Watford City, North Dakota
6 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1953 and the latest in 1978. It stands in Watford City City. It lies in ZIP code area 58854. The Survey maps it on the Watford City quadrangle. 6,207 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 2,119 feet above sea level.
Population over time
2 figuresWatford City grew from 1,744 to 6,207 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 | 1,744 | |
| 2020 | 6,207 | +4,463 (+256%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
4 surveys from 6 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.
- 1953 USGS Watford City quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1957 USGS Watford City quadrangle1:250000
- 1967 USGS Watford City quadrangle1:250000
- 1978 USGS Watford City quadrangle1:24000
Fires near this place
44 since 2007Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 44 fires within 5 miles of Watford City between 2007 and 2020, burning about 78 acres in total. 4 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 |
|---|---|
| Equipment and vehicle use | 16 |
| Fireworks | 10 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 6 |
| Debris and open burning | 4 |
| Natural | 4 |
| Smoking | 2 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 1 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 1 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 September 2018 | Natural | under an acre | North Dakota State Forest Service | BALE 1 |
| 6 September 2013 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | North Dakota State Forest Service | 0RTONVILLE |
| 23 September 2012 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | North Dakota State Forest Service | 22M FIRE |
| 1 September 2013 | Fireworks | under an acre | North Dakota State Forest Service | MBI MANCAMP |
| 26 August 2020 | Equipment and vehicle use | 5.0 acres | North Dakota State Forest Service | CHICKEN AND CORN |
| 21 August 2016 | Fireworks | 29 acres | North Dakota State Forest Service | GUN RANGE |
| 2 August 2019 | Equipment and vehicle use | 2.0 acres | North Dakota State Forest Service | 125TH AVE |
| 2 August 2016 | Smoking | 1.0 acres | North Dakota State Forest Service | MM310 |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
1 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Watford City: 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 | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norstag Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Storms near this place
60 of 78 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Watford City in 78 storm reports between 1995 and 2024: 37 hail, 34 thunderstorm wind, 4 funnel cloud, 3 tornado. The reports record 1 death and 38 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 2018 | Tornado (EF2) | Watford City | 1 killed, 28 hurt, $3,500,000 | About 135 people were displaced from their homes. One fatality occurred and 28 people were injured, about 13 of them seriously. Based on the damage the tornado was rated EF2 and from that winds were estimated to have been around 127 mph.||This tornado developed just to the west of a large recreational vehicle, camper, and mobile home park on the southwest side of Watford City. The tornado passed through the park causing extensive and severe damage to over 100 recreational vehicles, campers, and single wide manufactured homes. Power poles were snapped and other non-occupied buildings were damaged and some destroyed, including a well-built pole barn. Many vehicles were damaged, some totaled. |
| May 2014 | Tornado (EF2) | Watford City | 9 hurt, $2,500,000 | Thirteen campers, serving as homes, were completely destroyed and two more were damaged by this tornado. Other damage included a snapped wooden power line pole, automobiles, and fences, both wooden and metal. One automobile was tossed sixty feet and flipped onto its roof, with a trailer parked next to its initial location also flipped and completely destroyed. About a dozen other vehicles were damage, some destroyed. Eye witness reports indicated two other funnel clouds in the immediate area.||Of all the damage surveyed by the National Weather Service the absolute worst corresponded to EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. From that it was determined that the peak wind speeds in the tornado were on the order of 120 mph. ||There were nine direct injuries. |
| July 2000 | Hail | Watford City | 1 hurt | One person injured at a horse ranch at the north unit of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. |
| June 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watford City | $250,000 | Two trailers of around 50 feet in length were turned over one mile north of Watford City. One trailer was moved 150 feet. In the Watford City area, a pole barn was destroyed. The debris from the barn was lifted and thrown a thousand feet. |
| June 2016 | Hail | Watford City | $250,000 | no account filed |
| June 2016 | Hail | Watford City | $150,000 | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watford City | $100,000 | Light to moderate damage to homes and business. Numerous uprooted trees and power lines. |
| May 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watford City | $25,000 | A dual-axle camper was destroyed. Another building nearby suffered some damage. |
| June 2016 | Hail | Watford City | $15,000 | no account filed |
| September 1996 | Hail | Watford City | $10,000 | no account filed |
| August 2021 | Hail | Watford City | $7,000 | A pickup truck was damaged by the hail. |
| August 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watford City | $5,000 | Large cottonwood tree branches were blown down. |
| August 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watford City | $5,000 | Severe thunderstorm winds resulted in broken tree branches. |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watford City | $5,000 | tree fell on car |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watford City | $2,000 | A chicken coop was damaged. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watford City | - | Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated by a trained spotter. |
| June 2019 | Funnel Cloud | Watford City | - | Several brief funnel clouds were observed in the area. |
| August 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watford City | - | A trained spotter reported that their trampoline was moved and their cars were shaking due to the strong thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| May 2018 | Funnel Cloud | Watford City | - | Several funnel clouds were reported in the vicinity of Watford City. |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watford City | - | Law enforcement estimated thunderstorm wind gusts of 70 mph. |
| June 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watford City | - | A trained spotter estimated that thunderstorm winds were gusting to 60 mph. |
| July 2013 | Hail | Watford City | - | There were no reports of damage with this very large hail report. |
| August 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watford City | - | Estimated winds of 60 mph were reported. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watford City | - | Thunderstorm winds were accompanied by large hail. |
| June 2007 | Hail | Watford City | - | No damage reported. |
| August 2006 | Hail | Watford City | - | Occurred at the north end of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Also had 2 inches of rain. |
| June 2005 | Hail | Watford City | - | Also strong winds during event. |
| July 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watford City | - | Numerous tree damage in city of Watford City. |
| July 2001 | Tornado (F0) | Watford City | - | Brief touchdown in open country. |
| June 1999 | Hail | Watford City | - | three-quarter inch hail covered the ground between 1/2 inch to 1 inch depth. |
| May 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| June 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| August 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| August 2023 | Hail | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| June 2022 | Hail | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| June 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| July 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| June 2020 | Funnel Cloud | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| August 2019 | Hail | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| September 2019 | Hail | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| July 2018 | Hail | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| July 2018 | Hail | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| July 2018 | Hail | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| July 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| June 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| June 2018 | Hail | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| June 2017 | Hail | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| July 2017 | Hail | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| July 2017 | Hail | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| June 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| June 2016 | Hail | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| June 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| June 2016 | Funnel Cloud | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| August 2016 | Hail | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| June 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| July 2014 | Hail | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| May 2014 | Hail | Watford City | - | no account filed |
| May 2014 | Hail | Watford City | - | 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.
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 Watford City | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1998384 | 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 1032701. 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.



