Jump to content

Rugby, North Dakota

Coordinates:48°21′55″N99°59′25″W/ 48.36528°N 99.99028°W/48.36528; -99.99028
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rugby, North Dakota
City
Downtown Rugby
Downtown Rugby
Location of Rugby, North Dakota
Location of Rugby, North Dakota
Coordinates:48°21′55″N99°59′25″W/ 48.36528°N 99.99028°W/48.36528; -99.99028
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Dakota
CountyPierce
Founded1886
Government
•MayorSusan Steinke
Area
[1]
• Total2.30 sq mi (5.96 km2)
• Land2.29 sq mi (5.92 km2)
• Water0.02 sq mi (0.04 km2)
Elevation
[2]
1,542 ft (470 m)
Population
(2020)[3]
• Total2,509
• Estimate
(2022)[4]
2,481
• Density1,098.03/sq mi (423.93/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6(Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)UTC-5(CDT)
ZIP code
58368
Area code701
FIPS code38-68860
GNISfeature ID1036246[2]
HighwaysUS 2,ND 3
Websitecityofrugbynd.com

Rugbyis a city in and thecounty seatofPierce County,North Dakota,United States. The population was 2,509 at the2020 census,[3]making it the19th largestcity in North Dakota. Rugby was founded in 1886.

Rugby is often billed as the geographic center ofNorth America.[5][6]

History

[edit]

Rugby was founded in 1886 at a junction on theGreat Northern Railway,where abranch linetoBottineaumet the main line. The railroad promoters initially platted the town asRugby Junction,getting the name Rugby from the town ofRugbyinWarwickshire,England.[7]It was one of several sites along the Great Northern'stranscontinental routebetweenDevils LakeandMinotthat were named after places in England (the others wereBerwick,Leeds,Knox,Norwich,Penn,Surrey,Churches Ferry,Tunbridge, andYork). When the community became a city, theJunctionwas dropped from the name.

North Dakota's first permanent settlers arrived in 1812 from theEarl of Selkirk'scolony in neighboringRupert's Land.[8]: 277 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.[citation needed]Many of these implements, including an early McCormick Deeringthreshing machine,have found their way to the restored Pioneer Village in Rugby.

Obelisk near Rugby

In 1931, the town of Rugby erected a 15-foot-tall (4.6 m) rockobeliskmarking the "Geographical Center of North America". This was moved to a slightly different location in 1971 with the expansion ofUS Highway 2.[9]According to a listing by the U.S. Geological Survey, Rugby is actually approximately 15 miles (24 km) from the geographic center ofNorth America(6 miles (9.7 km) west ofBalta), and even this designation carries no official status.[10]

Geography

[edit]
Amtrak train station

Rugby is located in eastern Pierce County at the intersection ofU.S. Route 2andNorth Dakota Highway 3.TheGreat Northern Railroadline passes through the community.Minotlies 66 miles to the west along Route 2.[11]

According to theUnited States Census Bureau,the city has a total area of 1.94 square miles (5.02 km2), all land.[12]Rugby claims to be the geographic center ofNorth Americaand a monument stands in the city to signify this. The monument features flags of the United States,Canada,andMexico.However, modern calculations that take on account the distortions caused by cartographic projections show that center is 105 miles southwest of Rugby, in a town calledCenter, North Dakota.[13]

Transportation

[edit]
ND 3in Rugby

Rail

[edit]

Amtrak,the national passenger rail system, servesa station in Rugbyvia itsEmpire Builder,a once-daily train in each direction betweenPortland/SeattleandChicago.[14]Therail stationwas originally built by theGreat Northern Railwayin 1907 and has since undergone multiple renovations.[15][16]

Highways

[edit]

U.S. Route 2andNorth Dakota Highway 3serve the Rugby area.

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1900487—
19101,630234.7%
19201,424−12.6%
19301,5126.2%
19402,21546.5%
19502,90731.2%
19602,9722.2%
19702,889−2.8%
19803,33515.4%
19902,909−12.8%
20002,9391.0%
20102,876−2.1%
20202,509−12.8%
2022 (est.)2,481[4]−1.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[17]
2020 Census[3]

2010 census

[edit]

As of thecensusof 2010, there were 2,876 people, 1,239 households, and 697 families living in the city. Thepopulation densitywas 1,482.5 inhabitants per square mile (572.4/km2). There were 1,407 housing units at an average density of 725.3 per square mile (280.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 91.9%White,0.3%African American,5.8%Native American,0.9% fromother races,and 1.1% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinoof any race were 1.3% of the population.

There were 1,239 households, of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% weremarried couplesliving together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.7% were non-families. 39.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.11 and the average family size was 2.83.

The median age in the city was 47 years. 20% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.1% were from 25 to 44; 26.2% were from 45 to 64; and 26.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.7% male and 51.3% female.

2000 census

[edit]

As of thecensusof 2000, there were 2,939 people, 1,291 households, and 765 families living in the city. Thepopulation densitywas 1,520.1 inhabitants per square mile (586.9/km2). There were 1,434 housing units at an average density of 741.7 per square mile (286.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 98.09%White,1.02%Native American,0.37%Asian,0.03% fromother races,and 0.48% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinoof any race were 0.44% of the population.

The top six ancestry groups in the city areGerman(49.6%),Norwegian(40.5%),Irish(5.3%),English(4.0%),Russian(3.7%),French(3.6%).

There were 1,291 households, out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% weremarried couplesliving together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% were non-families. 37.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 28.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,482, and the median income for a family was $35,745. Males had a median income of $25,885 versus $18,510 for females. Theper capita incomefor the city was $14,380. About 9.6% of families and 13.7% of the population were below thepoverty line,including 11.6% of those under age 18 and 19.1% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

[edit]

Radio

[edit]

Education

[edit]

The city of Rugby is served byRugby Public Schools:[24]Ely Elementary School[25]andRugby High School.Little Flower Catholic School[26]is also in Rugby.

Sites of interest

[edit]
Pierce County Courthouse
  • Geographical center of North America – Rugby is located in the geographical center of North America. There is acairnmarking this spot. Note: The validity of this claim is disputed by a mathematical analysis.[13]
  • Prairie Village Museum houses some of Pierce County's oldest historical buildings and artifacts including the 1886 Great Northern Railroad Depot.
  • The Victorian Dress Museum – The building that houses the museum is listed in theNational Register of Historic Places.
  • Pierce County Courthouse- dating from 1908, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Climate

[edit]

Thisclimaticregion is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to theKöppen Climate Classificationsystem, Rugby has ahumid continental climate,abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.[27]

Climate data for Rugby, North Dakota (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1904–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 57
(14) 		62
(17) 		74
(23) 		96
(36) 		100
(38) 		104
(40) 		107
(42) 		105
(41) 		99
(37) 		92
(33) 		75
(24) 		56
(13) 		107
(42)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 15.9
(−8.9) 		20.7
(−6.3) 		33.8
(1.0) 		52.0
(11.1) 		66.1
(18.9) 		74.8
(23.8) 		79.9
(26.6) 		79.7
(26.5) 		69.8
(21.0) 		53.6
(12.0) 		34.8
(1.6) 		21.3
(−5.9) 		50.2
(10.1)
Daily mean °F (°C) 6.0
(−14.4) 		10.6
(−11.9) 		23.7
(−4.6) 		40.0
(4.4) 		53.2
(11.8) 		62.9
(17.2) 		67.5
(19.7) 		66.3
(19.1) 		56.7
(13.7) 		41.9
(5.5) 		25.3
(−3.7) 		11.9
(−11.2) 		38.8
(3.8)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) −3.9
(−19.9) 		0.4
(−17.6) 		13.6
(−10.2) 		27.9
(−2.3) 		40.3
(4.6) 		51.0
(10.6) 		55.1
(12.8) 		53.0
(11.7) 		43.5
(6.4) 		30.2
(−1.0) 		15.8
(−9.0) 		2.6
(−16.3) 		27.5
(−2.5)
Record low °F (°C) −45
(−43) 		−47
(−44) 		−40
(−40) 		−8
(−22) 		14
(−10) 		30
(−1) 		37
(3) 		30
(−1) 		20
(−7) 		−6
(−21) 		−27
(−33) 		−40
(−40) 		−47
(−44)
Averageprecipitationinches (mm) 0.49
(12) 		0.54
(14) 		0.90
(23) 		1.31
(33) 		3.01
(76) 		3.83
(97) 		3.68
(93) 		2.15
(55) 		1.75
(44) 		1.41
(36) 		0.92
(23) 		0.99
(25) 		20.98
(533)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 8.0
(20) 		6.4
(16) 		6.5
(17) 		2.9
(7.4) 		0.9
(2.3) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		3.3
(8.4) 		7.4
(19) 		8.0
(20) 		43.4
(110)
Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) 3.9 3.8 3.1 5.1 9.9 11.9 10.4 8.0 7.5 5.6 3.3 3.5 76.0
Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) 4.9 4.8 3.3 1.0 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.2 3.3 5.6 24.5
Source:NOAA[28][29]

References

[edit]
  1. ^"ArcGIS REST Services Directory".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedSeptember 20,2022.
  2. ^abU.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Rugby, North Dakota
  3. ^abc"Explore Census Data".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedOctober 16,2023.
  4. ^ab"City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2022".United States Census Bureau. October 17, 2023.RetrievedOctober 17,2023.
  5. ^"North Dakota Geologic Survey".www.dmr.nd.gov.RetrievedJanuary 16,2019.
  6. ^"Community fact survey: Rugby, N. Dak., geographical center of North America".www.digitalhorizonsonline.org.RetrievedJanuary 16,2019.
  7. ^Wick, Douglas A."Rugby (Pierce County)".North Dakota Place Names.Archived fromthe originalon February 14, 2019.RetrievedMay 5,2011.
  8. ^Gavett, Joseph L. (2007).North Dakota Immigrants: Coming to America.Wexford College Press.ISBN978-1-929148-74-5.
  9. ^"The Geographical Center of North America".Atlas Obscura.RetrievedJanuary 5,2021.
  10. ^"Geographic Centers".USGS Geography Products.U.S. Geological Survey. 2001. Archived fromthe originalon May 27, 2010.RetrievedNovember 19,2009.
  11. ^Rugby, ND,7.5 Minute Topographic Quadrangle, USGS 1955 (1980 rev.)
  12. ^"US Gazetteer files 2010".United States Census Bureau.Archived fromthe originalon January 12, 2012.RetrievedJune 14,2012.
  13. ^abYin, Steph (January 25, 2017)."North America's Geographical Center May Be in a North Dakota Town Called Center".The New York Times.RetrievedApril 11,2017.
  14. ^Rubin, Richard (August 27, 2024)."4,000 Miles, 6 Small Towns: A Whistle-Stop Tour of America".The New York Times.RetrievedAugust 29,2024.
  15. ^"Rugby, ND (RUG)".The Great American Stations.Amtrak.RetrievedNovember 4,2022.
  16. ^Sitter, Sue (May 7, 2022)."Rugby Amtrak depot undergoes remodel".The Pierce County Tribune.RetrievedNovember 4,2022.
  17. ^United States Census Bureau."Census of Population and Housing".RetrievedSeptember 7,2013.
  18. ^Eriksmoen, Curt (January 9, 2011)."Charismatic leader born in N.D."The Bismarck Tribune.
  19. ^"Samuel Kirk".Illinois Distributed Museum.University of Illinois Archives.RetrievedJanuary 9,2021.
  20. ^Schramm, Jill (October 8, 2020)."Long-time incumbent Republicans face challenges in District 14".Minot Daily News.
  21. ^Steinbrinck, Ashley (June 11, 2014)."The Story of Clifford Thompson – The Tallest Wisconsinite to Ever Live".WhooNew.RetrievedJanuary 9,2021.
  22. ^Sitter, Sue (October 31, 2020)."Rugby native's work to be featured in theaters nationwide".The Pierce County Tribune.
  23. ^Grossman, Mary Ann (July 19, 2020)."Kevin Costner, Diane Lane star in movie based on UND grad Larry Watson's book".Grand Forks Herald.
  24. ^"2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Pierce County, ND"(PDF).United States Census Bureau.RetrievedAugust 24,2021.
  25. ^"Ely Elementary School".rugby.k12.nd.us.RetrievedJanuary 16,2019.
  26. ^"Little Flower Catholic School -" To teach as Jesus did "- Little Flower Catholic School".little-flower.k12.nd.us.RetrievedJanuary 16,2019.
  27. ^"Rugby, North Dakota Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)".Weatherbase.RetrievedJanuary 16,2019.
  28. ^"NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data".National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.RetrievedSeptember 18,2021.
  29. ^ "Station: Rugby, ND".U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020).National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.RetrievedSeptember 18,2021.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related toRugby, North Dakota.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide forRugby (North Dakota).
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rugby,_North_Dakota&oldid=1242888455"