Quick Facts
Quick Links: Geography, Agriculture, Energy, Water, Business, Education, Population
Total Land Area |
70,704 square miles |
State Ranking in Land Area |
18th |
Geographic Center |
5 miles SW of McClusky |
Highest Elevation |
3,506 feet, White Butte, Slope County |
Lowest Elevation |
750 feet, Red River, Pembina County |
Largest Natural Lake |
Devils Lake |
Largest Man-Made Lake |
Lake Sakakawea |
Largest River |
Missouri River |
Longest River |
Sheyenne River |
Quick Facts |
|
| North Dakota production agriculture generates over $5.8 billion in cash receipts each year. |
| Production agriculture is the largest sector of North Dakota's economy, making up to 25% of the economic base. |
| Nearly 24% of North Dakota workers are farmers and ranchers or are employed in farm-related jobs. |
| North Dakota has 32,000 farms and ranches. The average size of a North Dakota farm is 1,240 acres. |
| 39.4 million acres—nearly 90% of North Dakota's land area—is in farms and ranches |
| North Dakota farms provide food and habitat for 75% of the state's wildlife. |
Quick Facts |
| North Dakota is the 4th largest oil producing state behind Texas, Alaska, and California. |
| There are 17 counties in the state with commercial oil production. The leading counties include Mountrail, McKenzie, Dunn, Bowman, Williams, and Billings. |
| Oil and gas exploration has occurred at some point in every county in the state except Traill County. |
| Western North Dakota has enough lignite reserves to supply the state's generating plants for more than 800 years. |
| Natural gas production is the 6th largest industry in North Dakota. |
| North Dakota has the potential to produce 1.2 billion kilowatt hours of electricity from wind energy per year—more than any other state. |
| The electricity generated from North Dakota's lignite-based power plants is used by more than 2 million customers in the Upper Midwest. |
Quick Facts |
| 2 percent, or 1,403 square miles, of North Dakota's surface area is covered by water. |
| North Dakota lakes and reservoirs total nearly 863,000 acres. |
| There are approximately 2.5 million acres classified as wetlands in North Dakota. |
| North Dakota's major rivers, and their tributaries, total approximately 5,100 river miles. |
| The Sheyenne River, a major tributary of the Red River, is 506 miles long, making it the longest river in North Dakota. |
| 94 percent of the cities in North Dakota rely on ground water from municipal systems, private wells, and rural water wells. |
| 60 percent of the total water consumed in North Dakota is for irrigation. |
| 5 percent of the state's population, or about 32,000 people, live in a flood plain. |
| Record-breaking flooding along the Red River in 1997 caused nearly $4 billion in damages and rebuilding, including more than $2 billion in damages to Grand Forks-East Grand Forks. |
| The Little Missouri River is the only river designated as a State Scenic River by the North Dakota Legislative Assembly. |
Quick Facts |
| North Dakota has a good business climate because of low taxes, good transportation, and a skilled and educated workforce. |
| North Dakota has four major commercial airports located in Fargo, Bismarck, Grand Forks, and Minot. |
| Tourism is North Dakota's second largest industry, bringing in more than $4 billion in new wealth to the state. |
| The Bobcat Company is North Dakota's largest manufacturer. |
| Amtrak serves seven North Dakota cities, with Minot leading the number of riders each year. |
| National information technology companies have found North Dakota a good place to do business. Microsoft and Navteq, as examples, employ more than 1,500 people. |
| Value-added agriculture has become big business in the last 20 years. |
Quick Facts |
Number of Public School Students—2010 |
96,255 |
Number of Public School Districts—2010 |
183 |
Number of Private School Students—2010 |
6,381 |
Number of Private Schools—2010 |
53 |
Percentage of Public School Students in 8 Largest School Districts—2010 |
53% |
Number of One-Room Country Schools—2010 |
5 |
Number of One-Room Country Schools—1940 |
3,392 |
North Dakota High School Graduation Rate |
84% |
Number of Colleges in the North Dakota University System (NDUS) |
11 |
Number of Tribal Colleges |
5 |
Number of Private Colleges and Universities |
3 |
Number of Students Enrolled in the 11 Public Colleges and Universities—2010 |
48,120 |
Number of Students Enrolled in the 5 Tribal Colleges—2010 |
2,107 |
Number of Students Enrolled in the 3 Private Colleges and Universities—2010 |
4,229 |
Percentages of All NDUS Students Enrolled at UND and NDSU—2010 |
60% |
Quick Facts |
|
*Data based on 2010 Census Bureau information and updates.
