Jamestown is a city in and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of Stutsman County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 15,849 at the 2020 census, making it the ninth most populous city in North Dakota. Jamestown was founded in 1883 and is home to the

University of Jamestown A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...

History

In 1871, a Northern Pacific Railroad work crew set up camp where the railroad would cross the James River, adding another section to the new northern transcontinental line. In 1872, the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

established Fort Seward, a small post garrisoned by three companies (about 120 men) of the Twentieth Infantry Regiment, on a bluff overlooking the confluence of the

James River The James River is a river in Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows from the confluence of the Cowpasture and Jackson Rivers in Botetourt County U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowli ...

and Pipestem Creek. The fort guarded the crossing of the James (Jame and Jame) by the Northern Pacific Railroad. The fort only lasted five years, being decommissioned in 1877—but the railroad remained, establishing a repair yard that was among the city's main industries until the 1960s. The origin of the name is most commonly associated with the 4 founders of Jamestown, Jame James and Toni Adams, there were a rare set of identical twins who helped found the town. Jamestown was founded in 1872 and General Thomas Rosser of Northern Pacific named it after

Jamestown, Virginia The Jamestown settlement in the Colony of Virginia was the first permanent British colonization of the Americas, English settlement in the Americas. It was located on the northeast bank of the James River, about southwest of present-day Willia ...

. The city incorporated in 1883. In 1873, Stutsman County became the first official county within Dakota Territory with Jamestown as the county seat. On November 10, 1889, the Roman Catholic

Diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...

of Jamestown was established. April 6, 1897, saw a change of name to Diocese of Fargo, with a change of the bishop's seat. Since 1995, the Diocese of Jamestown is listed as a

titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbi ...

of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

Geography

Jamestown is located at the confluence of the

and Pipestem Creek. 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 an area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

Jamestown has a typical northern

prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

American climate. Summers can be warm and quite humid, but the winters are very cold with snowfall as early as October. In the

Köppen classification 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 ...

it is ''Dwb'' (

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 ...

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 6,771 estimated households in Jamestown with an average of 2.06 persons per household. The city has a median household income of $53,389. Approximately 14.9% 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 ...

. Jamestown has an estimated 62.0% employment rate, with 22.1% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 90.5% holding a high school diploma. The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (95.9%), Spanish (1.7%), Indo-European (1.9%), Asian and Pacific Islander (0.3%), and Other (0.2%). The median age in the city was 38.8 years.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 15,849 people, 6,709 households, and 3,499 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 7,493 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 89.62%

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 ...

, 2.81%

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 ...

, 1.78% Native American, 0.77% Asian, 0.02%

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 ...

, 1.02% from some other races, and 3.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 3.35% of the population. 17.7% of residents were under the age of 18, 5.3% were under 5 years of age, and 20.5% were 65 and older.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 15,427 people, 6,567 households, and 3,555 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 6,983 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.63%

, 0.84%

, 1.78% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.06%

, 0.69% from some other races, and 1.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.09% of the population. There were 6,567 households, of which 24.8% 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, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.9% were non-families. 39.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 2.78. The median age in the city was 39.9 years. 19.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.8% were from 25 to 44; 27.1% were from 45 to 64; and 17.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.2% male and 49.8% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 15,527 people, 6,505 households, and 3,798 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 6,970 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.84%

, 0.36%

, 1.21% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.05%

, 0.27% from some other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.19% of the population. The top six ancestry groups in the city are German (54.0%), Norwegian (22.4%), Irish (9.0%), English (6.6%), Swedish (4.1%),

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 (3.8%). Many area families cite their heritage as " Germans from Russia", in reference to ethnic Germans who settled in the Russian Empire in the 18th century, many of whose descendants emigrated to the United States in the late 19th century. There were 6,505 households, out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were

living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% were non-families. 37.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.85. The age distribution is 21.7% under the age of 18, 12.7% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $31,500, and the median income for a family was $42,245. Males had a median income of $28,310 versus $20,225 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 $16,686. About 6.5% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the

, including 12.4% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Jamestown has a strong precision manufacturing base as well as food processing, agriculture, retail and wholesale businesses. Notable companies headquartered in Jamestown include Sunward Steel/Wedgcor Steel Buildings, ACI (Agri-Cover, Inc.), Dura Tech Industries, and Midwestern Machine, and additional major employers include Cavendish Farms and UTC Aerospace Systems. Service facilities for trucking and heavy equipment repair are also located in Jamestown. The Jamestown Stutsman Development Corporation supports joint business and industrial development within the city and Stutsman County, North Dakota. Four designated industrial parks adjoin the city or are part of joint city/county development efforts: Bloom Business Park, I-94 Business Park, Spiritwood Energy Park (which includes Great River Energy and

Cargill Cargill, Incorporated is an American multinational food corporation based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, Minnetonka, Minnesota, and incorporated in Wilmington, Delaware. Founded in 1865 by William Wallace Cargill, it is the largest privately held c ...

), and the Airport Business Park.

Arts and culture

Attractions

Jamestown Reservoir, a series of three, interlocking, 12-mile-long artificial lakes formed by Jamestown Dam, a flood control a

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...

on the James River at the north end of the city, is home to

watersports Water sports or aquatic sports are sports activities conducted on waterbodies and can be categorized according to the degree of immersion by the participants. On the water * Boat racing, the use of powerboats to participate in races * Boatin ...

and recreational

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

. Jamestown is home to two 18-hole golf courses— Hillcrest Golf Course and Jamestown Country Club—as well as the Jamestown Civic Center, which hosts concerts, University of Jamestown basketball games, other large events, and the North Dakota Sports Hall of Fame; other sporting facilities include Jack Brown Stadium, one of North Dakota's historic baseball parks. Jamestown is also home to two disc golf courses, an 18-hole recreational course in Klaus Park, and a 27-hole championship course on the island and surrounding land in the Jamestown Reservoir. The Island Course was the site of the 8th Annual North Dakota Disc Golf Championships in 2007. The city of Jamestown is also home to The Jamestown Arts Center
The Arts Center – Jamestown, North Dakota
, located in the heart of downtown. The Arts Center is home to a year-round exhibition gallery, community theater stage, a venue for visual arts performances, art workshops and classes, ceramics studio and a green space known as The Art Park. Jamestown also features the World's Largest Buffalo, a 26-ft tall sculpture of an

American bison The American bison (''Bison bison''; : ''bison''), commonly known as the American buffalo, or simply buffalo (not to be confused with Bubalina, true buffalo), is a species of bison that is endemic species, endemic (or native) to North America. ...

, and the National Buffalo Museum.

Education

K–12

Jamestown is served by the Jamestown Public Schools. The system operates five elementary schools, one middle school, one high school, and one alternative high school. Louis L'Amour Elementary School is named for the popular western writer

Louis L'Amour Louis Dearborn L'Amour (; né LaMoore; March 22, 1908 – June 10, 1988) was an American novelist and short story writer. His books consisted primarily of Western novels, though he called his work "frontier stories". His most widely known West ...

who was born in Jamestown. There are also two private elementary schools in Jamestown; Saint John's Academy, a K–6 Catholic school, and Hillcrest School, a Seventh-day Adventist school.

Higher education

(formerly called Jamestown College) is a private liberal arts college founded by the

Presbyterian Church Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Christianity, Reformed Protestantism, Protestant tradition named for its form of ecclesiastical polity, church government by representative assemblies of Presbyterian polity#Elder, elders, known as ...

and located on the north side of town. Its current enrollment is 908 students in 2021. Ranked by '' U.S. News & World Report'' in the top tier of regional undergraduate institutions, it is also notable among religious colleges for having been a co-educational institution from its founding in 1883. Its first fall term was opened at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, September 29, 1886. After financial hardships, affecting the entire county, Jamestown College had to close its doors in the spring of 1890. On September 22, 1909, Jamestown College reopened after a population growth in the State due to improved farming methods. With no higher education available between Fargo, ND (100 miles East) and Missoula, MT (700 miles West), Jamestown College became a successful school.

Special education

On the northwest side of the city and almost adjacent to the site of historic Fort Seward is The Anne Carlsen Center North Campus (formerly known as the "Crippled Children's School"). In 2024, Anne Carlsen moved operations to the Ballantyne Berg Campus in southwest Jamestown. A privately funded residential school, it has long been one of the country's leading centers for treatment and education of severely handicapped children.

Media

Print

The local daily paper is the '' Jamestown Sun''.

Television

Over the air

Radio

AM Radio

FM Radio

Infrastructure

Aviation

Jamestown Regional Airport serves the city providing scheduled flights to Devils Lake, North Dakota and

Denver, Colorado Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

. The airport also services chartered flights out of state.

Major highways

* Interstate 94 * U.S. Highway 52 * U.S. Highway 281 * North Dakota Highway 20

Transit

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 James River Public Transit for a $2.50 fare. Hours of operation are from 6:15am–6:00pm Monday-Thursday, 6:15am–7:00pm on Friday, 8:00am–6:00pm on Saturday, and 8:00am–1:00pm on Sunday.

Notable people

* James Harvey Brown (1906–1995), Los Angeles City Council member and municipal court judge, born in Jamestown * Anne Carlsen (1915–2002), nationally recognized educator, disability rights advocate, and psychologist who lived in Jamestown for 40 plus years and for whom the Anne Carlsen School and Center is named *

Alf Clausen Alf Faye Heiberg Clausen (March 28, 1941 – May 29, 2025) was an American film and television composer. He is best known for his work scoring many episodes of ''The Simpsons'', for which he was the sole composer between 1990 and 2017. Clausen ...

, film and television score composer (''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...

'') * Edward P. J. Corbett, English professor at the

Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

, born in Jamestown * William E. DePuy, U.S. Army general and first commander of

TRADOC The United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) is a major command of the United States Army headquartered at Fort Eustis, Virginia. It is charged with overseeing training of Army forces and the development of operational doctrine. ...

Alfred Dickey Alfred M. Dickey (June 10, 1846 – January 26, 1901) was the first Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota, lieutenant governor of North Dakota, serving from 1889 to 1891 under Governor John Miller (North Dakota politician), John Miller.(January ...

(1846–1901), first Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota * Willis Downs, Philippine–American War era

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

recipient * Roy S. Durstine (1886–1962), co-founder of BBDO advertising agency, born in Jamestown * Darin Erstad, former

Major League Baseball 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 ...

player * Morris E. Fine, educator * Michael John Fitzmaurice, a former

soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the

—for his actions in the Vietnam War * John Grabinger, North Dakota Senator * Travis Hafner, former Major League Baseball player for the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...

and

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

* Richard Hieb, astronaut * George W. Johnson, President of

George Mason University George Mason University (GMU) is a Public university, public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Located in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., the university is named in honor of George Mason, a Founding Father ...

(1979–1996) * Anton Klaus, Mayor of

Green Bay, Wisconsin Green Bay is a city in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the head of Green Bay (Lake Michigan), Green Bay (known locally as "the bay of Green Bay"), a sub-basin of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the F ...

* John Knauf, justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court *

, author *

Peggy Lee Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, and actress whose career spanned seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local r ...

, jazz singer and composer * Lewis Marquardt, South Dakota state representative and educator *

Barbara McClintock Barbara McClintock (June 16, 1902 – September 2, 1992) was an American scientist and cytogenetics, cytogeneticist who was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. McClintock received her PhD in botany from Cornell University ...

, children's book illustrator * Jim Ramstad, Minnesota politician * Floyd Roberts, winner of 1938 Indianapolis 500 * Ronda Rousey, UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion & WWE Raw, SmackDown, and Tag Team Champion * Myrna Sharlow, opera singer * Rodney Stark, American sociologist of religion * Shadoe Stevens, radio personality * Mya Taylor, actress * Charles F. Thompson, U.S. Army major general * Harley Venton, actor * Charles Lewis Camp, paleontologist and zoologist

References

External links

City of Jamestown – official website
{{Authority control Cities in North Dakota Micropolitan areas of North Dakota Cities in Stutsman County, North Dakota County seats in North Dakota Populated places established in 1872 1872 establishments in Dakota Territory