Dickinson is a city in and the county seat of

Stark County, North Dakota Stark County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 33,646, and was estimated to be 33,767 in 2024, making it the 7th-most populous county in North Dakota. The county seat and the largest city ...

, United States. The population was 25,679 at the 2020 census, making it the seventh most populous city in North Dakota. Dickinson, founded in 1881, is also home to

Dickinson State University Dickinson State University (DSU) is a public university in Dickinson, North Dakota, United States. It is part of the North Dakota University System. It was founded in 1918 as Dickinson State Normal School and granted full university status in ...

. Since the North Dakota oil boom the city has become one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. According to the 2020 census, the city is estimated to have a population of 25,679, however, other sources have estimates of the population at 33,646 or possibly exceeding 35,000. Dickinson is home to the Ukrainian Cultural Institute, which has a museum and holds events year-round for the local Ukrainian community. Dickinson is the principal city of the Dickinson Micropolitan Statistical Area, a micropolitan area that covers Billings and Stark counties and had a combined population of 34,591 at the 2020 census.

History

Dickinson was founded in 1881. Dickinson was named for its founder, W. S. Dickinson, a native of Malone, New York. In 1924, Dickinson was the site of a tornado that killed nine people, making it the fourth deadliest tornado in North Dakota's recorded history. Dickinson was the site of an EF3 tornado in 2009 that damaged more than 450 homes and businesses, with 100 beyond repair, but with no injuries or casualties. The rapid growth of the city due to an oil boom led to an increase in crime and homelessness within the city limits in the 2010s.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Dickinson's municipal water supplies come from Southwest Water Authority which, in turn, gets their water from Lake Sakakawea through a transmission pipeline.

Climate

Nearly all of Stark County 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 cold ...

of warm summer (

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Dfb''), but due to low precipitation and marginality between climate with monsoon-influenced dry winter (''Dwb'') and

semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of se ...

(''BSk''), Dickinson can be said to be prone to periods of drought, even though it is defined as wet all year round. Its climate is similar to Bismarck's, though a bit less extreme. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from in January to in July; on average, temperatures reach on 2.2 days, on 22 days, and on 32 days annually. The average window for freezing temperatures is September 22 thru May 16 and for measurable (≥) snow, October 26 thru April 19. Due to the relative aridity, there are only 2.8 days where 24-hour snowfall exceeds . With a period of record dating only to 1893, extreme temperatures range from as recently as January 12, 2011 to on July 6, 1936.

Demographics

As of the 2022

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

, there are 10,247 estimated households in Dickinson with an average of 2.38 persons per household. The city has a median household income of $75,767. Approximately 10.7% of the city's population lives at or 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 ...

. Dickinson has an estimated 69.5% employment rate, with 25.5% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 91.2% holding a high school diploma. The top nine reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were German (38.3%), Norwegian (11.2%), Irish (7.2%), English (5.7%), French (except Basque) (2.3%), Italian (2.0%), Polish (1.0%), Scottish (1.0%), and Subsaharan African (0.3%). The median age in the city was 33.1 years.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 25,679 people and 10,544 households, and 6,193 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was There were 11,953 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 83.64%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 3.97%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 1.58% Native American, 1.24% Asian, 0.19%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...

, 3.29% from some other races and 6.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 8.04% of the population.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 17,787 people, 7,521 households, and 4,308 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 7,865 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.16%

, 1.05%

, 1.22% Native American, 1.47% Asian, 0.05%

, 0.56% from some other races, and 1.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.15% of the population. There were 7,521 households, of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.7% were non-families. 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.89. The median age in the city was 35.6 years. 21% of residents were under the age of 18; 14.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.6% were from 25 to 44; 24.3% were from 45 to 64; and 16.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.3% male and 50.7% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 16,010 people, 6,517 households, and 4,020 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 7,033 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.16%

, 0.27%

, 1.20% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.03%

, 0.32% from some other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.05% of the population. The top six ancestry groups in the city are German (54.1%), Norwegian (14.2%),

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...

(7.5%),

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

n (7.2%), Irish (5.5%), English (3.7%). There were 6,517 households, out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% were

living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.3% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.99. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.5% under the age of 18, 13.8% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $31,542, and the median income for a family was $41,566. Males had a median income of $30,613 versus $19,951 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $15,975. About 7.1% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the

, including 10.2% of those under age 18 and 16.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

K–12

The Dickinson Public Schools system includes six elementary schools, a junior high school, Dickinson High School and an alternative high school. There are also several parochial schools in Dickinson. Trinity East and Trinity West serve as the parochial elementary schools and Dickinson Trinity has both a junior high school and a high school. Hope Christian Academy is also located in Dickinson. HCA is part of the Evangelical Bible Church. The current principal is Shane Bradley.

Higher education

Dickinson is home to

Law enforcement

The Dickinson Police Department employs about 50 full-time sworn police officers and 24 full-time civilian employees, including dispatchers, records staff and animal control.

Media

Print

* '' The Dickinson Press''

Television

Digital * 2.1 KXMA-TV/

The CW The CW Network, LLC (commonly referred to as The CW or simply CW) is an American commercial broadcast television network which is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75% ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the firs ...

( ATSC 19–3) * 2.2 KXMA-TV/ CBS ( ATSC 19–4) * 2.3 KXMA-TV/

weather Weather is the state of the atmosphere, describing for example the degree to which it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloud cover, cloudy. On Earth, most weather phenomena occur in the lowest layer of the planet's atmo ...

( ATSC 19–5) * 7.1 KQCD-TV/ NBC * 7.2 KQCD-TV/ Fox * 7.3 KQCD-TV/

MeTV MeTV, an acronym for Memorable Entertainment Television, is an American broadcast television network owned by Weigel Broadcasting. Marketed as "The Definitive Destination for Classic TV", the network airs a variety of classic television progra ...

* 9.1 KDSE/ PBS Prairie Public Broadcasting * 9.2 KDSE/ PBS World * 9.3 KDSE/ PBS Minnesota Channel * 9.4 KDSE/ PBS
Lifelong Learning
* In addition, Bismarck ABC affiliate

KBMY KBMY (channel 17) is a television station in Bismarck, North Dakota, United States, affiliated with ABC and MyNetworkTV. Owned by Forum Communications Company, the station maintains a news bureau and advertising sales office on North 15th St ...

is available only on local satellite and cable systems; it was previously simulcast via KXMA-TV on 2.2 until February 2, 2016.

Radio

FM band * 88.1 K201FN – rebroadcasts CSN (

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

) * 89.9 KDPR – North Dakota Public Radio/ NPR network (

Public radio Public broadcasting (or public service broadcasting) is radio, television, and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service with a commitment to avoiding political and commercial influence. Public broadcasters receive ...

) * 90.7 KSLS – rebroadcasts KSLT "K-Salt" ( Cont. Christian music) * 92.1 KZRX "Z92" (

Mainstream Rock Mainstream rock (also known as heritage rock) is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada. Format background Mainstream rock stations represent a cross between classic rock, active rock and alternativ ...

) * 93.9 KXDI "I94" (

Country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

) * 95.7 KQLZ "Q-Rock 95" (

Classic Rock Classic rock is a radio format that developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, it comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the early-1990s, primarily focusing on comm ...

) * 99.1 KCAD "Roughrider Country" (

) * 103.3 KPAR-LP – low power broadcaster carrying LifeTalk Radio network ( Christian Talk) * 105.7 KDXN "The Mix" (

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...

) AM band * 1230 KDIX "Real Country" (

Oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as well as for a radio format playing this music. Since 2 ...

/ Classic country) * 1340 KPOK (

/ Talk) * 1410 KDKT "Fox Sports Radio 1410" (

Sports Sport is a physical activity or game, often competitive and organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The number of participants in ...

/ Talk) * 1460 KLTC ( Classic country/ Talk)

Transportation

Intercity bus service to the city is provided by

Jefferson Lines Jefferson Lines (JL or JLI) is a regional intercity bus company operating in 14 states in the Midwest and the West of the United States. History The company is operated by Jefferson Partners L.P., located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Jefferson P ...

. Local

dial-a-ride Demand-responsive transport (DRT), also known as demand-responsive transit, demand-responsive service,
US National Trans ...

transit is provided by Dickinson Public Transit for a $4 fare. Hours of operation are from 6:00am–6:00pm Monday-Saturday, and 9:00am–6:00pm on Sunday.

Sites of interest

* Badlands Dinosaur Museum * Dickinson Museum Center * Dakota Community Bank & Trust Ballpark * Dickinson Area Public Library (originally a Carnegie Library) * North Dakota Soccer Association headquarters

Sports

* The Dickinson Packers played independent minor league baseball in the Mandak League from 1955 to 1956 *

Blue Hawks * Dickinson High School Midgets * Badlands Big Sticks, summer collegiate baseball team in the

Northwoods League The Northwoods League is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league. All players in the league must have National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate. The league is amateur, and players are not ...

Notable people

Kelly Armstrong Kelly Michael Armstrong (born October 8, 1976) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 34th governor of North Dakota since 2024. A member of the Republican Party, he served from 2019 to 2024 as the U.S. representative for North Da ...

, born in Dickinson, 34th

Governor of North Dakota The governor of North Dakota is the head of government of North Dakota and serves as the commander-in-chief of the state's North Dakota National Guard, military forces. The Constitution of North Dakota specifies that "the executive power is ves ...

, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives * LaRoy Baird, lived in Dickinson, former member of

North Dakota Senate The North Dakota State Senate is the upper house of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly, smaller than the North Dakota House of Representatives. Per the state constitution, North Dakota is divided into between 40 and 54 legislative distri ...

* Doug Beaudoin, born in Dickinson, former

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...

in the NFL * Bob Bergloff, born in Dickinson, former

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

defenseman Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from Goal (ice hockey), scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the l ...

* Byron Dorgan, born in Dickinson, former

United States Senator The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...

* Edward Doro, born in Dickinson,

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...

* Clay S. Jenkinson, born in Dickinson, scholar, author, and educator * Bennie Joppru, born in Dickinson, former tight end in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

* Douglas Kary, born in Dickinson, member of the

Montana Legislature The Montana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to t ...

* Aaron Krauter, born in Dickinson, member of

* John S. Lesmeister, born in Dickinson, 30th North Dakota State Treasurer *

Kellan Lutz Kellan Christopher Lutz (born March 15, 1985) is an American actor, martial artist and model. He made his film debut in '' Stick It'' (2006), and is best known for playing Emmett Cullen in ''The Twilight Saga'' film series (2008–2012). He has ...

, born in Dickinson, actor, played Emmett Cullen in ''

Twilight Twilight is daylight illumination produced by diffuse sky radiation when the Sun is below the horizon as sunlight from the upper atmosphere is scattered in a way that illuminates both the Earth's lower atmosphere and also the Earth's surf ...

'' * Mitch Malloy, born in Dickinson, singer and songwriter * Ted Nace, raised in Dickinson, writer, publisher, and environmentalist * Herb Parker (1921–2007), lived in Dickinson, teacher and American football coach at Minot State University * Malachi Ritscher (1954–2006), born in Dickinson, musician and human rights activist * George Scherger (1920–2011), born in Dickinson,

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

coach,

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field, between first base and third base. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns pla ...

, and

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...

Dorothy Stickney Dorothy Stickney (June 21, 1896 – June 2, 1998) was an American film, stage, and television actress, best known for appearing in the long-running Broadway hit '' Life with Father''. Early years Stickney was born in Dickinson, North Dakota, b ...

(1896–1998), born in Dickinson, stage and film actress * Bill Swain, born in Dickinson, former

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...

for the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

References

External links

*
Dickinson Convention and Visitor's Bureau
{{authority control Cities in North Dakota Dickinson, North Dakota micropolitan area Cities in Stark County, North Dakota County seats in North Dakota Populated places established in 1881 1881 establishments in Dakota Territory