| Greater Grand Forks The Grand Cities The Forks | |
| Official Name: | Grand Forks, ND-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area |
| Settlement Type: | Metropolitan statistical area |
| Map Alt: | Map of Grand Forks–East Grand Forks, ND–MN |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | North Dakota Minnesota |
| Subdivision Type2: | Largest city |
| Subdivision Name2: | Grand Forks, ND |
| Subdivision Type3: | Other cities |
| Subdivision Name3: | East Grand Forks, MN Crookston, MN |
| Unit Pref: | US |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 3408 |
| Elevation Max Ft: | 840 feet at Airport |
| Elevation Max M: | 256 meters |
| Elevation Min Ft: | 779 feet at Red River of the North |
| Elevation Min M: | 237 meters |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Est: | 103462 |
| Pop Est As Of: | 2021 |
| Pop Est Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 104362 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 28 |
| Population Density Km2: | N/A |
| Population Rank: | 351th in the U.S. |
| Timezone1: | CST |
| Utc Offset1: | -6 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | -5 |
| Area Codes: | 218 and 701 |
"Greater Grand Forks" (officially the Grand Forks, ND-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area) is the name used by some people to designate the twin cities of Grand Forks, North Dakota and East Grand Forks, Minnesota, together with their surrounding areas. The two cities lie directly across from each other on both sides of the Red River of the North, but Grand Forks, with a population of 59,166, is more than five times larger than East Grand Forks, with a population of 9,176. The metropolitan area includes all of the related two counties in the two states: Grand Forks County in North Dakota and Polk County in Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the MSA had a population of 104,362, and in 2021 estimates placed the total population at 103,462.[1]
The metropolitan area is also sometimes called "The Forks." Several years ago local promoters attempted to "brand" the metropolitan area as "The Grand Cities." This name has not found widespread use in the area, although several buildings and organizations now bear the "Grand Cities" title. Occasionally, the city of Grand Forks uses the nickname "The Sunflake City."
According to the 2006–2008 American Community Survey, the population of the Greater Grand Forks metro area was 97,260, of which 50.9% were male and 49.1% were female.
According to the same survey, the racial composition was as follows:
According to the 2006–2008 American Community Survey, the top ten European ancestry groups were the following:
The Grand Forks Public Schools system serves Grand Forks and Grand Forks Air Force Base. The district consists of 12 elementary schools, four middle schools, two high schools, an alternative high school, an adult learning center, and a Head Start program.
The East Grand Forks School District serves East Grand Forks and the surrounding rural areas. The district consists of two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school.
The Crookston School District 593 serves Crookston and the surrounding rural areas. The district consists of two elementary schools and a high school.
In Grand Forks, St. Michael's Catholic Church and Holy Family Catholic Church both have Catholic elementary schools. There are no Catholic middle or high schools in Grand Forks, but East Grand Forks is home to Sacred Heart Catholic Church's school, which educates from kindergarten through the 12th grade. East Grand Forks is also home to Riverside Christian School, a nondenominational elementary school.
*also has a campus in Thief River Falls, Minnesota
See Media in Grand Forks, North Dakota for a list of newspapers, television stations, and radio stations
The major daily newspaper is the Grand Forks Herald. The only other daily newspaper in the area is the Crookston Daily Times of Crookston. The Exponent of East Grand Forks is a weekly newspaper. The Dakota Student is a campus newspaper published twice a week (during the school year) by students of the University of North Dakota. There are also several other weekly newspapers in the area including the Hillsboro Banner.
The metropolitan area receives all major broadcast networks over the air, along with cable, and satellite television. The major cable television company is Midcontinent Communications.
The only broadcast stations based in the metro area are WDAZ-TV 8 (ABC) and KCPM 27 (MNTV). KVLY-TV and KRDK-TV both have news bureaus in Grand Forks, though the stations are based in Fargo.
Local TV stations include:
See Media in Grand Forks, North Dakota for a list of all radio stationsThere are several radio stations available in the area. All of the commercial radio stations in Grand Forks are owned by either Clear Channel Communications or Leighton Broadcasting. The area is also served by stations of North Dakota Public Radio (KUND 89.3 FM and KFJM 90.7 FM) and Minnesota Public Radio (KQMN 91.5 FM classical music and KNTN 102.7 FM news/talk). Several religious organizations have Christian radio stations throughout the area.