| Official Name: | Fessenden, North Dakota |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Motto: | "Proud Of Our Past Excited About Our Future..." |
| Mapsize: | 250px |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | North Dakota |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Wells |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Kevin Roller |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | 1893 |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 1.14 |
| Area Land Km2: | 1.14 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.00 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 0.44 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 0.44 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.00 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Est: | 458 |
| Pop Est As Of: | 2022 |
| Population Total: | 462 |
| Population Density Km2: | 404.27 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 1047.62 |
| Timezone: | Central (CST) |
| Utc Offset: | −6 |
| Timezone Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | −5 |
| Elevation M: | 491 |
| Elevation Ft: | 1611 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP Code |
| Postal Code: | 58438 |
| Area Code: | 701 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 38-26180 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 1036031 |
Fessenden is a town in and the county seat of Wells County, North Dakota, United States.[2] It was founded in 1893 and is home of the Wells County Fair. The population was 462 at the 2020 census.[3]
Fessenden was founded in 1893 with the arrival of the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad into the area. In 1894, the county seat was transferred to Fessenden from Sykeston, North Dakota[4] and the Wells County Courthouse was built the next year. It was named for ex-Surveyor General Fessenden, who had surveyed the county.[5]
Fessenden Auditorium building on Main Ave. between Railway Street South and 1 Street South has collapsed on July 3, 2007.[6] [7] On April 16, 2009 there was a fire that destroyed a bar, bowling alley, and a cafe, as well as doing some damage to the medical center in Fessenden.[8] Fessenden celebrated its centennial in July 1993.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.45sqmi, all land.[9]
As of the census of 2010, there were 479 people, 236 households, and 138 families residing in the city. The population density was 1064.4PD/sqmi. There were 289 housing units at an average density of 642.2/sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 98.7% White, 0.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, and 0.8% from two or more races.
There were 236 households, of which 17.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.5% were non-families. 37.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.03 and the average family size was 2.62.
The median age in the city was 52.7 years. 17.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 15.7% were from 25 to 44; 32.3% were from 45 to 64; and 30.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.1% male and 49.9% female.
As of the census of 2000, there were 625 people, 279 households, and 171 families residing in the city. The population density was 1378.4sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 306 housing units at an average density of 674.9sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the city was 99.20% White, 0.32% Native American, and 0.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.16% of the population.
There were 279 households, out of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.7% were non-families. 36.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 3.7% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 25.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,750, and the median income for a family was $38,304. Males had a median income of $26,111 versus $16,250 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,303. About 8.2% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 17.4% of those age 65 or over.
This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Fessenden has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.[10]