Grafton, North Dakota
Grafton is a city of 4,102 people in Walsh County, North Dakota, founded in 1881.
Why visit Grafton
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 1 place to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Strand Twin Theatres, Elmwood, Grafton Post Office and Grafton Curling Club.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 81°F; January lows average 0°F.
Weather in Grafton
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Grafton
Grafton is a city and the county seat of Walsh County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 4,170 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 4,027 in 2024, making it the 16th-most populous city in North Dakota.
From the Wikipedia article Grafton, North Dakota (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks6
Elmwood
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
House in or near Grafton, North Dakota
Grafton Post Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Building in North Dakota, United States
Grafton State School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic district in North Dakota, United States of America
Strand Theatre
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Movie theater in Grafton, North Dakota, United States
Walsh County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
County courthouse in North Dakota, United States of America
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Where to stay1
History
Grafton was founded in 1881 and US Highway 81 and North Dakota Highway 17 are the two major highways that run through the city.
The Grafton area was homesteaded by Nils Monson. Nils Monson was a 29-year-old bachelor who walked to the area from Winnipeg in the fall of 1878 to homestead. He was the first to deed his 160-acre homestead to the town. The Grafton area was later settled by Thomas E. Cooper in early 1879. He became postmaster later that year when a post office was constructed as part of expansions in service for the Northern Pacific Railway and the Great Northern Railway. Grafton was founded in 1881. It was incorporated as a village in 1881 and then became a city in 1903. In 1881, Walsh County was established and Grafton was subsequently designated the county seat. The city was named for Grafton County, New Hampshire, the native home of a large share of its early settlers.
The Grafton State School, a home for the developmentally disabled, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
From the History section of Grafton, North Dakota on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship1
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Place of worship · Jehovahs Witness · 1.1 mi
1200 West 12th Street, Grafton
Schools, colleges and libraries4
Healthcare1
Map of Grafton
17 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16°F | 0°F |
| Feb | 21°F | 4°F |
| Mar | 34°F | 18°F |
| Apr | 52°F | 33°F |
| May | 68°F | 46°F |
| Jun | 79°F | 57°F |
| Jul | 81°F | 61°F |
| Aug | 80°F | 59°F |
| Sep | 71°F | 50°F |
| Oct | 54°F | 36°F |
| Nov | 36°F | 22°F |
| Dec | 21°F | 7°F |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Grafton Hcn (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Walsh County has had 24 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2023-07-05: Flooding (Flood)
- 2022-07-13: Severe Winter Storm And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-07-09: Flooding (Flood)
- 2020-04-01: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2020-01-21: Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Grand Forks Air Force Base (RDR) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 31 miles away.
- Minto 9 mi south, about 14 min by car
- St. Thomas 14 mi north, about 23 min by car
- Drayton 15 mi northeast, about 23 min by car
- Park River 16 mi west, about 25 min by car
- Gilby 23 mi south, about 37 min by car
- Stephen 24 mi east, about 39 min by car
- Alvarado 24 mi southeast, about 39 min by car
- Cavalier 28 mi north, about 45 min by car
- Grand Forks 37 mi southeast, about 1 h by car
- East Grand Forks 38 mi southeast, about 1 h by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Grafton, North Dakota, Andrew Filer, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Strand Theater, Grafton, North Dakota, Andrew Filer, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 20221019 101021 Grafton, ND, Snaebyllej, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Walsh County Courthouse, Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis), CC BY-SA 2.0
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