I-29 corridor · Red River Valley

Grand Forks

North Dakota · 60,365 people

Ninety minutes from Fargo, two and a half hours from Winnipeg, and directly on I-29 — Grand Forks is where corridor families go for the big hospital, the big arena and the big-box run.

Photo: Robthepiper, CC BY-SA 4.0

Population: 60,365 (2025 est.)
Largest employer: University of North Dakota
Health system: Altru Health System
Rankings: #3 county in ND for young professionals (Niche)

The place

Grand Forks is the corridor's largest anchor and still comfortably under 70,000 people. The University of North Dakota and Altru Health System lead the employer list, but the working spine of the city is manufacturing and food processing — Cirrus Aircraft, GE Vernova, J.R. Simplot, American Crystal Sugar, Philadelphia Macaroni and the North Dakota Mill.

The Greenway — kilometres of trail and parkland along the Red River.
UND hockey at Ralph Engelstad Arena, one of the best rinks in college sport.
North Dakota Museum of Art on the UND campus.
A downtown that is the region's dining, arts and shopping hub.
Ranked #3 in North Dakota for job satisfaction (WalletHub) and young professionals (Niche).

Getting around

Fargo, ND: ~1h30
Winnipeg, MB: ~2h30
Airport: Grand Forks International, in city
Sioux Falls, SD: ~5h30

Housing

Grand Forks offers city-scale housing choice at valley prices — river-adjacent older neighbourhoods, post-1997 rebuild areas and newer subdivisions on the south end, plus a rental market shaped by the university calendar.

The community, as it photographs itself

Main streets, festivals, working days.

The Greenway trail system along the Red River in Grand Forks · JWGreen, CC BY 3.0

Who hires here

The employer base, sector by sector.

University of North Dakota

Education

The state's flagship university and largest local employer.

Altru Health System

Healthcare

Regional hospital and clinic network, recently expanded.

Cirrus Aircraft

Manufacturing

Aircraft production in the city.

GE Vernova

Manufacturing

Energy-equipment manufacturing.

J.R. Simplot

Food processing

Potato processing operation.

American Crystal Sugar

Food processing

Sugar-beet processing in the Red River Valley.

Philadelphia Macaroni

Food manufacturing

Pasta manufacturing plant.

Grand Forks Air Force Base

Government

Major federal employer just west of the city.

Healthcare

Altru Health System — the region's hospital and clinic network, and the largest healthcare employer in the city.
Valley Senior Living for long-term and senior care.
Development Homes for disability supports and community living services.

Schools and training

University of North Dakota — flagship state university with aviation, engineering, nursing and medicine.
Grand Forks Public Schools — one of the largest K-12 employers in the city.
Regional technical and continuing-education options across the Red River Valley.

Arriving here

You will not be the first.

A university city with international students and faculty from around the world.
Regional refugee and new-American services operate across the Red River Valley.
Cross-border traffic with Manitoba is routine — many families run the corridor in both directions.

A year in Grand Forks

UND hockey season · October–March: The Ralph fills for every home series.
Downtown live music and arts nights · Spring–summer: Street festivals and outdoor performance downtown.
Northern Valley Career Expo · Autumn: Regional careers and trades showcase for students and job-seekers.