Grand Forks – Travel guide at Wikivoyage (2024)

Grand Forks^{[dead link]} is a city in northeast North Dakota, a state in the United States of America. With a population of about 57,000 people in 2017, it's the third largest urban area in the state. There are another 8,600 people in East Grand Forks on the other side of the Red River in Minnesota. Grand Forks is best known for the disastrous flood of 1997 and the productive nearby farms which grow mostly wheat and sugar beets. Grand Forks sits at the center of the former Lake Agassiz which is why this area is so incredibly flat.

• 1 Grand Forks International Airport (GFK ^IATA), 2787 Airport Dr (4.8mi (7.7km) west of I-29 (exit 141) on US 2 or Gateway Dr in Grand Forks.). Is served by:

• Allegiant (Las Vegas, Orlando Sanford Airport, Phoenix-Mesa Airport)
• Delta/Delta Connection (Minneapolis-St Paul)

Alternatively you can fly with more airlines to more desitinaions out of the larger airports in Fargo or Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Greyhound and Jefferson Lines serve Grand Forks. Buses stop at the 2 Metro Transit Center (450 Kittson Ave), which is also the hub for local bus transportation. +1 701 775-4781.

US Highway 2 runs east-west, and Interstate 29 and US 81 run north-south. Fargo is about an hour south, Winnipeg is two hours north, and Minot is three hours west.

See also: Rail travel in the United States

• 3 Grand Forks railway station, 5555 DeMers Ave (western edge of town). 10:30PM-6AM daily. (updated Jan 2021)
  • Amtrak, ☏ +1 215-856-7924, toll-free: +1-800-872-7245. Operates train service around the United States of America. (updated Mar 2022) Route stopping at Grand Forks:
    • Empire Builder operating daily between Seattle/Portland and Chicago including stops at Spokane, Glacier National Park, Fargo, Saint Paul, and Milwaukee. The trains split into separate branches between Seattle and Spokane, and between Portland and Spokane, while operating as trains consisting of train cars from both branches between Spokane and Chicago. Both eastbound and westbound trains arrive at slightly inconvenient times, at midnight and 4:30AM respectively.

Grand Forks has the best bus system in North Dakota, operating Monday–Saturday, and it is adequate for most daytime excursions.

• Cities Area Transit (CAT), ☏ +1 701 746-2600.

• Grand Forks Taxi, 1515 11th Avenue North, ☏ +1 701 780-8890, grandforkstaxi@msn.com. 24hr.
• Nodak Radio Cab Co, 1101 North 5th St, ☏ +1 701 772-3456.
• Red White & Blue Taxi/Shuttle, 2212 Library Circle, ☏ +1 701 746-5008.

• 1 Ralph Engelstad Arena, 801 North Columbia Rd. This has been selected as one of the top 10 sports arenas in the world. It is the home of the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks men's ice hockey team. Attached to it is the Betty Engelstad Arena, home of UND's men basketball and women's basketball and volleyball.

• Sports. High school and college sports abound.
• Theater. Numerous theaters featuring a wide variety of plays and productions. Lots of entertainment comes to town to play at the Alerus, the Ralph Engelstad Arena and the Chester Fritz. Catch a play at the Firehall theatre (a cute, old renovated fire station) or a musical at the Empire.
• Hunting.
• Fishing. In the summer, fish in lakes and rivers. In the winter, try ice fishing.

• 1 Columbia Mall (Columbia Road and 32nd Ave South). Rather small traditional mall given the size of the city.
• 2 Grand Cities Mall, South Washington. Rather large strip mall.
• Grand Forks Marketplace, 32nd Ave S (between 34th Street and I-29). A large collection of strip malls and "big box" stores.

A good place to start looking for restaurants is Downtown — the 100 block of North 3rd Street. There are various coffee shops, pizza places, and other locally owned restaurants in this area. A short walk over the bridge to East Grand Forks is a good followup.

• 1 Sky's, 22 South 3rd St, ☏ +1 701 746-8970. Tu-Sa 5PM-late, closed Su and M. Wonderful food, great wine list, excellent service. Live music often on weekends. Call for reservations. Main dishes $20-30.
• 2 Deek's Pizza, 512 North Washington St, ☏ +1 701 772-3335.
• 3 China Garden Restaurant, 2550 32nd Avenue S, ☏ +1 701 772-0660. Sit-down Chinese restaurant. $7-15.
• 4 Rhombus Guys, 312 Kittson Ave, ☏ +1 701 787-7317. 11AM-2AM. Delicious pizza with a fun atmosphere. $8-18.
• 5 Red Pepper, 1011 University Ave, ☏ +1 701 775-9671. Home of the Grinder. And amazing tacos.
• 6 'l Bistro, 1000 S 42nd St (Part of the CanadInn/Alerus Center complex). Selection of Mediterranean, Italian, and American foods. Live jazz/blues on Thursday nights with 2 for 1 martini and 1/2 price pizza specials.

In its early years, Grand Forks was a dry town, and East Grand Forks was more than happy to pick up the slack. Now the best drinking establishments in town are in the heart of the Downtown district.

• 1 AmeriVu Inn and Suites-Grand Forks, 3051 S 34th St., ☏ +1 701 775-7910, fax: +1 701 775-7910.
• 2 Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites, 4051 32nd Avenue S, ☏ +1 701 772-7700.
• 3 CanadInn, 1000 S 42nd St (Connected to the Alerus Center), ☏ +1 701 772-8404. CanadInn Grand Forks is home to numerous bars/restaurants, an arcade, and the Splasher's of the South Seas water park.

• Winnipeg is two hours north via Interstate 29, and Fargo is about an hour south.
• Turtle River State Park is 20 minutes to the west on US Highway 2. Year-round recreational activities, including camping, picnicking, fishing and trails for hiking, mountain biking and cross country skiing. Rustic group cabins can also be rented.
• Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile State Historic Site near Cooperstown, 1.5-hour drive to the southwest. Preserved deactivated Minuteman II ICBM launch facility (topside only) and guided tours of preserved deactivated "Oscar Zero" Launch Control Center that was part of nuclear deterrent attached to Grand Forks AFB during the Cold War.

Routes through Grand Forks

Minot ← Devils Lake ←	WE	→ Fargo → St. Paul
Winnipeg ← Drayton ← Jct W ←	NS	→ Hillsboro → Fargo
Minot ← Arvilla ←	WE	→ East Grand Forks → Bemidji
Winnipeg ← Grafton ←	NS	→ Hillsboro → Fargo

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