Grand Forks, with grassland prairie to the west and Minnesota lakes and forests to the east, has been ranked by "Money" magazine as one of the most livable cities in the country.  Short commutes, few traffic problems, safety, low crime, fine restaurants, parks and theatres, and a cost of living considerably below that found in large American cities are some of the city's advantages.  Nearly 40 arts organizations, appearances by nationally known performers and artists, galleries and museums offer a lot of culture and entertainment.  Parks, bike trails, golf courses, tennis courts and swimming pools provide summer activities, while winter activities include cross country skiing, sledding, snowmobiling, skating and ice hockey, the area's premier winter sport.  State and national parks are found throughout the region and excellent hunting and fishing are nearby.

Grand Forks is situated two hours south of Winnipeg, Canada, capital city of the province of Manitoba.  It is a five-hour drive from the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Bismarck, the state capital of North Dakota, is also a five-hour drive.  The city is served by Northwest Airlines, Amtrak, and transcontinental buses.  North Dakota boasts an excellent highway network; Grand Forks is linked to the rest of the country by Interstate 29 and Highway 2.  The city has a comprehensive bus service and dial-a-ride system for the physically disabled.  According to a survey by a Kansas publishing company, North Dakota is the safest state in the U.S.

North Dakota summers are typically dry and sunny with temperatures averaging about 70 degrees Fahrenheit.  Winters are sunny and cold with temperatures averaging about 17.2 degrees Fahrenheit from December to February.  Springtime and autumn are cool and sunny.  Because we are situated on the plains, the wind does blow at times. But North Dakota is blessed with more hours of annual sunshine than virtually any other state in the union.  Snowfall is modest, usually an accumulation on average of about 36 inches per year, and the violent kinds of foul weather that strike other parts of the country-including tornadoes-are seldom seen here.  We do, however, get an occasional blizzard, a natural phenomenon that often prompts massive grocery buying, movie rentals and impromptu social gatherings.

Grand Forks and its sister city, East Grand Forks, Minnesota, make up a trade center in the heart of a diversified and stable agricultural area, the economy of which is buttressed by developing industrial and technology concerns and the nearby Grand Forks Air Force Base.  But, first and foremost, Grand Forks is a college town, permeated for more than a century with the presence and values of the university.  Students, faculty and staff are full partners in the community; in fact, several past mayors of Grand Forks were university professors.  Students, faculty, and staff are regularly elected to the Grand Forks City Council and the state legislature.  This thorough integration of campus and community has helped Grand Forks develop an outstanding public school system, a large and highly sophisticated medical complex and hospital center, a symphony orchestra, a community theatre, plenty of movie theatres, and such specialized businesses as used book stores and coffee houses.  Grand Forks has extensive shopping facilities, motel accommodations, and excellent (and inexpensive) restaurants.