Grand Forks, North Dakota

Prior to settlement by Europeans, the area where the city developed, at the forks of the Red River and Red Lake River for thousands of years, had been an important meeting and trading point for Native Americans. Early French explorers, fur trappers, and traders called the area Les Grandes Fourches, meaning "The Grand Forks". By the 1740s, French fur trappers relied on Les Grandes Fourches as an important trading post. This was French colonial territory. Griggs' steamboat froze in the Red River on a voyage in late 1870, forcing the captain and his crew to spend the winter camping at Grand Forks. Griggs platted a community in 1875, and Grand Forks was officially incorporated on February 22, 1881. In 1883, the University of North Dakota was established, six years before North Dakota was admitted as an independent state born from the Dakota Territory. The storm killed at least six people. In 1954, Grand Forks was chosen as the site for an Air Force base. Grand Forks Air Force Base brought thousands of new jobs and residents to the community. The military base and the University of North Dakota became integral to the city's economy. With construction of federal highways, during the postwar years residential and business development became suburbanized, spreading to new areas as land was available. The Red River had a history of seasonal flooding, aggravated by the broad ancient lake bed that formed the Red River Valley. The 1997 Red River flood caused extensive damage in the city. Fargo was upstream from the bulk of the flood waters that season, and Winnipeg had built an extensive system of flood control structures in the 1960s. In 1997, Grand Forks suffered the most damage of any major city in the Red River Valley. During the height of the flooding, a major fire destroyed 11 buildings in the downtown area. The government began developing a new levee system to protect the city, which was completed 10 years later. It required the relocation of numerous residents, as some neighborhoods were emptied for this construction. The floodplain bordering the Red River was later converted into a large park known as the Greater Grand Forks Greenway. This provided new recreation space for city residents on both sides of the river, as well as space for future floodwaters to be absorbed naturally by trees and other plants, without damage to infrastructure. New public and private developments have continued to expand Grand Forks's footprint since the 1997 flood. Two new, large sports venues opened in 2001: the Alerus Center and the Ralph Engelstad Arena. Six years later, the Winnipeg-based Canad Inns hotel chain added a 13-story hotel and waterpark connected to the Alerus Center.{{cite web |url=http://www.canadinns.com/grandforks/ ==Geography==

Grand Forks is north of the Fargo–Moorhead area and south of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Grand Forks is on the western bank of the Red River of the North in an area known as the Red River Valley. The term "forks" refers to the forking of the Red River with the Red Lake River near downtown Grand Forks. The Red River Valley is the result of an ancient glacier carving its way south during the last ice age. Once the glacier receded, it formed a glacial lake called Lake Agassiz. The valley is formed from the ancient lake bed. The ancient beaches can still be seen as rolling hills west of the city. Cityscape Grand Forks has several distinct neighborhoods. The area adjacent to the Red River developed first; this is where some of the oldest neighborhoods, including the downtown area, can be found. The area between downtown and the University of North Dakota campus was another early growth area, and historic properties can be found here, as well. Downtown Grand Forks contains many recognized historic buildings. It is the governmental center of the city and county. It is also used as a gathering place for large community events and festivals. A farmer's market takes place every Saturday from mid-June to mid-September in the Town Square at the corner of 3rd Street S. and DeMers Avenue. In 2006, city leaders and developers announced plans to convert older office buildings into high-end condos and apartments, and to construct new buildings for the same purpose to provide for residents downtown. Directly south of downtown, the streets of the Near Southside Historic District are lined with classic houses. Reeves Drive was once one of the city's most fashionable neighborhoods. It has many historic mansions exhibiting several unique architectural styles. This neighborhood has areas of original granitoid paving, several historic churches, and Lincoln Drive Park. The Near Southside neighborhood has been designated as a "national historic district" and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A large strip mall, called the Grand Forks Marketplace, opened in 2001 near the Columbia Mall. University Village is a new commercial district built on vacant lands owned by the University of North Dakota. The centerpiece of the Village is the Ralph Engelstad Arena, used by the university's North Dakota men's ice hockey team. All the buildings in the village have been built in a style similar style to those on the nearby UND campus. Restaurants and retail stores, as well as the university bookstore, were developed in the area to stimulate community life. In 2006, the university opened a new wellness center for its students on the village's west side. Climate Due to its location in the Great Plains and its distance from both mountains and oceans, Grand Forks has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfb), USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 4a. It has four very distinct seasons and great variation in temperatures over very short periods of time. Its location in the flat Red River Valley makes the city susceptible to spring flooding from the Red River of the North, and year-round windy conditions. As there are no nearby mountain ranges or bodies of water to ameliorate the climatic conditions, Grand Forks lies exposed to numerous weather systems, including bitterly cold Arctic high pressure systems. The city has long, very cold, and snowy winters. Summers are often warm to hot and often quite humid with frequent thunderstorms. Although warm weather normally ends soon after Labor Day, a few warm days sometimes occur as late as October. Spring and autumn are short and highly variable seasons. Record temperature extremes range from on January 11, 1912, to on July 12, 1936. The daily mean temperatures of the Grand Forks winters are associated with subarctic climates with frequent subzero temperatures. Due to the extended warm period of daily means above from May to September, the city's climate is still classified within the warm-summer humid continental temperature range. Although its summers are warm, Grand Forks has experienced subfreezing temperatures in all 12 months. ==Demographics==

Racial and ethnic composition American Community Survey As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 25,894 estimated households in Grand Forks with an average of 2.11 persons per household. The city has a median household income of $63,838. Approximately 16.3% of the city's population lives at or below the poverty line. Grand Forks has an estimated 69.9% employment rate, with 39.2% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 95.7% holding a high school diploma. The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (91.4%), Spanish (1.9%), Indo-European (2.9%), Asian and Pacific Islander (1.8%), and Other (2.1%). 2020 census As of the 2020 census, Grand Forks had a population of 59,166, 25,446 households, and 12,305 families. The median age was 30.2 years. 19.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 12.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 104.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 103.6 males age 18 and over. Of the 25,446 households, 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 35.1% were married-couple households, 27.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 38.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 27,718 housing units, of which 8.2% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.0%. The population density was , and housing units averaged . 2010 census As of the 2010 census, there were 52,838 people, 22,260 households, and 11,275 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 23,449 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 89.67% White, 2.01% African American, 2.87% Native American, 2.23% Asian (0.72% Bhutanese, 0.67% Chinese, 0.40% Indian, 0.36% Filipino), 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.73% from some other races and 2.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.79% of the population. There were 22,260 households, of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.3% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 49.3% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age in the city was 28.4 years. 18.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 24.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.1% were from 25 to 44; 21.7% were from 45 to 64; and 10.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.2% male and 48.8% female. 2000 census As of the 2000 census, there were 49,321 people, 19,677 households, and 11,058 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 20,838 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.35% White, 0.86% African American, 2.75% Native American, 0.96% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.58% from some other races and 1.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.87% of the population. The top six ancestry groups in the city are Norwegian (36.4%), German (34.7%), Irish (10.6%), French (6.5%), Polish (6.2%), English (6.1%). There were 21.4% under the age of 18, 22.9% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.2 males. There were 19,677 households, 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.2% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.8% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.96. The median income for a household in the city was $34,194, and the median income for a family was $47,491. Males had a median income of $30,703 versus $21,573 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,395. About 9.3% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.6% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over. ==Economy==

The economy of Grand Forks is not dominated by any one industry or sector. While agriculture continues to play a role in the area's economy, the city of Grand Forks now has a relatively diverse economy that includes public and private employers in sectors such as education, defense, health care, manufacturing, and food processing. the largest employers in the city are: work on a blade for a wind turbine Major manufacturers in Grand Forks include wind turbine manufacturer LM Wind Fiber and light aircraft manufacturer Cirrus Design. Major food producers include potato processor J. R. Simplot Company and the state-owned North Dakota Mill and Elevator, the nation's largest flour mill. SEI Information Technologies both operate call centers in Grand Forks. Other large private employers in the city include the locally owned Alerus Financial branch of banks, Home of Economy, and the locally owned Hugo's chain of supermarkets. The retail and service sector is also an important part of the economy. The historic center of shopping in Grand Forks was the downtown area. Today, downtown is home to small shops, bars, and restaurants. The south end of Grand Forks has become another major retail district, with three large shopping centers. Economic development The city government is involved in the economic development process, helping firms grow and attracting new firms. A portion of sales tax revenues is set aside for this, some going into the Grand Forks Growth Fund. Companies can request low-interest loans or grants from this fund provided they meet certain criteria, such as paying a relatively high wage and doing most of their business outside the city's trade region. The city also contributes to the Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corporation (EDC), a public-private organization that receives funding from banks and other major businesses. The EDC plays a consulting role for businesses, such as identifying suitable sites for expansion or assembling public funding packages. Its other key role is to vet businesses to see if they are suitable for funding by the Growth Fund. Community leaders have long seen UND as an "economic engine" for the city. Besides its regular faculty, it also has business-like components such as the Energy and Environmental Research Center. UND hosts a technology incubator called the Center for Innovation. More recently, the university has been working to commercialize its research. A major thrust in that direction is the construction of a research park on the western fringes of the campus. ==Culture==

Arts and theater Due at least in part to the presence of the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks offers a variety of arts and cultural events. The North Dakota Museum of Art, on the UND campus, brings many nationally touring exhibits to Grand Forks as well as the work of regional artists. In addition to the Museum of Art, UND offers other gallery space for student art. UND also has Theater Arts and Music departments. UND's Chester Fritz Auditorium also brings music and theater events to Grand Forks, including national touring companies of Broadway musicals. and the Grand Forks Master Chorale was formed in 1983. The Grand Forks City Band was formed in 1886 and still stages shows year round. The Fire Hall Theatre, also downtown, is used by community members to put on several theater productions each year. The Myra Museum, on Belmont Road near the Greater Grand Forks Greenway, is a small history museum with exhibits that trace local history from the Ice Age, through settlement, and into the modern age. Other buildings on the Myra Museum grounds include the original 1868 Grand Forks Post Office, a 1917 one room school, and the historic Campbell House. Sports College sports are popular in Grand Forks, with an intense following for the University of North Dakota. The UND football team was the 2001 NCAA Division II champion and the 2003 runner-up. In 2006, the university announced that it would be moving its entire athletic program to Division I. Grand Forks is home to two major indoor athletic arenas. The city-owned Alerus Center opened in 2001. The University of North Dakota hockey teams compete in the Ralph Engelstad Arena, in the University Village district of the UND campus. "The Ralph", as it is commonly called, was funded by UND benefactor Ralph Engelstad and opened in 2001 at a cost of over . There are several golf courses in the city and the surrounding area. The Park District operates the 18-hole, Arnold Palmer-designed, links style King's Walk Golf Course and the historic, 9-hole Lincoln Golf Course. The University of North Dakota operated the 9-hole Ray Richards Golf Course. However were forced to sell the course in 2016 leaving it abandoned but reopened in 2020. The 18-hole Grand Forks Country Club is directly south of the city. There are also golf courses in nearby East Grand Forks, Minnesota and Manvel, North Dakota. The Greater Grand Forks Greenway is a large park that runs the length of the Red River in the city. It includes an extensive path system, large festival grounds, ski trails, and wildflower gardens. Including the Greenway, the Andrew Hampsten Bikeway System in Grand Forks is over long. These paths are in The Greenway, next to major streets, and on the banks of the English Coulee. There are also two pedestrian/bicycle bridges that span the Red River, connecting Grand Forks' and East Grand Forks' paths. University Park is one of the parks with an adjacent school, West Elementary School (1949), which was deliberately sited there to help serve the students' recreational and exercise needs. ==Government==

Grand Forks has a mayor-council government. The mayor, who is elected every four years, oversees the administration of city government and works directly with department heads to ensure the proper provision of services. The mayor of Grand Forks is former NHL hockey player and real estate developer Brandon Bochenski. Bochenski defeated Michael Brown in the June 9, 2020, mayoral election. Brown served as mayor from 2000 to 2020. The city is divided into seven wards, with each ward electing a council member to a four-year term. The council meets twice a month and its two main committees, the Finance/Development Committee and Service/Safety Committee, each meet twice a month. All these meetings are broadcast on a local cable channel. Crime According to the Uniform Crime Report statistics compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 2023, there were 157 violent crimes and 1,609 property crimes per 100,000 residents. Of these, the violent crimes consisted of 0 murders, 37 forcible rapes, 13 robberies and 107 aggravated assaults, while 297 burglaries, 1,225 larceny-thefts, 84 motor vehicle thefts and 3 acts of arson defined the property offenses. ==Education==

Higher education The University of North Dakota (UND), the state's oldest university and home to its only schools of medicine and law, is at Grand Forks. UND is known for its John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, which includes an Air Traffic Control Training program that in October 2009 the FAA ranked No.1 in the nation for the second consecutive year. UND and North Dakota State University make up the Red River Valley Research Corridor. The University of Minnesota Crookston is in nearby Crookston, Minnesota. Primary and secondary schools The Grand Forks Public Schools system includes the Grand Forks and Grand Forks Air Force Base school districts. The majority of Grand Forks is in Grand Forks Public School District 1. A small portion of the city limits is in Manvel Public School District 125. Enrollment is about 7,400. There is one singular Head Start program, ten elementary schools, a combined elementary and middle school (Twining), three middle schools (Schroeder, South, and Valley), two high schools (Central High and Red River High), an alternative high school, and an adult education program. Grand Forks Public Schools is governed by a nine-member board of elected representatives, separate from the city and county governments. There are several primary schools that are not part of the public school system, including the state-operated North Dakota School for the Blind. There are two Catholic schools offering classes from kindergarten through sixth grade. The only private high school in the metropolitan area is Sacred Heart High School, a Catholic school, in East Grand Forks. There is a non-denominational Christian elementary and middle school in East Grand Forks. Six of the city's Mid-Century Modern-style schools were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020 for their architecture. ==Media==

The Grand Forks Herald is the major daily newspaper serving Grand Forks and the second most widely circulated newspaper in North Dakota with a daily circulation of around 31,000. The Exponent is a weekly newspaper published in East Grand Forks, Minnesota. The University of North Dakota also has its own student-published newspaper called The Dakota Student, which is published twice weekly during the school year. The major AM radio station in Grand Forks is KNOX 1310, which is a news and talk station, also heard at 107.9 FM. Nonprofit KWTL 1370 AM broadcasts Catholic programming, also heard at 92.5 FM. Other commercial AM radio stations include sports station KKXL-AM 1440; classic rock station KGFK 1590, also heard at 95.7 FM; and news/talk KROX 1260, also heard at 92.1 FM. The city's FM stations include NPR affiliates KUND-FM 89.3, KFJM 90.7, KQMN 91.5, and KNTN 102.7. Other nonprofit FM stations include K-Love's K237ER 95.3; and 3ABN's KOBT-LP 101.3. Commercial FM stations include active rock station KJKJ 107.5; top 40/CHR stations KKXL-FM 92.9 and KZGF 94.7; country stations KSNR 100.3 and KYCK 97.1; adult contemporary station KZLT-FM 104.3; contemporary Christian music station KKEQ (K285BG) 104.9, and classic hits station KQHT 96.1. Grand Forks is part of the Fargo television market, covering eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota. Major television affiliates include WDAZ-TV (ABC), K30LR-D (CBS), KBRR-TV (FOX) and KVLY-TV (NBC). ==Infrastructure==

Transportation Public transit The city maintains a bus system, Cities Area Transit (CAT). It has operated since 1926, when it was introduced to replace an earlier streetcar system. There are 12 bus routes, including night service and service in East Grand Forks. Intercity bus service to the city is provided by Jefferson Lines. Rail The BNSF Railway runs track in several directions in and around the city. Amtrak passenger service on the Empire Builder line heads westbound daily at and eastbound daily at . The Empire Builder stops at the Grand Forks Amtrak station. Air Grand Forks International Airport (GFK, KGFK) is served by Delta Air Lines with several daily round trips to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and by Allegiant Air, which operates flights a few times a week to Mesa, Arizona (Phoenix-Gateway), Sanford, Florida (Orlando-Sanford), and Las Vegas, Nevada. A passenger terminal completed in 2011 allows more passengers to come through the airport, improves circulation, has a baggage claim and addresses security and safety concerns. The airport was a major distribution center for FedEx, which conducts flights daily within the state and northern Minnesota, until FedEx moved its flight operations to Fargo in 2016. The airport is one of the busiest in the country, due in large measure to the presence of UND's John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences. Streets and roads Within the city, roads that run north to south are generally called "streets" and roads that run east to west are generally called "avenues". Streets are numbered in blocks west of the Red River. Avenues are numbered in blocks north or south of DeMers Avenue, the city's historic dividing route next to the railyards. Healthcare With over 4,100 employees and nearly 300 physicians and advanced practice providers (nurse practitioners and physician assistants), Altru Health System is the main provider of health care in Greater Grand Forks and the surrounding region. Serving more than 220,000 residents in northeast North Dakota and northwest Minnesota, Altru provides an array of services. As the first member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, Altru's providers have access to clinically integrated tools extending Mayo Clinic's knowledge and expertise to patients. Altru is also Grand Forks's largest private employer. Grand Forks is also home to several long-term care facilities, serving many of the area's elderly: The Valley Memorial Homes, St. Anne's, Edgewood Parkwood Place, and Maple View Memory Care. ==Notable people==

Grand Forks sister cities: • Dickinson, North Dakota, US • Sarpsborg, Norway • Awano, Tochigi, Japan (defunct) • Ishim, Tyumen Oblast, Russia (inactive) Grand Forks has an active sister city program designed to encourage cultural and economic exchanges. Its first sister city was Ishim in the Soviet Union. That relationship formally began in 1984 during the Cold War. Sometime in the late 1990s, political and economic turmoil in Russia ended the relationship. While the relationship with Ishim faded, Grand Forks found a new sister in Awano, Japan. An informal relationship began in 1994 when the school districts of both cities began exchanging students. In 1998, the two formally proclaimed themselves sister cities. The best publicly available testament to the relationship between the two is a Japanese rock garden in Grand Forks's Sertoma Park and a sculpture of an American bison in an Awano park. The annexation of Awano by the larger city of Kanuma led to the end of the sister city relationship, but Kanuma and Grand Forks continue to partner in a yearly educational exchange of high school students. Grand Forks's relationship with Dickinson, North Dakota, began in 2002, when delegations from each city visited the other. Grand Forks Mayor Michael Brown said he thought having friends in western North Dakota, which typically has diverging interests from eastern cities, could help at the state legislature. Sarpsborg, Norway, became a sister city in 2005 after several exchanges among leaders from both cities. The city became interested in building a relationship with Sarpsborg because many Grand Forks residents have Norwegian heritage. ==References==