Greater Grand Forks

Greater Grand Forks The Grand Cities The Forks
Metropolitan statistical area
Grand Forks, ND-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area
Aerial View of Downtown Grand Forks (2006)
Interactive Map of Grand Forks, ND–MN MSA   City of Grand Forks   City of East Grand Forks   Grand Forks, ND–MN MSA
Country	United States
State	North Dakota Minnesota
Largest city	Grand Forks, ND
Other cities	East Grand Forks, MN Crookston, MN
Area
• Total	3,408 sq mi (8,830 km2)
Highest elevation	840 feet at Airport ft (256 meters m)
Lowest elevation	779 feet at Red River of the North ft (237 meters m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	104,362
• Estimate  (2021)[1]	103,462
• Rank	351th in the U.S.
• Density	28/sq mi (11/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Area codes	218 and 701
Website	visitgrandforks.com

"Greater Grand Forks" (officially the Grand Forks, ND-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area) is the name used by some people to designate the twin cities of Grand Forks, North Dakota and East Grand Forks, Minnesota, together with their surrounding areas. The two cities lie directly across from each other on both sides of the Red River of the North, but Grand Forks, with a population of 59,166, is more than five times larger than East Grand Forks, with a population of 9,176. The metropolitan area includes all of the related two counties in the two states: Grand Forks County in North Dakota and Polk County in Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the MSA had a population of 104,362, and in 2021 estimates placed the total population at 103,462.^[1]

The metropolitan area is also sometimes called "The Forks." Several years ago local promoters attempted to "brand" the metropolitan area as "The Grand Cities." This name has not found widespread use in the area, although several buildings and organizations now bear the "Grand Cities" title. Occasionally, the city of Grand Forks uses the nickname "The Sunflake City."