"Greater Grand Forks" (officially 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 as a city or tow ...

) is the name used by some people to designate the

twin cities Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in sta ...

Grand Forks, North Dakota 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 ...

and

East Grand Forks, Minnesota East Grand Forks (also known as EGF) is a city in Polk County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 9,176 at the 2020 Census, making it the largest community in Polk County. It is located in the Red River Valley region along the easte ...

, together with their surrounding areas. The two cities lie directly across from each other on both sides of the

Red River of the North The Red River (french: rivière Rouge or ) is a river in the north-central United States and central Canada. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota, it fl ...

, but Grand Forks, with a population of 59,166, is more than five times larger than East Grand Forks, with a population of 9,176. The metropolitan area includes all of the related two counties in the two states: Grand Forks County in North Dakota and Polk County in Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the MSA had a population of 104,362, and in 2021 estimates placed the total population at 103,462. The metropolitan area is also sometimes called "The Forks." Several years ago local promoters attempted to "brand" the metropolitan area as "The Grand Cities." This name has not found widespread use in the area, although several buildings and organizations now bear the "Grand Cities" title. Occasionally, the city of Grand Forks uses the nickname "The Sunflake City."

Communities

Places with more than 50,000 inhabitants

Grand Forks, ND 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 cit ...

(Principal city)

Places with 5,000 to 10,000 inhabitants

* Crookston, MN *

East Grand Forks, MN East Grand Forks (also known as EGF) is a city in Polk County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 9,176 at the 2020 Census, making it the largest community in Polk County. It is located in the Red River Valley region along the easte ...

Places with 1,000 to 5,000 inhabitants

* Fosston, MN *

Grand Forks Air Force Base 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 Co ...

* Larimore, ND * Thompson, ND

Places with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants

* Beltrami, MN * Climax, MN * Emerado, ND * Erskine, MN * Fertile, MN * Fisher, MN * Gilby, ND * Gully, MN * Inkster, ND * Lengby, MN * Manvel, ND * McIntosh, MN * Mentor, MN * Niagara, ND * Nielsville, MN * Northwood, ND * Reynolds, ND * Trail, MN * Winger, MN

Unincorporated places

* Arvilla, ND * Bygland, MN * Calspur, ND * Kelly, ND * Mallory, MN * Mekinock, ND * Merrifield, ND * North Grand Forks, ND * Ojata, ND * Oakville, ND * Powell, ND

Demographics

According to the 2006–2008

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...

, the population of the Greater Grand Forks metro area was 97,260, of which 50.9% were male and 49.1% were female.

Age

* Under 5 years: 6.3% * 5–9 years: 5.5% * 10–14 years: 6.1% * 15–19 years: 9.6% * 20–24 years: 13.3% * 25–34 years: 12.7% * 35–44 years: 11.3% * 45–54 years: 13.6% * 55–59 years: 5.4% * 60–64 years: 4.2% * 65–74 years: 5.6% * 75–84 years: 4.5% * 85 years and over: 2.0% * Median age: 31.8 years

Race

According to the same survey, the racial composition was as follows: *

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 ...

: 92.5% (

Non-Hispanic Whites Non-Hispanic whites or Non-Latino whites are Americans who are classified as "white", and are not of Hispanic (also known as "Latino") heritage. The United States Census Bureau defines ''white'' to include European Americans, Middle Eastern Ame ...

: 90.8%) * Black or African American: 1.3% * American Indian: 2.4% * Asian: 0.8% * Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.0% * Some other race: 1.7% *

Two or more races 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...

: 1.3% * Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 3.6%

Ancestry

According to the 2006–2008 American Community Survey, the top ten European ancestry groups were the following: * Norwegian: 38.8% *

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 **Ge ...

: 32.9% * Irish: 9.4% * Swedish: 6.4% * Polish: 6.2% *

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

: 6.1% *

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 ...

: 5.2% * Czech: 2.5% * American: 2.2% *

French Canadian French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fre ...

: 1.8%

Language spoken at home

*Population 5 years and over: 91,118 * English only: 95.1% * Language other than English: 4.9% * Spanish: 2.3% * Other

Indo-European languages The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the overwhelming majority of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and the northern Indian subcontinent. Some European languages of this family, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, D ...

: 2.1% * Asian and Pacific Islander languages: 0.4% * Other languages: 0.1%

Education

K-12

Public schools

The Grand Forks Public Schools system serves Grand Forks and Grand Forks Air Force Base. The district consists of 12 elementary schools, four middle schools, two high schools, an alternative high school, an adult learning center, and a

Head Start program Head Start is a program of the United States Department of Health and Human Services that provides comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and families. The program's s ...

. The East Grand Forks School District serves East Grand Forks and the surrounding rural areas. The district consists of two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. The Crookston School District 593 serves Crookston and the surrounding rural areas. The district consists of two elementary schools and a high school.

Private schools

In Grand Forks, St. Michael's Catholic Church and Holy Family Catholic Church both have Catholic elementary schools. There are no Catholic middle or high schools in Grand Forks, but East Grand Forks is home to Sacred Heart Catholic Church's school, which educates from kindergarten through the 12th grade. East Grand Forks is also home to Riverside Christian School, a nondenominational elementary school.

Higher education

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 N ...

(

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 ...

) *

Northland Community & Technical College Northland Community & Technical College (Northland) is a public community college with campuses in Thief River Falls and East Grand Forks, Minnesota. Northland also has an aerospace site in Thief River Falls and a satellite site in Roseau, Minnes ...

( East Grand Forks)* *

University of Minnesota Crookston The University of Minnesota Crookston (UMN Crookston) is a public college in Crookston, Minnesota. One of five campuses in the University of Minnesota system, UMN Crookston had a fall 2022 enrollment of 1,489 undergraduate students. Students come ...

( Crookston) ''*also has a campus in

Thief River Falls, Minnesota Thief River Falls, sometimes referred to as Thief River or abbreviated as TRF, is a city in Pennington County in the northwest portion of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 8,749 at the 2020 census. Thief River Falls is the county ...

Media

''See

Media in Grand Forks, North Dakota The following is a list of media in Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States: Print Daily *''Grand Forks Herald'' Weekly *''The Exponent'' (located in East Grand Forks, Minnesota) *''High Plains Reader'' (published in Fargo, North Dakota) *Tidbit ...

for a list of newspapers, television stations, and radio stations''

Print

The major daily newspaper is the '' Grand Forks Herald''. The only other daily newspaper in the area is the '' Crookston Daily Times'' of Crookston. '' The Exponent'' of East Grand Forks is a weekly newspaper. '' The Dakota Student'' is a campus newspaper published twice a week (during the school year) by students of the

. There are also several other weekly newspapers in the area including the '' Hillsboro Banner''.

Television

The metropolitan area receives all major

broadcast network A terrestrial network (or broadcast network in the United States) is a group of radio stations, television stations, or other electronic media outlets, that form an agreement to air, or broadcast, content from a centralized source. For example, ...

s over the air, along with cable, and

satellite A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioiso ...

television. The major cable television company is

Midcontinent Communications Midco (known as Midcontinent Communications until 2016) is a regional cable provider, providing a triple play service of Cable television, Internet and telephone service for both North Dakota and South Dakota, along with much of Minnesota, and s ...

. The only broadcast stations based in the metro area are WDAZ-TV 8 ( ABC) and KCPM 27 ( MNTV).

KVLY-TV KVLY-TV (channel 11) is a television station in Fargo, North Dakota, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Gray Television alongside Horace-licensed low-power dual CBS/ CW+ affiliate KXJB-LD (channel 30). Both stations share stud ...

and KRDK-TV both have news bureaus in Grand Forks, though the stations are based in Fargo. Local TV stations include: * KRDK-TV Channel 4 ( CBS) – based in Fargo, ND (

digital Digital usually refers to something using discrete digits, often binary digits. Technology and computing Hardware *Digital electronics, electronic circuits which operate using digital signals ** Digital camera, which captures and stores digital ...

channel 38) * WDAZ-TV Channel 8 ( ABC) * WDAZ-DT2,

channel 8.2, Cable channel 7 (

The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

) * KBRR Channel 10 ( Fox) – rebroadcasts KVRR of Fargo, ND *

Channel 11 (

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

) * KCGE

Digital Digital usually refers to something using discrete digits, often binary digits. Technology and computing Hardware *Digital electronics, electronic circuits which operate using digital signals ** Digital camera, which captures and stores digital ...

Channel 16 ( PBS) – main studio in Fargo, ND, cable channel 13 *K17HG Channel 17 ( 3ABN) – religious programming –

Digital cable Digital cable is the distribution of cable television using digital data and video compression. The technology was first developed by General Instrument. By 2000, most cable companies offered digital features, eventually replacing their previ ...

channel 192 * KCPM Channel 27 ( MNTV) – cable channel 9 *K49FF Channel 49 ( TBN) – religious programming, (

channel 73, 190 & 109.7)

Radio

:''See

for a list of all radio stations'' There are several radio stations available in the area. All of the commercial radio stations in Grand Forks are owned by either

Clear Channel Communications iHeartMedia, Inc., formerly CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc. (formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc.), a company fou ...

Leighton Broadcasting Leighton Broadcasting is a radio broadcasting company based in St. Cloud, Minnesota that owns several radio stations in St. Cloud as well as in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota and Grand Forks, North Dakota. Stations owned {, class="wikitable" , - !Ca ...

. The area is also served by stations of

North Dakota Public Radio Prairie Public is a network of ten North Dakota radio stations. It is a service of Prairie Public Broadcasting, in association with North Dakota State University in Fargo. Prairie Public maintains active studios in Grand Forks, Fargo, and Bism ...

(KUND 89.3 FM and

KFJM KFJM (90.7 FM) is a public radio station in Grand Forks, North Dakota airing an adult album alternative format with news in the mornings, jazz in the late evenings and blues and folk on the weekends. It carries programs from NPR and Public Rad ...

90.7 FM) and

Minnesota Public Radio Minnesota Public Radio (MPR), is a public radio network for the state of Minnesota. With its three services, News & Information, YourClassical MPR and The Current, MPR operates a 46-station regional radio network in the upper Midwest. MPR ha ...

(KQMN 91.5 FM

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" al ...

and KNTN 102.7 FM

news/talk Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featur ...

). Several religious organizations have

Christian radio Christian radio is a Christian media radio format that focus on programming with a Christian message. Many such broadcasters play contemporary Christian music, though many programs include sermons, radio dramas, as well as news and talk program ...

stations throughout the area.

Notes

{{coord, 47, 55, 37, N, 97, 01, 42, W, format=dms, display=title, type:adm3rd_region:US-ND Metropolitan areas of North Dakota Metropolitan areas of Minnesota