West Fargo, North Dakota
West Fargo is a city of 40,094 people in Cass County, North Dakota, founded in 1926.
Why visit West Fargo
Townapedia lists 12 museums and landmarks, 42 parks and trails, 107 places to eat, 42 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Red River Zoo, West Acres Cinema, Barrington Apartments and Bonanzaville USA.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average -2°F.
Weather in West Fargo
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About West Fargo
West Fargo is a city in Cass County, North Dakota, United States. West Fargo is classified as the western neighboring city of Fargo. The population was 38,626 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 41,027 in 2024, making it the fifth-most populous city in North Dakota. It is part of the Fargo–Moorhead, ND-MN metropolitan area.
From the Wikipedia article West Fargo, North Dakota (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
Red River Zoo
Zoo and aquarium · 2.6 mi
Zoo in Fargo, North Dakota, USA
4255 23rd Avenue South, Fargo
Mo-Su 10:00-19:00
Museums and landmarks12
Barrington Apartments
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.2 mi
Multifamily residential in Fargo, United States of America
Bonanzaville USA
Museum · 1.6 mi
History museum complex in West Fargo, North Dakota, United States of America
1351 Main Avenue West, Fargo
Cass County Court House, Jail, and Sheriff's House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.4 mi
Historic house in North Dakota, United States
Fargo South Residential District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.4 mi
Historic district in North Dakota, United States
Gethsemane Episcopal Cathedral
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.7 mi
Episcopal cathedral in Fargo, North Dakota, United States
Lewis House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.2 mi
Classical Revival house listed on the NRHP in Cass County
Union Storage & Transfer Cold Storage Warehouse and Armour Creamery Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.4 mi
Commercial building in Fargo, United States of America
Woodrow Wilson School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.3 mi
School in Fargo, North Dakota
The Roger Maris Museum
Museum · 2.9 mi
Baseball museum in Fargo, North Dakota, US
Parks, trails and playgrounds42
Thunder Road Family Fun Park
Sports field and stadium · 3.3 mi
30 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes107
MacKenzie River
Restaurant · Pizza, Regional, Sandwich, Burger, Italian · 1.5 mi
819 24th Ave E, West Fargo
Mo-Su 11:00-21:00
Smoke & Iron
Restaurant · Steak House, Chicken · 1.8 mi
611 32nd Avenue West, West Fargo
Mo-Sa 15:00-22:00, Su 10:00-20:00
Thunder Coffee
Cafe · Coffee Shop, Beer, Cocktails · 1.0 mi
300 Sheyenne Street, West Fargo
Mo-Fr 07:00-19:00, Sa 08:00-17:00, Su 09:00-15:00
Super Buffet
Restaurant · Chinese · 2.1 mi
1000 45th Street Southwest
Mo-Su 09:00-21:00
95 more on the map.
History
West Fargo began as a whistle stop called "Sheyenne Crossing" on the Northern Pacific Railway, named for the nearby Sheyenne River.
The settlement was renamed "Haggartville", and then "Haggart", after the owner of the land, John E. Haggart, a businessman who served as postmaster, U.S. Marshall, and first sheriff of Cass County. Settlers began arriving in the area, and in 1876 the first school was built, School District No. 6.
Equity Co-op Packing Company was formed by a group of farmers, and the Equity Packing Plant—a meat processing plant—was erected in the settlement in 1919. Twenty-four homes were built, as well as a hotel, restaurant, and general store. The Equity company fell into bankruptcy in 1922, and was sold to Armour and Company in 1925, when the settlement's name was changed to "Village of West Fargo". The settlement was a major agricultural processor during the 1930s, and most of the residents were meat packinghouse workers; teams at West Fargo High School continue to be called the "packers". The plant utilized an assembly line to process meat, and its motto stated it used "every part of the animal except the squeal." The plant also produced fertilizer, adhesives, and soap. The meat packing era ended in West Fargo when the Armour plant closed in 1960.
From the History section of West Fargo, North Dakota on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay42
Churches and places of worship3
Lutheran Church of the Cross
Church · Evangelical Lutheran · 1.5 mi
1402 16th Street East, West Fargo
Shopping30
Gas and EV charging26
Schools, colleges and libraries41
Healthcare4
Map of West Fargo
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 17°F | -2°F | 0.7 in |
| Feb | 22°F | 1°F | 0.7 in |
| Mar | 35°F | 16°F | 1.1 in |
| Apr | 53°F | 30°F | 1.6 in |
| May | 68°F | 44°F | 3.1 in |
| Jun | 77°F | 55°F | 4.3 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 60°F | 3.7 in |
| Aug | 80°F | 57°F | 2.7 in |
| Sep | 72°F | 47°F | 2.5 in |
| Oct | 56°F | 34°F | 2.2 in |
| Nov | 38°F | 20°F | 0.9 in |
| Dec | 24°F | 7°F | 0.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Fargo 3S (6 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
Cass County has had 20 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2025-09-11: Severe Storm, Tornadoes, And Straight-Line Winds (Severe Storm)
- 2024-02-15: Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds (Winter Storm)
- 2020-07-09: Flooding (Flood)
- 2020-04-01: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-06-12: Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Hector International Airport (FAR) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 6 miles away.
- Fargo 4 mi east, about 6 min by car
- Reile's Acres 5 mi north, about 8 min by car
- Horace 7 mi south, about 11 min by car
- Mapleton 7 mi west, about 12 min by car
- Moorhead 8 mi east, about 12 min by car
- Harwood 8 mi north, about 12 min by car
- Dilworth 10 mi east, about 16 min by car
- Sabin 13 mi southeast, about 21 min by car
- Detroit Lakes 50 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Fergus Falls 56 mi southeast, 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
- West Fargo Main Avenue Srv road and 15th Street NW IMG 0749, Bjoertvedt, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Red River Valley Zoo, BrielleMary, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Barrington Apartments - Fargo, ND, Cent2Fargo, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cass County Courthouse Fargo, Tim Kiser ( w:User:Malepheasant ), CC BY-SA 2.5
- Gethsemane Cathedral - Fargo, North Dakota 01, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Union Transfer and Storage, Betsysahr, CC BY-SA 3.0
- The Lewis House - Fargo, ND, Cent2Fargo, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Woodrow Wilson High School, Fargo, ND, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bonanzaville USA, Fargo-Moorhead CVB, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Plains Art Museum - Fargo, AJ LEON, CC BY 2.0
- 2010.05.22 marismuseum, DaveZ28, Public domain
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.