Grand Forks County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...

. As of the 2020 census, its population was 73,170, making it the third-most populous county in North Dakota. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

and largest community is

Grand Forks Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the state of North Dakota (after Fargo and Bismarck) and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2020 census, the city's population was 59,166. Grand Forks, along with its twin city o ...

History

Using territory annexed from Pembina County, the

Dakota Territory The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of No ...

legislature created Grand Forks County on January 4, 1873. Its governing structure was not established at that time, nor was the territory attached to another county for administrative and judicial purposes. The government was organized on March 2, 1875. The county's boundaries were altered in 1875, 1881, and 1883. It has retained its present boundary since 1883. Grand Forks County is included in the Grand Forks, ND- MN

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

Geography

Grand Forks County lies on the east side of North Dakota. Its east boundary line abuts the west boundary line of the state of

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

(across the Red River). The Red River flows northward along the county's east border, on its way to

Lake Winnipeg Lake Winnipeg (french: Lac Winnipeg, oj, ᐑᓂᐸᑲᒥᐠᓴᑯ˙ᑯᐣ, italics=no, Weenipagamiksaguygun) is a very large, relatively shallow lake in North America, in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Manitoba, Canada. I ...

and

Hudson Bay Hudson Bay ( crj, text=ᐐᓂᐯᒄ, translit=Wînipekw; crl, text=ᐐᓂᐹᒄ, translit=Wînipâkw; iu, text=ᑲᖏᖅᓱᐊᓗᒃ ᐃᓗᐊ, translit=Kangiqsualuk ilua or iu, text=ᑕᓯᐅᔭᕐᔪᐊᖅ, translit=Tasiujarjuaq; french: b ...

. The Forest River flows easterly and northerly across the upper western part of the county. The terrain of Grand Forks County consists of low rolling hills, devoted to agriculture except around urban areas.''Grand Forks County ND'' Google Maps (accessed February 19, 2019)
/ref> The terrain slopes to the north and east; its highest point is a hill at its southwestern corner, at 1,450' (457m) ASL. The county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.2%) is water. The

University of North Dakota The University of North Dakota (also known as UND or North Dakota) is a public research university in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It was established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of ...

has established a Field Biology Station on Forest River, at the county's northern border. In 2013 it partnered with ND Game & Fish Department to establish a 160-acre (0.65 km²) wildlife management area at the station, to monitor whitetail deer activity in the forest. The field station is tasked with identifying plants native and endemic to the area. A total of 498 plants have been collected at the Forest River Biology Station and Wildlife Management Area.

Major highways

Interstate 29 Interstate 29 (I-29) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern United States. I-29 runs from Kansas City, Missouri, at a junction with I-35 and I-70, to the Canada–US border near Pembina, North Dakota, where it connects with Manitoba ...

U.S. Highway 2 U.S. Route 2 or U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) is an east–west U.S. Highway spanning across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected by various roadways in southern Canada. Unlike some routes, whi ...

U.S. Highway 81 U.S. Route 81 or U.S. Highway 81 (US 81) is a major north–south U.S. highway that extends for in the central United States and is one of the original United States Numbered Highways established in 1926 by the American Association of Stat ...

North Dakota Highway 15 North Dakota Highway 15 (ND 15) is a east–west state highway in central North Dakota. The western terminus is at U.S. Route 52 (US 52) in Fessenden and the eastern terminus is at Interstate 29 (I-29) and US 81 near Thompson. ...

North Dakota Highway 18 North Dakota Highway 18 is a major north–south highway in eastern North Dakota. It runs from Highway 30 at the Canadian border south of Gretna, Manitoba to South Dakota Highway 25 north of Claire City. Route description North Dakota Highw ...

North Dakota Highway 32 North Dakota Highway 32 (ND 32) is a north–south highway located that traverses portions of nine counties in eastern North Dakota. The highway is one of several north–south routes in the state that connects the Canadian border to the state's ...

Adjacent counties

* Walsh County - north *

Marshall County, Minnesota Marshall County is a county in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,040. Its county seat is Warren. Marshall County was the location of a claimed UFO incident in 1979, the Val John ...

- northeast *

Polk County, Minnesota Polk County is a county in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Its population was 31,192 at the 2020 census. Its county seat is Crookston, and the largest community is East Grand Forks. Polk County is part of the Grand For ...

- east * Traill County - southeast * Steele County - southwest * Nelson County - west

Protected areas

* Forest River Biology Station/Wildlife Management Area * Grand Forks County Larimore Dam Recreation Area *

Kellys Slough National Wildlife Refuge Kellys Slough National Wildlife Refuge was established to develop and manage a system of wetlands and grasslands that is unique to the Red River Valley. The Refuge supports a diversity of wetland and grassland wildlife, while providing for wildlife ...

Little Goose National Wildlife Refuge Little Goose National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge in Grand Forks County, North Dakota. It is managed under Devils Lake Wetland Management District Devils Lake Wetland Management District is located in the heart of the Prairie P ...

* Prairie Chicken State Game Management Area * Turtle River State Park

Lakes

* Fordville Dam * Larimore Dam * Smith Lakes

Demographics

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 66,109 people, 25,435 households, and 15,617 families in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 46 people per square mile (18/km²). There were 27,373 housing units at an average density of 19 per square mile (7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 93.00%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 1.37%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 2.31% Native American, 0.98%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.07%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.72% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.57% from two or more races. 2.06% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. 31.6% were of

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

, 26.1%

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

and 5.5%

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

ancestry. There were 25,435 households, out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.6% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.03. The county population contained 23.8% under the age of 18, 19.6% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.3 males. The median income for a household in the county was $35,785, and the median income for a family was $46,620. Males had a median income of $30,079 versus $21,426 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $17,868. About 8.0% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 12.0% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 66,861 people, 27,417 households, and 15,215 families in the county. The population density was . There were 29,344 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 90.3% white, 2.5% American Indian, 2.0% black or African American, 1.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.8% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.9% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 34.1% were

, 33.8% were

, 9.5% were

, 5.8% were

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

, 5.3% were

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, and 2.9% were

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

. Of the 27,417 households, 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 44.5% were non-families, and 32.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.91. The median age was 29.7 years. The median income for a household in the county was $44,242 and the median income for a family was $65,804. Males had a median income of $40,622 versus $31,633 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,276. About 8.2% of families and 17.5% of the population were below the

, including 15.6% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.

Population by decade

Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.8) id:sfondo value:rgb(1,1,1) id:barra value:rgb(0.55,0.0,0.0) ImageSize = width:550 height:303 PlotArea = left:50 bottom:50 top:30 right:30 DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:75000 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = late ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:10000 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:5000 start:0 BackgroundColors = canvas:sfondo BarData= bar:1880 text:1880 bar:1890 text:1890 bar:1900 text:1900 bar:1910 text:1910 bar:1920 text:1920 bar:1930 text:1930 bar:1940 text:1940 bar:1950 text:1950 bar:1960 text:1960 bar:1970 text:1970 bar:1980 text:1980 bar:1990 text:1990 bar:2000 text:2000 bar:2010 text:2010 bar:2020 text:2020 bar:2021 text:2021 PlotData= color:barra width:25 align:left bar:1880 from: 0 till:6248 bar:1890 from: 0 till:18357 bar:1900 from: 0 till:24459 bar:1910 from: 0 till:27888 bar:1920 from: 0 till:28795 bar:1930 from: 0 till:31956 bar:1940 from: 0 till:34518 bar:1950 from: 0 till:39448 bar:1960 from: 0 till:48677 bar:1970 from: 0 till:61102 bar:1980 from: 0 till:66100 bar:1990 from: 0 till:70683 bar:2000 from: 0 till:66109 bar:2010 from: 0 till:66861 bar:2020 from: 0 till:73170 bar:2021 from: 0 till:72705 color:darkblue PlotData= bar:1880 at:6248 fontsize:M text: 6248 shift:(-14,5) bar:1890 at:18357 fontsize:M text: 18357 shift:(-14,5) bar:1900 at:24459 fontsize:M text: 24459 shift:(-14,5) bar:1910 at:27888 fontsize:M text: 27888 shift:(-14,5) bar:1920 at:28795 fontsize:M text: 28795 shift:(-14,5) bar:1930 at:31956 fontsize:M text: 31956 shift:(-14,5) bar:1940 at:34518 fontsize:M text: 34518 shift:(-14,5) bar:1950 at:39448 fontsize:M text: 39448 shift:(-14,5) bar:1960 at:48677 fontsize:M text: 48677 shift:(-15,5) bar:1970 at:61102 fontsize:M text: 61102 shift:(-15,5) bar:1980 at:66100 fontsize:M text: 66100 shift:(-15,5) bar:1990 at:70683 fontsize:M text: 70683 shift:(-15,5) bar:2000 at:66109 fontsize:M text: 66109 shift:(-15,5) bar:2010 at:66861 fontsize:M text: 66861 shift:(-15,5) bar:2020 at:73170 fontsize:M text: 73170 shift:(-15,5) bar:2021 at:72705 fontsize:S text: 72705 shift:(-15,5) TextData= fontsize:S pos:(20,20) text:Data from U.S. Census Bureau

Communities

Cities

* Emerado * Gilby *

(county seat) * Inkster * Larimore * Manvel * Niagara * Northwood *

Reynolds Reynolds may refer to: Places Australia *Hundred of Reynolds, a cadastral unit in South Australia *Hundred of Reynolds (Northern Territory), a cadastral unit in the Northern Territory of Australia United States * Reynolds, Mendocino County, Calif ...

(part) *

Thompson Thompson may refer to: People * Thompson (surname) * Thompson M. Scoon (1888–1953), New York politician Places Australia *Thompson Beach, South Australia, a locality Bulgaria * Thompson, Bulgaria, a village in Sofia Province Canada * ...

Census-designated places

Grand Forks AFB Grand Forks Air Force Base (AFB) is a United States Air Force installation in northeastern North Dakota, located north of Emerado and west of Grand Forks. The host unit is the 319th Reconnaissance Wing (319 RW) assigned to the Air Combat C ...

Other communities

* Arvilla * Belleville * Emerado * Forest River Colony * Hannah Junction * Johnstown * Kempton * Logan Center * McCanna * Mekinock

Townships

* Agnes * Allendale * Americus * Arvilla * Avon * Bentru *

Blooming Bloom or blooming may refer to: Science and technology Biology * Bloom, one or more flowers on a flowering plant * Algal bloom, a rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in an aquatic system * Jellyfish bloom, a collective n ...

* Brenna *

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

* Elkmount * Elm Grove * Fairfield * Falconer *

Ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...

* Gilby *

Grace Grace may refer to: Places United States * Grace, Idaho, a city * Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois * Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office * Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an uninco ...

* Hegton * Inkster * Johnstown * Lakeville * Larimore *

Levant The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is eq ...

Lind Lind is a surname of both Swedish and Estonian origin. In Swedish, it is the word for the linden tree. In Estonian, it is the word for bird. Geographical distribution As of 2014, 36.1% of all known bearers of the surname ''Lind'' were residen ...

* Logan Center * Loretta * Mekinock *

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

Moraine A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris (regolith and rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a glacier or ice shee ...

* Niagara * Northwood * Oakville * Pleasant View *

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...

* Rye *

Strabane Strabane ( ; ) is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Strabane had a population of 13,172 at the 2011 Census. It lies on the east bank of the River Foyle. It is roughly midway from Omagh, Derry and Letterkenny. The River Foyle marks ...

* Turtle River *

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

Walle Walle is a surname of Norway, Norwegian and Germany, German origin, which is a variant of the surname Wall (surname), Wall. Wall in turn is a topographic name, which meant a person who lived by a defensive or stone-built wall.''Dictionary of Americ ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

* Wheatfield

Politics

Grand Forks County voters historically vote Republican. In only one national election since 1964 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate.

References

External links

* Grand Forks County maps
Sheet 1
(northern) an
Sheet 2
(southern), ''North Dakota DOT'' {{Coord, 47.92, -97.45, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-ND_source:UScensus1990 Greater Grand Forks 1875 establishments in Dakota Territory Populated places established in 1875