The former Moorhead Armory on 5th Street South was the site of the intended concert destination for musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper before their fatal plane crash a few miles north of Clear Lake, Iowa around 1:00 am Tuesday February 3, 1959. The building was demolished in 1990 and is now the site of Ecumen Evergreens, a senior living property.
Moorhead is home to the first Dairy Queen to sell Dilly Bars.[12][13] The Moorhead Dairy Queen is also one of only a few Dairy Queens operating on a contract signed in 1949,[14] which allows it to feature products not approved by corporate headquarters. An example includes a chipper sandwich, vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two chocolate chip cookies and dipped in chocolate.
Law Enforcement Center on 11th Street North.
Geography
Moorhead is located adjacent to the Red River in the Red River Valley. The land around the Fargo–Moorhead area is some of the flattest and richest (for agricultural uses) in the world. This is because it lies on the lake bed of glacial Lake Agassiz, which drained between 9,900 and 11,000 years ago.[15]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.290 square miles (57.73 km2), of which 22.283 square miles (57.71 km2) is land and 0.007 square miles (0.02 km2) is water.[1]
Moorhead, Minnesota – Racial Composition[19] (NH = Non-Hispanic) Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.
As of the 2020 census, there were 44,505 people, 17,063 households, and 10,064 families residing in the city.[20] The population density was 1,998.7 inhabitants per square mile (771.7/km2). There were 18,348 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 81.6% White, 6.7% African American, 2.1% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 1.6% from some other races and 6.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.3% of the population.[21] 23.1% of residents were under the age of 18, 6.8% were under 5 years of age, and 12.4% were 65 and older.
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 38,065 people, 14,304 households, and 8,372 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,922.3 inhabitants per square mile (742.2/km2). There were 15,274 housing units at an average density of 771.4 per square mile (297.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 90.7% White, 2.0% African American, 1.5% Native American, 2.0% Asian, 1.1% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.1% of the population.
There were 14,304 households, of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.5% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.5% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.97.
The median age in the city was 28.3 years. 20.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 23.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.4% were from 25 to 44; 20.5% were from 45 to 64; and 11.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.
2000 census
According to the 2006–2008 American Community Survey, the top ten European ancestries were the following:
As of the 2000 census, there were 32,177 people, 11,660 households, and 7,030 families living in the city. The population density was 2,394.3 inhabitants per square mile (924.4/km2). There were 12,180 housing units at an average density of 906.3 inhabitants per square mile (349.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 92.08% White, 0.77% African American, 1.94% Native American, 1.27% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.10% from other races, and 1.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.47% of the population.
There were 11,660 households, out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 23.1% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 17.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,781, and the median income for a family was $49,118. Males had a median income of $33,137 versus $23,717 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,150. About 8.2% of families and 16.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.
Moorhead has multiple transportation options available to residents with intercity buses, trains and air travel available in Fargo. Locally, the city is served with public transit by MATBUS.
Interstate 94 and U.S. Highways 10, 52 (concurrent with I-94), and 75 are four of the main roadways in the city. Other nearby routes in the Fargo–Moorhead area include Interstate 29 and Minnesota State Highway 336.
Agriculture remains prominent in the area, but Moorhead is also home to notable corporate, manufacturing and distribution industries, including American Crystal Sugar (corporate headquarters and sugar beet processing), Busch Agricultural Resources (malt manufacturing) and Pactiv (container manufacturing). The unemployment rate is consistently below the national average and property values are stable.
Top employers
According to the City's 2023 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report,[42] the largest employers in the city are:
The Rourke Art Gallery and the Rourke Art Museum are native Moorhead cultural institutions hosting the annual Midwestern Invitational Exhibition. The museum displays an important art collection from local, regional and national artists. The Rourke Museum is housed in the historic Moorhead Post Office building.
The city is also home to the Bluestem Amphitheater, a 3,000 seat outdoor amphitheater that opened in 2009 with a partnership between the Fargo Public Schools, the City of Moorhead, and an arts grant from the state of Minnesota.[43] Bluestem hosts a summer concert series which has drawn many famous bands including Wilco, Goo Goo Dolls, The Beach Boys, and Weezer.[44]
The Bluestem Amphitheater is home to Trollwood Performing Arts School, a renowned summer arts and theater program for students of all ages.[45]
Replica of Norwegian stave church at the Hjemkomst Center.
The Hjemkomst Center is a local museum containing a full-scale replica of a Viking ship of the same name. The Hjemkomst vessel was built in nearby Hawley by Moorhead resident Robert Asp, and was sailed from Duluth to Oslo, Norway in 1982 by his children following Asp's death. The ship is now permanently housed in the center.
The Clay County Museum and Archives, operated by the Clay County Historical Society, interprets the history of Clay County in a free museum in the lower level of the Hjemkomst Center. The Society has more than 30,000 artifacts in their collection, one of the largest and most important historic collections in Minnesota outside of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
Located on the grounds of the Hjemkomst Center is a stave church. The traditional Norwegian-style church serves as a symbol of the Norwegian heritage in the Red River Valley. The church is a full-scale replica of the Hopperstad Stave Church in Vik, Norway.
Hjemkomst Center – displays and interprets the Hjemkomst replica Viking ship that was sailed to Norway. In addition, it is home of the Clay County Historical Society museum and archives and features a replica Norwegian Hopperstad Stave Church.
The Gooseberry Park Players - are a not-for profit, fee-free theatre company for individuals 11–18 years old. Every summer in late July, they present a show at the Horizon Middle School’s Performing Arts Center.[47]
Theatre B - programming includes Mainstage productions; a Sunday Salon discussion series; an Incubator for new play development; Community Collaborations; college internships; B Emerging Artist Training (BEAT); and B AT HOME.[48]
Trollwood Performing Arts School - is a summer theatre arts program for students of all ages. The school presents many different forms of performing arts every summer, the most prominent being a Broadway musical performed in front of up to 2,500 audience members per night at an outdoor amphitheater.
Parks
Gooseberry Mound Park - park that offers a playground and cross country ski trails & fat tire bike trails in the winter time.[49]
M.B. Johnson Park - park in North Moorhead that offers walking & biking trails, picnic tables, and a playground. In the winter, the Moorhead Park District hosts sleigh rides.[50]
Interstate Raceway is a dragstrip and drifting race facility southeast of the city of Moorhead, Minnesota. It features a 0.25 mi (0.40 km) dragstrip and concrete drift track.
Education
Weld Hall on the campus of Minnesota State University MoorheadOld Main on the campus of Concordia CollegeMoorhead Public Library, part of the Lake Aggassiz Regional Library.
K-12 education is provided to over 5,000 students by the Moorhead School District: S.G. Reinertsen Elementary, Robert Asp Elementary, Ellen Hopkins Elementary, Dorothy Dodds Elementary, Horizon Middle School and Moorhead High School. The district is known for its high student achievement with students consistently performing above the national average on the ACT.[51] The district includes the cities of Moorhead, Georgetown, Kragnes, and Sabin.
The city includes the Red River Area Learning Center and the Probstfield Center for Education.
Park Christian School is a private Christian school in Moorhead providing a K–12 education as well as St. Joseph's, a Catholic elementary school.
The former Moorhead Public Library, built in 1906, was located at 102 6th Street South was paid for by Andrew Carnegie and designed by architect Milton Earl Beebe.[52] The current Moorhead Public Library is located at 118 5th Street South and is part of the Lake Agassiz Regional Library system.[53]
Healthcare
Sanford Health Moorhead Clinic is part of the Sanford Health network, providing comprehensive healthcare services to the residents of Moorhead and nearby areas. The clinic offers family medicine, radiology, lab services, immunizations, and mammograms.[54]
Moorhead is also a key provider of senior healthcare services. The Moorhead Senior Citizens Center serves as a community hub for local seniors, offering a space for social activities and gatherings.[55] Eventide Lutheran Home in Moorhead provides a range of care services, including assisted living, memory care, and long-term care for elderly residents.[56]
Moorhead's pioneer Prairie Home Cemetery on 8th Street was the inspiration for the name of Garrison Keillor's national radio program, A Prairie Home Companion.[68] Although Keillor thought the cemetery was founded by Norwegian Lutherans, in fact it was organized in 1875 by the Rev. Oscar Elmer, a Yankee Presbyterian minister who was the first ordained Christian minister in the Moorhead/Fargo area.[69]
The city was identified in the film The Big Lebowski as the hometown of Fawn Knutsen, who later went by the name Bunny Lebowski.
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