Oakes is the most populous city in

Dickey County Dickey County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,999. Its county seat is Ellendale. History The Dakota Territory legislature created Dickey County on March 5, 1881, with territories ann ...

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 ...

, United States. The population was 1,798 at the 2020 census. Oakes was founded in 1886.

History

Oakes was laid out in 1886. It was named for Thomas F. Oakes, a railroad official. A post office has been in operation in Oakes since 1886. The city was incorporated in 1888.

Geography

Oakes is located in southeastern North Dakota at (46.137249, −98.089686). It sits approximately one mile east of the

James river The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 to Chesapea ...

and is the meeting place of several rail lines. Because of its rail access, Oakes is home to several major

grain elevator A grain elevator is a facility designed to stockpile or store grain. In the grain trade, the term "grain elevator" also describes a tower containing a bucket elevator or a pneumatic conveyor, which scoops up grain from a lower level and deposits ...

s that handle large volumes of

grain A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and legum ...

, primarily

corn Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...

. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 1,798 people, 849 households, and 510 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 875 housing units at an average density of 580.9 units per square mile (216.56/km²).

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 1,856 people, 807 households, and 476 families living in the city. 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 . There were 912 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.1%

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 ...

, 0.5%

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 ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.8%

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 ...

, 1.1% 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 1.3% from two or more races.

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 were 3.8% of the population. There were 807 households, of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.2% 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, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.0% were non-families. 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.89. The median age in the city was 45.7 years. 23% of residents were under the age of 18; 6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.2% were from 25 to 44; 26.7% were from 45 to 64; and 24.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.1% male and 51.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,979 people, 828 households, and 495 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 908 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.27%

, 0.20% Native American, 1.01%

, 1.01% from

, and 0.51% from two or more races.

of any race were 2.58% of the population. There were 828 households, out of which 27.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.2% were

living together, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.2% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 3.02. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 24.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,263, and the median income for a family was $39,625. Males had a median income of $29,135 versus $15,611 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 city was $17,138. About 6.3% of families and 8.8% 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 10.4% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Oakes has two schools, including Oakes Public School and Oakes High School. Oakes Public School provides pre-school and grades K–6. Oakes High School provides grades 7–12. The athletic teams of Oakes High School are called the Tornadoes, replacing the old name the Golden Tornadoes. The current school colors are orange, black, and white.

Notable people

* Phil Hansen, defensive end with the

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...

* Stuart Munsch, Admiral

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

Local media

AM Radio

FM Radio

Parks

J. Paul Klinger Park

J. Paul Klinger Park is located just southwest of the pool. The park has a roofed shelter with seating and tables. Klinger Park also has a beach volleyball court a picnic area, and a playground that includes a slide, swings, tire swing, tunnel tubes, rock wall, and a rope wall.

Softball Complex

The Oakes softball complex has three softball diamonds, a playground, a two-hole Frisbee golf course, and a concessions stand.

Climate

This

climatic Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologic ...

region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Oakes has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Oakes, North Dakota
/ref>

References

{{Authority control Cities in North Dakota Cities in Dickey County, North Dakota Populated places established in 1886 1886 establishments in Dakota Territory