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Moorhead, Minnesota

25 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1895 and the latest in 1989. It stands in Moorhead City. It lies in ZIP code area 56560. The Survey maps it on the Fargo South quadrangle. 44,505 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 899 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Moorhead within Clay County

On record in Moorhead

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 12 records

Population over time

2 figures

Moorhead grew from 38,065 to 44,505 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

YearPeople Change
201038,065
202044,505+6,440 (+17%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

7 surveys from 25 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

Fires near this place

5 since 2015

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 5 fires within 5 miles of Moorhead between 2015 and 2020, burning about 9 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning3
Missing data/not specified/undetermined2

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
9 July 2020Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresNorth Dakota State Forest Service38 ST S DITCH FIRE
9 July 2020Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresNorth Dakota State Forest Service64TH AVE. N. & 25TH ST. N. FARGO
31 March 2017Debris and open burning2.0 acresNorth Dakota State Forest Service100096
15 March 2015Debris and open burning5.0 acresDetroit Lakes Wetland Management DistrictCOUNTY 141
10 November 2020Debris and open burningunder an acreNorth Dakota State Forest Service25 ST FIELD FIRE

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Clay County

Mines and quarries near this place

1 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Moorhead: 1 producer. All of them still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Olness Pit and MillSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every working recorded in Clay County

Storms near this place

60 of 69 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Moorhead in 69 storm reports between 1994 and 2024: 26 hail, 25 thunderstorm wind, 14 flash flood, 2 flood. The reports record 2 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
May 1998Thunderstorm WindMoorhead2 hurt, $10,000The wind blew over a semi truck, injuring the two occupants inside. One had a broken collar bone.
September 2007HailMoorhead$10,000,000The large hail left small 3 inch craters on lawns. Many vehicles and homes were damaged.
June 2000Flash FloodMoorhead$5,000,000Training thunderstorms dumped waves of rainfall across the Moorhead area. The official Moorhead NWS observer reported 7.31 inches of rain. This is believed to be a new 24 hour rainfall record for the Fargo-Moorhead area. The heavy rain halted traffic, inundated storm sewers, and knocked out electricity and phone service. One electrical substation in Moorhead failed when the water rose high enough to cause it to short out.
May 2011Tornado (EF1)Moorhead$250,000This tornado tracked north-northeastward along the eastern edge of Moorhead and was likely enshrouded in downburst winds and heavy rain. A few wooden power poles were snapped and numerous trees were uprooted or snapped. Some mature trees were thrown more than 100 feet. Peak winds were estimated at 105 mph.
May 2002Thunderstorm WindMoorhead$100,000Numerous residential fences were blown down and garage doors blown in.
June 1998Flash FloodMoorhead$100,000Over 3 inches of rain fell in less than three hours, causing rapid flooding problems in Moorhead.
May 2002Flash FloodMoorhead$50,000Street flooding was reported.
July 1999Thunderstorm WindMoorhead$20,000Trees, signs, and power lines were downed around the Moorhead area as the strong winds came through.
July 2019Flash FloodMoorhead$10,000Two to four inches of rain quickly flooded low lying areas around town.
July 2011Flash FloodMoorhead$10,000Two to three inches of rain in less than an hour caused extensive street flooding. Several roads were impassable.
June 1998LightningMoorhead$10,000A house for sale in Moorhead was struck by lightning, igniting a fire.
September 2014Flash FloodMoorhead$5,000Streets were flooded in south Moorhead.
August 2002Thunderstorm WindMoorhead$1,000Trees were blown down, some fell across roads.
June 2024Thunderstorm WindMoorhead-Broadcast Media reports 50 - 60 MPH wind gusts in Moorhead.
April 2023FloodMoorhead-Fargo - Crest of 29.76 ft occurred on 4/22.
May 2023FloodMoorhead-Fargo - Crest of 29.76 ft occurred on 4/22. Flooding began in April. (Crest noted in April Storm Data).
August 2023Flash FloodMoorhead-Public reports stranded vehicles in Moorhead due to flooded roadways.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindMoorhead-A trained weather spotter reported an estimated wind gust to 70 mph in Moorhead. A few power outages were reported nearby.
August 2022HailMoorhead-Hail near Highway 10, on the eastern edge of Moorhead.
June 2021Thunderstorm WindMoorhead-Large tree branches and limbs broken down on vehicles. Report and photos posted via social media.
June 2021Thunderstorm WindMoorhead-Several large tree branches were snapped.
June 2019Thunderstorm WindMoorhead-Trees were snapped in south Moorhead.
September 2019Thunderstorm WindMoorhead-A personal weather station measured a 75 mph wind gust before it broke. The station was near Interstate 94 and 34th street.
June 2018Thunderstorm WindMoorhead-Tree damage was reported.
June 2018Thunderstorm WindMoorhead-Several small trees and large tree branches were blown down.
August 2016Thunderstorm WindMoorhead-Widespread power outages were reported from north Fargo into Moorhead.
August 2016HailMoorhead-Pea to quarter size hail fell in north Moorhead.
July 2016Thunderstorm WindMoorhead-The wind speeds were estimated.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindMoorhead-A large tree branch blew down and blocked several lanes of traffic.
May 2011Thunderstorm WindMoorhead-A semi truck was blown over along Interstate 94 at mile marker six.
August 2010Thunderstorm WindMoorhead-A large tree was blown down in Moorhead.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindMoorhead-The wind gust was estimated at 60 mph at the intersection of 34th Street and 7th Avenue Northeast in Moorhead with 1/2 mile visibility and torrential rain.
July 2010Thunderstorm WindMoorhead-The strong winds knocked down power lines and large trees 1.5 to 2 feet in diameter. Several sections of wooden fencing were blown down near U.S. Highway 75.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindMoorhead-Several large trees were knocked down by winds near the Minnesota State University Moorhead campus.
June 2009Thunderstorm WindMoorhead-The wind gust was measured by a Davis Weather system.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindMoorhead-The wind gust occurred just north of Interstate 94 at mile marker five.
June 2007Thunderstorm WindMoorhead-Trees were blown down, causing power outages. A large steel sign was bent in half, onto the roof of a business.
May 2007Flash FloodMoorhead-Streets were flooded in the city of Moorhead. At the Moorhead Airport, taxiways and runways were also flooded.
June 2005Flash FloodMoorhead-The official National Weather Service cooperative observer reported 2.40 inches of rain in a short period of time. Many streets and underpasses were flooded. Several people had to be pulled out of flooded roads.
September 2005HailMoorhead-Dime to quarter sized hail fell.
August 2005Flash FloodMoorhead-Street flooding occurred near Concordia College and U.S. Highway 75.
June 2003Flash FloodMoorhead-Street flooding was reported in south Moorhead.
June 2003Flash FloodMoorhead-Slow moving thunderstorms dropped 2 to 4 inches of rain in 10 minutes. The water rose as high as car tires on 30th Avenue South.
June 2003HailMoorhead-The hail occurred over downtown Moorhead.
June 2003Thunderstorm WindMoorhead-Trees were blown down and power outages were reported.
May 2002Thunderstorm WindMoorhead-A 84 mph wind gust was measured at a MN DOT RWIS site.
June 2002Flash FloodMoorhead-Interstate 94 was flooded at mile point 2. Many streets in the Village Green area were flooded and some were closed by high water levels.
September 2000Flash FloodMoorhead-Streets and underpasses were flooded and some vehicles were stranded.
September 2019HailMoorhead-no account filed
June 2018HailMoorhead-no account filed
August 2008HailMoorhead-no account filed
May 2007HailMoorhead-no account filed
May 2007HailMoorhead-no account filed
May 2007HailMoorhead-no account filed
May 2007HailMoorhead-no account filed
September 2007HailMoorhead-no account filed
September 2005HailMoorhead-no account filed
September 2005HailMoorhead-no account filed
July 2004HailMoorhead-no account filed
July 2004HailMoorhead-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Clay County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Greenwood Communities0.8 miles25
Dilworth3.4 miles24
Oakport4.1 miles25
Finkle4.3 miles24
Kragnes7.9 miles25
Sabin8.9 miles24
Rustad9.8 miles22
Glyndon10.0 miles23

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on MoorheadAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q983754The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 648070. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.