition can be applied to recent Russian immigrants to the United States, as well as to settlers of 19th century Russian settlements in northwestern America which includes today's California, Alaska and...
: 2.4% - ScottishScottish AmericanScottish Americans or Scots Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in Scotland. Scottish Americans are closely related to Scots-Irish Americans, descendants of Ulster Scots, and communities emphasize and celebrate a common heritage...
: 1.7% - Scotch-Irish: 1.7%
Source:
Law and government
Fargo uses the city commission style of local government. Four commissioners and a mayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
are elected at large for four-year terms. The current mayor of Fargo is Dennis Walaker
Dennis Walaker
Dennis Walaker is the current mayor of Fargo, North Dakota in the United States. He was elected to a four-year term on June 13, 2006 and took office on June 28, 2006. He was re-elected during a municipal election which was held on June 8, 2010.- Biography:...
, who was elected in 2006 over five challengers with 34% of the votes cast. Walaker, the city's longtime Public Works Director, presided over the city's successful 2009 and 2010 Red River flooding battles, which contributed to his re-election in June 2010 with 92% of the popular vote against three other candidates. One of the commissioners, currently Dr. Tim Mahoney, is selected by the commission members to serve as deputy mayor. The Fargo City Commission meets every two weeks in its chambers above the Fargo Civic Center
Fargo Civic Center
Fargo Civic Center is an indoor arena, located in Fargo, North Dakota. It can hold around 3,000 people, during concerts and 1,500 people, during basketball games.It also hosts trade shows, sporting events, entertainment events, meetings and community events....
. The meetings are broadcast on a Government-access television (GATV) cable channel.
Although politically diverse, Fargo has a history as a Republican-leaning area. Democrats tend to do well in state elections in the older and established areas of Fargo (Districts 11 and 21), but Republicans dominate throughout much of the newer areas of the city. George W. Bush carried Fargo as well as the rest of Cass County in the 2004 presidential election, with nearly 60 percent of the vote in both areas. In 2008, Democratic candidate Barack Obama won the majority of votes in Cass County, with a voting percentage very close to the percentage Obama received in the entire nation, while John McCain won the majority of votes in the entire state of North Dakota.
Although less Democratic-leaning than Grand Forks, Fargo is considerably more moderate/liberal than Bismarck
Bismarck, North Dakota
Bismarck is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The city's population was 61,272 at the 2010 census, while its metropolitan population was 108,779...
, where Democrats hold only a single seat in the state senate. In the 2006 elections, several Fargo-area Republican incumbents to the state legislature were defeated.
Economy
The economy of the Fargo area has historically been dependent on agricultureAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. That dominance has decreased substantially in recent decades. Now, the city of Fargo has a growing economy based on food processing, manufacturing, technology, retail trade, higher education, and healthcare. The largest non-governmental employers in the city include Sanford Health, Innovis Health
Innovis Health
Innovis Health, located in Fargo, North Dakota, is an integrated healthcare system consisting of an 104-bed hospital and 21-clinic system serving eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota...
, Blue Cross/Blue Shield
Blue Shield
Blue Shield may refer to:*Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association*International Committee of the Blue Shield*Blue Shield , a Marvel Comics Superhero...
, US Bank
U.S. Bancorp
U.S. Bancorp is a diversified financial services holding company, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the parent company of U.S. Bank, the fifth largest commercial bank in the United States based on $330 billion in assets. U.S. Bank ranks as the sixth largest bank in the U.S. based on...
, Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, Case New Holland and Swanson Health Products
Swanson Health Products
Swanson Health Products is a natural health catalog and Internet marketing company headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota. The company sells natural health and wellness products, including health foods, dietary supplements such as vitamins, minerals, herbs, as well as natural personal care products...
. North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, more commonly known as North Dakota State University , is a public university in Fargo, North Dakota. NDSU has about 14,000 students and it is the largest university in North Dakota based on full time students and land size...
is the largest public sector employer in the city. In a study published by Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
, Fargo was ranked the 7th best small city in the nation to start a business or a career.
K–12
Fargo Public Schools
Fargo Public Schools is a public school district in Fargo, North Dakota, United States. There are three high schools, three middle schools, and fourteen elementary schools. FPS also operates an alternative high school...
system serves most of the city, operating fifteen elementary schools, three middle schools, and four high schools Fargo North High School
Fargo North High School
Fargo North High School, more commonly known in the district as Fargo North or North High, is an public high school located in Fargo, North Dakota. It currently serves about 1,300 students and is a part of the Fargo Public Schools system...
, Fargo South High School
Fargo South High School
Fargo South High School is a public high school built in 1967 and located in Fargo, North Dakota. The main campus serves about 1,600 students, while freshmen attend South Campus II , bringing the total student population to around 2,100. The school is a part of the Fargo Public Schools system...
, Judge Ronald N. Davies High School, and an alternative high school (Woodrow Wilson).
The West Fargo Public Schools system serves most of the southwestern part of the city.
The Fargo Catholic Schools Network operates Holy Spirit Elementary (North), Nativity Elementary (South), Sullivan Middle School, and Shanley High School
Shanley High School
Shanley High School, once called Sacred Heart Academy, is a Catholic high school located in Fargo, North Dakota. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fargo. It currently serves about 380 students and is a member of the Fargo Catholic Schools Network...
. The Oak Grove Lutheran School, Grace Lutheran School, and Park Christian School serve grades Pre-K–12.
Higher education
Fargo is home to North Dakota State UniversityNorth Dakota State University
North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, more commonly known as North Dakota State University , is a public university in Fargo, North Dakota. NDSU has about 14,000 students and it is the largest university in North Dakota based on full time students and land size...
(NDSU) which has over 14,000 students. NDSU was founded in 1890 primarily as an agricultural school, but has since branched out to cover many other fields of study.
Fargo is also home to several private institutions, including Rasmussen College
Rasmussen College
Rasmussen College is a 110-year old for-profit private college offering Bachelor's and Associate's degrees at multiple campuses in Minnesota including Blaine, Brooklyn Park, Eagan, Bloomington, Lake Elmo, Mankato, Moorhead and St...
, a branch location of the University of Mary
University of Mary
The University of Mary is a four year Catholic university near Bismarck, North Dakota.The university is the largest degree granting institution in Bismarck...
, and Masters Baptist College operated by Fargo Baptist Church. Until recently, Globe University/Minnesota School of Business maintained a Fargo Student Resource Center, now replaced by the college's Moorhead campus.
Culture
Fargo offers a wide variety of cultural opportunities for a city of its size. This is likely due, in part, to the presence of three universities in the area. Most theatre and events are either promoted or produced by the universities, although there are several private theatre companies in the city including Fargo-Moorhead Community Theatre (FMCT), Theatre 'B' in downtown Fargo, Ursa Major Productions, Music Theatre Fargo Moorhead, Tin Roof Theatre Company, The Entertainment Company and others. Music organizations in the area include the Fargo-Moorhead Opera, the Jazz Arts Group, the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony OrchestraFargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra
The Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra is a professional orchestra based out of Fargo, North Dakota. The symphony employs local and regional musicians in performances of classical and modern symphonic music....
, and the Fargo-Moorhead Youth Symphony. Fargo also boasts a dance company in the Fargo-Moorhead Ballet.
The Fargo Theatre
Fargo Theatre
The Fargo Theatre is an art deco movie theatre in downtown Fargo, North Dakota. It was built in 1926. It was restored in 1999 to its historic appearance and now is a center for the arts in the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area....
is a restored 1926 Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
movie house that features first-run movies, film festivals, and other community events. The Fargodome
Fargodome
The Fargodome is an indoor stadium, located in Fargo, North Dakota. It opened in 1992 and holds over 19,000 people for football games and over 25,000, for full arena concerts....
routinely hosts concerts, Broadway musicals, dance performances, sporting events, as well as fairs and other gatherings.
The Winter Carnival in Fargo is a tradition that began in 1928.
The Plains Art Museum is the largest museum of art in the state. It is located in downtown Fargo and features regional and national exhibits. It also houses a large permanent collection of art. There are several other museums in Fargo including The Children's Museum at Yunker Farm, The Fargo Air Museum
Fargo Air Museum
The Fargo Air Museum is an aviation related museum in Fargo, North Dakota. It is located near Hector International Airport in the northern part of the city. The museum includes many historic aircraft of which 90% are in flying condition. There is also a full-scale replica of a Wright brothers...
, The Courthouse Museum, The Roger Maris Museum in West Acres Shopping Center
West Acres Shopping Center
West Acres Shopping Center is a regional shopping mall located in Fargo, North Dakota near the intersection of Interstates 29 and 94. It is the largest mall in North Dakota and includes five major anchors, nearly 130 stores and services, and a 750 seat food court...
, the North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, more commonly known as North Dakota State University , is a public university in Fargo, North Dakota. NDSU has about 14,000 students and it is the largest university in North Dakota based on full time students and land size...
Wall of Fame in the Scheels All Sports
Scheels All Sports
Scheels All Sports is a privately held, employee owned and operated sporting goods and entertainment chain store headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota. Scheels operates 24 store locations in nine U.S. states. Their slogan is Gear. Passion. Sports....
store and the historic Bonanzaville village (West Fargo).
The Fargo Public Library was established in 1900 and for many years was housed in a Carnegie-funded building. In 1968, the library moved into a new facility as part of urban renewal efforts in the downtown area. In 2002, the Fargo Public Library established the first branch library in North Dakota with the opening of the Southpointe Branch. In 2004, voters passed an 18-month sales tax measure for new library facilities with 62% of voters in favor. The new Northport Branch opened in 2006 and serves the north side of Fargo. The Dr. James Carlson Library, which replaced the earlier Southpointe Branch, opened to the public on November 16, 2007 and serves the south side of Fargo. The new main library downtown, designed by Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle, opened April 25, 2009.
Recreation
The Fargo Park District operates many neighborhood parks throughout the city. The Fargo area contains the following golf courses: Edgewood Golf Course (18-hole), Fargo Country Club (18-hole) Rose Creek Golf Course (18-hole), El Zagal (9-hole), Prairiewood Golf Course (9-hole), and the new Osgood Golf Course (9-hole). In the winter Edgewood serves as a warming house and also provides cross country skis. Rose Creek and Osgood golf courses offer golfing lessons in the summer months. Fargo also has a skate park located near dike west and Island park. Fargo and sister city Moorhead also hold ferry rides during the summer, on the historic Red River, to promote education of the fertile dirt of the Red River Valley.Sports
- North Dakota State UniversityNorth Dakota State UniversityNorth Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, more commonly known as North Dakota State University , is a public university in Fargo, North Dakota. NDSU has about 14,000 students and it is the largest university in North Dakota based on full time students and land size...
, an NCAA Division I university with 14 varsity sports and Club sports such as Club Hockey and Lacrosse - Fargo-Moorhead RedHawksFargo-Moorhead RedHawksThe Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks are a professional baseball team based in Fargo, North Dakota, in the United States. The RedHawks are a member of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
Independent Baseball Organization started in 1996 and is a 5 Time Northern League Champion and current member of the American Association - Fargo Post#2 of the North DakotaNorth DakotaNorth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
American LegionAmerican LegionThe American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
baseball league - Fargo MarathonFargo MarathonThe Fargo Marathon is an annual marathon in Fargo, North Dakota. It is sponsored by Scheels All Sports. The first Fargo Marathon was held in 2005.-Marathons:*2005: 707 finishers...
- Fargo-Moorhead Liberty, a new semi-pro football team part of the Northern Power Football League, plays at Moorhead Senior High School's Jim Gotta Stadium.
- Fargo ForceFargo ForceThe Fargo Force is a Tier 1 junior ice hockey team in the Western Conference of the United States Hockey League .-History:In early 2007, Fargo was granted a USHL team, intended as an anchor tenant for the then-under-construction Urban Plains Center, which is now called Scheels Arena...
, a tier 1 USHL hockey team. - Fargo Moorhead Derby Girls (FMDG) women's roller derby league was founded in May 2009 and plays at the Civic Center downtown Fargo. Every game in their 2009-2010 season was sold out.
Sister cities
Fargo has two sister cities: |
Hamar Hamar is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Hamar. The municipality of Hamar was separated from Vang as a town and municipality of its own in 1849... , Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million... |
 |
Vimmerby Vimmerby - External links :* - Official site* - Theme Park... , Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
Media
- See also: Fargo-Moorhead media for a list of newspapers, radio stations, television stations, yellow page directories, and more...
The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead
The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead
The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, previously titled the Fargo Forum, is a daily newspaper printed in Fargo, North Dakota and owned by Forum Communications. The Forum, as it is commonly known, is the primary daily paper for southeast North Dakota, and also much of northwest Minnesota. Its average daily...
is the city's major newspaper. The High Plains Reader
High Plains Reader
The High Plains Reader is an alternative newspaper serving the Fargo and Grand Forks metropolitan areas, with an estimated readership of 20,000 to 30,000 weekly between print and online readers...
, an independent weekly tabloid, also operates in the community. North Dakota State University's student paper, The Spectrum
NDSU Spectrum
The Spectrum is the student-run newspaper of North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota. The Spectrum has been in publication since 1896....
, is printed twice weekly during the academic year. The city is also served by other publications such as OPEN Magazine
OPEN Magazine
OPEN Magazine was a quarterly city and lifestyle magazine focusing upon fashion, style, entertainment, dining and culture for the Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota metropolitan areas. Feature articles generally cover local people, businesses, restaurants, entertainment, sports, home and...
, Area Woman, From House To Home, Bison Illustrated
Bison Illustrated
Bison Illustrated is a human interest magazine dedicated to North Dakota State University Bison athletics. The magazine covers many behind the scenes aspects surrounding NDSU athletics such as Where are They Now, coach's spouse features, in depth student-athlete profiles, fan theme rooms,...
and Valley Faith.
Fargo is also home to several radio and television stations. Forum Communications
Forum Communications
Forum Communications Company is a media firm based in Fargo, North Dakota. The company prints a number of newspapers in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, including The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead....
, which also owns The Forum, owns WDAY-TV
WDAY-TV
WDAY-TV, digital channel 21 , is the ABC affiliate television station for Fargo, North Dakota. The station serves the southern half of the Fargo-Grand Forks television market, with WDAZ-TV in Grand Forks serving the northern half. The two stations are counted as a single unit for Nielsen ratings...
and WDAY radio. Local resident James Ingstad
James Ingstad
James Ingstad is a Fargo, North Dakota resident who owns Radio Fargo-Moorhead, Inc., consisting of KFGO, KMJO, KBVB, KRWK, KVOX, and WDAY-FM, which were formerly owned by Clear Channel Communications...
owns six radio stations under Radio Fargo-Moorhead, Inc.
Radio Fargo-Moorhead, Inc.
Radio Fargo-Moorhead is a local broadcasting company, located in Fargo, North Dakota. It was formed in September 2006, when Fargo resident James Ingstad bought six radio stations from Clear Channel Communications. That group sale was approved by the FCC on January 19, 2007.Radio Fargo-Moorhead...
, including KFGO
KFGO
KFGO is a radio station broadcasting a news and talk radio format serving the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by Radio Fargo-Moorhead, Inc. All the offices and studios are located at 1020 S. 25th Street in Fargo...
. SMAHH Communications owns WZFG
WZFG
WZFG is a 50,000 watt radio station serving the Fargo-Moorhead market, licensed to Dilworth, Minnesota. Its two-tower transmitter site is near Sabin, Minnesota. The station is owned by Great Plains Integrated Marketing.-History:...
and KEGK
KEGK
KEGK is an oldies/classic hits radio station serving the Fargo-Moorhead area, licensed to Wahpeton, North Dakota, and primarily plays rock and pop music from the 1970s and 1980s...
. GoRadio, a division of Triad Broadcasting, owns Froggy 99.9
KVOX-FM
KVOX-FM is a radio station located in Fargo, North Dakota , owned by Go Radio Broadcasting, a division of Triad Broadcasting. The stations airs a country music format, and can also be heard streaming on the internet through its website...
, 107.9 The Fox
KPFX
KPFX is a radio station located in Fargo, North Dakota, owned by Go Radio Broadcasting, a division of Triad Broadcasting...
, FM 105.1
KLTA
KLTA is a radio station based in Fargo, North Dakota, though licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to Breckenridge, Minnesota. It is owned by Go Radio Broadcasting, a division of Triad Broadcasting...
, Q98
KQWB-FM
KQWB-FM is an Active rock radio station located in Fargo, North Dakota , owned by Go Radio Broadcasting, a division of Triad Broadcasting.-History:...
and 1660 ESPN Radio
KQWB-AM
KQWB is a radio station located in Fargo, North Dakota , owned by Go Radio Broadcasting, a division of Triad Broadcasting, airing ESPN Radio along with programming from KSTP-AM .Triad Broadcasting also owns KQWB-FM 98.7 , KVOX 99.9 , KLTA 105.1...
.
Fargo television includes KVLY-TV
KVLY-TV
KVLY-TV, is an NBC affiliated television station in Fargo, North Dakota, USA, serving Eastern North Dakota and Northwestern Minnesota. It broadcasts on ATSC channel 44, which redirects to former NTSC channel 11 via PSIP. In addition to its main studio in Fargo, it operates a satellite studio in...
(NBC), KXJB (CBS), KVRR
KVRR
KVRR, is a Fox affiliated television station in Fargo, North Dakota, USA, serving Eastern North Dakota, Northwestern Minnesota, and a portion of Southern Manitoba. It broadcasts on ATSC channel 19, which redirects to former NTSC channel 15 via PSIP...
(FOX), WDAY-TV
WDAY-TV
WDAY-TV, digital channel 21 , is the ABC affiliate television station for Fargo, North Dakota. The station serves the southern half of the Fargo-Grand Forks television market, with WDAZ-TV in Grand Forks serving the northern half. The two stations are counted as a single unit for Nielsen ratings...
(ABC) and KFME (PBS), which also is home base for Prairie Public Television
Prairie Public Television
Prairie Public Television is the Public Broadcasting Service member state network for the U.S. state of North Dakota. Along with its state radio network Prairie Public, the state network currently has nine digital stations covering all of North Dakota, plus portions of Minnesota, Montana, South...
. Cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
service is provided by Cable One
Cable One
Cable ONE is a United States cable service provider and subsidiary of The Washington Post Company, functioning as its own self-contained corporation within its parent company. The company's name and current focus dates back to 1997; prior to that time the company was known as Post-Newsweek Cable...
.
Fargo has 4 local yellow pages publishers. SMARTSEARCH, which is locally owned and operated; yellowbook, owned by the Yell Group, a foreign United Kingdom based company; Dex, owned by RH Donnelley and based in North Carolina; and Phone Directories Company (PDC), based in Utah.
Transportation
Fargo is a major transportation hub for the surrounding region. It sits at the crossroads of two major interstate highways, I-29 and I-94 and is the home of an international airport.Fargo is served by Hector International Airport
Hector International Airport
Hector International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located three miles northwest of the central business district of Fargo, a city in Cass County, North Dakota, United States. It is owned by the City of Fargo Municipal Airport Authority.The airport was named after Martin...
. Hector has the longest public runway in the state and scheduled passenger flights to Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Mesa
Mesa, Arizona
According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was as follows:* White: 77.1% * Hispanic or Latino : 26.54%* Black or African American: 3.5%* Two or more races: 3.4%* Native American: 2.4%...
, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
and Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
. The city is served by Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
, Delta Connection
Delta Connection
Delta Connection is the name under which a number of individually owned regional airlines and one wholly owned regional carrier operate short and medium haul routes in association with Delta Air Lines Inc...
, American Eagle
American Eagle Airlines
American Eagle Airlines is a brand name used by American Eagle Airlines, Inc. , based in Fort Worth, Texas, and Executive Airlines based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the operation of passenger air service as regional affiliates of American Airlines. All three airlines are wholly owned subsidiaries...
, United Express
United Express
United Express is a brand name under which eight regional airlines operate feeder flights for United Airlines. They primarily connect smaller cities with United's domestic hub airports and “focus cities,” although they offer some point-to-point service such as Sacramento to Eureka.As of Sept...
and Allegiant Air
Allegiant Air
Allegiant Air is an American low-cost airline owned by Allegiant Travel Co. that operates scheduled and charter flights. Allegiant Travel Company is a publicly traded company with 1,300 employees and one billion USD market capitalization...
. An Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
unit and the Fixed-Base Operation Fargo Jet Center are located at Hector.
The BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
runs through the metropolitan area as successor to the Great Northern Railway and Northern Pacific Railroad. Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
service is provided via the Empire Builder
Empire Builder
The Empire Builder is a passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Midwestern and Northwestern United States. It is Amtrak's busiest long-distance route and busiest daily train, carrying more than 500,000 travelers annually since 2007. Overall, it is the railroad's 10th-busiest line. Before...
passenger train at the Fargo Amtrak station
Fargo (Amtrak station)
The Fargo Amtrak station is a train station in Fargo, North Dakota, United States, served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. While the largest city in North Dakota, Fargo has only the third-most rail passenger traffic in the state, behind Minot and Williston...
.
The city sits at the intersection of Interstate 29
Interstate 29
Interstate 29 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern United States. I-29 runs from Kansas City, Missouri, at a junction with Interstate 35 and Interstate 70 to the Canadian border near Pembina, North Dakota, where it connects with Manitoba Highway 75 via the short Manitoba Highway 29.-Route...
and Interstate 94
Interstate 94
Interstate 94 is the northernmost east–west Interstate Highway, connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. I-94's western terminus is in Billings, Montana at a junction with Interstate 90; its eastern terminus is the U.S...
. U.S. Highway 81, U.S. Highway 10, and U.S. Highway 52 also run through the community. Some other major roadways in the city include 45th St., 32nd Ave. S, 13th Ave. S, Main Ave. and University Drive.
A public bus service named Fargo Moorhead Metro Area Transit
Fargo Moorhead Metro Area Transit
Fargo Moorhead Metro Area Transit is a bus company serving the Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota Metropolitan area. It is popularly known as MAT.Metro Area Transit has experienced a 28 percent increase in the number of riders in Fargo...
(MAT) operates several routes. Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
, Jefferson Lines
Jefferson Lines
Jefferson Lines is a regional intercity bus company operating in United States. The company's name originates in the Jefferson Highway, a north-south route in the early National Auto Trail system which once ran from Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada, south to New Orleans, Louisiana. The service to...
and Rimrock Stages Trailways bus services also link Fargo to other communities.
The street system of Fargo is structured in the classic grid pattern. Routes that run from north to south are called streets, and routes that run from east to west are called avenues.
Arenas and auditoriums
- FargodomeFargodomeThe Fargodome is an indoor stadium, located in Fargo, North Dakota. It opened in 1992 and holds over 19,000 people for football games and over 25,000, for full arena concerts....
- An indoor arenaArenaAn arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
located on the NDSUNorth Dakota State UniversityNorth Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, more commonly known as North Dakota State University , is a public university in Fargo, North Dakota. NDSU has about 14,000 students and it is the largest university in North Dakota based on full time students and land size...
campus. It plays host to all NDSU home footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
games and is also used for concerts and trade shows. This is also where the high school wrestling national freestyle and Greco-Roman championships take place every year. - Newman Outdoor FieldNewman Outdoor FieldNewman Outdoor Field is a baseball stadium in Fargo, North Dakota. It is located on the campus of North Dakota State University and is the home of the independent league Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks baseball team and the North Dakota State Bison baseball team. The 4,513 seat facility was known as "The...
- A Minor League Baseball Stadium, host to the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawksFargo-Moorhead RedHawksThe Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks are a professional baseball team based in Fargo, North Dakota, in the United States. The RedHawks are a member of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
and NDSU Bison Baseball. Located at 1515 15th Ave N, Fargo on NDSU campus. - Reineke Fine Arts Center - Located on the NDSU campus. The University uses the center for concerts, theatrical presentations, and other events.
- Fargo Civic CenterFargo Civic CenterFargo Civic Center is an indoor arena, located in Fargo, North Dakota. It can hold around 3,000 people, during concerts and 1,500 people, during basketball games.It also hosts trade shows, sporting events, entertainment events, meetings and community events....
- An indoor arena used to host trade shows, sporting events, meetings, community events, concerts, and disaster relief. - John E. Carlson ColiseumJohn E. Carlson ColiseumThe John E. Carlson Coliseum is a 4,200-seat multi-purpose arena in Fargo, North Dakota. It is the former home to the Fargo-Moorhead Jets, the Fargo North Spartans, and the Fargo South Bruins ice hockey teams. The building now host both the men's and women's NDSU Club Hockey Teams ....
- This arena is host to the Fargo North High SchoolFargo North High SchoolFargo North High School, more commonly known in the district as Fargo North or North High, is an public high school located in Fargo, North Dakota. It currently serves about 1,300 students and is a part of the Fargo Public Schools system...
and Fargo South High SchoolFargo South High SchoolFargo South High School is a public high school built in 1967 and located in Fargo, North Dakota. The main campus serves about 1,600 students, while freshmen attend South Campus II , bringing the total student population to around 2,100. The school is a part of the Fargo Public Schools system...
hockey teams as well as the FM Jets hockey team, before the team left Fargo. The arena was built in 1968 and has previously been home to the Fargo Blazers and NDSU Club hockey teams. The arena is also for figure skating. The Coliseum hosts the largest squirt hockey tournament in the world, the Fargo Flyers Squirt International Hockey Tournament. - Scheels ArenaUrban Plains CenterScheels Arena is a multi-purpose venue located in Fargo, North Dakota. It is part of the Sanford Health Athletic Park which consists of the arena, a YMCA that is currently under construction, and there are plans to add four additional ice sheets. It was constructed and opened in 2008 and renamed...
- On June 27, 2007, Fargo held a groundbreaking for the Urban Plains Center ice hockey arena. The $44 million arena is located in south Fargo, its first event was the Fargo Force Hockey home game on Thursday, October 30, 2008. The arena will be used for a USHL team, Fargo ForceFargo ForceThe Fargo Force is a Tier 1 junior ice hockey team in the Western Conference of the United States Hockey League .-History:In early 2007, Fargo was granted a USHL team, intended as an anchor tenant for the then-under-construction Urban Plains Center, which is now called Scheels Arena...
, Fargo high school hockey, and many other special events. The Urban Plains Center was renamed Scheels Arena on October 6, 2010.
Museums
- Bonanzaville, USABonanzaville, USABonanzaville, USA is a history museum complex in West Fargo, North Dakota. Bonanzaville, the museum of the Cass County Historical Society, is made up of forty-seven buildings on , many of them are historic and from the region. These buildings have been moved to the museum grounds and now form a...
- A village made up of many historic buildings from the region. Includes a church, school building, and log cabinLog cabinA log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
s. It is named after the historic bonanza farmsBonanza farmsBonanza farms were very large farms in the United States performing large-scale operations, mostly growing and harvesting wheat. Bonanza farms were made possible by a number of factors including: the efficient new farming machinery of the 1870s, the cheap abundant land available during that time...
of the area. - The Children's Museum at Yunker Farm - Provides many exhibits and hands-on participation for children.
- Fargo Air MuseumFargo Air MuseumThe Fargo Air Museum is an aviation related museum in Fargo, North Dakota. It is located near Hector International Airport in the northern part of the city. The museum includes many historic aircraft of which 90% are in flying condition. There is also a full-scale replica of a Wright brothers...
- Features aircraft from World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and beyond. Also hosts traveling exhibits. - Plains Art MuseumPlains Art MuseumThe Plains Art Museum is a fine arts museum located in downtown Fargo, North Dakota, United States.- History :The history of the museum dates back to 1965 when the "Red River Art Center" opened in the former Moorhead, Minnesota, post office. The name of the museum was changed when it was...
- A large art museum located in a historic downtown building. Features regional and national exhibits. - The Roger Maris MuseumThe Roger Maris MuseumThe Roger Maris Museum is a museum located in the West Acres Shopping Center in Fargo, North Dakota. Dedicated in 1984, it is a permanent shrine to Roger Maris' career and life, centering on the 1961 season in which Maris hit a then-record 61 home runs...
- A small museum dedicated to Roger MarisRoger MarisRoger Eugene Maris was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During the 1961 season, he hit a record 61 home runs for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs...
located in a wing of the West Acres Shopping Center. Features memorabilia and a video presentation about the New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
player who lived in Fargo for a portion of his life. - Maury WillsMaury WillsMaurice Morning "Maury" Wills is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and switch-hitting batter who played most prominently with the Los Angeles Dodgers , and also with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Montreal Expos...
Museum - Located at Newman Outdoor FieldNewman Outdoor FieldNewman Outdoor Field is a baseball stadium in Fargo, North Dakota. It is located on the campus of North Dakota State University and is the home of the independent league Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks baseball team and the North Dakota State Bison baseball team. The 4,513 seat facility was known as "The...
the Maury Wills Museum is in honor of the former 1962 National League MVP and Major League Baseball player who worked for the RedHawks as a coach and a radio analyst. - Hjemkomst CenterHjemkomst CenterThe Heritage Hjemkomst Interpretive Center, commonly known as the Hjemkomst Center, is an interpretation center museum in Moorhead, Minnesota. The building opened in 1985 and serves as a home to Hjemkomst Viking Ship, Hopperstad Stave Church replica, quarterly museum exhibits, and county archives...
- Displays and interprets the Hjemkmost replica Viking ship that was sailed to Norway. Also home of the Clay County Historical Society museum and archives.
Theaters
- Fargo-Moorhead Community Theatre - FMCT presents comedies, dramas, youth shows, and musicals in a theatre located in Island Park south of downtown.
- Fargo TheatreFargo TheatreThe Fargo Theatre is an art deco movie theatre in downtown Fargo, North Dakota. It was built in 1926. It was restored in 1999 to its historic appearance and now is a center for the arts in the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area....
- A 1926 Art DecoArt DecoArt deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
movie theater. Presents films (classic and current), live productions, and other events. - Main Avenue Theatre - Hosts live productions by local independent theater company Theatre B.
- Trollwood Performing Arts School - Trollwood Performing Arts School is a summer theatre arts program for students of all ages. The school presents many different forms of performing arts every summer, the most prominent being a Broadway musical performed in front of up to 2,500 audience members per night at an outdoor amphitheatre. The school is noted for its numerous national arts awards.
- Gooseberry Park Players - the Gooseberry Park Players are a not-for profit, fee-free theatre company for individuals 11–18 years old. Every summer in late July, they present a show at the Frances Frazier Comstock Theatre on the campus of Concordia College.
- Fargo-Moorhead Opera - The Fargo-Moorhead Opera is a non-profit, professional opera company. The FM Opera has two to three productions each year with added International Dinners, and an annual Gala. The FM Opera is the only professional opera company between Minneapolis and Billings going East-West, and between Winnipeg and Omaha going North-South.
Tallest buildings
The tallest buildings in Fargo are the:- 1: RadissonRadisson HotelsRadisson Hotels is one of the leading, full-service global hotel companies with more than 420 locations in 73 countries. The first Radisson Hotel was built in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1909, and was named after the 17th-century French explorer Pierre-Esprit Radisson...
Hotel (Height: 206 ft 8 in; 63 m, built 1985, 18 floors) - 2: Lashkowitz High RiseHigh RiseHigh Rise is a 1975 novel by J. G. Ballard. It takes place in an ultra-modern, luxury high-rise building.-Plot summary:The building seems to give its well-established tenants all the conveniences and commodities that modern life has to offer: swimming pools, its own school, a supermarket,...
(Height: 203 ft 4 in; 62 m, built 1970, 22 floors) - 3: CathedralCathedralA cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
of St. Mary (Height: 170 ft 3 in; 52 m, built 1899) - 4: First Lutheran Church (Height: 167 ft 4 in; 51 m, built 1920)
- 5: Fargodome (Height: 125 ft; 38 m, built 1992)
Miscellaneous attractions
- Newman Outdoor FieldNewman Outdoor FieldNewman Outdoor Field is a baseball stadium in Fargo, North Dakota. It is located on the campus of North Dakota State University and is the home of the independent league Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks baseball team and the North Dakota State Bison baseball team. The 4,513 seat facility was known as "The...
- Home of the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawksFargo-Moorhead RedHawksThe Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks are a professional baseball team based in Fargo, North Dakota, in the United States. The RedHawks are a member of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
(an independent professional baseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team that is part of the American Association). - North Dakota Horse Park - Features live racing and betting.
- Red River ZooRed River ZooThe Red River Zoo is a zoo in Fargo, North Dakota. The zoo's first opened in the spring of 1999, and the zoo gained AZA-accreditation on September 25, 2006. The RRZ sits on of land that was once a farm . Several of the farm buildings were modified and are used today by the zoo...
- A 30 acres (12.1 ha) zoo that features 80 species of animals. Also includes a restored 1928 carouselCarouselA carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...
. - Fargo Outdoor Skate Park - Outdoor skate park located at the Dike West.
In popular culture
FargoFargo (film)
Fargo is a 1996 American dark comedy-crime film produced, directed and written by brothers Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars Frances McDormand as a pregnant police chief who investigates a series of homicides, William H...
is an Academy Award winning 1996
1996 in film
Major releases this year included Scream, Independence Day, Fargo, Trainspotting, The English Patient, Twister, Mars Attacks!, Jerry Maguire and a version of Evita starring Madonna.-Events:...
film starring Frances McDormand
Frances McDormand
Frances Louise McDormand is an American film and stage actress. She has starred in a number of films, including her Academy Award-winning performance as Marge Gunderson in Fargo, in 1996...
, Steve Buscemi
Steve Buscemi
Steven Vincent "Steve" Buscemi is an American actor, writer and film director. An associate member of the renowned experimental theater company The Wooster Group, Buscemi has starred and supported in successful Hollywood and indie films including New York Stories, Mystery Train, Reservoir Dogs,...
, and William H. Macy
William H. Macy
William Hall Macy, Jr. is an American actor and writer. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as Jerry Lundegaard in Fargo. He is also a teacher and director in theater, film and television. His film career has been built mostly on his appearances in small, independent films, though...
and directed and produced by Joel and Ethan Coen. The film is named after the city which is only seen briefly at the film's opening scene set in a bar and mentioned a total of twice in the film. None of Fargo was shot on location in or near Fargo (the establishing shot
Establishing shot
An establishing shot in filmmaking and television production sets up, or establishes the context for a scene by showing the relationship between its important figures and objects...
noted in the movie as Fargo was instead filmed in northeast Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
). The majority of the movie was filmed in Minneapolis and the local areas around Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 52,838, while that of the city and surrounding metropolitan area was 98,461...
, which served as a substitute for Brainerd, Minnesota
Brainerd, Minnesota
Brainerd is a city in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,590 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Crow Wing County and one of the largest cities in Central Minnesota...
due to mild Minnesota weather during production. According to an interview with Charlie Rose
Charlie Rose
Charles Peete "Charlie" Rose, Jr. is an American television talk show host and journalist. Since 1991 he has hosted Charlie Rose, an interview show distributed nationally by PBS since 1993...
on the Special Edition DVD, the Coens claim they actually titled the movie Fargo because it sounded more interesting than "Brainerd".
Fargo North, Decoder was a trenchcoat-wearing character on The Electric Company
The Electric Company
The Electric Company is an educational American children's television series that was produced by the Children's Television Workshop for PBS in the United States. PBS broadcast 780 episodes over the course of its six seasons from October 25, 1971 to April 15, 1977...
, who tried to make sense of messages with scrambled words or missing letters.
See also
- Hector International AirportHector International AirportHector International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located three miles northwest of the central business district of Fargo, a city in Cass County, North Dakota, United States. It is owned by the City of Fargo Municipal Airport Authority.The airport was named after Martin...
- List of people from Fargo, North Dakota
- Roman Catholic Diocese of FargoRoman Catholic Diocese of FargoThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Fargo is a Roman Catholic diocese in North Dakota. It was founded on April 6, 1897 by Pope Leo XIII. Fargo, North Dakota is the episcopal see of the diocese.-Bishops of the Diocese of Fargo:...
was a United States NavyUnited States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
vessel named after the city.
External links
- City of Fargo official website
- Fargo Downtowner - website detailing downtown Fargo's revitalized retail and dining culture
- Downtown Fargo-Moorhead - Downtown Community Partnership's premier site for Fargo-Moorhead Downtown events, entertainment and more.
- History of Fargo - website detailing history of Fargo
- Downtown Fargo History - website devoted to the history of downtown Fargo
- James Lileks' Fargo - website with many pictures of historic Fargo
- Moviemaking Wiki - a wiki about moviemaking that originated in Fargo
- Fargo, North Dakota Geology - website about the geology of the Fargo area