Moorhead ( ) is a city in and the

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

of Clay County,

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

, United States, on the banks of the

Red River of the North The Red River (), also called the Red River of the North () to differentiate it from the Red River of the South, Red River in the south of the continent, is a river in the north-central United States and central Canada. Originating at the confl ...

. Located in the Red River Valley, an extremely fertile and active agricultural region, Moorhead is home to several corporations and manufacturing industries. Across the river from

Fargo, North Dakota Fargo is the List of cities in North Dakota, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County, North Dakota, Cass County. The population was 125,990 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, which was e ...

, Moorhead forms part of the core of the Fargo–Moorhead ND-MN Metropolitan Area. The population was 44,505 at the 2020 census. Moorhead is a hub of higher education in Minnesota, home to Minnesota State University Moorhead, Concordia College, and a campus of Minnesota State Community and Technical College. Platted in 1871, the city was named for William Galloway Moorhead, an official of the

Northern Pacific Railway The Northern Pacific Railway was an important American transcontinental railroad that operated across the northern tier of the Western United States, from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest between 1864 and 1970. It was approved and chartered b ...

History

The city was

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

ted in 1871 and named for William Galloway Moorhead, a

official and brother-in-law of financier Jay Cooke. The former Moorhead Armory on 5th Street South was the site of the intended concert destination for musicians

Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who was a central and pioneering figure of rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texa ...

, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper before their fatal plane crash a few miles north of Clear Lake, Iowa, around 1 a.m. on February 3, 1959. The building was demolished in 1990 and is now the site of Ecumen Evergreens, a senior living property. Moorhead is home to the first

Dairy Queen International Dairy Queen, Inc. (DQ) is an American multinational fast food chain founded in 1940 and currently headquartered in Bloomington, Minnesota. The first Dairy Queen was owned and operated by Sherb Noble and first opened on June 22, ...

to sell Dilly Bars. The Moorhead Dairy Queen is also one of only a few Dairy Queens operating on a contract, signed in 1949, that allows it to feature products not approved by corporate headquarters. One example is the chipper sandwich, vanilla ice cream sandwiched between chocolate chip cookies and dipped in chocolate.

Geography

Moorhead is adjacent to the Red River in the Red River Valley. The land around the Fargo–Moorhead area is some of the world's flattest and richest for

agricultural Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created f ...

uses. This is because it lies on the bed of glacial

Lake Agassiz Lake Agassiz ( ) was a large proglacial lake that existed in central North America during the late Pleistocene, fed by meltwater from the retreating Laurentide Ice Sheet at the end of the last glacial period. At its peak, the lake's area wa ...

, which drained between 9,900 and 11,000 years ago. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has an area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

Partly due to its location in the

Great Plains The Great Plains is a broad expanse of plain, flatland in North America. The region stretches east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and grassland. They are the western part of the Interior Plains, which include th ...

, Moorhead has a warm-summer humid continental climate (

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

: ''Dfb''), with warm, humid summers and cold winters averaging around 53 inches of snow.

Demographics

2020 census

According to the 2018–2022

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

, the racial composition was as follows: *

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

: 85.1% (

Non-Hispanic Whites Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...

: 82.1%) * Black or

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

: 6.1% * American Indian: 1.4% * Asian: 1.8% *

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

: 0.2% * Some other race: 1.6% * Two or more races: 5.0% * Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 5.1% As of the 2020 census, there were 44,505 people, 17,063 households, and 10,064 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 18,348 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 81.6%

, 6.7%

, 2.1% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.0%

, 1.6% from some other races and 6.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.3% of the population. 23.1% of residents were under the age of 18, 6.8% were under 5 years of age, and 12.4% were 65 and older.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 38,065 people, 14,304 households, and 8,372 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 15,274 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 90.7%

, 2.0%

, 1.5% Native American, 2.0% Asian, 1.1% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.1% of the population. There were 14,304 households, of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.5% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.97. The median age in the city was 28.3 years. 20.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 23.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.4% were from 25 to 44; 20.5% were from 45 to 64; and 11.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.

2000 census

According to the 2006–2008 American Community Survey, the top ten European ancestries were the following: * Norwegian: 36.1% * German: 36.0% * Swedish: 7.6% * Irish: 7.2% * English: 4.7% * French: 3.7% * Polish: 3.6% * American: 2.3% * Italian: 1.5% * Dutch: 1.4% As of the 2000 census, there were 32,177 people, 11,660 households, and 7,030 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 12,180 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.08%

, 0.77%

, 1.94% Native American, 1.27% Asian, 0.04%

, 2.10% from other races, and 1.79% from two or more races.

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

or Latino of any race were 4.47% of the population. There were 11,660 households, out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were

living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.04. In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 23.1% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 17.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $34,781, and the median income for a family was $49,118. Males had a median income of $33,137 versus $23,717 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $17,150. About 8.2% of families and 16.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Transportation

Moorhead has multiple transportation options, with intercity buses, trains, and air travel available in Fargo. Locally, the city is served by MATBUS. Interstate 94 and U.S. Highways 10, 52 ( concurrent with I-94), and 75 are four of the city's main roadways. Other routes in the Fargo–Moorhead area include Interstate 29 and Minnesota State Highway 336.

Economy

Agriculture is prominent in the area, and Moorhead hosts corporate, manufacturing, and distribution industries, including American Crystal Sugar (corporate headquarters and sugar beet processing), Busch Agricultural Resources (malt manufacturing), and Pactiv (container manufacturing). The unemployment rate is consistently below the national average and property values are stable.

Top employers

According to the City's 2023 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are:

Arts and culture

The Rourke Art Gallery and the Rourke Art Museum are native Moorhead cultural institutions hosting the annual Midwestern Invitational Exhibition. The museum displays an important art collection from local, regional, and national artists. The Rourke Museum is housed in the historic Moorhead Post Office building. The city is also home to the Bluestem Amphitheater, a 3,000-seat outdoor

amphitheater An amphitheatre ( U.S. English: amphitheater) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ('), meaning "place for vie ...

that opened in 2009 with a partnership between the Fargo Public Schools, the City of Moorhead, and an arts grant from the state of Minnesota. Bluestem hosts a summer concert series that has drawn bands including

Wilco Wilco is an American Rock music, rock band based in Chicago. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo after singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup changed frequently during its fir ...

Goo Goo Dolls The Goo Goo Dolls are an American rock band based in Buffalo, New York, composed of lead vocalist and guitarist John Rzeznik, bassist and vocalist Robby Takac, as well as several rotating members since its formation in 1986. After starting ...

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their f ...

, and

Weezer Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Brian Bell (guitar, keyboards, backing ...

. The Bluestem Amphitheater is home to Trollwood Performing Arts School, a renowned summer arts and theater program for students of all ages. The Comstock House is a historic house museum, a blend of Queen Anne and Eastlake styles built in 1883. Solomon Comstock was a lawyer and U.S. representative.

Hjemkomst Center

The Hjemkomst Center is a museum containing a full-scale replica of a

Viking ship Viking ships were marine vessels of unique structure, used in Scandinavia throughout the Middle Ages. The boat-types were quite varied, depending on what the ship was intended for, but they were generally characterized as being slender and flexi ...

of the same name. The Hjemkomst vessel was built in nearby Hawley by Moorhead resident Robert Asp, and was sailed from

Duluth Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

, Norway, in 1982 by his children after his death. It is now permanently housed in the center. The Clay County Museum and Archives, operated by the Clay County Historical Society, interprets Clay County history in a free museum in the Hjemkomst Center's lower level. The Society has more than 30,000 artifacts in its collection, one of the largest and most important historic collections in Minnesota outside the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. On the grounds of the Hjemkomst Center is a stave church. The traditional Norwegian-style church serves as a symbol of Norwegian heritage in the Red River Valley. The church is a full-scale replica of the Hopperstad Stave Church in Vik, Norway.

Museums

* Comstock House – a historic house museum. * Hjemkomst Center – displays and interprets the Hjemkomst replica Viking ship that was sailed to Norway. It is also home to the Clay County Historical Society museum and archives and features a replica Norwegian Hopperstad Stave Church. * Rourke Art Museum – displays fine art.

Theaters

* Bluestem Amphitheater – a 3,000 seat outdoor

. * The Gooseberry Park Players – a not-for-profit, fee-free theater company for people aged 11 to 18. Every July, it presents a show at the Horizon Middle School’s Performing Arts Center. * Theatre B – programming includes Mainstage productions; a Sunday Salon discussion series; an Incubator for new play development; Community Collaborations; college internships; B Emerging Artist Training (BEAT); and B AT HOME. * Trollwood Performing Arts School – a summer theater arts program for students of all ages. The school presents many different forms of performing arts every summer, the most prominent being a Broadway musical performed in front of up to 2,500 audience members per night at an outdoor amphitheater.

Parks

* Gooseberry Mound Park – offers a playground, cross country ski trails, and fat tire bike trails * M.B. Johnson Park – offers walking and biking trails, picnic tables, and a playground. In the winter, the Moorhead Park District hosts sleigh rides.

Sports

The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks is an independent professional baseball team that plays at Newman Outdoor Field in Fargo. It is part of the American Association. Interstate Raceway is a dragstrip and drifting race facility southeast of Moorhead. It has a 0.25 mi (0.40 km) dragstrip and a concrete drift track.

Education

The city has four institutions of higher learning: Concordia College (a private Christian liberal arts college), Minnesota State University Moorhead (a public university), Minnesota State Community and Technical College (a two- to four-year technical college), and

Rasmussen University Rasmussen University is a private for-profit university with multiple locations throughout the United States. It offers associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees as well as certificates and diplomas in career-focused areas at 20 cam ...

(a two- to four-year college). These colleges' combined student enrollment is about 14,000. K-12 education is provided to over 5,000 students by the Moorhead School District: S.G. Reinertsen Elementary, Robert Asp Elementary, Ellen Hopkins Elementary, Dorothy Dodds Elementary, Horizon Middle School, and Moorhead High School. The district is known for its high achievement, with students consistently performing above the national average on the ACT. The district includes the cities of Moorhead, Georgetown, Kragnes, and Sabin. The city includes the Red River Area Learning Center and the Probstfield Center for Education. Park Christian School is a private Christian school in Moorhead providing a K–12 education. St. Joseph's is a Catholic elementary school. The public library is at 118 5th Street South and is part of the Lake Agassiz Regional Library system. The former public library, built in 1906, was at 102 6th Street South. It was paid for by

Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie ( , ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the History of the iron and steel industry in the United States, American steel industry in the late ...

and designed by architect

Milton Earl Beebe Milton Earle Beebe (November 27, 1840 – February 3, 1923) was an American architect who designed numerous buildings in Buffalo, New York, in Fargo, North Dakota, and elsewhere.Sanford Health network, providing comprehensive healthcare services to residents of Moorhead and nearby areas. The clinic offers family medicine, radiology, lab services, immunizations, and mammograms. Moorhead is also a key provider of senior healthcare services. The Moorhead Senior Citizens Center serves as a community hub for local seniors, offering a space for social activities and gatherings. Eventide Lutheran Home in Moorhead provides a range of care services, including assisted living, memory care, and long-term care for elderly residents.

Media

* '' The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead'', regional newspaper printed in Fargo * '' High Plains Reader'', news weekly * ''

Minnesota Public Radio Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) is a public radio network for the state of Minnesota. With its three services, KNOW-FM, News & Information, KSJN, YourClassical MPR and KCMP, The Current, MPR operates a 46-station regional radio network in the upper ...

'', Concordia College hosts an MPR bureau * ''Moorhead Community Access Media'', local access cable TV programming on channels 12 and 99 * '' NDSU Spectrum'' * ''MSUM Advocate'' * ''The Extra'', legal newspaper of record for the City of Moorhead

Notable people

* Felix Battles (1840s–1907) – early settler of Moorhead and African American Civil War veteran * Jason Blake –

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

player * Will Borgen – NHL player * René Clausen –

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

and conductor of The Concordia Choir * Ada Comstock – first full-time president of

Radcliffe College Radcliffe College was a Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that was founded in 1879. In 1999, it was fully incorporated into Harvard Colle ...

* Solomon Comstock – member of the Minnesota Legislature * Matt Cullen –

player * William B. Dosland – state senator and lawyer * Wallace B. Douglas – jurist, lawyer, and politician * Becky Gulsvig – actress * Loren D. Hagen – U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret and

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

recipient * Dwaine Hoberg – football coach and mayor of Moorhead * Kenneth J. Kludt – state legislator and lawyer * Ryan Kraft – NHL player * Mark Ladwig – figure skater * Morrie Lanning – politician and mayor of Moorhead * Brian Lee – NHL player * Warren G. Magnuson – U.S. senator * Thomas McGrath – poet, screenwriter, English professor * Adolph Murie – biologist, author, ecologist * Olaus Murie – biologist, author, ecologist * Wally O'Neill – NFL player *

Collin Peterson Collin Clark Peterson (born June 29, 1944) is an American accountant, politician, and lobbyist who served as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for from 1991 to 2021. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer– ...

– U.S. representative for Minnesota's 7th congressional district (attended college in Moorhead) * Leslie Stefanson – actress * Henry C. Stiening – member of the

Minnesota Senate The Minnesota Senate is the upper house of the Minnesota Legislature, Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. At 67 members, half as many as the Minnesota House of Representatives, it is the largest upper house of any State legislature (Unite ...

and mayor of Moorhead * Karl Truesdell – U.S. Army major general * Merlyn Orville Valan – state legislator * Chris VandeVelde – NHL player * Diane Wray Williams – state legislator * Roy Williams – NFL player * Annella Zervas –

nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service and contemplation, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 5 ...

at Saint Benedict's Monastery and

Servant of God Servant of God () is a title used in the Catholic Church to indicate that an individual is on the first step toward possible canonization as a saint. Terminology The expression ''Servant of God'' appears nine times in the Bible, the first five in ...

In popular culture

Moorhead's pioneer Prairie Home Cemetery on 8th Street was the inspiration for the name of Garrison Keillor's national radio program ''

A Prairie Home Companion ''A Prairie Home Companion'' was a weekly radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor that aired live from 1974 to 2016. In 2016, musician Chris Thile took over as host, and the successor show was eventually renamed ''Live from He ...

''. Although Keillor thought the cemetery was founded by Norwegian Lutherans, it was organized in 1875 by Oscar Elmer, a Yankee Presbyterian minister who was the first ordained Christian minister in the Moorhead area.Elmer, Oscar. Journal. Unpublished manuscript.

References

External links

*
City of Moorhead – Official Website

{{Authority control Cities in Minnesota Cities in Clay County, Minnesota Fargo–Moorhead County seats in Minnesota 1871 establishments in Minnesota Populated places established in 1871