Moorhead, Minnesota facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Moorhead, Minnesota
City
Downtown Moorhead Hjemkomst Center St. John the Divine Episcopal Church Rourke Art Museum Fairmont Creamery Comstock House Randolph M. Probstfield House
Motto(s):  "Your Hometown"
Location within Clay County
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
County	Clay
Settled	1871
Incorporated (village)	February 25, 1875
Incorporated (city)	February 24, 1881
Area
• City	22.290 sq mi (57.731 km2)
• Land	22.283 sq mi (57.712 km2)
• Water	0.007 sq mi (0.019 km2)
Elevation	909 ft (277 m)
Population  (2020)
• City	44,505
• Estimate  ({{{pop_est_as_of}}})	45,202
• Density	2,028.48/sq mi (783.20/km2)
• Urban	216,214 (US: 177th)
• Metro	262,620 (US: 189th)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes	56560, 56561, 56562, 56563
Area code(s)	218
FIPS code	27-43864
GNIS feature ID	2395392
Sales tax	7.875%

Moorhead is a city in Minnesota, United States. It is the main city of Clay County. Moorhead sits on the banks of the Red River of the North. This area, called the Red River Valley, is known for its rich farmland.

Moorhead is also home to many businesses and factories. It is right across the river from Fargo, North Dakota. Together, Moorhead and Fargo form a large metropolitan area. In 2020, about 44,505 people lived in Moorhead. The city is a major center for higher education in Minnesota. It has Minnesota State University Moorhead, Concordia College, and a campus of Minnesota State Community and Technical College.

The city was planned in 1871. It was named after William Galloway Moorhead. He was an official for the Northern Pacific Railway.

History of Moorhead

Moorhead Readiness Center in North Moorhead.

Moorhead was officially started in 1871. It was named after William Galloway Moorhead. He worked for the Northern Pacific Railway. He was also the brother-in-law of a famous financier, Jay Cooke.

Federal Building - U.S. Post Office in Moorhead.

An old building in Moorhead, the former Moorhead Armory, was supposed to host a concert. Famous musicians like Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper were going to play there. Sadly, they died in a plane crash in 1959 before reaching Moorhead. The building was torn down in 1990. Now, a senior living center stands there.

Moorhead is special for another reason. It was home to the very first Dairy Queen to sell Dilly Bars! The Moorhead Dairy Queen is also unique. It has a special agreement from 1949. This allows it to sell items not found at other Dairy Queens. One example is the "chipper sandwich." It's vanilla ice cream between two chocolate chip cookies, dipped in chocolate.

Law Enforcement Center on 11th Street North.

Geography and Climate

Moorhead is next to the Red River in the Red River Valley. The land around Moorhead and Fargo is very flat. It is also some of the best land for farming in the world. This is because it used to be the bottom of a huge ancient lake called Lake Agassiz. This lake dried up many thousands of years ago.

The city covers about 22.29 square miles (57.73 square kilometers). Most of this area is land.

Moorhead's Climate

Moorhead has a climate with warm, humid summers. The winters are very cold. The city gets about 53 inches of snow each year.

People of Moorhead

Front Street, 1916

In 2020, Moorhead had 44,505 people living there. There were about 17,063 households. The city is home to people from many different backgrounds. Most residents are White. There are also many African American, Native American, and Asian residents. About 5.3% of the population is Hispanic or Latino. About 23% of the people living in Moorhead are under 18 years old.

Getting Around Moorhead

Moorhead offers several ways to travel. You can find intercity buses, trains, and air travel in nearby Fargo. For getting around Moorhead itself, there is a public bus system called MATBUS.

Major roads in Moorhead include Interstate 94 and U.S. Highways 10, 52, and 75. Other nearby roads are Interstate 29 and Minnesota State Highway 336.

Churches in Moorhead

Moorhead has many different churches. Here are some of them:

• Roman Catholic: St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, St. Joseph's Catholic Church
• Evangelical Lutheran in America: Christ the King Lutheran Church, Lutheran Church Of The Good Shepherd, Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Trinity Lutheran Church
• Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod: Ascension Lutheran Church, Our Redeemer Lutheran Church
• Lutheran Brethren: Triumph Lutheran Brethren Church
• Baptist: Brookdale Baptist Church, Moorhead Baptist Church
• Episcopal: St. John the Divine Episcopal Church
• Evangelical Free: Red River Valley Chinese Christian Church, Salem Evangelical Free Church
• United Church of Christ: First Congregational United Church of Christ
• United Methodist: Grace United Methodist Church
• Presbyterian: First Presbyterian Church
• Restorationism: Valley Christian Church
• Apostolic: LifePoint Sanctuary
• Seventh-Day Adventist: Moorhead Seventh-Day Adventist
• Other denominations: Ignite Church

Moorhead's Economy

Farming is still very important in the Moorhead area. But Moorhead also has many important companies and factories. These include American Crystal Sugar, which processes sugar beets, and Busch Agricultural Resources, which makes malt. Pactiv is another company that makes containers. Moorhead usually has a low unemployment rate. This means many people have jobs.

Top Employers in Moorhead

Here are some of the biggest employers in Moorhead:

• Moorhead Area Public Schools
• Concordia College
• Minnesota State University Moorhead
• American Crystal Sugar Company
• Creative Care for Reaching Independence (CCRI)
• Eventide Lutheran Home
• Cash Wise Foods
• City of Moorhead
• Minnesota State Community and Technical College
• Access of Red River Valley

Arts and Culture in Moorhead

Moorhead has a lively arts and culture scene.

Art and Museums

The Rourke Art Gallery and Museum is a key cultural spot in Moorhead. It shows art from local, regional, and national artists. The museum is located in the old Moorhead Post Office building.

The Comstock House is a historic house museum. It was built in 1883 and shows off Queen Anne and Eastlake styles. Solomon Comstock, a lawyer and U.S. House Representative, lived here.

The Hjemkomst Center

Replica of Norwegian stave church at the Hjemkomst Center.

The Hjemkomst Center is a local museum. It has a full-size copy of a Viking ship called the Hjemkomst. This ship was built by Robert Asp, a Moorhead resident. After he passed away, his children sailed the ship all the way to Norway in 1982! The ship is now kept at the center.

The Clay County Museum and Archives is also at the Hjemkomst Center. It tells the story of Clay County. It has over 30,000 historical items.

On the grounds of the Hjemkomst Center, you can also see a stave church. This church is built in a traditional Norwegian style. It is a full-size copy of the Hopperstad Stave Church in Norway. It reminds people of the Norwegian heritage in the area.

Theaters and Performing Arts

The Bluestem Amphitheater is a large outdoor theater with 3,000 seats. It opened in 2009. Many famous bands like Wilco and The Beach Boys have played concerts here.

The Bluestem Amphitheater is also home to Trollwood Performing Arts School. This is a well-known summer arts program for students of all ages.

The Gooseberry Park Players is a theater group for young people aged 11–18. They put on a show every summer. Theatre B offers different plays and programs for the community.

Parks and Recreation

Moorhead has great parks for outdoor fun.

• Gooseberry Mound Park has a playground. In winter, you can find cross-country ski trails and fat tire bike trails there.
• M.B. Johnson Park is in North Moorhead. It has walking and biking trails, picnic areas, and a playground. In winter, the Moorhead Park District offers sleigh rides here.

Sports in Moorhead

The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks are a professional baseball team. They play at Newman Outdoor Field in Fargo. They are part of the American Association.

Interstate Raceway is a place for drag racing and drifting. It is located southeast of Moorhead. It has a quarter-mile dragstrip.

Education in Moorhead

Weld Hall on the campus of Minnesota State University Moorhead

Old Main on the campus of Concordia College

Moorhead Public Library, part of the Lake Aggassiz Regional Library.

Moorhead is a big center for learning. It has four colleges:

• Concordia College (a private college)
• Minnesota State University Moorhead (a public university)
• Minnesota State Community and Technical College (a two-year technical college)
• Rasmussen University (a two- to four-year college)

Together, about 14,000 students attend these colleges.

For younger students, the Moorhead School District serves over 5,000 kids. It includes several elementary schools, Horizon Middle School, and Moorhead High School. Students in this district often do very well on tests like the ACT. The district also covers nearby towns like Georgetown and Sabin.

There are also private schools in Moorhead. Park Christian School offers K–12 education. St. Joseph's is a Catholic elementary school.

The Moorhead Public Library is part of the Lake Agassiz Regional Library system.

Healthcare Services

Sanford Health Moorhead Clinic provides many healthcare services. These include family medicine, X-rays, lab tests, and immunizations.

Moorhead also has services for seniors. The Moorhead Senior Citizens Center is a place for older adults to gather. Eventide Lutheran Home offers assisted living and long-term care for elderly residents.

Media in Moorhead

Here are some of the media outlets in Moorhead:

• The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead: A regional newspaper printed in Fargo.
• High Plains Reader: A weekly news paper.
• Minnesota Public Radio: Concordia College hosts a local office for this radio station.
• Moorhead Community Access Media: Local cable TV channels.
• NDSU Spectrum
• MSUM Advocate
• The Extra: A local legal newspaper.

Notable People from Moorhead

Many interesting people have connections to Moorhead, including:

• Felix Battles (1840s–1907) – An early settler and Civil War veteran.
• Jason Blake – An NHL player.
• Will Borgen – An NHL defenceman.
• Joel D. Carlson – A Minnesota state legislator.
• René Clausen (b. 1953) – A composer and conductor.
• Ada Comstock (1876–1973) – The first full-time president of Radcliffe College.
• Solomon Comstock (1842–1933) – A member of the Minnesota Legislature.
• Matt Cullen – An NHL player.
• William B. Dosland (1927–1993) – A Minnesota state senator.
• Wallace B. Douglas (1852–1930) – A Minnesota judge and lawyer.
• Becky Gulsvig (b. 1982) – An actress.
• Loren D. Hagen (1946–1971) – A US Army Special Forces Green Beret and Medal of Honor recipient.
• Dwaine Hoberg (1925–1984) – A football coach and former mayor of Moorhead.
• Kenneth J. Kludt – A Minnesota state legislator.
• Ryan Kraft – An NHL player.
• Mark Ladwig (b. 1980) – A figure skater.
• Morrie Lanning (b. 1944) – A politician and former mayor of Moorhead.
• Brian Lee – An NHL player.
• Warren G. Magnuson (1905–1989) – A former U.S. Senator from Washington.
• Thomas McGrath (1916–1990) – A poet and professor.
• Adolph Murie (1899–1974) – A biologist and ecologist.
• Olaus Murie (1889–1963) – A biologist and ecologist.
• Wally O'Neill (1902–1974) – An NFL player.
• Collin Peterson – A U.S. Representative.
• Leslie Stefanson – An actress.
• Henry C. Stiening (1895–1962) – A former member of the Minnesota Senate and mayor of Moorhead.
• Karl Truesdell – A U.S. Army major general.
• Merlyn Orville Valan (1926–2010) – A Minnesota state legislator.
• Chris VandeVelde – An NHL player.
• Diane Wray Williams – A Minnesota state legislator and teacher.
• Roy Williams – An NFL player.
• Sister Annella Zervas (1900–1926) – A nun known for her good deeds.

See also

In Spanish: Moorhead (Minnesota) para niños