North Dakota

Introduction

North Dakota Landscapes

© Rhombus

North Dakota is a state in the midwest of the USA and has about 672,000 inhabitants, ranking it number 48. Only Vermont and Wyoming has less inhabitants. It became one of the US states on November 2, 1889, together with South Dakota.

Geography

North Dakota covers over 183,000 square kilometres and borders Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. The western half of the state consists of the hilly Great Plains, and the northern part of the Badlands to the west of the Missouri River. The state's high point, White Butte at 1,069 metres, and Theodore Roosevelt National Park are located in the Badlands. The region is abundant in fossil fuels including crude oil and lignite coal. The Missouri River forms Lake Sakakawea, the third largest man-made lake in the United States, behind the Garrison Dam. The central region of the state is divided into the Drift Prairie and the Missouri Plateau. The eastern part of the state consists of the flat Red River Valley, the bottom of glacial Lake Agassiz. Its fertile soil, drained by the meandering Red River flowing northward into Lake Winnipeg, supports a large agriculture industry. Devils Lake, the largest natural lake in the state, is also found in the east. Eastern North Dakota is overall flat, however, there are significant hills and buttes in western North Dakota. Most of the state is covered in grassland; crops cover most of eastern North Dakota but are sparse in the center and west. Natural trees in North Dakota are found usually where there is good drainage such as the ravines and valley near the Pembina Gorge and Killdeer Mountains, the Turtle Mountains, the hills around Devil's Lake, in the dunes area of McHenry County in central North Dakota, and along the Sheyenne Valley slopes and the Sheyenne delta.

Regions

• Badlands - Billings, Bowman, Golden Valley, McKenzie, and Slope counties.
• Coteaus and Plains - Barnes, Burleigh, Dickey, Emmons, Foster, Griggs, Kidder, La Moure, Logan, McIntosh, Ransom, Sargent, Stutsman counties.
• Lakes and Gardens - Benson, Eddy, McHenry, McLean, Pierce, Ramsey, Renville, Sheridan, Towner, Ward, Wells counties.
• Red River Valley - Cass, Cavalier, Grand Forks, Nelson, Pembina, Richland, Steele, Traill, Walsh counties.
• Turtle Mountains - Bottineau, Rolette counties.
• Western North Dakota - Adams, Burke, Divide, Dunn, Grant, Hettinger, Mercer, Morton, Mountrail, Oliver, Sioux, Stark, Williams counties.

Cities

• Bismarck, North Dakota's capital, a recreational hot-spot, the scenic Center of North Dakota, and is growing every day
• Dickinson - The crown of the Southwest, gateway to the Badlands
• Fargo, the state's largest city. Home of North Dakota State University, the cultural, medical, and economical center of the state
• Grand Forks - Home to the University of North Dakota
• Jamestown - The Buffalo City, pride of the Prairie
• Mandan
• Minot - The Magic City, the primary city in northwest North Dakota
• Wahpeton
• West Fargo
• Williston - The biggest city on the upper Missouri, and the epicenter for the state's recent oil boom

Sights and Activities

Theodore Roosvelt National Park

Theodore Roosevelt Park, Medora, ND

© kirkleak

Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a United States National Park comprising three geographically separated areas of badlands in western North Dakota. The park was named for U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. The scenery changes constantly in relationship with the seasons. Both main units of the park have scenic drives, approximately 100 miles of foot and horse trails, wildlife viewing, and opportunities for back country hiking and camping. One of the most popular attractions is wildlife viewing. The park is home to a wide variety of Great Plains wildlife including bison, feral horses, elk, bighorn sheep, white-tailed deer and mule deer, prairie dogs, and at least 186 species of birds including golden eagles, sharp-tailed grouse, and wild turkeys. Bison may be dangerous and visitors are advised to view them from a distance. Bison, elk, and bighorn sheep have been successfully reintroduced to the park.

Events and Festivals

Holidays

• New Year’s Eve - The US celebrates the outgoing of the old year and incoming of the New Year quite dramatically. Every state boasts its own parties to ring in the New Year, but none is more extravagant than New York’s Time Square, which sees people overflowing into the neighboring restaurants, bars, parks, beaches, and neighborhoods.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day (officially Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. and sometimes referred to as MLK Day) is an American federal holiday marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year, which is around King's birthday, January 15. The holiday is similar to holidays set under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. The earliest Monday for this holiday is January 15 and the latest is January 21. King was the chief spokesperson for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which successfully protested racial discrimination in federal and state law.
• St Patrick’s Day - March 17 celebrates the US’s large Irish population. Many cities around the country boast boisterous parades and Irish-themed parties, especially New York and Chicago, where the river is dyed green. Be wary of the drunkenness that dominates as this is definitely a party-day.
• Memorial Day - Memorial Day is an important holiday throughout the United States, but not for crazy festivities. Parades commemorating wartime heroes are often held and the day is also the ‘unofficial’ start of summer. Most visitors follow the crowds to parks and beaches, which are capped off with informal BBQs.
• Independence Day - Also known as the Fourth of July, Independence Day celebrates the US’s break from the British during the 18th century. Barbecues, street parties, beach trips, and weekend getaways are commonplace to appreciate freedom.
• Labor Day is a public holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September. It honors the American labor movement and the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, laws, and well-being of the country. It is the Monday of the long weekend known as Labor Day Weekend. It is recognized as a federal holiday. Beginning in the late 19th century, as the trade union and labor movements grew, trade unionists proposed that a day be set aside to celebrate labor.
• Halloween - Halloween is a fun holiday on October 31 for all generations to dress up in costumes and relive their youth. Children walk around the neighborhood trick-or-treating for candy, while adults attend parties. Other seasonal events include haunted houses, pumpkin farms and carving, and corn mazes.
• Thanksgiving - On the fourth Thursday in November, Thanksgiving is held in almost every home in the US. Tourists will have a hard time finding anything to do as the country essentially shuts down in observation. A typical Thanksgiving meal consists of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie commemorating the original Pilgrim’s feast at Plymouth Rock.
• Christmas - On December 25, Christians celebrate Christmas as the pinnacle of their calendar by attending church and opening gifts from Santa Claus. Almost everything shuts down to promote family togetherness. The northern regions hope to experience a “white Christmas,” with trees and festive lights blanketed by snow.

Sport

• Super Bowl Sunday - the world’s most watched sporting event and one of the highest grossing TV days of the year, Superbowl Sunday is a spectacular extravaganza. Held the first Sunday in February, the Superbowl is the final playoff game between the NFL’s top two teams. The venue rotates every year around America, yet the local parties seem to remain. Pubs, bars and restaurants are great places to enjoy the Superbowl or locals throw their own parties with different variations of betting.
• The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in North America, contested since 1903 between the American League (AL) champion team and the National League (NL) champion team. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff, and the winning team is awarded the Commissioner's Trophy. As the series is played during the fall season in North America, it is sometimes referred to as the Fall Classic.

Weather

North Dakota's climate is typical of a continental climate with cold winters and hot summers. The state's location in the Upper Midwest allows it to experience some of the widest variety of weather in the United States, and each of the four seasons has its own distinct characteristics. The eastern half of the state has a humid continental climate with warm to hot, somewhat humid summers and cold, windy winters and the western half has a semi-arid climate with less precipitation and less humidity but similar temperature profiles. Due to its location in the center of North America North Dakota experiences temperature extremes characteristic of a continental climate, with cold winters and mild to hot summers. Hot weather, though usually confined to June, July, and August, can sometimes begin as early as April or May, and could spill over into September. Being 1,600 kilometres from any large body of water (with the exception of Lake Superior), temperatures and precipitation in North Dakota can vary widely. North Dakota is far enough north to experience 51 °C temperatures and blizzards during the winter months, but far enough south to experience 49 °C temperatures in the summer. The 100 °C variation between North Dakota's highest and lowest temperature is the 3rd largest variation of any U.S. State. Average temperatures are mostly around 25-30 °C in summer and -5 °C to -10 °C in winter, with nigths averaging 10-15 °C and -15 °C to -20 °C respectively. Tornadoes are possible in North Dakota from April through October, but the peak tornado month is July, followed by June and August. The state averages 13 tornadoes per year. Depending on location, average annual precipitation ranges from 356mm to 559mm.

Getting There

By Plane

Hector International Airport (FAR) near Fargo has flights to/from Las Vegas, Phoenix, Orlando, Chicago, Minneapolis, Dallas, Salt Lake City and Denver.

Bismarck Municipal Airport (BIS) offers flights to/from [[Las Vegas, Phoenix, Minneapolis and Denver.

By Train

The Empire Builder, operated by Amtrak, travels between Chicago, Illinois and Seattle, Washington, stopping en route in a number of places in North Dakota, including Fargo.

By Car

Interstate 94 runs east-west through the southern side of the state. Interstate 29 runs north-south on the eastern edge of the state.

U.S. Highway 2 runs east-west through the northern side of the state. U.S. Highways 85, 83, 281, and 81 run north-south through the state. U.S. Highway 52 runs northwest-southeast through the state.

For those arriving from Canada, 24-hour customs stations are available at SK 39 (U.S. 52) in Portal, MB 10 (U.S. 281) at the Peace Gardens, and MB 75 (I-29) near Pembina.

By Bus

Check Greyhound buses for options.

Getting Around

By Car

Many international rental companies have a wide selection of rental cars and these include Hertz, Avis, Dollar, Thrifty, Enterprise, Budget and Alamo/National. Most companies will require you are at least 25 years of age, although younger people might be able to rent cars at slightly higher rates and with some insurance differences as well. A national driver's license is usually enough, but an additional international one is recommended. Also note that it usually costs more to include lots of other extra things. For example extra drivers, GPS, the first full tank, SLI (Supplemental Liability Insurance), PAI (Personal Accident Insurance, usually covered already at home), road assistance/service plan, and drop-off costs for one-way rentals.
If you want to book a car, it is recommended that you book your car before arriving in the USA. This is almost always (much) cheaper compared to just showing up. Also, try and book with a so-called 'broker', which usually works together with a few or many car rental companies and can offer the best deal. Some examples include Holidayautos, Holidaycars and Sunny Cars. Some of the cheapest deals to book from Europe, includes Drive-USA, which also has a German version.

For more information and tips about renting cars and campers, additional costs, insurance, traffic rules, scenic routes and getting maps and fuel it is advised to check the USA Getting Around section.

North Dakota has a number of National Scenic Byways which offer a great way to explore the state crossing beautiful landscapes. Mostly, there are lots of national parks, state parks or monuments along the way and it's generally a better alternative than the faster but boring Interstate Highways.

By Bus

Jefferson Bus Line (888-864-2832) has a route that goes along US I-29, which goes north and south.
Greyhound (800-231-2222) goes along the other major interstage, I-94, which goes east and west.
New Town Bus Line (701-852-2477) starts in New Town, ND, heads east on Highway 23 up to Minot, then continues on Highway 2 to Grand Forks. It always runs from Minot to Bismarck on Highway 83.

Sleep

Hotel and Motel Chains

There are dozens of hotel and motel chains, ranging from budget to top end. Allthough they are not the most charming accommodations, they usually have a very decent midrange service with good rooms and are generally good value. At least you know what to expect and in some cases they are either the only or the best option in the area. Some of them include:

• Motel 6
• Super 8
• Days Inn
• Quality Inn
• Red Roof Inn
• Howard Johnson
• Best Western
• La Quinta Inns and Suites
• Holiday Inn
• Econo Lodge
• Travelodge
• Hilton
• Choice Hotels
• Ramada
• Radisson
• Starwood Hotels
• Marriott Hotels

External Links

• Official Governmental Website
• Official Tourism Website