Dickinson is a city in and the county seat of Stark County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 25,679 at the 2020 census, making it the seventh most populous city in North Dakota. Dickinson, founded in 1881, is also home to Dickinson State University.
Since the North Dakota oil boom the city has become one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. According to the 2020 census, the city is estimated to have a population of 25,679, however, other sources have estimates of the population at 33,646 or possibly exceeding 35,000. Dickinson is home to the Ukrainian Cultural Institute, which has a museum and holds events year-round for the local Ukrainian community.
Dickinson is the principal city of the Dickinson Micropolitan Statistical Area, a micropolitan area that covers Billings and Stark counties and had a combined population of 34,591 at the 2020 census.
History
Dickinson was founded in 1881. Dickinson was named for its founder, W. S. Dickinson, a native of Malone, New York.
In 1924, Dickinson was the site of a tornado that killed nine people, making it the fourth deadliest tornado in North Dakota's recorded history. Dickinson was the site of an EF3 tornado in 2009 that damaged more than 450 homes and businesses, with 100 beyond repair, but with no injuries or casualties.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from in January to in July; on average, temperatures reach on 2.2 days, on 22 days, and on 32 days annually. The average window for freezing temperatures is September 22 thru May 16 and for measurable (≥) snow, October 26 thru April 19. Due to the relative aridity, there are only 2.8 days where 24-hour snowfall exceeds . With a period of record dating only to 1893, extreme temperatures range from as recently as January 12, 2011 to on July 6, 1936.