We all love the biggest cities that the Peace Garden State has to offer. You know the places like Fargo and Bismarck which make all the headlines.
But there are a bunch of other great large cities in North Dakota that don't get as much love.
We're going to change that right now.
Using the most recent Census data, we can tell you about all the places in North Dakota with a focus on the biggest. We update the data each year and this is our fourth time doing this.
The Largest Cities In North Dakota For 2026:
You can click here to see a full table of the 100 biggest cities in North Dakota, along with every other place over 1,000 people big. It is sortable by clicking on the headers.
Read on below to see more on the biggest cities. Or for more reading on places to live in North Dakota, check out:
- Best Places To Live In North Dakota
- Cheapest Places To Live In North Dakota
- Most Dangerous Cities In North Dakota
The 10 Biggest Cities In North Dakota
/10
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Population: 131,627.0
Population 2010: 102,527
Growth: 28.4%
More on Fargo: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Population: 75,556.0
Population 2010: 59,988
Growth: 26.0%
More on Bismarck: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Population: 59,042.0
Population 2010: 52,294
Growth: 12.9%
More on Grand Forks: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Population: 47,791.0
Population 2010: 39,054
Growth: 22.4%
More on Minot: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Population: 40,094.0
Population 2010: 23,868
Growth: 68.0%
More on West Fargo: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Population: 28,056.0
Population 2010: 13,852
Growth: 102.5%
More on Williston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Population: 25,357.0
Population 2010: 17,168
Growth: 47.7%
More on Dickinson: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Population: 24,522.0
Population 2010: 17,813
Growth: 37.7%
More on Mandan: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Population: 15,787.0
Population 2010: 15,292
Growth: 3.2%
More on Jamestown: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Rank Last Year: 10 (No Change)
Population: 8,010.0
Population 2010: 7,853
Growth: 2.0%
More on Wahpeton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
How We Determined The Largest Cities In North Dakota
We've been ranking and dissecting cities in the Peace Garden State for over 4 years now -- making this actually the fourth time we've run the numbers. We always use the best data, the US Census. In this case, that means we are using the American Community Survey.
It what is probably the most simple analysis we run each year, we ranked every place in North Dakota from biggest to smallest. The biggest city this year? That would be Fargo.
The smallest? Kenmare, although there are places smaller than 1,000 people not listed here, so keep that in mind as we take a look at the top ten.
Now on to numbers 11-100 Biggest in North Dakota
We hope that you find the big city, or really any city, that's right for you. Below is a list of the rest of the biggest cities along with every other place in North Dakota.
Have fun snacking around in the Peace Garden State!
For more reading on North Dakota, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In North Dakota
- Best Places To Retire In North Dakota
- Richest Cities In North Dakota
- Safest Places In North Dakota
- Worst Places To Live In North Dakota
- Most Expensive Places To Live In North Dakota
Detailed List Of The Biggest Cities In North Dakota
| Rank | City | Current Population | 2010 | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fargo | 131,627.0 | 102,527 | 28.4% |
| 2 | Bismarck | 75,556.0 | 59,988 | 26.0% |
| 3 | Grand Forks | 59,042.0 | 52,294 | 12.9% |
| 4 | Minot | 47,791.0 | 39,054 | 22.4% |
| 5 | West Fargo | 40,094.0 | 23,868 | 68.0% |
| 6 | Williston | 28,056.0 | 13,852 | 102.5% |
| 7 | Dickinson | 25,357.0 | 17,168 | 47.7% |
| 8 | Mandan | 24,522.0 | 17,813 | 37.7% |
| 9 | Jamestown | 15,787.0 | 15,292 | 3.2% |
| 10 | Wahpeton | 8,010.0 | 7,853 | 2.0% |
| 11 | Devils Lake | 7,308.0 | 7,040 | 3.8% |
| 12 | Valley City | 6,541.0 | 6,558 | -0.3% |
| 13 | Watford City | 6,039.0 | 1,746 | 245.9% |
| 14 | Minot Afb | 4,878.0 | 5,701 | -14.4% |
| 15 | Horace | 4,588.0 | 2,250 | 103.9% |
| 16 | Lincoln | 4,381.0 | 2,134 | 105.3% |
| 17 | Grafton | 4,102.0 | 4,312 | -4.9% |
| 18 | Beulah | 3,040.0 | 3,092 | -1.7% |
| 19 | Casselton | 2,953.0 | 2,205 | 33.9% |
| 20 | New Town | 2,721.0 | 1,635 | 66.4% |
| 21 | Rugby | 2,481.0 | 2,779 | -10.7% |
| 22 | Hazen | 2,453.0 | 2,444 | 0.4% |
| 23 | Lisbon | 2,259.0 | 2,205 | 2.4% |
| 24 | Bottineau | 2,205.0 | 2,445 | -9.8% |
| 25 | Carrington | 2,168.0 | 2,125 | 2.0% |
| 26 | Stanley | 2,097.0 | 1,758 | 19.3% |
| 27 | Grand Forks Afb | 1,987.0 | 2,874 | -30.9% |
| 28 | Mayville | 1,976.0 | 1,780 | 11.0% |
| 29 | Oakes | 1,858.0 | 2,018 | -7.9% |
| 30 | Langdon | 1,782.0 | 1,786 | -0.2% |
| 31 | Surrey | 1,721.0 | 1,034 | 66.4% |
| 32 | Hillsboro | 1,704.0 | 1,635 | 4.2% |
| 33 | Harvey | 1,679.0 | 1,753 | -4.2% |
| 34 | Tioga | 1,657.0 | 1,222 | 35.6% |
| 35 | Belcourt | 1,547.0 | 1,558 | -0.7% |
| 36 | Washburn | 1,507.0 | 1,318 | 14.3% |
| 37 | Bowman | 1,499.0 | 1,719 | -12.8% |
| 38 | Park River | 1,458.0 | 1,434 | 1.7% |
| 39 | Cavalier | 1,426.0 | 1,609 | -11.4% |
| 40 | Garrison | 1,397.0 | 1,286 | 8.6% |
| 41 | Mapleton | 1,352.0 | 658 | 105.5% |
| 42 | New Rockford | 1,260.0 | 1,210 | 4.1% |
| 43 | Hettinger | 1,250.0 | 1,181 | 5.8% |
| 44 | Shell Valley | 1,243.0 | 1,244 | -0.1% |
| 45 | Larimore | 1,240.0 | 1,555 | -20.3% |
| 46 | Cando | 1,164.0 | 1,216 | -4.3% |
| 47 | Thompson | 1,138.0 | 848 | 34.2% |
| 48 | Velva | 1,083.0 | 1,038 | 4.3% |
| 49 | Burlington | 1,067.0 | 1,044 | 2.2% |
| 50 | Crosby | 1,065.0 | 1,003 | 6.2% |
| 51 | Northwood | 1,046.0 | 912 | 14.7% |
| 52 | Rolla | 1,039.0 | 1,206 | -13.8% |
| 53 | Fort Totten | 1,038.0 | 1,200 | -13.5% |
| 54 | Ellendale | 1,033.0 | 1,270 | -18.7% |
| 55 | Reile's Acres | 1,032.0 | 581 | 77.6% |
| 56 | Kenmare | 1,002.0 | 1,022 | -2.0% |