Elgin is a city in

Grant County Grant County may refer to: Places ;Australia * County of Grant, Victoria ;United States * Grant County, Arkansas * Grant County, Indiana * Grant County, Kansas *Grant County, Kentucky Grant County is a county located in the northern pa ...

North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...

, United States. The population was 543 at the 2020 census.

History

Elgin was

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Survey System, Public Lands Surveys to ...

ted in 1910 when the railroad was extended to that point. The town was originally known as Shanley, but when the Northern Pacific Railroad came through town, they objected to the name as it was too similar to Stanley (the seat of Mountrail County), so the citizens were asked to choose a new name. At one point, one committee member checked the time on his

Elgin Elgin may refer to: Places Canada * Elgin County, Ontario * Elgin Settlement, a 19th-century community for freed slaves located in present-day North Buxton and South Buxton, Ontario * Elgin, a village in Rideau Lakes, Ontario * Elgin, Manit ...

pocket watch and suggested the brand name, which was found to be acceptable. A post office has been in operation at Elgin since 1910. On July 4, 1978 an F4

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...

struck Elgin, causing five deaths and 35 injuries. The ninth deadliest storm in North Dakota's recorded history, and the deadliest Independence Day tornado nationwide, Elgin's Independence Day Tornado crumpled the town's water tower.

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 , all land.

Climate

This climatic 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 divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Elgin 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 ...

, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Elgin, North Dakota
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Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 642 people, 339 households, and 167 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 416 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.3%

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 ...

, 0.9% Native American, 0.2% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.2% of the population. There were 339 households, of which 16.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.3% 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, 5.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 50.7% were non-families. 49.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 32.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.82 and the average family size was 2.59. The median age in the city was 57.4 years. 17% of residents were under the age of 18; 2.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 14.6% were from 25 to 44; 30% were from 45 to 64; and 35.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 45.5% male and 54.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 659 people, 316 households, and 170 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 379 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.12%

, 1.06% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.76% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.76% of the population. There were 316 households, out of which 18.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were

living together, 3.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.9% were non-families. 44.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 25.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.91 and the average family size was 2.65. In the city, the population was spread out, with 17.0% under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 16.4% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 38.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 56 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $22,391, and the median income for a family was $30,972. Males had a median income of $28,750 versus $15,417 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 $18,080. About 8.8% of families and 14.7% 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 ...

, including 16.9% of those under age 18 and 19.3% of those age 65 or over.

Notable person

* Donald D. Lorenzen (1920–80), member of the

Los Angeles City Council The Los Angeles City Council is the Legislature, lawmaking body for the Government of Los Angeles, city government of Los Angeles, California, the second largest city in the United States. It has 15 members who each represent the 15 city council ...

(1969–1977)

References

{{Authority control Cities in North Dakota Cities in Grant County, North Dakota Populated places established in 1910 1910 establishments in North Dakota