ZIP Code 58104

Fargo was founded in 1871 on the Red River of the North floodplain. It is a cultural, retail, health care, educational, and industrial center for southeastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota. Fargo, along with its twin city of Moorhead, Minnesota, and the adjacent cities of West Fargo and Dilworth, form the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Statistical Area. North Dakota State University is located in the city. Fargo has been ranked as the "#1 city to start a career" in Money magazine's annual list of the most livable cities in the U.S. The city is the county seat of Cass County, North Dakota, and is the most populous city in the state, with a population of 125,990 according to the 2020 census. It has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the United States, with Fargo's low crime rate and decent supply of affordable housing cited as reasons for its low unemployment rate and low housing prices. It was once known as the "divorce capital" of the Midwest because of lenient divorce laws. The construction of two interstates (I-29 and I-94) revolutionized travel in the region and pushed growth of Fargo to the south and west of the city limits. In 1972, the West Acres Shopping Center was constructed near the intersection of the two Interstates. In 1905, Fargo became home to the Pence Automobile Company. On Labor Day in 1910, Theodore Roosevelt visited Fargo to lay the cornerstone of the college's new library. NDSU has grown rapidly into a major research university and forms a major component of the City's identity and economy.

History

Fargo is the primary city name, but also Briarwood, Frontier, Prairie Rose are acceptable city names or spellings. Fargo-Moorhead has been ranked as the "#1 Hottest Job Market" by ZipRecruiter. Fargo has been gentrified due in part to investments by the city and private developers in the Renaissance Zone. North Dakota Agricultural College was founded in 1890 as North Dakota's land-grant university, becoming first accredited by the North Central Association in 1915. Since the mid-1980s, the bulk of new residential growth has occurred in the south and southwest areas of the city due to geographic constraints on the north side. In 1972, the West Acres Shopping Center, the largest shopping mall in North Dakota, was constructed near the intersection of I-29 and I-94. This mall became a catalyst for retail growth in the area. NDSU has grown rapidly into a major research university and forms a major component of the City's identity and economy. In 1910, Theodore Roosevelt visited Fargo to lay the cornerstone of the college's new library. The city grew rapidly despite a violent F5 tornado in 1957 that destroyed a large part of the north end of theCity. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Fargo has consistently had one of the lowest unemployment rates among MSAs in the United States. Since 2000, Money magazine has ranked the city near the top of its annual list of America's most livable cities. Zippia ranked Fargo the "#3 best place to raise kids." Today ranked Fargo as the #1 city to start a career and #1 place to live.

Geography

Fargo sits on the western bank of the Red River of the North in a flat geographic region. The Red River Valley resulted from the withdrawal of glacial Lake Agassiz, which drained away about 9,300 years ago. Its location makes the city vulnerable to flooding during seasons with above-average precipitation. The estimated $1.5 billion FM diversion project is under construction and will channel the Red's water away from the city. As of 2012, Fargo has bought 700 houses in flood-prone areas. Fargo has an extreme humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb), featuring long, bitterly cold winters and warm to hot, humid summers. The city has an area of 48.82 square miles (126.44 km²) according to the U.S. Census Bureau. It lies in USDA Plant hardiness zone 4a and has an annual average of 43 days with a minimum of 0 °F (18 °C) or lower. Snowfall averages 51.4 inches (131 cm) per season. Summer and autumn are short and highly variable seasons. Summers have frequent thunderstorms, and the warmest month, July, has a normal mean temperature of 70.7 °f (21.5 °C), while, conversely, the record warmest daily minimum was 82°F (28°C), set four days after the all-time record high. On average, the first and last to see a minimum at or below the freezing mark are September 30 and May 8, respectively, allowing a growing growing season of 144 days.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 105,549 people living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 90.2% White; 2.7% African American; 3.0% Asian; 1.4% Native American; 0.6% from other races; and 2.1% from two or more races. The median household income was $44,304, and the median income for a family was $69,401, with the mean family income being $89,110. The top seven ancestry groups in Fargo are German (40.6%), Norwegian (35.8%), Irish (8.6%); Swedish (6.5%); English (5.2%); French (4.7%) and Italian (3.6%). There were 39,268 households, of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them; 41.8% were married couples living together; 7.8%. had a female householder with no husband present; and 47.2%. were non-families. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was2.87. There were 41,200 housing units at an average density of 1,086.0 per square mile (419.3/km²) The median age in Fargo was 30.2 years, with 21.1%. of residents aged 18 to 24; 31.1. of residents from 25 to 44; 18.5%. of those aged 45 to 64; and 10.1! of those 65 and older.

Economy

Fargo has a growing economy based on food processing, manufacturing, technology, retail trade, higher education, and healthcare. In a study published by Forbes, Fargo was ranked the best small city in the nation to start a business or a career. According to the city's 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are: Wells Fargo, Fargo National Bank, and Wells Fargo Bank & Trust. The city's economy has been dependent on agriculture for decades, but that dominance has decreased substantially in recent decades. The economy of the Fargo area is now more dependent on technology, manufacturing and retail trade than it was in the 1970s and 1980s. The largest employers are Wells Fargo and Fargo National bank, which are both based in Fargo, North Dakota, and Fargo, South Dakota, respectively. In the city, Wells Fargo is the largest employer of women, followed by Wells Fargo. Fargo is also home to the University of North Dakota and Fargo State University, both of which have more than 1,000 employees. The City of Fargo is home to a number of colleges and universities, including North Dakota State University and North Dakota City College, which has an enrollment of more than 2,000 students. It is also the home of Fargo University, which offers a variety of programs and programs for students to enhance their knowledge and skills in business and technology. The University of Fargo also has a business school, which is located in Fargo and offers a range of programs to help students develop their skills and knowledge.

Arts and culture

Fargo offers a wide variety of cultural opportunities for a city of its size. The Fargodome routinely hosts concerts, Broadway musicals, dance performances, sporting events, as well as fairs and other gatherings. The Fargo Public Library was established in 1900 and for many years was housed in a Carnegie-funded building. There are several other museums in Fargo including The Children's Museum at Yunker Farm, The Fargo Air Museum, The Courthouse Museum, and The Roger Maris Museum in West Acres Shopping Center. The North Dakota State University Wall of Fame in the Scheels All Sports store and the historic Bonanzaville village (West Fargo) are just a few of the museums in the city. The Winter Carnival in Fargo is a tradition that began in 1928 and is held every year on the last weekend in January. The Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead, Minnesota, displays and interprets a replica Viking ship that was sailed to Norway and features a replica Norwegian Hopperstad Stave Church. The Dr. James Carlson Library, which replaced the earlier Southpointe Branch, opened to the public on November 16, 2007. A new downtown Main Library opened April 25, 2009. In 2014, over 1 million items were checked out from Fargo Public library. The Maury Wills Museum is in honor of the former 1962 National League MVP and Major League Baseball player who worked for the RedHawks as a coach and as a radio analyst. It features memorabilia and a video presentation about the New York Yankees player.

Sports

North Dakota State Bison, an NCAA Division I university with 14 varsity sports and club sports. North Dakota State's football team won five consecutive FCS National Championships between 2011 and 2015, and three more in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Fargo Force, a tier 1 USHL hockey team. Fargo Moorhead Derby Girls (FMDG) women's roller derby league was founded in May 2009 and plays at the Skateland Roller Center in Fargo. Every game in their 2009-2010 season was sold out. The Fargo Marathon is held every year in downtown Fargo. Fargo hosted ESPN's College GameDay (in downtown Fargo) in 2013 and 2014. Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks Independent Baseball Organization started in 1996 and is a 5 Time Northern League Champion and current member of the American Association. Fargo Post#2 of the North Dakota American Legion baseball league is a five-time American Legion World Series Champion. FMDG is a women's Roller Derby League founded in 2009. The league was the first of its kind in the U.S. and is currently in its third season. The team has played in the National Roller Derby Association (NRA) and the National Women's Roller derby League (NRL) since 2010. F MDG is the only league in North Dakota that has ever had more than one team in a single season. It also has the most fans in the league, with more than 100,000 fans a game. The club has won the NRA World Series three times in a row.

Parks and recreation

The Fargo Park District operates many neighborhood parks throughout the city. The Fargo area contains the following golf courses: Edgewood Golf Course, Fargo Country Club, and Rose Creek Golf Course. Fargo also has a skate park near dike west and Island park. Fargo and sister city Moorhead also hold ferry rides during the summer, on the historic Red River, to promote education of the fertile soil of the Red River Valley. Fargodome is an indoor arena on the NDSU campus. John E. Carlson Coliseum is host to the Fargo North High School and Fargo South High School hockey teams as well as the FM Jets hockey team. The Coliseum hosts the largest squirt hockey tournament in the world, the Fargo Flyers Squirt International Hockey Tournament. The Urban Plains Center ice hockey arena is used for the United States Hockey League's Fargo Force, Fargo high school hockey, and other concerts and special events. The arena opened a second sheet of ice connected to the facility in June 2016. It is located at 1515 15th Ave N, Fargo on NDSu campus. It plays host to all NDSS home football games and is also used for concerts and trade shows. The facility also hosts the high school wrestling national freestyle and Greco-Roman championships take place every year. It was built in 1968 and has previously been home to. the Fargo Blazers and NDST Club hockey teams. The stadium is located on the university's campus and is used to host concerts and theatrical presentations.

Government

Fargo was historically a Republican-leaning area. Since 2008, no Republican presidential candidate has received over 50% of the vote in Cass County. In 2018, Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp achieved a 14-point lead in Eastern North Dakota even though the state as a whole soundly elected Republican Kevin Cramer. In 2017, there was an attempt to recall City Commissioner Dave Piepkorn by a group who argued his constant expressing of concern over refugee resettlement in the city was a xenophobic dog-whistle meant to rile up anti-refugee sentiment in the community. Fargo became the first city in the U.S. to use approval voting for elections in 2018. The Fargo City Commission meets every two weeks in its chambers above the Fargo Civic Center. The meetings are broadcast on a Government-access television (GATV) cable channel. Four commissioners and a mayor are elected at large for four year terms. Dr. Tim Mahoney is Fargo's current mayor. The city commission uses the city commission style of local government. It has a mayor who is elected for a four-year term and a city commission that has four commissioners for two-year terms. The mayor is elected by a majority vote of the city's residents, with the mayor being the only member of the City Commission who is not a resident. The City Commission has four members: the mayor, two city council members, and two non-council members. The current mayor is Dr. Timothy Mahoney, who was elected in 2010.

Education

Fargo is home to North Dakota State University (NDSU), which has over 14,500 students. NDSU, along with Minnesota State University Moorhead and Concordia College in Moorhead, form the Tri-College University system of Fargo-Moorhead. The John Paul II Catholic Schools Network operates Holy Spirit Elementary, Nativity Elementary, Sacred Heart Middle School, and Shanley High School. Fargo is also home to several private collegiate institutions, including Rasmussen College, a branch location of the University of Mary, and Master's Baptist College operated by Fargo Baptist Church. The University of Jamestown's Doctor of Physical Therapy program is based in Fargo. The Fargo Public Schools system serves most of the city, operating fifteen elementary schools, three middle schools, and four high schools: Fargo North High School, Fargo South High School, Judge Ronald N. Davies High School and an alternative high school (Dakota High School). The original high school in the city was Central High school. The West Fargo Public schools system serves the southwestern part of the City, in addition to West Fargo itself and the surrounding communities of Horace and Harwood. In addition to public schools, a number of private schools also operate in the City. The City of Fargo is the home of Fargo State College of Science, which offers non-credit training and academic programming in the Skills and Technology Training Center on 19th Avenue North. The city is also the home to NDSCS-Fargo, which is a campus of the North Dakota state college of science.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota = 97. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 47. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 99. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Fargo = 3.1 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 125,990 individuals with a median age of 57.4 age the population grows by 16.67% in Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 2,481.68 residents per square mile of area (958.19/km²). There are average 3.5 people per household in the 2 households with an average household income of $62,611 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 3.50% of the available work force and has dropped -4.22% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 28.16%. The number of physicians in Fargo per 100,000 population = 331.5.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Fargo = 27 inches and the annual snowfall = 56.7 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 107. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 197. 80 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and -1.7 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 53, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota which are owned by the occupant = 100.00%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 53 years with median home cost = $121,370 and home appreciation of 0.59%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $19.24 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,861 per student. There are 12.6 students for each teacher in the school, 260 students for each Librarian and 381 students for each Counselor. with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).