Rugby, North Dakota
Rugby is a city of 2,481 people in Pierce County, North Dakota, founded in 1886.
Why visit Rugby
Townapedia lists 5 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 3 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Lyric Theater, Pierce County Courthouse and Rugby Post Office.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 80°F; January lows average -4°F, and about 43 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Rugby
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Rugby
Rugby is a city in and the county seat of Pierce County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 2,509 at the 2020 census, making it the 19th largest city in North Dakota. Rugby was founded in 1886.
From the Wikipedia article Rugby, North Dakota (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks5
Pierce County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Courthouse in North Dakota, United States
Rugby Post Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Building in North Dakota, United States
Rugby station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Train station in Rugby, North Dakota, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes3
Rancho Grande
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.9 mi
272 US-2, Rugby
Mo-Su 11:00-21:00
History
Rugby was founded in 1886 at a junction on the Great Northern Railway, where a branch line to Bottineau met the main line. The railroad promoters initially platted the town as Rugby Junction, getting the name Rugby from the town of Rugby in Warwickshire, England. It was one of several sites along the Great Northern's transcontinental route between Devils Lake and Minot that were named after places in England (the others were Berwick, Leeds, Knox, Norwich, Penn, Surrey, Churches Ferry, Tunbridge, and York). When the community became a city, the Junction was dropped from the name.
North Dakota's first permanent settlers arrived in 1812 from the Earl of Selkirk's colony in neighboring Rupert's Land. As farmers, they were more advanced than many of their contemporaries in the rest of the United States, having adopted sophisticated farming methods and machinery. Many of these implements, including an early McCormick Deering threshing machine, have found their way to the restored Pioneer Village in Rugby.
From the History section of Rugby, North Dakota on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship3
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 0.8 mi
301 5th Avenue Northwest, Rugby
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries5
Healthcare1
Map of Rugby
26 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16°F | -4°F | 0.5 in | 8.0 in |
| Feb | 21°F | 0°F | 0.5 in | 6.4 in |
| Mar | 34°F | 14°F | 0.9 in | 6.5 in |
| Apr | 52°F | 28°F | 1.3 in | 2.9 in |
| May | 66°F | 40°F | 3.0 in | 0.9 in |
| Jun | 75°F | 51°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 80°F | 55°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 80°F | 53°F | 2.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 70°F | 44°F | 1.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 54°F | 30°F | 1.4 in | 3.3 in |
| Nov | 35°F | 16°F | 0.9 in | 7.4 in |
| Dec | 21°F | 3°F | 1.0 in | 8.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Rugby (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
Pierce County has had 13 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2020-04-01: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2017-07-12: Flooding (Flood)
- 2014-08-19: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2013-07-12: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2011-05-10: Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Devils Lake Municipal Airport (DVL) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 53 miles away.
- Towner 19 mi west, about 31 min by car
- Rolette 22 mi north, about 35 min by car
- Leeds 26 mi east, about 42 min by car
- Shell Valley 32 mi north, about 51 min by car
- Cando 37 mi east, about 1 h by car
- Rolla 37 mi northeast, about 1 h by car
- Bottineau 38 mi northwest, about 1 h by car
- Harvey 41 mi south, about 1 h by car
- Fort Totten 53 mi southeast, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Devils Lake 54 mi east, about 1 h 30 min 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
- Rugby North Dakota Downtown, I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the following license:, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Rugby Post Office, Wonder al, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Farmers Elevator at Rugby North Dakota from Westbound Empire Builder September 2010 - panoramio, Loco Steve, CC BY 3.0
- Farmers Elevator at Rugby North Dakota from Westbound Empire Builder - panoramio, Loco Steve, CC BY 3.0
- Rugby Amtrak station June 2024 10, Quincylvania, CC0
- Rugby Amtrak station June 2024 09, Quincylvania, CC0
- Amtrak Rugby, North Dakota, Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis), CC BY-SA 2.0
- Pierce County Courthouse ND 2008, Andrew Filer, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Contiguous Center of North America monument, RschDev, CC BY-SA 4.0
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