Wahpeton, North Dakota
Wahpeton is a city of 8,010 people in Richland County, North Dakota, founded in 1869.
Why visit Wahpeton
Townapedia lists 7 museums and landmarks, 11 parks and trails, 14 places to eat, 10 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Chahinkapa Zoo, Breckenridge 6 Theatre, Leach Public Library and Richland County Courthouse.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average -1°F.
Weather in Wahpeton
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Wahpeton
Wahpeton is a city in and the county seat of Richland County, North Dakota, United States. Along the Bois de Sioux River at its confluence with the Otter Tail River, which forms the Red River of the North. The population was 8,007 as of the 2020 census, and was estimated at 8,141 in 2025, making it the 10th most populous city in North Dakota.
From the Wikipedia article Wahpeton, North Dakota (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Chahinkapa Zoo
Zoo and aquarium · 0.7 mi
Zoo in Wahpeton, North Dakota
1004 R J Hughes Drive
Apr 25 - Aug 31 Mo-Su 10:00-19:00; Sep 1 - Oct 18 10:00-17:00
Museums and landmarks7
Leach Public Library
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Public library in Wahpeton, North Dakota, United States
417 2nd Avenue North, Wahpeton
Richland County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Listed on the NRHP in North Dakota
Wahpeton Hospital
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Hospital in North Dakota, United States
Wahpeton Post Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Post office in Wahpeton, North Dakota, United States
Wilkin County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Government seat of Wilkin County, Minnesota, United States
Red River Valley University
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Parks, trails and playgrounds11
Restaurants and cafes14
Wahpeton Deli
Restaurant · Burger · 0.6 mi
614 Dakota Avenue, Wahpeton
Mo-Th 10:00-16:00; Fr 10:00-15:00
Domino's
Fast food · Pizza · 0.7 mi
102 4th Street South, Wahpeton
Mo-Th 10:00-24:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-01:00; Su 10:00-24:00
Subway
Fast food · Sandwich · 0.8 mi
127 Dakota Avenue, Wahpeton
Mo-Th 08:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 08:00-22:00; Su 10:00-21:00
2 more on the map.
History
Wahpeton was founded in 1869 and is the principal city of the Wahpeton Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Richland County, North Dakota and Wilkin County, Minnesota. Wahpeton's twin city is Breckenridge, Minnesota, on the other side of the river. The Bois de Sioux River and the Otter Tail River join at Wahpeton and Breckenridge to form the Red River of the North.
The first European explorer in the area was Jonathan Carver in 1767. He explored and mapped the Northwest at the request of Major Robert Rogers, commander of Fort Michilimackinac. This British fort at Mackinaw City, Michigan, protected the passage between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron of the Great Lakes. In 1763 the British had extended their reach in Canada and territory west of the Appalachian Mountains, taking over former French colonial territories after defeating the French in the Seven Years' War.
Carver's mission was to find the Northwest Passage, the imagined waterway to the Orient which Rogers (and many other explorers of the time) believed existed. Carver could not find what does not exist, but his account of exploration helped attract fur traders and other explorers to this territory.
From the History section of Wahpeton, North Dakota on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay10
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries14
Breckenridge Area Learning Program
School · 1.7 mi
710 13Th Street North, Breckenridge
Healthcare1
Map of Wahpeton
65 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 19°F | -1°F | 0.7 in |
| Feb | 23°F | 2°F | 0.6 in |
| Mar | 37°F | 17°F | 1.1 in |
| Apr | 54°F | 31°F | 1.9 in |
| May | 68°F | 45°F | 3.4 in |
| Jun | 77°F | 56°F | 4.1 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 60°F | 3.5 in |
| Aug | 81°F | 57°F | 2.9 in |
| Sep | 73°F | 48°F | 2.9 in |
| Oct | 57°F | 34°F | 2.3 in |
| Nov | 39°F | 20°F | 0.8 in |
| Dec | 24°F | 7°F | 0.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Breckenridge 3E (5 mi away), rain and snow from Abercrombie 0.2 Nw, 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
Richland County has had 21 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2024-02-15: Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds (Winter Storm)
- 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)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Breckenridge-Wahpeton Interstate Airport (WAH) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Breckenridge 1 mi east, about 2 min by car
- Fergus Falls 26 mi east, about 41 min by car
- Barnesville 28 mi north, about 45 min by car
- Pelican Rapids 32 mi northeast, about 52 min by car
- Wheaton 33 mi south, about 53 min by car
- Horace 36 mi northwest, about 59 min by car
- Elbow Lake 36 mi southeast, about 58 min by car
- Moorhead 41 mi north, about 1 h by car
- Fargo 42 mi north, about 1 h 15 min by car
- West Fargo 43 mi north, about 1 h 15 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
- Wahpeton North Dakota, Tim Kiser ( w:User:Malepheasant ), CC BY-SA 2.5
- OldMainWahpetonND, Anon a mouse Lee, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 720DakotaAveWahpetonND, Anon a mouse Lee, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wahpeton Post Office, Andrew Filer, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130362609, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130361359, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130910348, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130360105, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130359123, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130358291, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130357485, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130357067, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130906252, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130355909, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130905116, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130904500, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130354199, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130353777, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130353329, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130902596, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130902186, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130351899, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130351215, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130900398, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130349605, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130898822, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130348593, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130348107, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130347427, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130896574, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130894804, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130895842, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130345455, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130894208, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130343741, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130892928, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130342623, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wahpeton, North Dakota - 6130891662, In memoriam afiler, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Wilkin County Courthouse, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Richland County Courthouse Wahpeton, Tim Kiser ( w:User:Malepheasant ), CC BY-SA 2.5
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