GRAND FORKS

city, seat (1873) of Grand Forks county, northeastern North Dakota, U.S. The third largest city in the state, it lies at the confluence of the Red River of the North and the Red Lake River, opposite East Grand Forks, Minn., 75 miles (120 km) south of the Canadian border. In the late 18th century French fur traders camped at the site, which they named Les Grandes Fourches ("The Grand Forks"). A North West Company post was built there in 1801. Permanent settlement began in 1871, and growth was assured when the Great Northern Railway arrived in 1880 and established a division point. In the spring of 1997, Grand Forks and East Grand Forks were devastated by floodwaters from the Red River, which forced the evacuation of nearly all of the towns' residents. During the flood a fire ravaged several buildings in the Grand Forks central business district. Grand Forks is primarily a trade (shipping) and processing centre for the produce (grains, potatoes, sugar beets, field seeds) grown in the surrounding fertile Red River valley. The city is an important transportation hub with some light industrial development and is the site of the University of North Dakota (1883), which has a research centre for aerospace sciences. The Grand Forks International Airport lies a short distance to the northwest. Grand Forks Air Force Base (1956), located some 15 miles (24 km) west of the city, serves as a control centre for nearby intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) sites; the base is an important economic asset. Inc. city, 1881. Pop. (1990) city, 49,417; Grand Forks MSA, 103,272; (1994 est.) city, 50,168; Grand Forks MSA, 104,287.