North Dakota Summary

North Dakota is located in the north-central United States, in the heart of the spring wheat belt, where wheat is planted in the spring and harvested in late summer. The state is surpassed only by Kansas in total wheat production. North Dakota begins at Canada’s Manitoba border. It is located on the 100th meridian at US-83, which divides the eastern United States and the arid western deserts. This state is part of the Great Plains and lies at the center of the continent — the geographical center of North America is in Rugby, North Dakota.

Best known for its prairies, North Dakota is diverse, with springs, lakes, forests, and rivers. It is divided into three distinct geological regions. The ranching country of the Missouri Plateau is sculpted with colorful canyons, gorges, and buttes. The farmland of Red River Valley is the remnant of an ice-age glacial lake. This 40-mile-wide strip has some of the world’s richest soils. The Drift Prairie is a gently undulating prairie that lies between these two regions. It provides important breeding habitat for waterbirds.

The early residents of North Dakota were Native Americans. The Cheyenne people occupied the Sheyenne River Valley, the Hidatsa moved to the Missouri River, and the Sioux moved onto the plains. In the late 1700s, Europeans such as La Salle and Henry Hudson claimed territories and began fur trading. The first European settlement was established by Alexander Henry Jr near Pembina in 1801, when he moved his fur post there. By this time, fur trading was opened up with Canada and a trade route was established. After the Indian Wars ended and railroads were built, settlers moved in to take advantage of the area’s rich farmlands. In 1861, when the region became a territory of the United States, it was named for the Dakota people who lived there.

North Dakota’s nickname, “The Peace Garden State,” refers to the International Peace Garden on the border between North Dakota and Manitoba, Canada. It is also called “The Flickertail State,” which refers to the flickertail ground squirrel common to central North Dakota.