Fargo (pop. 125,990; met. area pop. 249,843) is the largest city in North Dakota. It lies in the valley of the Red River of the North, one of the nation’s great farming regions. The Fargo metropolitan area includes Cass County in North Dakota and Clay County in Minnesota. The city is the seat of Cass County and has a commission form of government. For Fargo’s rainfall and monthly temperatures, see North Dakota (Climate).
Fargo’s products include computer software, dairy and other food products, furniture and cabinets, metal products, sugar beet harvesters and cultivators, and tractors. The city is a regional medical center and a center for shopping and entertainment. It is the home of the Fargodome events and convention center. Fargo is also a wholesale distribution center. Railroad passenger trains and freight lines, airlines, and bus lines serve the city. North Dakota State University is in Fargo.
Fargo was founded in 1871 and was named for William G. Fargo of the famed Wells, Fargo & Company express. The city experienced historic flooding when the Red River overran its banks in 1897, 1997, and 2009. A combination of factors, including ice jams, spring thawing, and the area’s geology, have led to frequent spring floods in the Fargo area.
