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Jamestown, North Dakota
City
Downtown Jamestown, 2009
World's Largest Buffalo
St. James Basilica
Alfred E. Dickey Free Library
Seiler Building
Official logo of Jamestown, North Dakota
Nickname(s): 
Pride of the Prairie
Location of Jamestown in Stutsman County, North Dakota
Location of Jamestown in Stutsman County, North Dakota
Country United States
State North Dakota
County Stutsman
Settled 1871
Founded 1872
Incorporated 1883
Government
 • Type Council–manager
Area
 • City 13.356 sq mi (34.592 km2)
 • Land 13.296 sq mi (34.437 km2)
 • Water 0.060 sq mi (0.156 km2)
Elevation
1,427 ft (435 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • City 15,849
 • Estimate 
(2023)
 15,691
 • Density 1,180.00/sq mi (455.61/km2)
 • Urban
15,207
 • Metro
21,392 (US: 498th)
Time zone UTC–6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC–5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes
58401, 58402, 58405
Area code(s) 701
FIPS code 38-40580
GNIS feature ID 1036100
Highways ND 20, US 52, I 94, US 281
Sales tax 7.5%

Jamestown is a city in Stutsman County, North Dakota, United States. It's known as the "Pride of the Prairie." About 15,849 people lived there in 2020. This makes it the ninth largest city in North Dakota. Jamestown was officially started in 1883. It is also home to the University of Jamestown.

History of Jamestown

In 1871, a team from the Northern Pacific Railroad set up camp. They were building a new railway line across the James River. The next year, in 1872, the United States Army built Fort Seward. This small fort protected the railroad crossing. It had about 120 soldiers. The fort closed after five years in 1877.

The railroad, however, stayed. It built a repair yard that was a big part of the city's jobs until the 1960s. Jamestown was named by General Thomas Rosser. He named it after Jamestown, Virginia. The city became official in 1883. In 1873, Stutsman County was formed. Jamestown became its main city, called the county seat.

Jamestown, North Dakota (1917)
Jamestown in 1917

Jamestown's Geography and Climate

Jamestown is located where the James River and Pipestem Creek meet. The city covers about 12.87 square miles (33.3 square kilometers). Most of this area is land.

Weather in Jamestown

Jamestown has a typical northern prairie climate. Summers can be warm and humid. Winters are very cold. Snowfall can start as early as October.

Climate data for Jamestown, North Dakota (North Dakota State Hospital) 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1881–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 56
(13)		 65
(18)		 80
(27)		 99
(37)		 107
(42)		 107
(42)		 118
(48)		 107
(42)		 107
(42)		 95
(35)		 78
(26)		 67
(19)		 118
(48)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 42.2
(5.7)		 43.9
(6.6)		 59.3
(15.2)		 76.8
(24.9)		 86.4
(30.2)		 91.2
(32.9)		 94.1
(34.5)		 93.0
(33.9)		 89.2
(31.8)		 79.7
(26.5)		 59.5
(15.3)		 44.6
(7.0)		 96.6
(35.9)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 18.4
(−7.6)		 23.0
(−5.0)		 35.9
(2.2)		 52.7
(11.5)		 66.9
(19.4)		 76.5
(24.7)		 81.6
(27.6)		 80.3
(26.8)		 71.2
(21.8)		 54.8
(12.7)		 37.5
(3.1)		 23.6
(−4.7)		 51.9
(11.1)
Daily mean °F (°C) 9.4
(−12.6)		 13.6
(−10.2)		 26.3
(−3.2)		 41.0
(5.0)		 54.7
(12.6)		 65.2
(18.4)		 70.1
(21.2)		 68.0
(20.0)		 58.7
(14.8)		 44.0
(6.7)		 28.4
(−2.0)		 15.6
(−9.1)		 41.2
(5.1)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 0.4
(−17.6)		 4.2
(−15.4)		 16.7
(−8.5)		 29.4
(−1.4)		 42.5
(5.8)		 53.9
(12.2)		 58.5
(14.7)		 55.7
(13.2)		 46.2
(7.9)		 33.3
(0.7)		 19.3
(−7.1)		 7.6
(−13.6)		 30.6
(−0.8)
Mean minimum °F (°C) −21.3
(−29.6)		 −17.8
(−27.7)		 −5.7
(−20.9)		 15.1
(−9.4)		 29.7
(−1.3)		 43.7
(6.5)		 48.6
(9.2)		 45.8
(7.7)		 31.8
(−0.1)		 18.1
(−7.7)		 1.7
(−16.8)		 −14.3
(−25.7)		 −23.9
(−31.1)
Record low °F (°C) −41
(−41)		 −42
(−41)		 −29
(−34)		 −8
(−22)		 8
(−13)		 25
(−4)		 35
(2)		 29
(−2)		 15
(−9)		 −8
(−22)		 −27
(−33)		 −40
(−40)		 −42
(−41)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.50
(13)		 0.46
(12)		 0.74
(19)		 1.22
(31)		 3.44
(87)		 3.62
(92)		 3.59
(91)		 2.28
(58)		 2.24
(57)		 1.89
(48)		 0.52
(13)		 0.62
(16)		 21.12
(536)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 11.4
(29)		 7.4
(19)		 6.5
(17)		 2.5
(6.4)		 0.4
(1.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 1.9
(4.8)		 4.2
(11)		 11.8
(30)		 46.1
(117)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 5.7 5.8 5.3 7.6 12.1 12.6 10.6 8.2 7.5 7.4 5.5 6.3 94.6
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 4.7 4.8 3.4 0.9 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.8 2.6 5.5 22.9
Source: NOAA

People of Jamestown

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1880 393 —
1890 2,296 484.2%
1900 2,853 24.3%
1910 4,358 52.8%
1920 6,627 52.1%
1930 8,187 23.5%
1940 8,790 7.4%
1950 10,697 21.7%
1960 15,163 41.8%
1970 15,385 1.5%
1980 16,280 5.8%
1990 15,571 −4.4%
2000 15,527 −0.3%
2010 15,427 −0.6%
2020 15,849 2.7%
2023 (est.) 15,691 1.7%
U.S. Decennial Census
2020 Census

In 2022, there were about 6,771 homes in Jamestown. Each home had about 2 people living in it. The average household income was $53,389. About 14.9% of the people lived below the poverty line. About 62% of people had jobs. Most adults (90.5%) had a high school diploma. About 22.1% had a college degree or higher.

Most people in Jamestown reported their background as English (95.9%). Other backgrounds included Spanish (1.7%), Indo-European (1.9%), and Asian (0.3%). The average age in the city was 38.8 years old.

Jamestown's Population in 2020

The 2020 census showed 15,849 people living in Jamestown. There were 6,709 households. The city had 7,493 housing units.

The population was mostly White (89.62%). Other groups included African American (2.81%) and Native American (1.78%). About 3.35% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

About 17.7% of residents were under 18 years old. About 20.5% were 65 years or older.

Jamestown's Economy

Jamestown has a strong economy. It focuses on making things with high accuracy. It also has businesses for food processing, farming, and retail. Some important companies based here include Sunward Steel and ACI. Other big employers are Cavendish Farms and UTC Aerospace Systems. There are also places to repair trucks and heavy equipment.

The Jamestown Stutsman Development Corporation helps new businesses grow. They work on four industrial parks. These parks include Bloom Business Park and Spiritwood Energy Park.

Arts, Culture, and Fun in Jamestown

Fun Places to Visit

James River ND
The James River in Jamestown

The Jamestown Reservoir is a great place for fun. It has three connected artificial lakes. They are 12 miles long. You can enjoy watersports and fishing here.

Jamestown has two 18-hole golf courses. They are Hillcrest Golf Course and Jamestown Country Club. The Jamestown Civic Center hosts concerts and sports games. It is also home to the North Dakota Sports Hall of Fame. Jack Brown Stadium is a historic baseball park.

There are also two disc golf courses. One is an 18-hole course in Klaus Park. The other is a 27-hole championship course on an island in the Jamestown Reservoir.

The Jamestown Arts Center is in downtown. It has art shows all year. It also has a community theater and art classes. You can find a ceramics studio and an outdoor Art Park there.

Jamestown is famous for the World's Largest Buffalo. This is a huge 26-foot tall sculpture of an American bison. You can also visit the National Buffalo Museum nearby.

Education in Jamestown

Schools for Kids and Teens

Jamestown Public Schools serves the city. It has five elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. There is also an alternative high school. Louis L'Amour Elementary School is named after the famous writer Louis L'Amour. He was born in Jamestown.

There are also two private elementary schools. Saint John's Academy is a Catholic school for grades K-6. Hillcrest School is a Seventh-day Adventist school.

Colleges and Universities

UnruhSheldon
The Unruh and Sheldon Center at the University of Jamestown

The University of Jamestown is a private college. It was started by the Presbyterian Church. It is on the north side of town. In 2021, about 908 students attended. It is known as a top college in the region. It has been open to both boys and girls since it started in 1883.

The college first opened in September 1886. It closed for a short time due to money problems. But it reopened in September 1909. This happened as more people moved to the state. Jamestown College became a successful school. It was the only college between Fargo, ND, and Missoula, MT, for a long time.

Special Education Support

The Anne Carlsen Center North Campus is on the northwest side of the city. It helps children with severe disabilities. It is a privately funded school. In 2024, the Anne Carlsen Center moved to a new campus in southwest Jamestown. It is a leading center for helping and teaching children with special needs.

Media in Jamestown

Newspapers

The local daily newspaper is the Jamestown Sun.

Television Channels

Channel Digital
Channel		 Call sign Affiliation Owner City Notes
2 K02DD ABC Forum Communications Jamestown (rebroadcasts WDAY Fargo)
7 (RF 7) KJRR Fox Red River Broadcasting Jamestown (rebroadcasts KVRR Fargo)
19 (RF 20) KJRE PBS Prairie Public Broadcasting Ellendale

Radio Stations

AM Radio Stations

AM radio stations
Frequency Call sign Name Format Owner City
600 AM KSJB – Classic country Chesterman Communications Jamestown
1400 AM KQDJ Dakota Country Radio Full service Ingstad Family Media Jamestown

FM Radio Stations

FM radio stations
Frequency Call sign Name Format Owner Target city/market City of license
88.1 FM KJKR Jimmie Knight Radio Campus radio University of Jamestown Jamestown Jamestown
89.1 FM K214BX – Christian
K-Love (WAFR) translator		 K-Love Jamestown Jamestown
89.9 FM K214BX – Christian
AFR (WAFR) translator		 American Family Association Jamestown Jamestown
90.7 FM KCBJ – Christian Fargo Baptist Church / Cornerstone Baptist Church Jamestown Jamestown
91.5 FM KPRJ – Prairie Public/NPR
News/classical music		 Prairie Public Broadcasting Jamestown Jamestown
93.3 FM KSJZ Mix 93.3 Hot Adult Contemporary Chesterman Communications Jamestown Jamestown
95.5 FM KYNU Big Dog Country Country i3G Media Jamestown/Valley City Jamestown
97.1 FM K246AM Ted FM Classic Hits
KRVX-HD2 translator		 i3G Media Jamestown Jamestown
98.3 FM KXGT Thunder 106.1 & 98.3 (simulcast of KQLX-FM) Country i3G Media Jamestown Carrington
101.1 FM KQDJ Q101 Top 40 (CHR) i3G Media Jamestown/Valley City Valley City
103.1 FM KRVX 103.1 The Raven Rock i3G Media Jamestown/Valley City Wimbledon
107.1 FM K296HH Jamestown 107.1 Soft AC
KQDJ-AM translator		 i3G Media Jamestown Jamestown

Transportation in Jamestown

Air Travel

Jamestown Regional Airport offers flights to Devils Lake, North Dakota and Denver, Colorado. It also handles private chartered flights.

Main Roads

  • I-94.svg Interstate 94
  • US 52.svg U.S. Highway 52
  • US 281.svg U.S. Highway 281
  • North Dakota 20.svg North Dakota Highway 20

Local and City Transit

Jefferson Lines provides bus service to other cities. For local travel, James River Public Transit offers a "dial-a-ride" service. You can call them to arrange a ride. The fare is $2.50. They operate Monday to Thursday from 6:15 AM to 6:00 PM. On Friday, they run until 7:00 PM. On Saturday, it's 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. On Sunday, it's 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

Famous People from Jamestown

  • James Harvey Brown (1906–1995), a city council member and judge.
  • Anne Carlsen (1915–2002), an educator and advocate for people with disabilities. The Anne Carlsen Center is named after her.
  • Alf Clausen, a composer for TV shows like The Simpsons.
  • Edward P. J. Corbett, an English professor.
  • William E. DePuy, a U.S. Army general.
  • Alfred Dickey (1846–1901), the first Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota.
  • Willis Downs, a Medal of Honor recipient.
  • Roy S. Durstine (1886–1962), co-founder of a big advertising agency.
  • Darin Erstad, a former Major League Baseball player.
  • Michael John Fitzmaurice, a Medal of Honor recipient from the Vietnam War.
  • John Grabinger, a North Dakota Senator.
  • Travis Hafner, a former Major League Baseball player.
  • Richard Hieb, an astronaut.
  • George W. Johnson, a university president.
  • Anton Klaus, a mayor of Green Bay, Wisconsin.
  • John Knauf, a judge on the North Dakota Supreme Court.
  • Louis L'Amour, a famous author.
  • Peggy Lee, a jazz singer and composer.
  • Lewis Marquardt, a South Dakota state representative.
  • Barbara McClintock, a children's book illustrator.
  • Jim Ramstad, a Minnesota politician.
  • Floyd Roberts, winner of the 1938 Indianapolis 500.
  • Ronda Rousey, a famous fighter and wrestler.
  • Myrna Sharlow, an opera singer.
  • Rodney Stark, a sociologist of religion.
  • Shadoe Stevens, a radio personality.
  • Mya Taylor, an actress.
  • Charles F. Thompson, a U.S. Army major general.
  • Harley Venton, an actor.
  • Charles Lewis Camp, a paleontologist and zoologist.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Jamestown (Dakota del Norte) para niños

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