Best Web Design in Grand Forks, ND (2026)
Web design for Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Web Design for Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks sits at the confluence of the Red River of the North and the Red Lake River, the geography that gave it its name and its French nickname 'Les Grandes Fourches.' It is North Dakota's third-largest city and a hub for higher education, agriculture, and defense, anchored by the University of North Dakota and Grand Forks Air Force Base. The city is defined by its recovery from the catastrophic 1997 Red River flood, which reshaped its downtown and riverfront.
AppWT works with Grand Forks, ND businesses from Livonia, Michigan, mostly online and travelling as needed.
About Grand Forks
Also known as. The Grand Cities (paired with East Grand Forks, Minnesota). The Forks. Les Grandes Fourches (original French traders' name).
History. French explorers, fur trappers, and traders called the river junction 'Les Grandes Fourches' ('The Grand Forks'); the name was anglicized when the first post office opened June 15, 1870. In late 1870, a steamboat captained by Alexander Griggs froze into the Red River, forcing his crew to winter over; Griggs claimed a nine-acre townsite that became downtown Grand Forks and is regarded as the city's founder. The city grew rapidly after the St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railway (Great Northern Railway) arrived in 1880 and the Northern Pacific Railway in 1887; the city was incorporated February 22, 1881. The University of North Dakota was established in 1883, six years before North Dakota achieved statehood. The April 1997 Red River flood overwhelmed the city; at the flood's peak a downtown fire destroyed 11 buildings, and the disaster forced the evacuation of most of the population.
Local economy. The University of North Dakota is the largest employer in the metro area (about 5,562 employees). Altru Health System (about 3,400 employees) anchors regional health care. Grand Forks Air Force Base, just west of the city, employs roughly 2,897 and adds a large civilian workforce to its military personnel. The state-owned North Dakota Mill and Elevator is the nation's largest flour mill. J.R. Simplot operates a major potato-processing plant (about 440 employees); LM Wind Power manufactures wind turbine blades (about 560 employees). The economy has broadened from its agricultural roots into education, defense, health care, manufacturing, food processing, and scientific research.
Culture and community. UND men's ice hockey is the cultural centerpiece, an eight-time NCAA champion that plays at the Ralph Engelstad Arena. UND teams were the 'Fighting Sioux' from 1930 until the name was retired in 2012 under NCAA pressure; on November 18, 2015, 'Fighting Hawks' won a public vote with 57.24% to become the new nickname. The North Dakota Museum of Art on the UND campus hosts nationally touring exhibits alongside regional artists. The Chester Fritz Auditorium and Empire Arts Center are the city's leading performing-arts venues; the Alerus Center hosts major concerts and events. Whitey's Cafe and Lounge in East Grand Forks is a long-running Art Deco landmark eatery for the Grand Cities.
What makes Grand Forks distinct. The Grand Forks Herald never missed a day of publication during the 1997 flood, even as its building burned and flooded, and won the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. Its record low temperature is -43 degrees F (January 11, 1912) and record high is 109 degrees F (July 12, 1936). Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, Minnesota, straddle the state line as twin 'Grand Cities.' UND hockey has reached the Frozen Four and won eight national titles, extraordinary for a city of under 60,000.
Grand Forks Landmarks and Local Life
- Ralph Engelstad Arena - a lavish hockey arena that opened in 2001 and cost over $100 million
- Alerus Center - a large events and convention venue opened in 2001
- North Dakota Mill and Elevator - the 1920s-era complex that is the nation's largest flour mill
- Chester Fritz Auditorium and the North Dakota Museum of Art on the UND campus.
- The Greater Grand Forks Greenway - a flood-control park system built along the rivers after the 1997 flood
- Downtown Grand Forks historic district along the Red River.
Local Profile: Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks grew where the Red River of the North meets the Red Lake River, a junction French traders called Les Grandes Fourches. The name was anglicized when the first post office opened on June 15, 1870. Late that year a steamboat captained by Alexander Griggs froze into the river, his crew wintered over, and the townsite Griggs claimed became downtown. Rails reached the town in 1880 with the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway, a line later folded into the Great Northern, and the city was incorporated on February 22, 1881.
The University of North Dakota was established in 1883, six years before statehood, and its men's hockey team, an eight-time NCAA champion, plays at Ralph Engelstad Arena. The Chester Fritz Auditorium and the North Dakota Museum of Art share the campus. The state-owned North Dakota Mill and Elevator here is the largest flour mill in the nation, Grand Forks Air Force Base lies just west of the city, and the Greater Grand Forks Greenway park system follows the rivers. Across the Red River, East Grand Forks, Minnesota completes the pair known as the Grand Cities.
Planning a website in Grand Forks? Contact AppWT or call (888) 565-0171.
