Editing Wahpeton, North Dakota

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Wahpeton, North Dakota
| settlement_type    = [[City]]
| nickname           = Home of the '''[[Wahpper]]'''
| motto              = <!-- Images --------------->
| image_skyline      = Wahpeton North Dakota.jpg
| imagesize          = 275px
| image_caption      = Dakota Avenue in downtown Wahpeton, 2007
| image_flag         = WahpetonNDflag.gif
| image_seal         = WahpetonNDseal.png
| image_blank_emblem = Logo of Wahpeton.png
| blank_emblem_type  = Logo
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| map_caption        = Interactive map of Wahpeton
| pushpin_map        = North Dakota#USA
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within North Dakota##Location within the United States
| pushpin_relief     = 1
| pushpin_label      = Wahpeton
<!-- Location ------------->| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[North Dakota]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in North Dakota|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Richland County, North Dakota|Richland]]
<!-- Government ----------->| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name        = Brett Lambrecht
| leader_title1      = 
| leader_name1       = 
| established_title  = Settled
| established_date   = 1864
| established_title1 = Founded
| established_date1  = 1869
| established_title2 = Incorporated (town)
| established_date2  = 1882
| established_title3 = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]] (city)
| established_date3  = 1887
<!-- Area ----------------->| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2024">{{cite web|title=2024 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_gaz_place_38.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 27, 2024}}</ref>
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 13.869
| area_land_km2      = 13.869
| area_water_km2     = 0.000
| area_total_sq_mi   = 5.355
| area_land_sq_mi    = 5.355
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.000
<!-- Population ----------->| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_est     = 8000
| pop_est_as_of      = 2023
| pop_est_footnotes  = <ref name="USCensusEst2023"/>
| population_footnotes = <ref name="2020 Census (City)"/>
| population_total   = 8007
| population_density_km2 = 576.81
| population_density_sq_mi = 1493.91
| population_urban   = 11290<ref name="urban area">{{cite web |url=https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/29/2022-28286/2020-census-qualifying-urban-areas-and-final-criteria-clarifications|title=2020 Census Qualifying Urban Areas and Final Criteria Clarifications|author=United States Census Bureau|website=Federal Register|date=October 27, 2024}}</ref>
| population_metro   = 22864 (US: [[Micropolitan statistical area|490th]])
<!-- General information -->| timezone           = [[Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
| utc_offset         = –6
| timezone_DST       = CDT
| utc_offset_DST     = –5
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_m        = 294
| elevation_ft       = 965
| coordinates        = {{coord|46|16|19.41|N|96|36|42.97|W|region:US-ND_type:city|display=inline}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP Code]]s
| postal_code        = 58074, 58075, 58076
| area_code          = [[Area code 701|701]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 38-82660
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 1036311<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|1036311}}</ref>
| blank2_name        = [[List of North Dakota numbered highways|Highways]]
| blank2_info        = [[North Dakota Highway 13|ND 13]], [[North Dakota Highway 210|ND 210]]
| blank3_name        = [[Sales tax]]
| blank3_info        = 7.0%<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avalara.com/taxrates/en/state-rates/north-dakota/cities/wahpeton.html|title=Wahpeton (ND) sales tax rate|access-date=October 27, 2024}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|https://www.wahpeton.com/|wahpeton.com}}
| footnotes          = 
}}

'''Wahpeton''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|w|ɑː|p|ɪ|t|ən}} {{respell|WAH|pit|ən}}) is a city in [[Richland County, North Dakota|Richland County]], in southeast [[North Dakota]] along the [[Bois de Sioux River]] at its confluence with the [[Otter Tail River]], which forms the [[Red River of the North]]. Wahpeton is the [[county seat]] of Richland County.<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=https://ce.naco.org/?county_info=38077|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> The population was 8,007 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name="2020 Census (City)">{{cite web|title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/Wahpeton_city,_North_Dakota?g=160XX00US3882660 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=October 13, 2023}}</ref>

Wahpeton was founded in 1869 and is the principal city of the Wahpeton [[Wahpeton micropolitan area|Micropolitan Statistical Area]], which includes all of Richland County, North Dakota and [[Wilkin County, Minnesota]]. Wahpeton's [[Twin cities|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 [[North Dakota State College of Science]] is in Wahpeton. The local newspaper is the ''[[Wahpeton Daily News]]''.

==History==
{{More citations needed section|date=November 2010}}

[[File:Merchants Hotel in Wahpeton, N.D., late 1800s.jpg|thumb|left|Merchants Hotel in Wahpeton, North Dakota, {{circa|1880–1899}}]]

The first European explorer in the area was [[Jonathan Carver]] in 1767. He explored and mapped the Northwest at the request of [[Robert Rogers (soldier)|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 trader]]s and other explorers to this territory.

More than 100 years after Carver's expedition, a U.S. government surveying party passed through the Wahpeton area. With the Civil War over, the government wanted to encourage development in the West. J. W. Blanding, a member of the expedition, was so impressed by the fertile river valley that he returned to his Wisconsin home determined to move his family and property to the [[Dakota Territory]]. Blanding so influenced other Wisconsin settlers that many had reached the Wahpeton area and homesteaded there before Blanding arranged his return.

[[File:St. John’s Catholic Church in Wahpeton, N.D., 1898.jpg|thumb|upright|left|St. John's Catholic Church in Wahpeton, North Dakota, 1898]]

The first settler was Morgan T. Rich. His plow turned the first furrow of rich black bottomland in 1869. When other settlers arrived, they formed a tiny community and named it Richville, commemorating both its founder and the fertile quality of the soil.

In 1871, a U.S. post office opened. At the same time, the town's name was changed to ''Chahinkapa'', a [[Lakota language|Lakota]] Sioux word meaning "the end of the woods". Two years later, the county was organized and named Chahinkapa County.

Later that year the county was renamed Richland County and the town of Chahinkapa renamed Wahpeton. This was derived from the [[Dakota language|Dakota]] name of the local band of [[Sioux|Dakota]] Indians, the ''Wakhpetonwan.'' The name in Dakota means "leaf dwellers." They adopted this name at an earlier time when they lived in the vicinity of [[Lake Mille Lacs]], before they were displaced by the [[Ojibwe]] and pushed to the west.<ref name = Upham>{{cite book|last=Upham |first=Warren |author-link=Warren Upham |title=Minnesota Place Names, A Geographical Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition |publisher=Minnesota Historical Society |year=2001 |location=Saint Paul, Minnesota |pages=75 |isbn=0-87351-396-7}}</ref>

[[File:Northern Pacific Depot in Wahpeton, N.D., 1880s.jpg|thumb|left|Northern Pacific Depot in Wahpeton, North Dakota, 1880s]]

Growth of the village of Wahpeton was quite slow during the first few years, but it increased rapidly in 1872 with the completion of a railroad line into [[Breckenridge, Minnesota]], a tiny community across the [[Bois de Sioux River]]. The St. Paul and Pacific Railway (now the [[Great Northern Railway (U.S.)|Great Northern]]) had entered the region. The railroad generated a booming business in [[flatboat]] building in both communities. Flatboats could carry freight directly from the railroad downriver via the Red River of the North (which flowed north) to northern parts of the state and to [[Winnipeg]], Manitoba, Canada.

The railroad line attracted many more settlers to the area—both migrants from the Eastern United States, Native Americans, and new European immigrants. [[German American|Germans]], [[Czech Americans|Bohemians]], [[Scandinavian Americans|Scandinavians]], and Native Americans moved to Richland County to file for homesteads. In 1874, Jacob Morvin and Joseph Sittarich opened the county's first retail store in Wahpeton. By 1876 the traffic between Wahpeton and Breckenridge had grown past the ferry's capacity. A bridge was built across the Bois de Sioux River connecting the towns.

Another flurry of growth occurred in 1880 when the [[St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railroad]] crossed the river and pushed its tracks on toward the northwest. By 1883 the population of Wahpeton was estimated to be as high as 1,400 people.

In 1888, the Northern Light Electric Company (NLEC) was organized here. It made Wahpeton among North Dakota's first cities to be electrified. In 1909, NLEC became the first customer of the newly founded [[Otter Tail Power Company]]. In 1913, NLEC's owner, C. B. Kidder, sold his company to Otter Tail Power and became its first general manager. In 1927, Otter Tail Power built what was then its largest power plant at Wahpeton, naming it Kidder Station. The plant was removed in 1977; the site is now a park.

In 1889, the [[Red River Valley University]] was established in Wahpeton. It later was renamed the [[North Dakota State College of Science]].

On June 10, 1897, a lightning bolt struck the main pole in a Ringling Brothers Circus tent as it was being erected, breaking the pole and causing three deaths. The lives lost are commemorated with a monument in a graveyard south of Wahpeton.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Jackson|first=William|title=Dakota Mysteries & Oddities, 2022 Edition|publisher=Valley Star Publishing|year=2021|isbn=978-0-9677349-9-6|location=Dickinson, ND|pages=74–76}}</ref>

In 1904, the U.S. government established the [[Wahpeton Indian School]] here. The boarding school operated into the 1970s. It was intended to educate Native American children from reservations and tribes in northern Minnesota, North Dakota, and northern South Dakota. It was an [[Indian boarding school]], designed to assimilate the children to mainstream language, culture and religion. In most such schools, children were required to use English rather than their native languages (which were many among these groups), dress in Euro-American style, and practice Christianity. The school has since been transferred to an inter-tribal group, chartered under the federally recognized [[Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota Oyate]] and funded by the [[Bureau of Indian Education]]. The tribes renamed the school Circle of Nations School and operate it, serving children in grades 4–8.

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|5.355|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, all land.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2024"/>

The [[Red River of the North|Red River]] forms one of the most fertile river valleys in the world. As it flows north to Canada, it forms the state boundary between [[North Dakota]] and [[Minnesota]]. Wahpeton is near the river's headwaters at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail Rivers.

===Climate===
This [[climate|climatic]] region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Wahpeton has a [[humid continental climate]], abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.<ref>[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=1923&cityname=Wahpeton%2C+North+Dakota%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Wahpeton, North Dakota]</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 400
|1890= 1510
|1900= 2228
|1910= 2467
|1920= 3069
|1930= 3176
|1940= 3747
|1950= 5125
|1960= 5876
|1970= 7076
|1980= 9064
|1990= 8751
|2000= 8586
|2010= 7766
|2020= 8007
|estyear=2023
|estimate=8000
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2023">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html |date=October 27, 2024|title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020–2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 27, 2024}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref><br>2020 Census<ref name="2020 Census (City)"/>
}}

As of the 2022 [[American Community Survey]], there are 3,299 estimated households in Wahpeton with an average of 2.02 persons per household. The city has a median household income of $51,417. Approximately 18.3% of the city's population lives at or below the [[Poverty in the United States|poverty line]]. Wahpeton has an estimated 64.8% employment rate, with 22.8% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 92.9% holding a high school diploma.<ref>{{Cite web|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Wahpeton city, North Dakota|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/wahpetoncitynorthdakota/PST045223|access-date=October 27, 2024|website=www.census.gov|language=en}}</ref>

The top nine reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were German (43.2%), Norwegian (20.0%), Irish (7.4%), English (4.0%), Polish (2.7%), French (except Basque) (2.3%), Scottish (1.7%), Italian (0.3%), and Subsaharan African (0.1%).

The median age in the city was 34.0 years.

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Wahpeton, North Dakota – racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small>
! Race / ethnicity <small>(''NH = non-Hispanic'')</small>
! Pop. 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Wahpeton city, North Dakota|url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALSF12000.P004?g=160XX00US3882660|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=October 27, 2024}}</ref>
! Pop. 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Wahpeton city, North Dakota|url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US3882660&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=October 27, 2024}}</ref>
! {{partial|Pop. 2020}}<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Wahpeton city, North Dakota|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US3882660&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=October 27, 2024}}</ref>
! % 2000
! % 2010
! {{partial|% 2020}}
|-
| [[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
| 8,142
| 7,105
| style='background: #ffffe6; |6,743
| 94.83%
| 91.49%
| style='background: #ffffe6; |84.21%
|-
| [[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
| 53
| 98
| style='background: #ffffe6; |131
| 0.62%
| 1.26%
| style='background: #ffffe6; |1.64%
|-
| [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
| 207
| 217
| style='background: #ffffe6; |300
| 2.41%
| 2.79%
| style='background: #ffffe6; |3.75%
|-
| [[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
| 37
| 61
| style='background: #ffffe6; |102
| 0.43%
| 0.79%
| style='background: #ffffe6; |1.27%
|-
| [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
| 3
| 5
| style='background: #ffffe6; |15
| 0.03%
| 0.06%
| style='background: #ffffe6; |0.19%
|-
| [[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other race]] alone (NH)
| 3
| 7
| style='background: #ffffe6; |16
| 0.03%
| 0.09%
| style='background: #ffffe6; |0.20%
|-
| [[Multiracial Americans|Mixed race or multiracial]] (NH)
| 76
| 117
| style='background: #ffffe6; |318
| 0.89%
| 1.51%
| style='background: #ffffe6; |3.97%
|-
| [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
| 65
| 156
| style='background: #ffffe6; |382
| 0.76%
| 2.01%
| style='background: #ffffe6; |4.77%
|-
| '''Total'''
| '''8,586'''
| '''7,766'''
| style='background: #ffffe6; |'''8,007'''
| '''100.00%'''
| '''100.00%'''
| style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], there were 8,007 people, 3,235 households, and 1,736 families residing in the city.<ref>{{Cite web|title=US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Wahpeton%20city,%20North%20Dakota%20p16&y=2020 |access-date=October 27, 2024 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> The [[population density]] was {{convert|1535.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 3,597 housing units at an average density of {{convert|689.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. The racial makeup was 85.59% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.64% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 4.17% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.34% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.22% [[Race (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 2.19% from some other races and 4.86% from two or more races. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] people of any race were 4.77% of the population.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How many people live in Wahpeton city, North Dakota |url=https://data.usatoday.com/census/total-population/total-population-change/wahpeton-city-north-dakota/160-3882660/ |access-date=October 27, 2024 |publisher=USA Today}}</ref> 16.3% of residents were under the age of 18, 4.3% were under 5 years of age, and 18.4% were 65 and older.

===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]], there were 7,766 people, 3,151 households, and 1,717 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1467.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 3,482 housing units at an average density of {{convert|658.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 92.65% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.26% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 3.08% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.78% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.09% [[Race (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.35% from some other races, and 1.79% from two or more races. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] people of any race were 2.01% of the population.

There were 3,151 households, of which 26.8% had children under age 18 living with them, 40.7% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.5% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.89.

The median age in the city was 31.1. 20.3% of residents were under 18; 22.2% were between 18 and 24; 20.5% were from 25 to 44; 24.5% were from 45 to 64; and 12.6% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.6% male and 48.4% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[2000 United States census|2000 census]], there were 8,586 people, 3,254 households, and 1,867 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1718.1|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 3,492 housing units at an average density of {{convert|698.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 95.47% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.62% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 2.41% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.43% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.03% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.12% from some other races, and 0.92% from two or more races. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] people of any race were 0.76% of the population.

The top six ancestry groups in the city are [[Germany|German]] (47.4%), [[Norway|Norwegian]] (28.4%), [[Ireland|Irish]] (7.1%), [[Sweden|Swedish]] (5.8%), [[France|French]] (4.0%), [[England|English]] (4.0%).

There were 3,254 households, of which 30.4% had children under 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.6% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.2% under 18, 24.1% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 or older. The median age was 29. For every 100 females, there were 109.8 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 112.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,471, and the median income for a family was $44,645. Males had a median income of $30,199 versus $20,089 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,293. About 7.3% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.9% of those under 18 and 10.4% of those 65 or older.

==Economy==
Wahpeton is the home of several large manufacturing plants, including Woodcraft Industries, Inc., WCCO Belting, Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative, [[Cargill]], ComDel Innovation, Heartland Precision, Doosan/Bobcat, Masonite and Wil-Rich.

[[Imation Corporation]] operated a production facility in Wahpeton but it closed in 2009.<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://www.wahpetondailynews.com/articles/2007/05/08/news/news02.txt|title=Imation closing its doors|location=Wahpeton|work=wahpetondailynews.com|date=May 8, 2007|first=Scott |last= Nulph |access-date=October 15, 2010}}</ref>

On May 14, 1991, Wahpeton voters approved a 1% city sales and use tax, the proceeds of which were to be dedicated solely to economic development of the City of Wahpeton and Richland County, by means of business and industrial expansion including job creation, job retention, business and industrial diversification, and the creation, fostering and maintenance of business and trade activities and facilities. The tax would become effective July 1, 1991, and sunset in five years. On June 14, 1994, voters approved to extend the sales tax 10 years to June 30, 2006. On October 14, 2003, voters approved broadening the use and extending the 1½% sales tax to June 30, 2026.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Economic Development in Wahpeton |work=City of Wahpeton |url=http://www.wahpeton.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B792046D0-57D2-4AA9-9D91-ED61E6A2B304}}</ref>

==Recreation and culture==
{{More citations needed|date=July 2010}}

[[File:FORT ABERCROMBIE.jpg|thumb|right|Photo of [[Fort Abercrombie]]]]

[[File:Wahpeton catfish.jpg|thumb|right|The "[[Wahpper]]," a giant statue of a catfish beside the [[Red River of the North]]]]

The area attracts outdoorsmen and hunters, as it is in the midst of the [[Central Flyway]], thus providing excellent [[bird migration|migratory]] [[waterfowl hunting]].

The [[Bois de Sioux Golf Course]] is the nation's only golf course with half the course in one state and half in another. Near the golf course is Chahinkapa Park, which houses playgrounds, baseball, softball, football fields, and tennis. During the summer the large swimming pool is open. Chahinkapa Park is also home to [[Chahinkapa Zoo]]. In May 2018, Chahinkapa Zoo became home to two white rhinos.

The Richland County Historical Society Museum features [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]] artifacts and displays of pioneer life. Near Wahpeton is [[Fort Abercrombie]] and the Circus Monument, erected in memory of circus workers killed by lightning there in 1897. Circus performers hold a memorial service at the monument whenever they perform in the area.

The [[Carmelite]] [[Monastery]], in the bend of the Wild Rice River, is a few miles from Wahpeton.

On Thursday afternoons from June through October, the Twin Towns Gardeners' Market is held near the Sears/Family Dollar building in Wahpeton.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wahpetondailynews.com/articles/2010/08/30/news/doc4c76b720abd57659958990.txt |first=Brandon L. |last=Summers |date=August 30, 2010 |title=Gardeners' Market celebrates success |location=Wahpeton, ND |publisher=Wahpeton Daily News |access-date=October 15, 2010}}</ref>

Other Wahpeton area attractions include [[Wahpper|"Wahpper" the World's Largest Catfish]], at Kidder Dam, and the [[Frederick A. and Sophia Bagg Bonanza Farm|Bagg Bonanza Farm]], a {{convert|15|acre|m2|adj=on}} historic [[bonanza farm]] with farm buildings and machinery. There is a mural at the corner of Dakota Avenue and 4th Street. Also downtown is the [[Red Door Art Gallery/Visitor's Center]].

==Education==

===Colleges===
* [[North Dakota State College of Science]]

===K–12===
Wahpeton is served by two elementary schools, Wahpeton Middle School and Wahpeton Senior High School. There is also a private school, St. John's Elementary.

The [[Circle of Nations School]] (formerly Wahpeton Indian School), an off-reservation tribal boarding school for Native American children in grades 4 to 8, is affiliated with the [[Bureau of Indian Education]] (BIE).<ref>{{cite web |title=Circle of Nations Wahpeton Indian School in Wahpeton, ND - (701) 642-3796 Education - Private Schools |url=https://local.wahpetondailynews.com/wahpeton-nd/education/private-schools/circle-of-nations-wahpeton-indian-school-701-642-3796 |website=local.wahpetondailynews.com |access-date=March 16, 2020}}</ref>

;High school championships
* [[North Dakota High School Activities Association|State Class 'A' football]]: 1930, 1971
* [[North Dakota High School Activities Association|State Class 'A' boys basketball]]: 1941, 1944, 1954, 1979
* [[North Dakota High School Activities Association|State Class 'A' girls basketball]]: 1986
* [[North Dakota High School Activities Association|State Class 'A' volleyball]]: 1985, 1986
* [[North Dakota High School Activities Association|State Class 'A' girls golf]]: 1991
* [[North Dakota High School Activities Association|State Class 'A' wrestling]]: 2007
* [[North Dakota High School Activities Association|State Class 'A' girls indoor track and field]]: 1999

==Transportation==
Wahpeton has two railroads, a bus line, five truck lines, and an airport with runways approximately 3,000 and {{convert|5000|ft|m}} in length.

===Transit===
Valley Senior Services provides [[dial-a-ride]] transit service to residents of Wahpeton on weekdays.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.valleyseniorservices.org/senior-services/transportation/|title=Valley Senior Services Transportation|access-date=July 12, 2024}}</ref>

===Main Highways and Roads===
* {{jct|state=ND|ND|13}}
* {{jct|state=ND|ND|127}}
* {{jct|state=ND|ND|210}} (works as a bypass for Wahpeton. Crosses the river just north of [[Breckenridge, Minnesota|Breckenridge, MN]], becomes {{jct|state=MN|MN|210}} and then intersects {{jct|state=MN|US|75}}.

==Notable people==
* [[Art Anderson]], former NFL football player
* [[Sam Anderson]], actor
* [[Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte]], Armenian-American writer
* [[Louise Erdrich]] (Chippewa), author, lived here as a child when her parents taught at the Indian boarding school
* [[Sidney Hinds]], Brigadier General and Olympian
* [[Rose Thompson Hovick]], inspired "Rose" character of musical ''[[Gypsy (musical)|Gypsy]]''
* [[Woodrow W. Keeble]], World War II and Korean War era [[Medal of Honor]] recipient
* [[Colin Masica]], linguist
* [[Porter J. McCumber]], former senator
* [[Jerome G. Miller]], correctional institution reformer
* [[Steve Myhra]], former placekicker for the [[History of the Indianapolis Colts|Baltimore Colts]]
* [[William E. Purcell]], former senator
* [[David Richman]], North Dakota State men's basketball head coach
* [[Mary Shaw Shorb]], research scientist
* [[Ryan Smith (wide receiver)|Ryan Smith]], wide receiver, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
* [[Russell T. Thane]], long-time state senator
* [[John Wall (North Dakota politician)|John Wall]], North Dakota educator and politician
* [[Clark Williams (politician)|Clark Williams]], state legislator
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==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{commons category-inline|Wahpeton, North Dakota}}
* [https://www.wahpeton.com/ City of Wahpeton – official website]
* [https://www.wahpetonschools.org/ Wahpeton Public Schools]
* [http://www.digitalhorizonsonline.org/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/ndsl-books&CISOPTR=9962&REC=9 A history of Richland County and the city of Wahpeton, North Dakota (1938?)] from the [https://digitalhorizonsonline.org/ Digital Horizons website]

{{Richland County, North Dakota}}
{{North Dakota}}
{{North Dakota county seats}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Wahpeton, North Dakota|*]]
[[Category:Cities in North Dakota]]
[[Category:Wahpeton micropolitan area]]
[[Category:Cities in Richland County, North Dakota]]
[[Category:County seats in North Dakota]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1871]]
[[Category:Dakota toponyms]]
[[Category:1871 establishments in Dakota Territory]]