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Thompson, North Dakota

13 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1934 and the latest in 1985. It stands in Thompson City. It lies in ZIP code area 58278. The Survey maps it on the Thompson quadrangle. 1,101 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 873 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Thompson within Grand Forks County

On record in Thompson

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

Population over time

2 figures

Thompson grew from 986 to 1,101 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
2010986
20201,101+115 (+12%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

8 surveys from 13 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

17 since 2011

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 17 fires within 5 miles of Thompson between 2011 and 2016, burning about 18 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
Missing data/not specified/undetermined14
Railroad operations and maintenance3

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
14 August 2015Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresNorth Dakota State Forest ServiceMM132 & I29
29 July 2013Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreNorth Dakota State Forest ServiceGRASS FIRE
30 June 2015Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresNorth Dakota State Forest ServiceCTY RD 7 NEAR MN STATE LINE
27 June 2015Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresNorth Dakota State Forest Service7802 69TH ST. N
25 June 2016Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresNorth Dakota State Forest Service1100 BLOCK 4TH AVE NE
23 June 2016Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresNorth Dakota State Forest Service6TH AVE. NE/10TH ST. NE DITCH
22 June 2013Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreNorth Dakota State Forest ServiceGRASS FIRE
5 May 2015Railroad operations and maintenance1.0 acresNorth Dakota State Forest ServiceCOULE AREA

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Grand Forks County

Mines and quarries near this place

3 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 3 workings within 5 miles of Thompson: 2 producers, 1 past producer. 2 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
Butler PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Hogan PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Walter Rakoozy PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every working recorded in Grand Forks County

Storms near this place

59 since 1996

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Thompson in 59 storm reports between 1996 and 2025: 30 hail, 24 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood, 2 tornado. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. 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
July 2002Flash FloodThompson$500,0006 to 8 inches of rain caused flooding problems over southeast Grand Forks county. Cole creek threatened a home southeast of Thompson. County roads 7 and 81 were closed due to high water levels. Many fields were flooded and roads were damaged. The county estimated $500,000 in damages.
June 2005Thunderstorm WindThompson$30,000A semi was blown off Interstate 29 and into the median, one mile north of the Thompson exit. The driver was not injured.
September 1996Thunderstorm WindThompson$10,000no account filed
August 1997Thunderstorm WindThompson$5,000Power lines were blown down in the strong wind.
August 2001Thunderstorm WindThompson$500Trees were blown down.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindThompson-Top of large cottonwood trees snapped.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindThompson-Public report of a 92 mph wind gust 4ENE of Thompson. Measured on a Davis weather station.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindThompson-Measured wind gust.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindThompson-Tree and fence damage.
May 2024Thunderstorm WindThompson-Off duty NWS employee relayed report of large branches down from thunderstorm wind gusts south of Grand Forks. Time estimated based on gust frontal passage via radar around 05180118Z.
August 2024Thunderstorm WindThompson-Public reports approximately 6 inch diameter tree branch snapped south of Grand Forks.
July 2022Thunderstorm WindThompson-Numerous large trees were broken down in shelter belts across Allendale Township and within the community of Thompson. One hay shed located west of town had a sidewall blown out and the roof collapsed.
June 2021Thunderstorm WindThompson-Peak wind measured at a personal weather station. Small trees were blown down around a homestead.
August 2020HailThompson-The hail fell on Interstate 29, just north of the Thompson exit.
June 2020HailThompson-Mostly pea sized hail.
May 2019Thunderstorm WindThompson-A small garden shed and several tree limbs were blown down.
August 2018HailThompson-Large hail fell along Interstate 29.
June 2018Thunderstorm WindThompson-A 10 inch diameter poplar tree was snapped east of Interstate 29 near mile point 131.
July 2017HailThompson-The hail fell in the vicinity of the Walle church.
August 2016HailThompson-Dime to half dollar sized hail fell.
July 2016Funnel CloudThompson-A funnel cloud was seen near the intersection of highway 15 and airport road.
July 2016Thunderstorm WindThompson-An apparent microburst occurred several minutes behind the passage of a southward moving thunderstorm gust front. Several trees were snapped at residences and farmsteads across central Walle Township. A north facing garage wall was pushed in at the roof line, and the wind proceeded to blow through the garage and blew out the south facing garage doors and part of the south garage roof. Peak winds were estimated at 90 to 100 mph.
July 2014Thunderstorm WindThompson-Two trees, one 25 inches in diameter and the other 30 inches in diameter, were snapped in a yard. Power lines were also knocked down in Thompson.
June 2012HailThompson-Pea to penny sized hail fell along with very strong winds.
July 2012Thunderstorm WindThompson-Numerous eight inch diameter trees were blown down from central Allendale Township into central Walle Township north of Thompson.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindThompson-Strong winds broke down a few large 3 to 5 inch diameter tree branches at a farmstead.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindThompson-Several large 3 to 5 inch diameter tree branches were blown down. Large portions of small grain and corn crops were lodged by the winds across northeast Michigan and northern Americus townships.
July 2011HailThompson-Very heavy rains and strong winds were accompanied by a few dime to nickel sized hail.
June 2010Tornado (EF0)Thompson-The tornado produced intermittent touchdowns along a nearly 8 mile north-northeast track. The dissipating funnel was visible passing south of Grand Forks through 545 PM CDT. Large tree branches were broken down in field shelterbelts and near homes in Merrifield. Peak winds were estimated at 80 mph.
August 2007HailThompson-The ground was white with hail. Some car damage was reported.
July 2006Thunderstorm WindThompson-A microburst produced damaging winds to about 65 mph beginning north-northwest of Thompson and spreading south-southeast through the community of Thompson. Several large cottonwood branches from a grove were torn off and blown up to 200 feet downwind (toward the south-southeast). Four boxelder trees up to 14 inches in diameter were snapped off near the ground while some large branches fell onto buildings. Some crops within one to two miles of Thompson were partly flattened.
June 2005Thunderstorm WindThompson-Several large trees were uprooted.
June 2005Thunderstorm WindThompson-A tree was blown down in Thompson.
June 2005Flash FloodThompson-2.50 inches of rain fell in a short amount of time and flooded several homes.
July 2005Thunderstorm WindThompson-Trees were blown down near the Thompson exit on Interstate 29.
May 2004Tornado (F0)Thompson-A brief touchdown was reported.
July 2004HailThompson-Cars pulled off highway 15 because the hail reduced the visibility to near zero.
July 2017HailThompson-no account filed
July 2015HailThompson-no account filed
July 2012HailThompson-no account filed
June 2009HailThompson-no account filed
August 2007HailThompson-no account filed
August 2006HailThompson-no account filed
May 2005HailThompson-no account filed
May 2005HailThompson-no account filed
May 2005HailThompson-no account filed
June 2005HailThompson-no account filed
September 2005HailThompson-no account filed
May 2004HailThompson-no account filed
May 2004Thunderstorm WindThompson-no account filed
June 2004HailThompson-no account filed
August 2004HailThompson-no account filed
August 2004HailThompson-no account filed
August 2004HailThompson-no account filed
June 2003HailThompson-no account filed
June 2002HailThompson-no account filed
August 2002HailThompson-no account filed
August 1998HailThompson-no account filed
September 1997HailThompson-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Grand Forks 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
Merrifield5.0 miles13
Holmes10.7 miles8
Powell10.7 miles13
Calspur11.1 miles16
Grand Forks11.2 miles16
Ojata (historical)13.0 miles16
North Grand Forks14.2 miles16
Kelly16.0 miles13

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 ThompsonAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q528890The 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 1032471. 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.