What are the Key Facts of North Dakota?

State	North Dakota
State Capital	Bismarck
Largest City	Fargo
Coordinates	47°N 100°W
Nickname(s)	“Peace Garden State”, “Roughrider State”, “Flickertail State”
Postal Abbreviation	ND
Area	70,761 sq. mi (183,843 sq. km)
Highest Point	White Butte, 3,606 ft (1,069 m)
Neighboring States	Minnesota, South Dakota, Montana
Number of Counties	53
Population	762,062 (2019)
Date of entering the Union	November 02, 1889
State Anthem	“North Dakota Hymn”
Governor	Doug Burgum (Republicans)
Lieutenant governor	Brent Sanford (Republicans)
U.S. senators	John Hoeven (Republicans), Kevin Cramer (Republicans)
U.S. House delegation	Kelly Armstrong (Republicans), John Hoeven (Republicans), Kevin Cramer (Republicans)
GDP (millions of dollars)	57,400
Demonym	North Dakotan
Time Zones	most of state UTC−06:00 (Central), Summer (DST) UTC−05:00 (CDT); southwest UTC−07:00 (Mountain), Summer (DST) UTC−06:00 (MDT)

Where is North Dakota?

North Dakota (admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 39th state), is situated in the Upper Midwest region of the United States. It shares its border with Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north, surrounded by Red Liver to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south, and Montana to the west. Bismarck is the capital of North Dakota, and Fargo is the biggest city.

What is the Geography of North Dakota?

North Dakota spreads across a total area of 70,761 sq. mi (183,843 sq. km), out of which 59,708 sq. mi (169,571 sq. km) is the land area and 1,726 sq. mi (4,435 sq. km) is covered underwater. Water covers about 2.4 percent of the total area of North Dakota. It is the 19th largest state in the United States.

The state’s mean revelation is 1,900 ft (580 m) above sea level. The highest elevation point of North Dakota is White Butter, which is 3,606 ft (1,069 m) high above sea level.

The longest river in North Dakota is the Missouri River, and its length is 3,767 km. However, over 40 rivers pass through the state, and their total length is about 54,470 miles. Most rivers of North Dakota pass through several US states and Canada. James River, Yellowstone River, Sheyenne River, etc. are famous rivers of North Dakota. The state has various lakes for fishing, boating, and swimming. Significant lakes of North Dakota are- Devils Lake, Lake Alice, Lake Metigoshe, Lake Darling, Lake Tewaukon and Lake Sakakawea, and many more.

Some of the significant mountains in the state are- Black Elk Peak, Bear Mountain, Green Mountain, Terry Peak, White Tail Peak, and many more. While White Butte 3,506 feet (1,069 m) is the state’s highest natural point.

North Dakota is a state in the US that is famous as the great plains. The Great Plains covers about half a portion of North Dakota. The southwestern region of the state is hilly and rich in mineral deposits. The entire area is 300 to 400 feet above the Drift Prairie east of the Missouri River.

The southwestern area of the state is hilly and rich in mineral deposits. Most of the land is lower along the Missouri River, while south and west of the river have rugged valleys and buttes. These are called the slope.

The central part of the region of North Dakota divides into Drift Prairie and the Missouri Plateau. The Eastern part of North Dakota is flat, but there are several hills and buttes in western North Dakota. Grassland is in abundance in most parts of the state. The Eastern part of the state has several wetlands. This region is famous for the cultivation of wheat, lentils, oats, flaxseed, honey, and many more.

North Dakota is known as the prairies state, so only 1.5% of the area in the state is covered under forest while half of the state’s forests are in the Killdeer Mountains, Turtle Mountains, Pembina Hills, and the Devils Lake area.

Plains and prairies of the state are home to several species like the American bison, American elk, bighorn sheep, grizzly bear, moose, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and red fox.

What is the climate of North Dakota?

North Dakota has a typical humid climate with cold and windy winters and hot summers. The western part of the state experiences a semi-arid climate with less precipitation and less humidity as well. Although, the eastern part of the Missouri River is slightly colder in winters, while western streams receive higher daytime temperatures.

Winters are cold in the state, January is generally the coldest month in North Dakota. Most of the areas of the state experienced widespread snow and variable temperature. In winter, the temperature dips to 0°F (-17.8°C). But summers in the state are generally warm, the average temperature of the state remains 25°C to 30.6°C. The temperature reaches a peak in July.

The state is not known for moisture. North Dakota receives 19 inches of rain on average every year. However, the average rainfall in the US is 38 inches per year. The state experiences 39 inches of snow per year. It is one of the driest states in the United States. The main form of precipitation of North Dakota is snow, which falls preciously from November to March.

What is the economy of North Dakota?

North Dakota’s economy depends on agriculture and cattle much more than other states in the US. Agriculture plays a vital role in North Dakota’s revenue generation. Four main agricultural products of the state are- wheat, soybeans, corn for grain, and sugar beets. Apart from this, cattle farming is common in North Dakota.

North Dakota has made rapid progress in the energy development sector and the manufacturing sector. The state is famous for manufacturing computers, electronic, fabricated metals, petroleum products, aircraft and motor parts, and so on. Besides, the state is the reservoir of coal and natural gas, sand and gravel are the primary sources of income of North Dakota.

Due to the strong agricultural base food processing industry has been flourishing in the state. North Dakota is the primary food product of bread and pasta, frozen potato products, and seed oils. Besides this, milk and cheese are produced in large numbers in the state.

What is the Transportation system of North Dakota?

The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) works under the government of the US. The state’s population is small but well connected with the rest of the country. North Dakota offers bus services for various places like Tioga, Williston, Watford City, New Town, Bismarck, Grand Fes works, Devils Lake, Jamestown. Major highways of South Dakota- 1-29 at South Dakota state line, I-94 at Montana state line, etc.

Minot International Airport (MOT) is the latest and biggest commercial terminal in the state of North Dakota, while Delta, United, and Allegiant provide air services.

There are several airports in North Dakota, such as- Bismarck Municipal Airport, Devils Lake Municipal Airport., Dickinson-Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport, Western Edge Aviation, LLC, Grand Forks Regional Airport, Fargo – Hector International Airport, Jamestown Municipal Airport.

In the state, the Empire Builder operates over BNSF rail between Fargo on the Minnesota border west to Williston, before continuing west to Havre in Montana or east to Staples in Minnesota.

What is the origin of the name North Dakota?

The name came into existence from Sioux people who used to live in the territory. The Sioux called themselves Dakota, which means friends. Therefore, one of North Dakota’s nicknames is the Peace Garden State.

Why is North Dakota called “the Flickertail State”?

“Flickertail State” is the nickname of North Dakota. Flickertail refers to the Richardson ground squirrels that are found in large numbers in the state. The animal changes the position and flicks its tail in different ways while running or entering its burrow. So, the land became famous by this name.

Other nicknames for North Dakota are “Peace Garden State”, “Roughrider State”, and “Dakota”.

What is a popular tourist attraction in North Dakota?

The most popular tourist destinations in the state are- Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Frontier Village, the National Buffalo Museum, Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, North Dakota Heritage Center, Plains Art Museum, Scandinavian Heritage Park, Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, Lake Sakakawea and many more. North Dakota is a place where tourists can enjoy themselves a lot.

Facts About North Dakota

1.The town of Rugby is the geographical center of Northern America. It is a rock obelisk that stands almost 15 feet tall and is flanked by poles that have flags of USA and Canada.

2.Killdeer Mountain Roundup Rodeo houses the oldest PRCA rodeo in North Dakota.

3.North Dakota passed a bill in 1987, which made English official language of the state.

4.From 1934 to 1941 the Civilian Conservation Corps operated a base camp close to Medora for performing restoration and landscape work on de Mores City Park and Chateau de Mores State Historic Site. The de Mores City Park was opened on 7th August 1941.

5.Hillsboro is situated in a large, ancient and flat dried lake bottom that is surrounded by some of the most fertile farmlands of the world.

6.President Theodore Roosevelt first came to Dakota in September 1883 for hunting bison. Before he returned to his home in New York, he got interested in cattle business and set up the Elkhorn Ranch and the Maltese Cross Ranch.

7.The official beverage of North Dakota is milk.

8.The globally famous Paul Broste Rock Museum in Parshall has been built using natural granite available in the area. The whole structure was built with voluntary labor and was opened for business purposes in 1965. Paul Broste billed it his Acropolis on a hill.

9.Situated on U.S. Highway 83, Westhope is an entry port into Canada. Every year at least 72,000 vehicles pass the border at this point.

10.The town Minot was conceived in late 1800s and has been named for Henry D. Minot, a young entrepreneur and visionary. The town site was chosen in November 1886 with the expected arrival of the Great Northern Railroad. It was also nicknamed Magic City early on because of its exceptional growth.

11.The Legislative Assembly in 1947 defeated an attempt to do away with North from the state’s name. In 1989 again the Legislature denied a couple of similar resolutions.

12.New Leipzig, on Dakota Prairie, stages a yearly Oktoberfest.

13.At the time of its creation in 1861 the state was named after the Indian tribe Dakota. Dakota is a Sioux word that means friends or allies.

14.The yearly Central North Dakota Steam Threshers Reunion is among the major yearly events of New Rockford. It is staged in the third weekend of September and boasts of a wide range of antique farm machinery.

15.Dakota Gasification Company, located in Beulah, is the sole producer of synthetic natural gas in USA.

16.Established in 1978 Fort Berthold Community College is a tribally chartered college and is situated in Fort Berthold Indian Reservation close to New Town.

17.Bottineau acts as the southwestern gateway to Turtle Mountains, International Peace Garden, and Lake Metigoshe.

18.Niewoehner Funeral Home in Rugby has altered the skyline of Rugby by making a 30 feet tower that has 13 bells. The biggest bells weigh almost 1,300 pounds and have diameters of 40 inches each – there are 2 such bells.

19.The Rock State Historic Site close to Grenora has got its name from petroglyphs that were carved into a couple of granite boulders. The origins of these drawings are probably obscure but they possibly show the Thunderbird, which is a sacred mythical figure for Late Prehistoric Plains Indians. Outlines of the bird can be seen on both the boulders.

20.Lake Sakakawea has a big country side. It is almost 200 miles long and has a shoreline of innumerable inlets and bays that are spread over 1,600 miles. It starts from the Garrison Dam that is 2 mile long and ends close to Williston.

21.North Dakota is bordered by Manitoba and Saskatchewan in north, South Dakota in south, Minnesota in east and Montana in west.

22.The American elm or Ulmus Americana is the official state tree of North Dakota and is found commonly across the state. The tree can often reach heights of 120 feet and more.

23.A 50 foot tall pyramid was built using empty oil cans by Max G. Taubert from Casselton. It is supposed to be the tallest ever structure made from oil cans.

24.In 1982 Rutland hosted the cooking and eating of then the biggest hamburger of the world – a feat that helped the town to make it to the Guinness Book of World Records. The burger weighed 3591 pounds and was eaten by almost 8-10 thousand people.

25.Devils Lake is the biggest natural water body in North Dakota and gets its name from Miniwaukan, a Native American word. Early explorers translated the word incorrectly to mean Bad Spirit. The name has also evolved after several legends of lake monsters and drowned warriors. It is a very fertile prairie lake and grows huge amounts of fishes such as walleye, white bass and northern pike. It is also billed as the Global Perch Capital.

26.The rich heritage of Grand Forks has been preserved at Myra Museum. It features an 1890’s home that was dedicated to pioneer women, a carriage house, a one-room school, and the first ever log Post Office of the city.

27.The name Roughrider State came up in a state sponsored tourism promotion campaign that took place in 1960s and 70s. It is a reference to the First U.S. Volunteer Cavalry organized by Theodore Roosevelt to take part in the Spanish-American War.

28.Turtle Lake hosts the yearly United States Turtle Racing Championship.

29.The Dakota Dinosaur Museum located in Dickinson has 12 full scale dinosaurs including a real Edmontosaurus and a real Triceratops, and thousands of rock, fossil and mineral specimens.

30.North Dakota is 17th with respect to size in USA. It has an aggregate area of 70,665 square miles. It is 360 miles wide and 212 miles long.

31.Richardton houses the Abbey Church, which is a Barvarian Romanesque structure. The church has high arches, 24 paintings of Saints, 52 stained glass windows, and a big carved crucifix.

32.Lawrence Welk went away from his home in Strasburg on his 21st birthday in order to pursue a career in music. He made his national television debut on 2nd July 1955. His show ran for 26 years and is still telecast across USA and various other countries.

33.The Lone Tree Wildlife Management Area is situated southwest of Harvey and has 33,000 acres of gently rolling hills that border Sheyenne River.

34.The Lewis and Clark expedition saw their first grizzly bears in North Dakota.

35.The North Dakota State University research experiment station, located in Hettinger, is the biggest state owned sheep research center of USA.

36.There is a 12 feet tall bronze statue of Sakakawea and her baby son Baptiste at the entrance of North Dakota Heritage Center, Bismarck. The statue, created by Chicago artist Leonard Crunelle, shows Sakakawea with her son strapped to her back and looking toward the country she helped to open.

37.Sitting Bull Burial State Historic Site is located on western edge of Fort Yates and commemorates the first grave of the Hunkpapa Sioux leader. During the Ghost Dance unrest in 1890 an effort was made to take him under arrest at his residence on Grand River, South Dakota. Sitting Bull passed away in the ensuing skirmish.

38.Situated to the southwest of Medora, De Mores State Historic Site commemorates the activities and life of Antoine de Vallombrosa the Marquis de Mores who came to the state in 1883. He did several things like setting up beef packing plant, sheep and cattle farming, a stagecoach line, land ownership, a freight company, Medora town and some refrigerated railway cars.

39.The biggest buffalo monument of the world is at Frontier Village, Jamestown. The structure is 46 feet long and 26 feet high and has a weight of 60 tons.

40.The piles of rock on White Butte, which is the highest point in North Dakota, are also called sheepherder’s monuments or rock Johnnies. Legend has it that they were piled there by sheepherders in order to spend time while looking after their flocks.

41.North Dakota grows the maximum number of sunflowers in USA.

42.The International Peace Garden is located on the international boundary shared by North Dakota with Manitoba. In 1956 the North Dakota Motor Vehicle Department placed the words Peace Garden State on license plates. The name proved to be pretty popular and was formally adopted by the 1957 legislature.43.Jamestown College is the oldest independent college in North Dakota and was chartered in 1884.

44.The official state flower of North Dakota is the wild prairie rose. The flower has five bright pink petals along with a cluster of yellow stamens at the center. Roses are grown in the state along roadsides, meadows and pastures.

45.The oldest attraction in Ellendale is the Opera House, which has a seating capacity of 1000 people and was set up in 1909.

46.The Big Hidatsa village site was inhabited from almost 1740 to 1850 and is the biggest of three Hidatsa communities located close to the mouth of Knife River. It is supposed to have the finest defined earth lodge depressions among the main Native American sites in the Great Plains.

47.Kenmare is known as North Dakota’s Goose Capital. It is also the hunting haven up north and has a yearly snow goose count of at least 400,000 birds.

48.From 1829 to 1867 Fort Union Trading Post served as the main fur-trading depot in Upper Missouri River region.

49.The Richardson ground squirrels, which are found abundantly in North Dakota are also known as Flickertails. They jerk or flick their tails in a typical manner when they run or just before they get into their burrows.

50.The motto of Minot Air Force Base is Only the Best Come North. It is situated a couple of miles outside the city limits of Minot.