Elgin, North Dakota
5 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1954 and the latest in 1980. It stands in Minnie Township. It lies in ZIP code area 58533. The Survey maps it on the Elgin quadrangle. 543 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 2,356 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in Elgin
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 1 record
Hope Lutheran Churchlisted 1992
Population over time
2 figuresElgin fell from 642 to 543 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.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 642 | |
| 2020 | 543 | -99 (-15%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
4 surveys from 5 printed sheetsMatched 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.
- 1954 USGS Bismarck quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1958 USGS Bismarck quadrangle1:250000
- 1980 USGS Elgin quadrangle1:100000
- 1980 USGS Elgin quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
24 since 2005Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 24 fires within 5 miles of Elgin between 2005 and 2020, burning about 265 acres in total. 6 started naturally. 4 were 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 |
|---|---|
| Equipment and vehicle use | 8 |
| Natural | 6 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 4 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2 |
| Smoking | 2 |
| Debris and open burning | 2 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 September 2016 | Natural | 1.0 acres | North Dakota State Forest Service | ULMER |
| 7 September 2016 | Natural | 1.0 acres | North Dakota State Forest Service | FISHER |
| 7 September 2016 | Natural | 2.0 acres | North Dakota State Forest Service | FISHER |
| 11 September 2018 | Equipment and vehicle use | 10 acres | North Dakota State Forest Service | SCHATZ |
| 27 August 2017 | Natural | 1.0 acres | North Dakota State Forest Service | OKKEN |
| 24 August 2005 | Natural | 1.0 acres | North Dakota State Forest Service | not named |
| 14 August 2016 | Equipment and vehicle use | 2.0 acres | North Dakota State Forest Service | ESLINGER |
| 11 August 2020 | Smoking | 1.0 acres | North Dakota State Forest Service | KROTH |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Storms near this place
60 of 68 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Elgin in 68 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 41 hail, 17 thunderstorm wind, 3 flood, 2 flash flood. The reports record 3 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.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2014 | Hail | Elgin | 3 hurt, $750,000 | There were numerous reports of golf ball to over baseball size hail across the Lake Tschida and Heart Butte Dam area resulting in significant damage to vehicles, campers, and trailer homes in the recreational area. In addition three people received non-life threatening head injuries from the hail. They were treated at the scene. |
| July 2010 | Hail | Elgin | $2,000,000 | This was the second wave of very large hail to hit Elgin during this episode. Homes throughout the city experienced broken windows, damaged siding, and damaged shingles. Vehicles sustained heavy damaged as well. |
| March 2009 | Flood | Elgin | $342,000 | The Cannonball River caused extensive flooding due to rain, snow melt, and ice jams. Overland flooding damaged state, county and township roads. Nineteen homes were flooded. Flooding continued into April. |
| July 2018 | Hail | Elgin | $250,000 | Significant damage to vehicles and roofs occurred in the city of Elgin. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elgin | $100,000 | On the north side of Lake Tschida a camper was tipped on its side, a pontoon was completely flipped, trees were down, and a wooden swing set was tipped over. |
| April 2009 | Flood | Elgin | $100,000 | Additional overland flooding and flooding on the Cannonball River resulted in further flood damage. Flooding in April was less severe than March due to no ice jams. |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elgin | $75,000 | Shingles were blown off about one-quarter of a roof on a home. Some plywood was also stripped from the roof. Multiple branches were down around the city of Elgin. |
| June 2011 | Flash Flood | Elgin | $75,000 | Very heavy rainfall contributed to flash flooding along Antelope Creek near North Dakota Highway 49. A storm survey crew observed high water marks near the top of barbed wire fences in this area. The Carson Press newspaper reported damage was sustained to rural roads north of Elgin. |
| July 2010 | Lightning | Elgin | $65,000 | A lightning strike caused a house fire in Elgin. The lightning bolt struck the chimney of the house, traveling into the basement starting a fire in the electrical wiring on all three levels of the home. When arriving on scene, fire officials reported that a metal antenna on the chimney of the home was glowing bright orange. No injuries or fatalities occurred. The home was determined to be a complete loss. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elgin | $50,000 | A large outbuilding had most of its roof panels blown off. |
| May 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elgin | $50,000 | no account filed |
| June 2024 | Hail | Elgin | $40,000 | Hail fell at a campground at Lake Tschida causing damage to campers. |
| July 2020 | Hail | Elgin | $25,000 | Multiple windows were broken on the barn and on garage doors. |
| July 2007 | Hail | Elgin | $20,000 | Newspaper reports farmstead sustained damage from storm 6 miles south of Elgin. Major crop damage from hail and winds, trees broken/uprooted, and hail damage to home. |
| June 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elgin | - | Law Enforcement reported thunderstorm wind gusts of 60 mph. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elgin | - | Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated by the public. |
| June 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elgin | - | Law enforcement estimated thunderstorm wind gusts of 60 mph. |
| June 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elgin | - | Law enforcement estimated thunderstorm wind gusts of 60 mph. |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elgin | - | Thunderstorm wind gust speeds were estimated by the public. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elgin | - | The public estimated thunderstorm wind gusts of 65 mph. |
| June 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elgin | - | Public report of a severe thunderstorm wind gust. |
| May 2011 | Heavy Rain | Elgin | - | A storm total rainfall of 1.50 inches was reported. |
| July 2010 | Hail | Elgin | - | Specific damage estimates from the large hail were not available. This was the first wave of large hail in Elgin for this episode. |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elgin | - | Strong thunderstorm winds accompanied the large hail. |
| July 2010 | Funnel Cloud | Elgin | - | Elgin fire officials who were out spotting saw a funnel cloud just south of Elgin. The funnel did not reach the surface and quickly retreated back into the storm. The funnel cloud was made visible by lightning. |
| June 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elgin | - | Quarter size hail along with 0.50 inches of rainfall. |
| June 2005 | Hail | Elgin | - | Nickel to golf ball hail. |
| July 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elgin | - | Numerous tree limbs down. |
| August 2005 | Hail | Elgin | - | Report through KFYR-TV. |
| June 2003 | Funnel Cloud | Elgin | - | Several funnel clouds were sighted, one over the city of Elgin and two more 6 and 12 miles north of Elgin. |
| August 2002 | Hail | Elgin | - | Estimated 60 mph winds accompanied the storm which destroyed a silo and damaged several other farm outbuildings. Numerous tree limbs down around Lake Tschida. |
| July 2001 | Hail | Elgin | - | Hail reported over Lake Tschida. |
| July 2001 | Flash Flood | Elgin | - | Flooding of roads started around 9 pm mdt. rainfall totals of 6 to 7 inches reported. |
| August 1998 | Hail | Elgin | - | hail reported over heart butte dam 14 s glen ullin |
| August 1997 | Hail | Elgin | - | hail covered ground |
| September 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elgin | - | Thunderstorm winds destroyed a 40' by 60' quonset building. |
| August 1995 | Tornado | Elgin | - | The tornado destroyed an 80-year-old barn. It also carried some hog panels over 100 yards. |
| July 1994 | Hail | Elgin | - | Cropland amounting to 80,000 acres was destroyed. |
| June 2024 | Hail | Elgin | - | no account filed |
| May 2020 | Hail | Elgin | - | no account filed |
| May 2020 | Hail | Elgin | - | no account filed |
| July 2020 | Hail | Elgin | - | no account filed |
| August 2020 | Hail | Elgin | - | no account filed |
| August 2020 | Hail | Elgin | - | no account filed |
| June 2018 | Hail | Elgin | - | no account filed |
| July 2017 | Hail | Elgin | - | no account filed |
| September 2016 | Hail | Elgin | - | no account filed |
| July 2016 | Hail | Elgin | - | no account filed |
| July 2016 | Hail | Elgin | - | no account filed |
| June 2014 | Hail | Elgin | - | no account filed |
| June 2011 | Hail | Elgin | - | no account filed |
| July 2011 | Hail | Elgin | - | no account filed |
| June 2011 | Hail | Elgin | - | no account filed |
| August 2011 | Hail | Elgin | - | no account filed |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elgin | - | no account filed |
| August 2006 | Hail | Elgin | - | no account filed |
| August 2006 | Hail | Elgin | - | no account filed |
| September 2005 | Hail | Elgin | - | no account filed |
| July 2005 | Hail | Elgin | - | no account filed |
| August 2004 | Hail | Elgin | - | no account filed |
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 | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Leipzig | 5.3 miles | 5 | |
| Heil | 7.8 miles | 5 | |
| Wollman Ranch Colony | 10.8 miles | 7 | |
| Leith | 11.5 miles | 5 | |
| Johnson Ford | 13.1 miles | 7 | |
| Carson | 14.9 miles | 5 | |
| Brisbane | 19.3 miles | 5 | |
| Lark | 24.1 miles | 5 |
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 Elgin | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q2447026 | The 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 1028844. 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.
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.



