Minot, North Dakota
Encyclopedia
Minot is a city located in north central North Dakota
in the United States. It is most widely known for the Air Force base
located approximately 15 miles north of the city. With a population of 40,888 at the 2010 census, Minot is the fourth largest city in the state. A housing study completed by the Minot Area Development Corporation in 2011 estimated that 45,508 people live within the city limits. The city is the county seat
of Ward County
and is a trading center for a large portion of northern North Dakota
, southwestern Manitoba
, and southeastern Saskatchewan
. Founded in 1886 during the construction of the Great Northern Railway, Minot is also known as "Magic City
", commemorating its remarkable growth in size over a short time.
Minot is the principal city of the Minot Micropolitan Statistical Area
, a micropolitan area
that covers McHenry
, Renville
, and Ward counties and had a combined population of 69,540 at the 2010 census
.
Minot came into existence in 1886, when James J. Hill
's Great Northern Railway ended its push through the state for the winter, after having difficulty constructing a trestle across Gassman Coulee. A tent town sprung up overnight, as if by "magic", thus the city came to be known as the Magic City, and in the next five months, the population increased to over 5,000 residents, further adding to the nickname's validity.
The town site was chosen by the railroad to be placed on the land of then-homesteader Erik Ramstad
. Ramstad was convinced to relinquish his claim, and became one of the city leaders.
The town was named after Henry D. Minot, a railroad investor, an ornithologist and friend of Hill. The city was incorporated on June 28, 1887.
The Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad
(Soo Line) later built a line from Valley City
up to Canada. While initially their plan was to cross the Souris River
at Burlington
, local interests and arguments convinced them otherwise; landholders along the new route donated the right-of-way. They reached Minot in 1893.
Minot and its surrounding area were wide open throughout 1905-20. Population grew rapidly due to railroad construction and availability of unclaimed land. Nearly complete court records of Ward County and Minot document the prevalence and different types of criminal activity, and offer strong support for the dubious title of "crime capitol of North Dakota." State attorney general William Langer
helped clean up the town in 1917-1920, but when Prohibition
arrived in the 1920s the city was nicknamed "Little Chicago", as it was a supply hub of Al Capone's
liquor smuggling operations. Smugglers used a network of underground tunnels (some of which were previously built for heating or deliveries) to transport and conceal the illicit cargo entering from Canada.
The 1950s saw a large influx of federal funding into the region, with the construction of Minot Air Force Base
(1956–57) thirteen miles (20 km) north of the city, and Garrison Dam
(1947–53) on the Missouri River
, about fifty miles (80 km) south of Minot.
In 1969, a severe flood on the Souris River
devastated the city. Afterward, the Army Corps of Engineers
straightened the path of the river through the city and built several flood control structures.
On January 18, 2002, a severe train derailment
west of the city sent a gigantic cloud of anhydrous ammonia toward Minot, and Burlington
. One man died and many of Minot's citizens were sickened and severely injured by the noxious gas, causing one of the worst major chemical accidents of the country. In early 2006, court cases were heard in Minneapolis, Minnesota
against Canadian Pacific Railway
, the owner of the derailed train. Several cases have been settled and many others are pending. The anhydrous ammonia spill was the largest such spill in U.S. history. However, many lives were saved thanks to the responding United States Air Force personnel. In charge was C.L.A.W.S. developer and chief of the ambulance service, Master Sergeant Gary N. Jorgens, who had equipment and crew ready in less than 5 minutes. This incident was addressed by Eric Klinenberg
in his book Fighting for Air: The Battle to Control America's Media as an example of the failure of mass-Media, specifically local radio stations, to disseminate information to the public in an emergency situation.
On June 21, 2011, KXMC TV reported that a flood of historic proportions was imminent in the Mouse (Souris) River Valley, largely due to large dam releases upstream. Around 12,000 people were evacuated. On June 26, flooding exceeded previous records when the river crested at 1,561.72 feet above sea level, three feet above the previous record set back in 1881. It is estimated that 20 percent of Minot sustained damage from the flood. This figure includes over 4,100 homes which were someway affected, 2,376 extensively damaged, and 805 damaged beyond repair. The nearby town of Burlington was also severely damaged during this time.
of northwestern North Dakota
. Minot is at 48°13′59"N 101°17′32"W , about 100 miles (160.9 km) north of Bismarck
. The Souris River
, or Mouse River, runs through the city west to east.
Important cities in the region for which Minot is the trading center include Burlington
, Velva
, Garrison
, Stanley
, Bottineau
, Rugby
, and New Town
.
Minot is almost entirely land; the Souris River, its oxbow lakes, and a few creeks take up just 0.14% of the city's total area.
The elevation of the river at the city center is 1,540 feet (469 m) above sea level. The valley sits some 160 feet (50 m) below the surrounding plains; the elevation at the Minot International Airport
on "North Hill" is 1,716 feet (523 m). The city has several small horshoe-shaped oxbow lakes in its limits near the river, created due to the Souris's meandering course.
East-West:
divides the city approximately in half, north and south. The valley rises to the plains both north and south of the river. Minot does not have particular names for these general topographic divisions of the city. The northern rise and the plateau north of it are referred to as North Hill and the southern rise and plateau south of it are referred to as South Hill.
of 2000, there were 36,567 people, 15,520 households, and 9,265 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,513.1 per square mile (970.4/km²). There were 16,475 housing units at an average density of 1,132.3 per square mile (437.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.18% White, 1.34% African American, 2.76% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.49% from other races
, and 1.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.47% of the population.
The most populous ancestry groups in the city are German
(40.8%), Norwegian
(32.3%), Irish
(8.7%), English
(5.4%), Swedish
(4.2%) and French
(3.2%).
There were 15,520 households, of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.6% were married couples
living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 13.3% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,218, and the median income for a family was $42,804. Males had a median income of $30,283 versus $20,023 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $18,011. About 8.8% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.0% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.
Minot uses the Council-manager
system of government. Fourteen councilmen are elected from 7 city wards to four-year terms. Elections are arranged such that one councilman from each ward is elected in every even-numbered year. The mayor of Minot is elected to a four-year term as well; the last mayoral election was in 2006. All city offices are nonpartisan.
City elections are held in June in North Dakota
, along with the state primary election
.
While the city's leadership has been trending towards the conservative, Minot's liberal factions have been active in recent years and have had somewhat more success than in other areas of the state.
Major issues include:
has become a significant issue in the city of Minot. The city created the publicly-financed MAGIC Fund in 1992 to provide financial incentives for businesses, but a series of debacles made the operations of the fund a significant issue in the 2002 city elections.
, then to Minot for treatment, and then on to large stretches of Northwest North Dakota.
Minot voters decided in 1998 to levy a 1% sales tax to go towards the construction of NAWS; this tax fund was found in court to have been illegally diverted towards economic development purposes. A lawsuit was filed against the city and it was ordered to return the misappropriated funds to the NAWS fund. By that time, the money had already been spent, and the city instead voted to issue a special assessment on city water bills to raise the funds.
located 13 miles (20.9 km) north of town making the city's economy more robust than other cities of its size due to its large service area; however, it is beset by significant problems with enterprise capital and wage standards. About 30% of Minot residents work two or more jobs, and two-thirds of households earn less than the national median household income.
ING/ReliaStar established a service center in Minot in December 1998.
"ING chose Minot for our expansion because our service center employees have demonstrated that they can provide unsurpassed customer service. I think this decision speaks volumes about Minot and the caliber of people who live and work here," Tom McInerney, CEO, ING U.S. Financial Services.
Minot has seen a huge increase in population and infrastructure investments in the last several years with the expanding drilling (using the 'frac' petroleum extraction technique) of oil in the Bakken Formation
and Three Forks Group
s. The State of North Dakota has a website detailing daily oil activity.
system operates ten elementary schools (K-5) within the city: Bel Air, Edison, Lewis and Clark, Lincoln, Longfellow, McKinley, Roosevelt, Perkett, Sunnyside, and Washington.
Jefferson Elementary was closed in 2003. The old Washington Elementary building was closed at the end of 2007 and the students moved to a new building which was renovated from an old health care center. There are also two elementary schools (K-6) on the Minot Air Force Base
: Dakota and North Plains.
There are three middle schools in the system: the two in Minot are grades 6-8: Jim Hill in the south and Erik Ramstad in the north. Memorial Middle School (grades 7-8) on Minot AFB, is named for fallen veterans of the U.S. armed forces
. The school was built in the mid 1960s on the northern perimeter of the base. All three middle schools were formerly called "junior high" schools.
The city has one public high school, Minot High School
, divided between two campuses. A few blocks east of downtown Minot is Central Campus (grades 9-10), which occupies the original high school building. On the southwest side of the city is the newer Magic City Campus (grades 11-12), constructed in 1973 just west of Jim Hill Middle School. MPS also operates an adult learning center and Souris River Campus, an alternative high school. http://pages.minot.k12.nd.us/mps/cc/history/school.html
Private schools in Minot include the Minot Catholic Schools system which operates an elementary school, Little Flower, and Bishop Ryan High School
, a combined middle school and high school (grades 6-12). There is also a Protestant K-12 school, Our Redeemer's Christian School http://www.orcsknights.org/.
Minot is also home to Minot State University
, the third largest university in the state. MSU's campus is at the base of North Hill, just west of Broadway. Originally a two-year teacher's college when opened in 1913, Minot State became a university in 1987.
Minot's Midwestern setting and attitudes sometimes hides its sizable and sometimes flamboyant arts community. Minot has an art museum, a symphony orchestra, an opera company, a city band, several dance and theatre troops, a youth/punk concert organization, the AMP
, and much more; over 40 organizations claim membership in the Minot Area Council on the Arts, and even more exist.
Nearly 40% of the city's residents are of Scandinavia
n ancestry, and every October since 1977, Minot has been the host to the Norsk Høstfest
, North America's largest Scandinavian-American festival. Scandinavian Heritage Park
is located in Minot. Scandinavian Heritage Park features remembrances and replicas from each of the Scandinavian countries: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, as well as Finland and Iceland.
operates seventeen parks with various facilities; Corbett Field, home to American Legion, high school and college baseball; Optimist soccer complex; MAYSA ice arena; the Sertoma Complex which has 8 softball fields; Souris Valley Golf Course, and an indoor tennis complex.
The city's largest parks are Roosevelt Park
and Oak Park
. Roosevelt Park Zoo
is one of the top zoos in the region. Dogs are allowed in Roosevelt Park, a sign is posted at the entrance confirming this. A "bark park" for dogs opened in the summer of 2005.
The North Dakota State Fair
is held annually in Minot. Nearly all recreation areas however are closed during the long winters. The local high school hockey teams use the ice rink located in the Fair Grounds. The ice rink is also turned into the location of the rodeo.
Apple Grove Grove Golf Course, and Souris Valley Golf Course are located in Minot. The Minot Country Club is located near Burlington
.
city of Skien
.
Minot is also a sister city of Moose Jaw
, Saskatchewan
, about 300 miles (482.8 km) to the north-west. The cities share many qualities, including their size, location on river valleys, historical origins, and air force bases.
and the Minot Daily News
report on local news daily. KCJB-AM, KHRT-AM, and Prairie Public
have some local news content, but no active journalists.
Radio
Minot has fifteen radio stations (12 FM, 3 AM). Bottineau
-based Programmer's Broadcasting
owns KTZU
and KWGO
, along with KBTO
of Bottineau
. North Dakota Public Radio
operates KMPR
FM 88.9, a local community broadcaster based in Burlington
operates a low-power FM station, and the remainder are nonprofit Christian stations, of which only KHRT is based locally.
Clear Channel
owns and operates KCJB
910 (Country & Talk), KRRZ
1390 (Oldies/Talk), KYYX
97.1 (Country), KIZZ
93.7 (Top 40), KMXA-FM
99.9 (Hot AC), and KZPR
105.3 (Rock) all in Minot. In May 2007, it was announced that Clear Channel sold the Minot group to Dean Goodman's GoodRadio, LLC. It was confirmed on May 16, 2007 by filings made public with the FCC. Then in the next couple of months, GoodRadio's plans fell through when its financing group, American Securities Capital Partners, objected to the deal's $452 million costs.
AM Frequencies
FM Frequencies
Other Stations
Additionally, the following stations are not based in Minot, but generally have a clear signal into town:
Television
Minot has six television stations, most of which have ATSC
(digital) transmitters:
Cable Service
Midcontinent Communications
provides cable service to the city of Minot and Minot Air Force Base. Midcontinent offers a Bismarck-originating The CW cable station, KWMK
, on channel 14, as well as KMSU
(a cable station operated by the Minot State University
broadcasting department) on channel 19. Souris River Telecommunications provides cable service to other nearby communities.
Print
The principal local newspaper is the Minot Daily News
(originally the Burlington Reporter), which publishes seven days a week. The Minot State University student newspaper The Red & Green is published once a week (Thursdays) during the regular school year, but not during the summer months. Morgan Printing produces the Lunch Letter three days a week on a double-sided leaflet. There are is one weekly classified-ad publication, the Trading Post, printed by the Minot Daily News'. The Bismarck Tribune is available at several outlets in the city, as is The Forum
, to a lesser extent.
and the Soo Line is run by the Canadian Pacific Railway
.
Passenger rail transportation is provided daily on Amtrak
's Empire Builder
line which stops at the Minot Amtrak station
. This is the only scheduled service stop between Minneapolis
, Minnesota and Havre
, Montana. Trains make a 20-minute refueling and crew change stop in Minot; Westbound trains arrive about 9:00 am local time. Eastbound trains arrive about 9:00pm. In June, the Empire Builder suspended service between St. Paul
, Minnesota
and Havre
, Montana
. Although service has since resumed, Minot's train station remains closed until repairs to the platform can be made.
, US-52
, and US-83
.
US-2 runs east-west and is a four-lane highway from Minot east to Grand Forks
and largely two lanes from Minot west to Williston
. In February 2004 it was announced that Highway 2 would be expanded to four lanes between Minot and Williston by 2008.
US-83 runs north-south through central Minot as Broadway
. It is a four-lane highway from Minot south to Bismarck
and north to Minot Air Force Base. Just north of the main gate at the base, the road reduces to two lanes and crosses the Canadian border at Westhope, ND
, where it becomes Manitoba
Highway 83.
US-52 runs southeast-northwest. Southeast from Minot, it follows a slightly circuitous route to Jamestown
, where it meets up with Interstate 94
. Highway 52 merges with I-94 after Jamestown, going due east to Fargo
. Northwest from Minot, US-52 crosses the Canadian border at Portal, ND
/North Portal, SK
, where it becomes Saskatchewan Highway 39
.
Minot has a bypass for these routes around the south and west sides of the city.
is served by Delta Air Lines
five times daily. Allegiant Air
provides two weekly round trips to Las Vegas McCarran International Airport
and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport
. Las Vegas on Monday and Friday and Phoenix-Mesa on Thursday and Sunday. Until the early 1990s, it was also served by Denver
-based Frontier Airlines
and its successor, Continental Airlines
, then, briefly, by the new iteration of Frontier
in 1994. Airport officials are constantly looking for additional service, and efforts have proved to be successful as of late. There are five daily flights from Minot to Minneapolis at 5:00am, 6:30am and 10:58am, 1:33 pm, and 4:23 pm. On June 9, 2010, United Airlines
carrier SkyWest Airlines
began service to the city, with two daily flights each way between Minot and United's Denver hub on 50-seat Bombardier CRJ aircraft. In May 2010,Comair
began daily service to Salt Lake City but the route was cancelled in September due to the number of people flying the route.
) on weekdays, and flexible-route rural transit service (Souris Basin Transportation) on an occasional basis. Local transit services for the elderly and disabled (Minot Commission on Aging Transit) meet federal guidelines but have 24-hour advance notice requirements.
Pedestrianism in the city is inhibited by several factors; the sidewalk network is poor in many areas of the city, though improving. Automobile drivers take the right of way at all but the best-marked crosswalks, and major points are often separated by relatively large distances and hill slopes. Skateboarding
is illegal in streets and on sidewalks (though there is a skating area in Roosevelt Park), and rollerblading is generally disallowed by downtown landowners.
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
in the United States. It is most widely known for the Air Force base
Minot Air Force Base
Minot Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation in Ward County, North Dakota, north of the city of Minot. In the 2010 census, the base was counted as a CDP with a total population of 5,521....
located approximately 15 miles north of the city. With a population of 40,888 at the 2010 census, Minot is the fourth largest city in the state. A housing study completed by the Minot Area Development Corporation in 2011 estimated that 45,508 people live within the city limits. The city is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Ward County
Ward County, North Dakota
-National protected areas:*Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge *Hiddenwood National Wildlife Refuge *Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:...
and is a trading center for a large portion of northern North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, southwestern Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, and southeastern Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
. Founded in 1886 during the construction of the Great Northern Railway, Minot is also known as "Magic City
Magic City
Magic City may refer to:*Barberton, Ohio*Billings, Montana*Birmingham, Alabama*Bogalusa, Louisiana*Cheyenne, Wyoming*Miami, Florida*Millinocket, Maine*Minot, North Dakota*Roanoke, Virginia*Florence, South Carolina*Århus, Denmark...
", commemorating its remarkable growth in size over a short time.
Minot is the principal city of the Minot Micropolitan Statistical Area
Minot micropolitan area
The Minot Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in North Dakota, anchored by the city of Minot...
, a micropolitan area
United States micropolitan area
United States Micropolitan Statistical Areas , as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget, are urban areas in the United States based around a core city or town with a population of 10,000 to 49,999. The micropolitan area designation was created in 2003...
that covers McHenry
McHenry County, North Dakota
-National protected areas:*Cottonwood Lake National Wildlife Refuge*J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge *Wintering River National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:...
, Renville
Renville County, North Dakota
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,610 people, 1,085 households, and 748 families residing in the county. The population density was 3 people per square mile . There were 1,413 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile...
, and Ward counties and had a combined population of 69,540 at the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
.
History
Minot came into existence in 1886, when James J. Hill
James J. Hill
James Jerome Hill , was a Canadian-American railroad executive. He was the chief executive officer of a family of lines headed by the Great Northern Railway, which served a substantial area of the Upper Midwest, the northern Great Plains, and Pacific Northwest...
's Great Northern Railway ended its push through the state for the winter, after having difficulty constructing a trestle across Gassman Coulee. A tent town sprung up overnight, as if by "magic", thus the city came to be known as the Magic City, and in the next five months, the population increased to over 5,000 residents, further adding to the nickname's validity.
The town site was chosen by the railroad to be placed on the land of then-homesteader Erik Ramstad
Erik Ramstad
Erik Ramstad was one of the founders of Minot, North Dakota.-Biography:Erik Ramstad and his brother Peter were natives of Sigdal, Buskerud County, Norway. They were early settlers in the Souris River Valley of North Dakota arriving in May 1883. They staked a claim to property on both the north and...
. Ramstad was convinced to relinquish his claim, and became one of the city leaders.
The town was named after Henry D. Minot, a railroad investor, an ornithologist and friend of Hill. The city was incorporated on June 28, 1887.
The Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad
Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad
The Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad was a Class I railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the Midwest U.S. Commonly known as the Soo Line after the phonetic spelling of Sault, it was merged with several other major CP subsidiaries on January 1, 1961 to form the...
(Soo Line) later built a line from Valley City
Valley City, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,826 people, 2,996 households, and 1,668 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,062.5 per square mile . There were 3,250 housing units at an average density of 982.0 per square mile...
up to Canada. While initially their plan was to cross the Souris River
Souris River
The Souris River or Mouse River is a river in central North America. It is about 700 km in length and drains about . It rises in the Yellow Grass Marshes north of Weyburn, Saskatchewan...
at Burlington
Burlington, North Dakota
Burlington is a city in Ward County, North Dakota in the United States. Burlington was founded in 1883, having been third in a series that included two earlier settlements. Despite this, Burlington is still the oldest city in Ward County, as well as north-western and north central North Dakota...
, local interests and arguments convinced them otherwise; landholders along the new route donated the right-of-way. They reached Minot in 1893.
Minot and its surrounding area were wide open throughout 1905-20. Population grew rapidly due to railroad construction and availability of unclaimed land. Nearly complete court records of Ward County and Minot document the prevalence and different types of criminal activity, and offer strong support for the dubious title of "crime capitol of North Dakota." State attorney general William Langer
William Langer
William "Wild Bill" Langer was a prominent US politician from North Dakota. Langer is one of the most colorful characters in North Dakota history, most famously bouncing back from a scandal that forced him out of the governor's office and into prison. He served as the 17th and 21st Governor of...
helped clean up the town in 1917-1920, but when Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
arrived in the 1920s the city was nicknamed "Little Chicago", as it was a supply hub of Al Capone's
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early...
liquor smuggling operations. Smugglers used a network of underground tunnels (some of which were previously built for heating or deliveries) to transport and conceal the illicit cargo entering from Canada.
The 1950s saw a large influx of federal funding into the region, with the construction of Minot Air Force Base
Minot Air Force Base
Minot Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation in Ward County, North Dakota, north of the city of Minot. In the 2010 census, the base was counted as a CDP with a total population of 5,521....
(1956–57) thirteen miles (20 km) north of the city, and Garrison Dam
Garrison Dam
Garrison Dam is an earth-fill embankment dam on the Missouri River in central North Dakota. At over two miles in length, it is the fifth-largest earthen dam in the world, constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from 1947-53...
(1947–53) on the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
, about fifty miles (80 km) south of Minot.
In 1969, a severe flood on the Souris River
Souris River
The Souris River or Mouse River is a river in central North America. It is about 700 km in length and drains about . It rises in the Yellow Grass Marshes north of Weyburn, Saskatchewan...
devastated the city. Afterward, the Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
straightened the path of the river through the city and built several flood control structures.
On January 18, 2002, a severe train derailment
Minot Train Derailment
The Minot Train Derailment occurred in Minot, North Dakota on 18 January 2002, when a Canadian Pacific Railway freight train derailed outside Minot, spilling hazardous materials.-Derailment:...
west of the city sent a gigantic cloud of anhydrous ammonia toward Minot, and Burlington
Burlington, North Dakota
Burlington is a city in Ward County, North Dakota in the United States. Burlington was founded in 1883, having been third in a series that included two earlier settlements. Despite this, Burlington is still the oldest city in Ward County, as well as north-western and north central North Dakota...
. One man died and many of Minot's citizens were sickened and severely injured by the noxious gas, causing one of the worst major chemical accidents of the country. In early 2006, court cases were heard in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
against Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
, the owner of the derailed train. Several cases have been settled and many others are pending. The anhydrous ammonia spill was the largest such spill in U.S. history. However, many lives were saved thanks to the responding United States Air Force personnel. In charge was C.L.A.W.S. developer and chief of the ambulance service, Master Sergeant Gary N. Jorgens, who had equipment and crew ready in less than 5 minutes. This incident was addressed by Eric Klinenberg
Eric Klinenberg
Eric Klinenberg is an American sociologist and a scholar of urban studies, culture, and media. He is best known for his contributions as a public sociologist....
in his book Fighting for Air: The Battle to Control America's Media as an example of the failure of mass-Media, specifically local radio stations, to disseminate information to the public in an emergency situation.
On June 21, 2011, KXMC TV reported that a flood of historic proportions was imminent in the Mouse (Souris) River Valley, largely due to large dam releases upstream. Around 12,000 people were evacuated. On June 26, flooding exceeded previous records when the river crested at 1,561.72 feet above sea level, three feet above the previous record set back in 1881. It is estimated that 20 percent of Minot sustained damage from the flood. This figure includes over 4,100 homes which were someway affected, 2,376 extensively damaged, and 805 damaged beyond repair. The nearby town of Burlington was also severely damaged during this time.
Region
Minot is located on the Drift PrairieDrift Prairie
The Drift Prairie is a geographic region of North and South Dakota.The gently rolling hills and shallow lakes were formed by glacial action, while the Badlands are characterized by the lack of this action, and the Red River Valley was a former lake bed...
of northwestern North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
. Minot is at 48°13′59"N 101°17′32"W , about 100 miles (160.9 km) north of Bismarck
Bismarck, North Dakota
Bismarck is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The city's population was 61,272 at the 2010 census, while its metropolitan population was 108,779...
. The Souris River
Souris River
The Souris River or Mouse River is a river in central North America. It is about 700 km in length and drains about . It rises in the Yellow Grass Marshes north of Weyburn, Saskatchewan...
, or Mouse River, runs through the city west to east.
Important cities in the region for which Minot is the trading center include Burlington
Burlington, North Dakota
Burlington is a city in Ward County, North Dakota in the United States. Burlington was founded in 1883, having been third in a series that included two earlier settlements. Despite this, Burlington is still the oldest city in Ward County, as well as north-western and north central North Dakota...
, Velva
Velva, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,049 people, 436 households, and 275 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,359.7 people per square mile . There were 483 housing units at an average density of 626.1 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 99.33% White, 0.10%...
, Garrison
Garrison, North Dakota
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,453 people, 590 households, and 362 families residing in the city. The population density was 941.5 people per square mile . There were 655 housing units at an average density of 467.9 per square mile...
, Stanley
Stanley, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,279 people, 576 households, and 332 families residing in the city. The population density was 740.3 people per square mile . There were 664 housing units at an average density of 384.3 per square mile...
, Bottineau
Bottineau, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,336 people, 979 households, and 550 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,230.0 people per square mile . There were 1,114 housing units at an average density of 1,063.4 per square mile...
, Rugby
Rugby, North Dakota
Rugby is a city in Pierce County, North Dakota in the United States. It is the county seat of Pierce County. The population was 2,876 at the 2010 census. Rugby was founded in 1886.Rugby is often billed as being the geographic center of North America....
, and New Town
New Town, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,367 people, 488 households, and 318 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,031.6 people per square mile . There were 512 housing units at an average density of 760.9 per square mile...
.
Minot is almost entirely land; the Souris River, its oxbow lakes, and a few creeks take up just 0.14% of the city's total area.
The elevation of the river at the city center is 1,540 feet (469 m) above sea level. The valley sits some 160 feet (50 m) below the surrounding plains; the elevation at the Minot International Airport
Minot International Airport
Minot International Airport is a public airport located two miles north of the central business district of Minot, a city in Ward County, North Dakota, United States. It is owned by the City of Minot...
on "North Hill" is 1,716 feet (523 m). The city has several small horshoe-shaped oxbow lakes in its limits near the river, created due to the Souris's meandering course.
Grid and address system
The city is laid out on a grid-based street system. Streets run north-south and avenues run east-west. Streets are numbered by their block distance east or west of Main Street. Similarly, Avenues are numbered north and south of Central Avenue. There are four city quadrants (NW, SW, SE, NE) to describe the exact location of any given address. Main Street addresses are simply designated North and South. Central Avenue addresses are simply designated East and West.Major streets
North-South:- 16th Street West16th Street West (Minot, North Dakota)16th Street West, or simply 16th Street in local vernacular, is a major north-south city route in Minot, North Dakota. It is the second-largest north-south route in the city after Broadway, and has four lanes between 4th Avenue NW and the Dakota Square Mall.Major locations along the street include...
- 6th and 8th Streets West
- BroadwayBroadway (Minot, North Dakota)Broadway, previously known as 2nd Street West, is a major north-south city route in Minot, North Dakota. US 83 follows Broadway through the city....
(US 83) - 3rd Street East
- Valley Street (Bus. US 52)
- Hiawatha Street
East-West:
- 21st Avenue North
- University Avenue
- 4th, 3rd, 5th, Railway Avenue
- The Quentin N. BurdickQuentin N. BurdickQuentin Northrup Burdick was a United States Senator from North Dakota from August 8, 1960 until his death in 1992. Prior to that he had served in the United States House of Representatives from January 3, 1959 to August 8, 1960. He was the son of NPL North Dakota Congressman Usher L...
Expressway (Bus. US 2/52) - 11th Avenue South
- 20th Avenue South
- 31st Avenue South
Major divisions
The Souris RiverSouris River
The Souris River or Mouse River is a river in central North America. It is about 700 km in length and drains about . It rises in the Yellow Grass Marshes north of Weyburn, Saskatchewan...
divides the city approximately in half, north and south. The valley rises to the plains both north and south of the river. Minot does not have particular names for these general topographic divisions of the city. The northern rise and the plateau north of it are referred to as North Hill and the southern rise and plateau south of it are referred to as South Hill.
Climate
Minot experiences four distinct seasons, including warm summers and very cold winters. Temperatures below 0 °F (-18 °C) are common in the winter, while temperatures can reach 105 °F (41 °C) in the summer.| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| °F | 3.2 | 11.2 | 25.6 | 36.7 | 53.2 | 75.6 | 81.2 | 80.6 | 68.4 | 55.2 | 35.0 | 23.0 |
| °C | -16 | -11.5 | -3.5 | 2.6 | 11.7 | 24.2 | 27.3 | 27.0 | 20.2 | 12.9 | 1.7 | -5 |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| inches | .65 | .53 | 1.05 | 1.55 | 2.31 | 3.15 | 2.70 | 1.95 | 1.74 | 1.32 | .86 | .63 |
| mm | 16.5 | 13.5 | 26.7 | 39.4 | 58.7 | 80.0 | 68.6 | 59.5 | 44.2 | 33.5 | 21.8 | 16.0 |
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 36,567 people, 15,520 households, and 9,265 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,513.1 per square mile (970.4/km²). There were 16,475 housing units at an average density of 1,132.3 per square mile (437.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.18% White, 1.34% African American, 2.76% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.49% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.47% of the population.
The most populous ancestry groups in the city are German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(40.8%), Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
(32.3%), Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
(8.7%), English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(5.4%), Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
(4.2%) and French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(3.2%).
There were 15,520 households, of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 13.3% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,218, and the median income for a family was $42,804. Males had a median income of $30,283 versus $20,023 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $18,011. About 8.8% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.0% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.
Law and government
The mayor of Minot is Curt Zimbelman, a banker. As mayor he chairs the 14-member City Council, but only casts a vote to break a tie. The day-to-day affairs of the city are handled by the City Manager, currently David Waind.Minot uses the Council-manager
Council-manager government
The council–manager government form is one of two predominant forms of municipal government in the United States; the other common form of local government is the mayor-council government form, which characteristically occurs in large cities...
system of government. Fourteen councilmen are elected from 7 city wards to four-year terms. Elections are arranged such that one councilman from each ward is elected in every even-numbered year. The mayor of Minot is elected to a four-year term as well; the last mayoral election was in 2006. All city offices are nonpartisan.
City elections are held in June in North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, along with the state primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
.
While the city's leadership has been trending towards the conservative, Minot's liberal factions have been active in recent years and have had somewhat more success than in other areas of the state.
Policy
Minot's civic realm includes a number of debates over taxes, fiscal management, and economic development policy.Major issues include:
Economic development
In recent years, economic developmentEconomic development
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...
has become a significant issue in the city of Minot. The city created the publicly-financed MAGIC Fund in 1992 to provide financial incentives for businesses, but a series of debacles made the operations of the fund a significant issue in the 2002 city elections.
Northwest Area Water Supply (NAWS)
The Northwest Area Water Supply is slightly less controversial among residents of Minot and area, however, it has attracted the ire of the Canadian government because the plan calls for water to be pumped from Lake SakakaweaLake Sakakawea
Lake Sakakawea is a reservoir in the Missouri River basin in central North Dakota. Named for the Shoshone-Hidatsa woman Sakakawea, it is the third largest man-made lake in the United States, after Lake Mead and Lake Powell. The lake lies in parts of six counties in western North Dakota: Dunn,...
, then to Minot for treatment, and then on to large stretches of Northwest North Dakota.
Minot voters decided in 1998 to levy a 1% sales tax to go towards the construction of NAWS; this tax fund was found in court to have been illegally diverted towards economic development purposes. A lawsuit was filed against the city and it was ordered to return the misappropriated funds to the NAWS fund. By that time, the money had already been spent, and the city instead voted to issue a special assessment on city water bills to raise the funds.
Economy
Minot's economy thrives on the Air Force BaseMinot Air Force Base
Minot Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation in Ward County, North Dakota, north of the city of Minot. In the 2010 census, the base was counted as a CDP with a total population of 5,521....
located 13 miles (20.9 km) north of town making the city's economy more robust than other cities of its size due to its large service area; however, it is beset by significant problems with enterprise capital and wage standards. About 30% of Minot residents work two or more jobs, and two-thirds of households earn less than the national median household income.
ING/ReliaStar established a service center in Minot in December 1998.
"ING chose Minot for our expansion because our service center employees have demonstrated that they can provide unsurpassed customer service. I think this decision speaks volumes about Minot and the caliber of people who live and work here," Tom McInerney, CEO, ING U.S. Financial Services.
Minot has seen a huge increase in population and infrastructure investments in the last several years with the expanding drilling (using the 'frac' petroleum extraction technique) of oil in the Bakken Formation
Bakken Formation
The Bakken formation, initially described by geologist J.W. Nordquist in 1953,is a rock unit from the Late Devonian to Early Mississippian age occupying about of the subsurface of the Williston Basin, underlying parts of Montana, North Dakota, and Saskatchewan...
and Three Forks Group
Three Forks Group
The Three Forks Group is a stratigraphical unit of Famennian age in the Williston Basin.It takes the name from the city of Three Forks, Montana, and was first described in outcrop near the city by A.C...
s. The State of North Dakota has a website detailing daily oil activity.
Education
The Minot Public SchoolsMinot Public Schools
Minot Public Schools is a system of publicly-funded K-12 schools in Minot, North Dakota. There are twelve elementary schools, three middle schools, and a high school on three campuses . Three schools are located on Minot AFB, fifteen miles north...
system operates ten elementary schools (K-5) within the city: Bel Air, Edison, Lewis and Clark, Lincoln, Longfellow, McKinley, Roosevelt, Perkett, Sunnyside, and Washington.
Jefferson Elementary was closed in 2003. The old Washington Elementary building was closed at the end of 2007 and the students moved to a new building which was renovated from an old health care center. There are also two elementary schools (K-6) on the Minot Air Force Base
Minot Air Force Base
Minot Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation in Ward County, North Dakota, north of the city of Minot. In the 2010 census, the base was counted as a CDP with a total population of 5,521....
: Dakota and North Plains.
There are three middle schools in the system: the two in Minot are grades 6-8: Jim Hill in the south and Erik Ramstad in the north. Memorial Middle School (grades 7-8) on Minot AFB, is named for fallen veterans of the U.S. armed forces
Armed forces
The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary...
. The school was built in the mid 1960s on the northern perimeter of the base. All three middle schools were formerly called "junior high" schools.
The city has one public high school, Minot High School
Minot High School
Minot High School is the public high school in Minot, North Dakota, USA, divided between two main campuses: Magic City and Central...
, divided between two campuses. A few blocks east of downtown Minot is Central Campus (grades 9-10), which occupies the original high school building. On the southwest side of the city is the newer Magic City Campus (grades 11-12), constructed in 1973 just west of Jim Hill Middle School. MPS also operates an adult learning center and Souris River Campus, an alternative high school. http://pages.minot.k12.nd.us/mps/cc/history/school.html
Private schools in Minot include the Minot Catholic Schools system which operates an elementary school, Little Flower, and Bishop Ryan High School
Bishop Ryan High School
Bishop Ryan High School is a Catholic high school in Minot, North Dakota. It is located in the Diocese of Bismarck, and is a part of Minot Catholic Schools. The school opened in 1959, replacing St. Leo's, and was named for Vincent James Ryan, the second bishop of the diocese...
, a combined middle school and high school (grades 6-12). There is also a Protestant K-12 school, Our Redeemer's Christian School http://www.orcsknights.org/.
Minot is also home to Minot State University
Minot State University
Minot State University is a four-year institution of higher learning in Minot, North Dakota. Founded in 1913 as a normal school, Minot State University is the third-largest university in North Dakota, offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs.Minot State University was founded in 1913...
, the third largest university in the state. MSU's campus is at the base of North Hill, just west of Broadway. Originally a two-year teacher's college when opened in 1913, Minot State became a university in 1987.
Preschool and daycare
Most of the larger daycare centers and pre-schools in the Minot area work in collaboration with local church groups. There are also programs such as Head Start and preschool programs through Minot Public Schools. The in-home daycare providers are state registered/licensed.Culture
The AMP
The AMP is a youth center and music venue in Minot, North Dakota. Established in October 2003 by Billy Luetzen, the AMP provides a place for local youth to hang out, and on most weekends stages a concert. The AMP has hosted a number of acts with a wide range of music. Generally concerts have a...
, and much more; over 40 organizations claim membership in the Minot Area Council on the Arts, and even more exist.
Nearly 40% of the city's residents are of Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n ancestry, and every October since 1977, Minot has been the host to the Norsk Høstfest
Norsk Høstfest
Norsk Høstfest is an annual festival held each Fall in Minot, North Dakota. It is North America's largest Scandinavian festival. The event is conducted in the All Seasons Arena on the grounds of the North Dakota State Fair in Minot, North Dakota...
, North America's largest Scandinavian-American festival. Scandinavian Heritage Park
Scandinavian Heritage Park
Scandinavian Heritage Park is located in Minot, North Dakota. Scandinavian Heritage Park features remembrances and replicas from each of the Scandinavian countries: Sweden, Norway and Denmark, as well as Finland and Iceland....
is located in Minot. Scandinavian Heritage Park features remembrances and replicas from each of the Scandinavian countries: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, as well as Finland and Iceland.
Recreation
The Minot Park DistrictMinot Park District
The Minot Park District is the unit of the Minot, North Dakota municipal government responsible for maintaining city parks. The District is managed by a board of five directors elected by city voters to four year terms....
operates seventeen parks with various facilities; Corbett Field, home to American Legion, high school and college baseball; Optimist soccer complex; MAYSA ice arena; the Sertoma Complex which has 8 softball fields; Souris Valley Golf Course, and an indoor tennis complex.
The city's largest parks are Roosevelt Park
Roosevelt Park (Minot)
Roosevelt Park is a park in Minot, North Dakota operated by the Minot Park District. It is the largest park in the city of Minot. The park is named after Theodore Roosevelt, former president of the United States, who is honoured by a large statue in the middle of the park.Roosevelt Park contains...
and Oak Park
Oak Park, Minot, North Dakota
Oak Park is a park and surrounding neighborhood in the Souris Valley in Minot, North Dakota. The wooded park is over 50-acres in size. In addition to the namesake oak trees, ash and elm trees are other common trees found in the park...
. Roosevelt Park Zoo
Roosevelt Park Zoo
The Roosevelt Park Zoo is a zoo in Minot, North Dakota. It opened in 1920 and the first animal exhibition featured the American Bison. In 1970, the zoo was separated from the city-owned Roosevelt Park and the Greater Minot Zoological Society was created to operate the zoo, it is the second zoo...
is one of the top zoos in the region. Dogs are allowed in Roosevelt Park, a sign is posted at the entrance confirming this. A "bark park" for dogs opened in the summer of 2005.
The North Dakota State Fair
North Dakota State Fair
The North Dakota State Fair is an annual state fair held each July in Minot, North Dakota. The fair features carnival rides, agricultural expositions, government and commercial exhibitions, and a variety of musical and performance entertainment....
is held annually in Minot. Nearly all recreation areas however are closed during the long winters. The local high school hockey teams use the ice rink located in the Fair Grounds. The ice rink is also turned into the location of the rodeo.
Apple Grove Grove Golf Course, and Souris Valley Golf Course are located in Minot. The Minot Country Club is located near Burlington
Burlington, North Dakota
Burlington is a city in Ward County, North Dakota in the United States. Burlington was founded in 1883, having been third in a series that included two earlier settlements. Despite this, Burlington is still the oldest city in Ward County, as well as north-western and north central North Dakota...
.
Sports
- The Minot Vistas of the North DakotaNorth DakotaNorth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
American LegionAmerican LegionThe American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
Baseball League is a team that is based in Minot. - The Minot SkyrocketsMinot SkyRocketsThe Minot SkyRockets were a team in the Continental Basketball Association. They played their home games at the Minot Municipal Auditorium. The team began play in 2005 as the San Jose Skyrockets of the American Basketball Association. The team had a very successful first season, finishing first...
were formerly a basketball team on the Continental Basketball AssociationContinental Basketball AssociationThe Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
until the teams end. - The Minot MinotaurosMinot MinotaurosThe Minot Minotauros are an american junior ice hockey team set to begin play for the 2011-12 season. Based in Minot, North Dakota, the Tauros will play their home games at Maysa Arena....
will begin play in the North American Hockey LeagueNorth American Hockey LeagueThe North American Hockey League is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is enterting its 36th season in 2011-12. It is currently the only Junior A Tier II league, sanctioned by USA Hockey. The NAHL currently acts as an alternative to the United States Hockey League...
this fall.
Sister cities
Minot maintains a sister city relationship with the NorwegianNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
city of Skien
Skien
' is a city and municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Skien. Skien is also the administrative centre of Telemark county....
.
Minot is also a sister city of Moose Jaw
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
Moose Jaw is a city in south-central Saskatchewan, Canada on the Moose Jaw River. It is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Regina. Residents of Moose Jaw are known as Moose Javians. It is best known as a retirement and tourist city that serves as a hub to the hundreds of small towns...
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, about 300 miles (482.8 km) to the north-west. The cities share many qualities, including their size, location on river valleys, historical origins, and air force bases.
Media
Minot has several media outlets. KMOT-TV, KXMC-TVKXMC-TV
KXMC-TV, channel 13, is the CBS affiliated television station for Minot, North Dakota. The station serves the northern half of the Western North Dakota television market...
and the Minot Daily News
Minot Daily News
The Minot Daily News is a newspaper printed in Minot, North Dakota. It was originally the Burlington Reporter, and was published out of Burlington until the early 20th century. It was at that time that it was transformed into the newspaper that is currently published.It is the primary daily paper...
report on local news daily. KCJB-AM, KHRT-AM, and Prairie Public
Prairie Public
Prairie Public may refer to:* Prairie Public Radio, a radio service in North Dakota* Prairie Public Television, a television network in North Dakota...
have some local news content, but no active journalists.
Radio
Minot has fifteen radio stations (12 FM, 3 AM). Bottineau
Bottineau, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,336 people, 979 households, and 550 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,230.0 people per square mile . There were 1,114 housing units at an average density of 1,063.4 per square mile...
-based Programmer's Broadcasting
Programmer's Broadcasting
Programmer's Broadcasting is a small radio broadcasting company based in Bottineau, North Dakota. The main offices and KBTO studios are located west of town at 1120 Highway 5 West....
owns KTZU
KTZU
KTZU is a classic rock radio station in Velva, North Dakota, USA, also serving Minot. KTZU began transmission in April 2005, and broadcasts The Bob and Tom Show during the mornings...
and KWGO
KWGO
KWGO is a radio station licensed to serve Burlington, North Dakota, USA. The station is owned by Programmer's Broadcasting...
, along with KBTO
KBTO
KBTO is a country music radio station in Bottineau, North Dakota. The station also targets Minot, North Dakota, with a rimshot signal.The main offices and KBTO studios are located west of town at 1120 Highway 5 West...
of Bottineau
Bottineau, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,336 people, 979 households, and 550 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,230.0 people per square mile . There were 1,114 housing units at an average density of 1,063.4 per square mile...
. North Dakota Public Radio
North Dakota Public Radio
Prairie Public is the public radio network for the state of North Dakota. It is a service of Prairie Public Broadcasting, in partnership with in association with North Dakota State University in Fargo and the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks...
operates KMPR
KMPR
KMPR is a radio station licensed to Minot, North Dakota. The station is owned by Prairie Public Broadcasting, and programs a format consisting of jazz, classical music and news and talk programming.-Translators:...
FM 88.9, a local community broadcaster based in Burlington
Burlington, North Dakota
Burlington is a city in Ward County, North Dakota in the United States. Burlington was founded in 1883, having been third in a series that included two earlier settlements. Despite this, Burlington is still the oldest city in Ward County, as well as north-western and north central North Dakota...
operates a low-power FM station, and the remainder are nonprofit Christian stations, of which only KHRT is based locally.
Clear Channel
Clear channel
A clear-channel station is an AM band Radio station in North America that has the highest protection from interference from other stations, particularly concerning night-time skywave propagation. Usually known as class A stations since 1982, they are occasionally still referred to by their former...
owns and operates KCJB
KCJB
KCJB "91 Country" 910 is a classic country radio station in Minot, North Dakota. The station also airs the "Joel Heitkamp" show from KFGO in Fargo, North Dakota....
910 (Country & Talk), KRRZ
KRRZ
KRRZ "Classic Hits 1390" is an classic hits radio station in Minot, North Dakota owned by Clear Channel Communications. KRRZ also airs Minnesota Vikings games during the football season....
1390 (Oldies/Talk), KYYX
KYYX
KYYX is a country music radio station in Minot, North Dakota, owned by Clear Channel Communications. The call sign "KYYX" is pronounced as "kicks" and the station's nickname is "97 Kicks FM"....
97.1 (Country), KIZZ
KIZZ
KIZZ is a Top 40 radio station located in Minot, North Dakota owned by Clear Channel Communications. Z94 airs the syndicated Bob and Sheri morning show and along with weekend programs such as American Top 40, Dawson McAllister Live, Ringtone Countdown, and Hollywood Hamilton.Clear Channel also...
93.7 (Top 40), KMXA-FM
KMXA-FM
KMXA-FM "Mix 99.9" is a Hot Adult Contemporary radio station in Minot, North Dakota owned by Clear Channel Communications. During the Christmas season "Mix 99.9" plays continuous Christmas music...
99.9 (Hot AC), and KZPR
KZPR
KZPR is a rock music formatted radio station in Minot, North Dakota, owned by Clear Channel Communications. Its airs an mainstream rock format. KZPR is Minot's only heritage rock station, with daily features such as 7 O'clock Rocks and Mandatory Metallica...
105.3 (Rock) all in Minot. In May 2007, it was announced that Clear Channel sold the Minot group to Dean Goodman's GoodRadio, LLC. It was confirmed on May 16, 2007 by filings made public with the FCC. Then in the next couple of months, GoodRadio's plans fell through when its financing group, American Securities Capital Partners, objected to the deal's $452 million costs.
AM Frequencies
- 910 KCJBKCJBKCJB "91 Country" 910 is a classic country radio station in Minot, North Dakota. The station also airs the "Joel Heitkamp" show from KFGO in Fargo, North Dakota....
- "91 Country" Classic countryClassic countryClassic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country hits from past decades.This genre generally follows one of two formats: those specializing in hits from the 1920s through the early 1970s, and focus primarily on innovators and artists from country music's Golden...
/TalkTalk radioTalk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live... - 1320 KHRTKHRTKHRT are two Christian radio stations located in Minot, North Dakota owned and operated by Faith Broadcasting. KHRT-FM concentrates on contemporary Christian music , while the AM station concentrates on a gospel music format...
- "K-Heart" Gospel MusicGospel musicGospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music.... - 1390 KRRZKRRZKRRZ "Classic Hits 1390" is an classic hits radio station in Minot, North Dakota owned by Clear Channel Communications. KRRZ also airs Minnesota Vikings games during the football season....
- "Cars" Classic HitsClassic hitsClassic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
FM Frequencies
- 88.9 KMPRKMPRKMPR is a radio station licensed to Minot, North Dakota. The station is owned by Prairie Public Broadcasting, and programs a format consisting of jazz, classical music and news and talk programming.-Translators:...
- Prairie Public Radio - 91.1 K220GC - HBN Radio ChristianChristian radioChristian radio is a category of radio formats that focus on transmitting programming with a Christian message. In the United States, where it is more established, many such broadcasters play popular music of Christian influence, though many programs have talk or news programming covering...
- 91.9 K216EE - K-LoveK-LOVEK-LOVE is a Contemporary Christian music radio programming service in the United States operated by the Educational Media Foundation. As of January 2011, K-LOVE's programming is carried on over 440 FM stations and translators in 45 states. K-LOVE claims an audience of 250,000 people each week via...
ChristianChristian radioChristian radio is a category of radio formats that focus on transmitting programming with a Christian message. In the United States, where it is more established, many such broadcasters play popular music of Christian influence, though many programs have talk or news programming covering... - 93.7 KIZZKIZZKIZZ is a Top 40 radio station located in Minot, North Dakota owned by Clear Channel Communications. Z94 airs the syndicated Bob and Sheri morning show and along with weekend programs such as American Top 40, Dawson McAllister Live, Ringtone Countdown, and Hollywood Hamilton.Clear Channel also...
- "Z94" Top 40/CHRContemporary hit radioContemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts... - 94.9 KTZUKTZUKTZU is a classic rock radio station in Velva, North Dakota, USA, also serving Minot. KTZU began transmission in April 2005, and broadcasts The Bob and Tom Show during the mornings...
- "The Zoo" Classic rockClassic rockClassic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the... - 97.1 KYYXKYYXKYYX is a country music radio station in Minot, North Dakota, owned by Clear Channel Communications. The call sign "KYYX" is pronounced as "kicks" and the station's nickname is "97 Kicks FM"....
- "97 Kicks" CountryCountry musicCountry music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music... - 98.1 KOWW-LPKOWW-LPKOWW-LP is a low-power radio station owned by Pointe of View Institute that broadcasts a freeform eclectic music format, and programming is provided by volunteers in Burlington, North Dakota, and nearby Minot, North Dakota. The station signed on in 2005 from Burlington, though its signal also...
- "The Cowlip" eclectic community broadcasterCommunity radioCommunity radio is a type of radio service, that offers a third model of radio broadcasting beyond commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting. Community stations can serve geographic communities and communities of interest...
(BurlingtonBurlington, North DakotaBurlington is a city in Ward County, North Dakota in the United States. Burlington was founded in 1883, having been third in a series that included two earlier settlements. Despite this, Burlington is still the oldest city in Ward County, as well as north-western and north central North Dakota...
, North Dakota) - 99.9 KMXA-FMKMXA-FMKMXA-FM "Mix 99.9" is a Hot Adult Contemporary radio station in Minot, North Dakota owned by Clear Channel Communications. During the Christmas season "Mix 99.9" plays continuous Christmas music...
- "Mix 99.9" Hot AC - 102.9 KWGOKWGOKWGO is a radio station licensed to serve Burlington, North Dakota, USA. The station is owned by Programmer's Broadcasting...
- "W-G-O" Adult Contemporary (BurlingtonBurlington, North DakotaBurlington is a city in Ward County, North Dakota in the United States. Burlington was founded in 1883, having been third in a series that included two earlier settlements. Despite this, Burlington is still the oldest city in Ward County, as well as north-western and north central North Dakota...
, North Dakota) - 104.1 KSAF-LPKSAF-LPKSAF-LP is a low power radio station licensed to True Light Broadcasting, Inc., a ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Minot, North Dakota, as part of the 3ABN Radio network. It airs a Christian radio format....
- 3ABN Radio ChristianChristian radioChristian radio is a category of radio formats that focus on transmitting programming with a Christian message. In the United States, where it is more established, many such broadcasters play popular music of Christian influence, though many programs have talk or news programming covering... - 105.3 KZPRKZPRKZPR is a rock music formatted radio station in Minot, North Dakota, owned by Clear Channel Communications. Its airs an mainstream rock format. KZPR is Minot's only heritage rock station, with daily features such as 7 O'clock Rocks and Mandatory Metallica...
- "The Fox" Mainstream RockMainstream rockMainstream rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.-Format background:... - 106.9 KHRTKHRTKHRT are two Christian radio stations located in Minot, North Dakota owned and operated by Faith Broadcasting. KHRT-FM concentrates on contemporary Christian music , while the AM station concentrates on a gospel music format...
- "K-Heart" ChristianChristian radioChristian radio is a category of radio formats that focus on transmitting programming with a Christian message. In the United States, where it is more established, many such broadcasters play popular music of Christian influence, though many programs have talk or news programming covering...
Other Stations
Additionally, the following stations are not based in Minot, but generally have a clear signal into town:
- 550 AM KFYRKFYR (AM)KFYR is a radio station located in Bismarck, North Dakota, owned by Clear Channel Communications. It transmits on a 5,000 Watt signal that can be heard in seven U.S. states and three Canadian provinces. KFYR also broadcasts on translator K259AF in Bismarck...
- "K-Fire" from BismarckBismarck, North DakotaBismarck is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The city's population was 61,272 at the 2010 census, while its metropolitan population was 108,779...
(News/Talk/SportsTalk radioTalk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
) - 710 AM KXMRKXMRKXMR is a radio station located in Bismarck, North Dakota, airing ESPN Radio, and is owned by Clear Channel Communications. ESPN 710 broadcasts Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings games....
- ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, also from BismarckBismarck, North DakotaBismarck is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The city's population was 61,272 at the 2010 census, while its metropolitan population was 108,779...
(SportsSports radioSports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
) - 1410 AM KDKTKDKTKDKT is a radio station that serves as West-Central North Dakota's Fox Sports Radio outlet, as "Fox Sports Radio 1410." KDKT's former call letters were KHOL, which carried an Adult Contemporary format...
- "Fox Sports RadioFox Sports RadioFox Sports Radio, abbreviated FSR, is an international radio network consisting of sports talk programming. The network is a service of Premiere Networks...
1410" also from BismarckBismarck, North DakotaBismarck is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The city's population was 61,272 at the 2010 census, while its metropolitan population was 108,779...
(SportsSports radioSports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
) - 101.9 FM KBTOKBTOKBTO is a country music radio station in Bottineau, North Dakota. The station also targets Minot, North Dakota, with a rimshot signal.The main offices and KBTO studios are located west of town at 1120 Highway 5 West...
- "Sunny 101.9" from BottineauBottineau, North DakotaAs of the census of 2000, there were 2,336 people, 979 households, and 550 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,230.0 people per square mile . There were 1,114 housing units at an average density of 1,063.4 per square mile...
(CountryCountry musicCountry music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
)
Television
Minot has six television stations, most of which have ATSC
ATSC
ATSC standards are a set of standards developed by the Advanced Television Systems Committee for digital television transmission over terrestrial, cable, and satellite networks....
(digital) transmitters:
- 6 KSRE - Prairie Public TelevisionPrairie Public TelevisionPrairie Public Television is the Public Broadcasting Service member state network for the U.S. state of North Dakota. Along with its state radio network Prairie Public, the state network currently has nine digital stations covering all of North Dakota, plus portions of Minnesota, Montana, South...
(PBSPublic Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
) (ATSC 40) - 10 KMOTKMOTKMOT, channel 10, is an NBC affiliate located in Minot, North Dakota. The station serves the northern half of the Western North Dakota television market...
- NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
(ATSC 10) - 13 KXMC - CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
(ATSC 45) - 14 KMCY - ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
(ATSC 14) - 21 K21GQ - The Church ChannelThe Church ChannelThe Church Channel is a Christian television network owned by Trinity Broadcasting Network . It broadcasts church service programs 24 hours per day, seven days a week from several of America’s leading churches, representing several Christian denominations, as well as independent and...
- 24 KXND - Fox
Cable Service
Midcontinent Communications
Midcontinent Communications
Midcontinent Communications is a regional cable provider, providing a triple play service of cable television, cable modem Internet service, and cable telephone service for both North Dakota and South Dakota, along with several communities in western Minnesota...
provides cable service to the city of Minot and Minot Air Force Base. Midcontinent offers a Bismarck-originating The CW cable station, KWMK
KWMK
KWMK is a local cable channel affiliated with The CW. The channel is on cable channel 14 on the Midcontinent Communications cable system in Bismarck, and is offered on other Midcontinent lineups throughout western North Dakota...
, on channel 14, as well as KMSU
KMSU (Minot)
KMSU is a Student television station in Minot, North Dakota operated by the Minot State University broadcasting department. KMSU airs semi-regular locally-produced broadcasts, as well as repeats of the University of North Dakota's Studio One. KMSU also holds an annual fundraising auction...
(a cable station operated by the Minot State University
Minot State University
Minot State University is a four-year institution of higher learning in Minot, North Dakota. Founded in 1913 as a normal school, Minot State University is the third-largest university in North Dakota, offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs.Minot State University was founded in 1913...
broadcasting department) on channel 19. Souris River Telecommunications provides cable service to other nearby communities.
The principal local newspaper is the Minot Daily News
Minot Daily News
The Minot Daily News is a newspaper printed in Minot, North Dakota. It was originally the Burlington Reporter, and was published out of Burlington until the early 20th century. It was at that time that it was transformed into the newspaper that is currently published.It is the primary daily paper...
(originally the Burlington Reporter), which publishes seven days a week. The Minot State University student newspaper The Red & Green is published once a week (Thursdays) during the regular school year, but not during the summer months. Morgan Printing produces the Lunch Letter three days a week on a double-sided leaflet. There are is one weekly classified-ad publication, the Trading Post, printed by the Minot Daily News'. The Bismarck Tribune is available at several outlets in the city, as is The Forum
The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead
The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, previously titled the Fargo Forum, is a daily newspaper printed in Fargo, North Dakota and owned by Forum Communications. The Forum, as it is commonly known, is the primary daily paper for southeast North Dakota, and also much of northwest Minnesota. Its average daily...
, to a lesser extent.
Railroads
The railroads that built Minot remain, though Great Northern is now part of the BNSF RailwayBNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
and the Soo Line is run by the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
.
Passenger rail transportation is provided daily on Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's Empire Builder
Empire Builder
The Empire Builder is a passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Midwestern and Northwestern United States. It is Amtrak's busiest long-distance route and busiest daily train, carrying more than 500,000 travelers annually since 2007. Overall, it is the railroad's 10th-busiest line. Before...
line which stops at the Minot Amtrak station
Minot (Amtrak station)
The Minot Amtrak station is a train station in Minot, North Dakota served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. The station is located at the site of the former Great Northern Railway station, adjacent to the Minot Public Library, and quite close to Minot's City Hall.Minot is a...
. This is the only scheduled service stop between Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, Minnesota and Havre
Havre, Montana
Havre is a city in, and the county seat of, Hill County, Montana, United States. It is said to be named after the city of Le Havre in France. The population was 9,621 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, Montana. Trains make a 20-minute refueling and crew change stop in Minot; Westbound trains arrive about 9:00 am local time. Eastbound trains arrive about 9:00pm. In June, the Empire Builder suspended service between St. Paul
Midway (Amtrak station)
Midway Station is the Amtrak train station in Saint Paul, Minnesota, so named after the Midway area which is roughly halfway between the downtowns of St. Paul and neighboring Minneapolis. Its Amtrak station code is MSP and serves as the only intercity train station for the Minneapolis-Saint Paul...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and Havre
Havre, Montana
Havre is a city in, and the county seat of, Hill County, Montana, United States. It is said to be named after the city of Le Havre in France. The population was 9,621 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. Although service has since resumed, Minot's train station remains closed until repairs to the platform can be made.
Highways
Three U.S. highways run through the city: US-2U.S. Route 2
U.S. Route 2 is an east–west U.S. Highway spanning across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected by various roadways in southern Canada...
, US-52
U.S. Route 52
U.S. Route 52 is a United States highway that runs across the northern, eastern and southeastern regions of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S...
, and US-83
U.S. Route 83
U.S. Route 83 is one of the longest north–south U.S. Highways in the United States, at . Only four other north–south routes are longer: U.S. Routes 1, 41, 59 and 87. The highway's northern terminus is north of Westhope, North Dakota, at the Canadian border, where it continues as...
.
US-2 runs east-west and is a four-lane highway from Minot east to Grand Forks
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 52,838, while that of the city and surrounding metropolitan area was 98,461...
and largely two lanes from Minot west to Williston
Williston, North Dakota
-Demographics:Preliminary data from a 2010 housing study indicates that population has grown by nearly 22 percent over the past decade; the actual increase might be much higher. Williston is in western North Dakota's booming oil patch, and adequate, affordable housing has become a concern. The...
. In February 2004 it was announced that Highway 2 would be expanded to four lanes between Minot and Williston by 2008.
US-83 runs north-south through central Minot as Broadway
Broadway (Minot, North Dakota)
Broadway, previously known as 2nd Street West, is a major north-south city route in Minot, North Dakota. US 83 follows Broadway through the city....
. It is a four-lane highway from Minot south to Bismarck
Bismarck, North Dakota
Bismarck is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The city's population was 61,272 at the 2010 census, while its metropolitan population was 108,779...
and north to Minot Air Force Base. Just north of the main gate at the base, the road reduces to two lanes and crosses the Canadian border at Westhope, ND
Westhope, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 533 people, 228 households, and 134 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,663.5 people per square mile . There were 268 housing units at an average density of 836.5 per square mile...
, where it becomes Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
Highway 83.
US-52 runs southeast-northwest. Southeast from Minot, it follows a slightly circuitous route to Jamestown
Jamestown, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 15,527 people, 6,505 households, and 3,798 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,246.7 per square mile . There were 6,970 housing units at an average density of 559.6 per square mile...
, where it meets up with Interstate 94
Interstate 94
Interstate 94 is the northernmost east–west Interstate Highway, connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. I-94's western terminus is in Billings, Montana at a junction with Interstate 90; its eastern terminus is the U.S...
. Highway 52 merges with I-94 after Jamestown, going due east to Fargo
Fargo, North Dakota
Fargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777...
. Northwest from Minot, US-52 crosses the Canadian border at Portal, ND
Portal, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 131 people, 63 households, and 43 families residing in the city. The population density was 232.8 people per square mile . There were 98 housing units at an average density of 174.1 per square mile...
/North Portal, SK
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, where it becomes Saskatchewan Highway 39
Saskatchewan Highway 39
Highway 39 is a provincial paved undivided highway located in the southern portion of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan connecting North Portal and Moose Jaw in the north. This is a primary Saskatchewan highway maintained by the provincial and national governments providing a major trucking...
.
Minot has a bypass for these routes around the south and west sides of the city.
Airport
Minot International AirportMinot International Airport
Minot International Airport is a public airport located two miles north of the central business district of Minot, a city in Ward County, North Dakota, United States. It is owned by the City of Minot...
is served by Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
five times daily. Allegiant Air
Allegiant Air
Allegiant Air is an American low-cost airline owned by Allegiant Travel Co. that operates scheduled and charter flights. Allegiant Travel Company is a publicly traded company with 1,300 employees and one billion USD market capitalization...
provides two weekly round trips to Las Vegas McCarran International Airport
McCarran International Airport
McCarran International Airport is the principal commercial airport serving Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada, United States. The airport is located five miles south of the central business district of Las Vegas, in the unincorporated area of Paradise in Clark County. It covers an area of and...
and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport , formerly Williams Gateway Airport and Williams Air Force Base , is a commercial airport located in the southeastern area of the city of Mesa, Arizona, and southeast of Phoenix, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The airport is owned and operated by the...
. Las Vegas on Monday and Friday and Phoenix-Mesa on Thursday and Sunday. Until the early 1990s, it was also served by Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
-based Frontier Airlines
Frontier Airlines (1950-1986)
Frontier Airlines was formed from a merger of Arizona Airways, Challenger Airlines, and Monarch Airlines on June 1, 1950. They established their headquarters at Stapleton Airport in Denver. However, the airline dated itself to November 27, 1946, when Monarch Airlines began service in Colorado,...
and its successor, Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
, then, briefly, by the new iteration of Frontier
Frontier Airlines
Frontier Airlines, Inc., is an American airline headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The carrier, which is a subsidiary and operating brand of Republic Airways Holdings, operates flights to 83 destinations throughout the United States, Mexico, and Costa Rica and maintains hubs at...
in 1994. Airport officials are constantly looking for additional service, and efforts have proved to be successful as of late. There are five daily flights from Minot to Minneapolis at 5:00am, 6:30am and 10:58am, 1:33 pm, and 4:23 pm. On June 9, 2010, United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
carrier SkyWest Airlines
Skywest Airlines
Skywest Airlines Pty Ltd is a regional airline company based in Perth, Western Australia, Australia; servicing key towns in the state of Western Australia, Darwin, Northern Territory and Melbourne, Victoria; as well as charter flights to Bali, Indonesia....
began service to the city, with two daily flights each way between Minot and United's Denver hub on 50-seat Bombardier CRJ aircraft. In May 2010,Comair
Comair
Comair is a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines headquartered on the grounds of Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport in unincorporated Boone County, Kentucky, United States, west of Erlanger, and south of Cincinnati, Ohio...
began daily service to Salt Lake City but the route was cancelled in September due to the number of people flying the route.
Within the city
Automobiles dominate intracity and local area transport. There is limited fixed-route city transit service (Minot City TransitMinot City Transit
Minot City Transit, also known as City Bus, is a fixed-route transit service in the city of Minot, North Dakota.-School service:MCT provides early morning pickup and afternoon return services for schoolchildren, with two runs along eight routes between 6:55am and 8:30am, from various parts of the...
) on weekdays, and flexible-route rural transit service (Souris Basin Transportation) on an occasional basis. Local transit services for the elderly and disabled (Minot Commission on Aging Transit) meet federal guidelines but have 24-hour advance notice requirements.
Pedestrianism in the city is inhibited by several factors; the sidewalk network is poor in many areas of the city, though improving. Automobile drivers take the right of way at all but the best-marked crosswalks, and major points are often separated by relatively large distances and hill slopes. Skateboarding
Skateboarding
Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...
is illegal in streets and on sidewalks (though there is a skating area in Roosevelt Park), and rollerblading is generally disallowed by downtown landowners.
Sites of interest
- Dakota Territory Air MuseumDakota Territory Air MuseumThe Dakota Territory Air Museum is an aerospace museum in Minot, North Dakota near Minot International Airport.-Collection:The collections include a Lockheed 33 Jet Trainer, Douglas C-47, Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, L-29 Soviet Jet Trainer, The Oldest Starduster Biplane in the World and many other...
is an aircraftAircraftAn aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
museum near the airport. It contains many war and civilian aircraft. - The Scandinavian Heritage Park is home to the Minot Visitor's Center, as well as buildings based on the Scandinavian style of architecture.
- Pioneer Village, on the state fairgrounds, is a collection of various buildings from the pioneer era.
- The North Dakota State Fair Center, located on the state fairgrounds, is home to many of the city's largest events, including: The North Dakota State FairNorth Dakota State FairThe North Dakota State Fair is an annual state fair held each July in Minot, North Dakota. The fair features carnival rides, agricultural expositions, government and commercial exhibitions, and a variety of musical and performance entertainment....
, the Norsk HøstfestNorsk HøstfestNorsk Høstfest is an annual festival held each Fall in Minot, North Dakota. It is North America's largest Scandinavian festival. The event is conducted in the All Seasons Arena on the grounds of the North Dakota State Fair in Minot, North Dakota...
, the Big One craft show, the KMOT Ag Expo, and the Great Tomato Festival. It also hosts rodeos, and college hockey games. - Roosevelt ParkRoosevelt Park (Minot)Roosevelt Park is a park in Minot, North Dakota operated by the Minot Park District. It is the largest park in the city of Minot. The park is named after Theodore Roosevelt, former president of the United States, who is honoured by a large statue in the middle of the park.Roosevelt Park contains...
and ZooRoosevelt Park ZooThe Roosevelt Park Zoo is a zoo in Minot, North Dakota. It opened in 1920 and the first animal exhibition featured the American Bison. In 1970, the zoo was separated from the city-owned Roosevelt Park and the Greater Minot Zoological Society was created to operate the zoo, it is the second zoo...
Notable people
- Nicole Borud, contestant on America's Next Top Model, Cycle 3America's Next Top Model, Cycle 3America's Next Top Model, Cycle 3 debuted on September 22, 2004. It was the first cycle to gain partnership with cosmetics magnate CoverGirl and ran weekly commercials during the show named Beauty Tip of the Week with Jay Manuel and Elsa Benitez as well as the CoverGirl of the Week contest. Also...
- Ronnie BradfordRonnie BradfordRonald L. "Ronnie" Bradford is a former defensive back who played for the NFL's Denver Broncos , Arizona Cardinals , Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings. He also served as a defensive assistant coach for the Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs...
, former defensive back in the NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. - Dale BrownDale Brown (basketball)Dale Duward Brown is an American former college basketball coach who spent 25 years leading the LSU Tigers. His team earned Final Four appearances in 1981 and 1986. He is also remembered as one of the most vocal critics of the NCAA because he said it legislated against human dignity.-Life in...
, former LSULouisiana State UniversityLouisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
basketball coach. - Gary CederstromGary CederstromGary L. Cederstrom is an umpire in Major League Baseball who has worked in the American League from 1989 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues since 2000. He has umpired in two World Series; in 2005 and 2011...
, umpire with MLBMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. - Josh DuhamelJosh DuhamelJoshua David "Josh" Duhamel is an American actor and former fashion model. He first achieved acting success in 1999 as Leo du Pres on ABC's All My Children and later as the chief of security, Danny McCoy, on NBC's Las Vegas...
, Emmy Award-winning actor, married to Fergie of The Black Eyed Peas. - Hans Andersen FossHans Andersen FossHans Andersen Foss was an American author, newspaper editor and temperance leader. Born the son of a small tenant farmer in 1851 in Modum, Buskerud county, Norway, Foss immigrated to the United States in 1887.-Biography:...
, Norwegian-born author, newspaper editor and temperance leader. - Brynhild HauglandBrynhild HauglandBrynhild Haugland was a North Dakota Republican Party politician who was well-known for being one of the first female legislators in the North Dakota Legislative Assembly, as well as for being the longest serving state legislator in the history of the United States because of her continuous...
, state representative. - Randy HedbergRandy HedbergRandolph R. Hedberg is a American football coach and a former player. He is currently the quarterbacks coach at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, a position he has held since 2008. Hedberg played as a quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL in 1977. He served as the head...
, former quarterback in the NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. - John HoevenJohn HoevenJohn Henry Hoeven III is the junior United States Senator from North Dakota. He is a member of the North Dakota Republican Party. He is expected to become the state's senior senator when Kent Conrad retires from the Senate in January 2013.Hoeven served as the 31st Governor of North Dakota,...
, 31st Governor of North Dakota, later elected Senator; worked as a banker here between college and his political career. - Gary JohnsonGary JohnsonGary Johnson may refer to:*Gary Johnson , former Governor of New Mexico and candidate for President in 2012*Gary Johnson , American politician, Wisconsin State Assembly...
, 29th Governor of New Mexico and 2012 presidential candidateUnited States presidential election, 2012The United States presidential election of 2012 is the next United States presidential election, to be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. It will be the 57th quadrennial presidential election in which presidential electors, who will actually elect the President and the Vice President of the United... - Simon JohnsonSimon Johnson (novelist)Simon Johnson was a Norwegian-born American newspaper editor and author. He frequently wrote about Norwegian immigrant frontier and pioneer life. He is most associated with his novel, From Fjord to Prairie or in the New Kingdom.-Biography:Simen Johannessen was born in Øyer in Oppland County,...
, Norwegian-born author and newspaper editor. - David C. JonesDavid Charles JonesDavid Charles Jones is a retired U.S. Air Force general and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.Jones was born in Aberdeen, South Dakota and raised in Minot, North Dakota, where he graduated from Minot High School....
, U.S. Air Force General , former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of StaffChairman of the Joint Chiefs of StaffThe Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the highest ranking military officer in the United States Armed Forces, and is the principal military adviser to the President of the United States, the National Security Council, the Homeland Security Council and the Secretary of Defense...
(1978–82). - Boris KarloffBoris KarloffWilliam Henry Pratt , better known by his stage name Boris Karloff, was an English actor.Karloff is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein , Bride of Frankenstein , and Son of Frankenstein...
, actor, star of 1931's FrankensteinFrankenstein (1931 film)Frankenstein is a 1931 Pre-Code Horror Monster film from Universal Pictures directed by James Whale and adapted from the play by Peggy Webling which in turn is based on the novel of the same name by Mary Shelley. The film stars Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles and Boris Karloff, and features...
, lived in Minot for a year. - Wiz KhalifaWiz KhalifaCameron Jibril Thomaz , better known by the stage name Wiz Khalifa , is an American rapper. He released his debut album, Show and Prove, in 2006, and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 2007...
, rapper. - Dagny KnutsonDagny KnutsonDagny Knutson is an American swimmer of Norwegian heritage. Knutson is a former American record holder in 400-yard individual medley and holds several high school national records....
, USA Professional Swimmer - award winning. - Matthew LoweMatthew LoweMatthew Lowe is an English footballer who plays for Nantwich Town. He plays as a defender.-Career:Born in Stoke on Trent, England, Lowe is a central defender who rose through the ranks at Macclesfield Town. He broke into the first team in the 2009-2010 season. He not only plays at centre half, but...
, USA Professional Swimmer - award winning. - Kevin Miller (voice actor)Kevin MillerKevin Miller is a conservative American talk radio host and political pundit who has been featured on many national news programs, including The Today Show, Leeza Gibbons, CNN, and MSNBC...
, voice actor for the Sly Cooper series. - Michael H. MillerMichael H. MillerMichael Harold "Mike" Miller is a vice admiral in the United States Navy, and was the first active-duty officer to direct the White House Military Office...
, U.S. Navy Rear Admiral, former commander of Carrier Strike Group Seven. - Herro MustafaHerro MustafaHerro K. Mustafa is an American diplomat.Mustafa's family story was the subject of the documentary film American Herro. She is multilingual and speaks English, Kurdish, Arabic, Turkish, Spanish and Greek.-Early life and education:...
, diplomat, senior adviser on the Middle East to Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenJoseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...
. - Ragnvald A. NestosRagnvald A. NestosRagnvald Anderson Nestos was the 13th Governor of the U.S. state of North Dakota from 1921 through 1925.-Biography:...
, 13th Governor of North Dakota. - Casper OimoenCasper OimoenCasper Oimoen was an American ski jumping champion. Born in Norway, Casper Oimoen immigrated to the United States in 1923 and settled near Minot, North Dakota. Unable to compete in the 1928 Olympics because he was not an American citizen, he entered the Olympics in 1932 and again as captain of the...
, ski jumping champion, captain of the U.S. Ski Jumping team (1936). - Erik RamstadErik RamstadErik Ramstad was one of the founders of Minot, North Dakota.-Biography:Erik Ramstad and his brother Peter were natives of Sigdal, Buskerud County, Norway. They were early settlers in the Souris River Valley of North Dakota arriving in May 1883. They staked a claim to property on both the north and...
, city founder. - Greg "Fossilman" RaymerGreg RaymerGregory Raymer nicknamed "Fossilman," is a professional poker player. He is best known for winning the 2004 World Series of Poker Main Event.-Early life:...
, winner of 2004 World Series of PokerWorld Series of PokerThe World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
. - Donny SchatzDonny SchatzDonny Schatz is a World of Outlaws sprint car driver. He was the 2006 World of Outlaws sprint car champion. He also won the 2006 Knoxville Nationals. In 2007 he won The King's Royal at Eldora Speedway, as well as the 2007 Knoxville Nationals for the second time...
, champion sprint car driver with the World of OutlawsWorld of OutlawsThe World of Outlaws is an American motorsports sanctioning body. The body sanctions two major national touring series. It is best known for sanctioning a national tour of sprint cars. It later purchased a national tour of late model stockcars called the World of Outlaws Late Model Series...
(2006). - Patrick FaltermanPatrick FaltermanPatrick Falterman II is an American itinerant and travel writer, also sometimes known by his pseudonym "The Modern Nomad." He is most well known for his writings about hitchhiking in Central and South America, and is the creator and writer on , where he writes personal accounts of his hitchhiking...
, hitchhiker and travel writer, was born on Minot Air Force BaseMinot Air Force BaseMinot Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation in Ward County, North Dakota, north of the city of Minot. In the 2010 census, the base was counted as a CDP with a total population of 5,521....
in 1990.
External links
- City of Minot official website
- Chamber of Commerce
- Minot International Airport
- Minot Daily News
- Convention and Visitors Bureau
- Minot Public Schools
History
- Exploring Minot History 1885-1900
- Minot History 1900-1920 by Gaylen Brown
- History of Minot from 1920-1940
- Minot history (MSU)
- Collected stories of January 18, 2002 CP Rail derailment and anhydrous ammonia spill
- Lawsuits against CP Rail after derailment
Other
- Current area weather - from Ramstad Middle School
- Fargo Band Family Tree: Minot
- RallyMinot - website for 2011 flood/disaster info