East Grand Forks, Minnesota
| East Grand Forks, Minnesota | |
|---|---|
| City | |
| Nickname(s): The Grand Cities | |
 Location of East Grand Forks within Polk County and state of Minnesota |
|
| Coordinates: 47°55′48″N 97°1′27″W / 47.93000°N 97.02417°WCoordinates: 47°55′48″N 97°1′27″W / 47.93000°N 97.02417°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Minnesota |
| County | Polk |
| Metro | Greater Grand Forks |
| Founded | 1887 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Lynn Stauss |
| Area | |
| • City | 5.91 sq mi (15.31 km2) |
| • Land | 5.91 sq mi (15.31 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 833 ft (254 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • City | 8,601 |
| • Estimate (2015) | 8,643 |
| • Density | 1,455.3/sq mi (561.9/km2) |
| • Metro | 102,449 |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 56721 |
| Area code(s) | 218 |
| FIPS code | 27-17612 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0643079 |
| Website | egf.mn |
East Grand Forks (also known as EGF) is a city in Polk County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 8,601 at the 2010 Census, making it the largest community in Polk County.
It is located in the Red River Valley region along the eastern bank of the Red River of the North, directly across from the larger city of Grand Forks, North Dakota. The cities of Grand Forks and East Grand Forks form the center of the Grand Forks, ND–MN Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is often called Greater Grand Forks. The metropolitan area had an estimated population of 102,449 on July 1, 2015.
A post office called East Grand Forks has been in operation since 1883. The city was named for its location east of Grand Forks, North Dakota. East Grand Forks was incorporated in 1887.
East Grand Forks, along with Grand Forks, was heavily damaged by a major flood in 1997. The entire city was under a mandatory evacuation and almost no homes were spared damage. After the flood, several neighborhoods had to be demolished because of damage. The city cleared development from the floodplain bordering the Red and Red Lake rivers. It developed a large park known as the Greater Grand Forks Greenway to provide a new recreation area for residents along the river. A similar park was developed in Grand Forks, North Dakota on the opposite side. The parklands, with trees and a variety of greenery, can absorb floodwaters and help protect the cities naturally. Moving residential and business development out of these areas also helps prevent future flood damage. In addition, a new system of dikes was constructed to protect the city from future flooding.
The city has rebuilt. New businesses attracted to the downtown include a Cabela's sporting goods store and movie theater complex.
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