Community Data Profile
Through the years, Minot, the Ward County seat, has been a railhead and a military center. Today, the community stands strong in diverse sectors that include agriculture, healthcare, education, tourism, and business and retail activity.
LOCATION
Minot is a city in Ward County. It is the county seat located on the Souris River.
| Time Zone: Central | Distance in miles from State lines: |
| Latitutde: 48 degrees, 18 minutes North | Montana: 150 |
| Longitude: 101 degrees, 20 minutes West | Minnesota: 215 |
| Elevation: 1,631 feet | South Dakota: 200 |
| Area: 15.029 sq miles | Canadian International Boundary: 55 |
| Area Code: 701 |
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POPULATION
Year |
Minot |
Ward County |
2000 |
36,567 |
58,795 |
1990 |
34,544 |
57,921 |
1980 |
32,843 |
58,392 |
1970 |
32,290 |
58,560 |
1960 |
30,987 |
47,072 |
1950 |
22,032 |
34,782 |
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CLIMATE
The Minot area has four distinct season - spring, summer, fall and winter. Summers tend to be quite warm and dry, which provides an excellent environment for many of North Dakota's outdoor activities such as golf, fishing, swimming, etc. In the fall, the leaves begin to change to beautiful reds and oranges which can be quite pleasant.
Avg. Temps |
High |
Low |
Winter |
15° F |
-2° F |
Spring |
51° F |
31° F |
Summer |
82° F |
58° F |
Fall |
56° F |
35° F |
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HISTORY
Minot came into existence in 1886, when Jim Hill's Great Northern Railroad ended its push through the state for the winter, after having trouble constructing a trestle across Gassman Coulee. A tent town sprung up over night, as if by magic, thus the city came to be known as the "Magic City". The townsite was chosen by the railroad to be placed on the land of then homesteader Erik Ramstad. Mr. Ramstad was convinced to relinquish his claim, and became one of the city leaders. The town was named after Henry Davis Minot, a railroad investor and friend of Jim Hill. The city was incorporated on June 28, 1887. Minot was a typical western boom town in its early years. The 1950s saw the construction of the Minot Air Force Base, an Air Defense Command Base that later became a Strategic Air Command Bomber & Minuteman missle base. In 1969, a severe flood on the Souris River devastated the city. Following this, the Army Corps of Engineers straightened the path of the river through the city and built several flood control structures.
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EDUCATION
The Minot Public School District has 10 elementary schools located in the city: Bel Air, Edison, Lewis and Clark, Lincoln, Longfellow, McKinley, Roosevelt, Perkett, Sunnyside and Washington. There are also two elementary schools located on the Minot Air Force Base, Dakota and North Plains.
There are two middle schools in the city, Jim Hill and Erik Ramstad. Memorial Middle School is located on Minot Air Force Base
There is one high school on two campuses: Minot High School - Central Campus (for grades 9 and 10) and Minot High School - Magic City Campus (for grades 11 and 12).
Minot Public Schools also offers an Adult Learning Center and Souris River Campus, an alternative school.
For private schools, Minot has a Catholic school system with two elementary schools, St. Leo's and Little Flower, and a combined middle and high school, Bishop Ryan. There is also a Protestant K-12 school, Our Redeemer's Christian School. Minot is also home to Minot State University.
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HOUSING
| Avg. Monthly Rental * | |
| Two bedrooms, two baths, plus electricity | $519 |
| Avg. Purchase Price ** | |
| Three bedrooms, 1,800 sq. ft. | $90,911 |
| Avg. Building Price * | |
| Three bedrooms, 1,800 sq. ft | $193,500 |
* The American Chamber of Commerce Research Association Statistics
** Minot Multiple Listing
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TRANSPORTATION
RAILROADS |
BUS SERVICE |
TAXI SERVICE |
AIR SERVICE |
Amtrak |
Minot City Bus Service |
Minot City Cab |
Northwest Airlines |
Reservations & Scheduling |
701-857-4148 |
11 1st St SE |
Minot International Airport |
400 1st Ave SW |
701-852-8000 |
25 Airport Road |
|
701-852-0358 |
Minot Greyhound Bus Depot |
800-225-2525 |
|
800-872-7245 |
300 18th Ave SW |
Taxi 9000 |
|
701-852-2477 |
500 35st NE |
||
701-852-9000 |
|||
Souris Basin Transportation |
|||
Rural Public Transportation System |
|||
701-852-8008 |
|||
800-927-8318 |
|||
Northland Bus Service |
|||
4105 Burdick Expressway East |
|||
701-839-2400 |
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CHURCHES
Looking for churches? Click here for church directory of churches in Minot.
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RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
| Bowling | Golf Courses | Basketball Courts |
| Numerous Parks | Softball Fields | Walking Trails |
| Playgrounds | Volleyball/Sand Courts | Ice Skating Rinks |
| Swimming Pools | Tennis Courts | Camping Areas |
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NEWS MEDIA
The Minot Daily News is the primary daily paper to Minot. KXMC-TV and KMOT-TV offer live local news coverage for Minot and the surrounding communities.
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UTILITIES
| Electric | Xcel Energy | 1-800-895-4999 |
| Verendrye Electric Corp. | 701-852-0406 |
|
| Natural Gas | Montana-Dakota Utilities | 701-857-6803 |
| Sewer Service | Minot Public Works | 701-857-4140 |
| Water Maintenance | 701-857-4150 |
|
| Solid Waste Disposal | Sanitation Department | 701-857-4140 |
| Water | City Water System | 701-857-4777 |
| Cable Television | Midcontinent Communications | 1-800-888-1300 |
| Telephone Service | SRT Communications, Inc. | 701-858-1200 1-800-737-9130 |
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