Community Information

Aerial view from Patterson Lake

This robust city in western North Dakota in the Heart River valley had its beginning with the Northern Pacific railroad. The town was named after Wells S. Dickinson, an official with the railroad.

Dickinson is the county seat of Stark County, established in 1883. Early history depicts the small hamlet as the center for buffalo hunters, trading buffalo hides and meat. Farmers and ranchers soon arrived when buffalo became nearly extinct, and agriculture developed.

Fourth of July Parade

By 1904, settlers took advantage of the homestead laws with immigrants from Russia, Germany, Ukraine, Scandinavia and other countries, coming to break the sod, turning the prairie soil into farms. During the summer months Joachim Regional Museum and Prairie Outpost Park offer the visitor a lesson into the past with rotating static displays and tours of homestead buildings some of which include a church, general store, German stone house, Scandinavian Stabbur, railroad depot, school house and settlers home.

Formerly known as the Queen of the Prairie, Dickinson was so named because of the twinkling lights of the city that could be seen for miles.

Ukrainian Dancers

The Ukrainian Institute is established in Dickinson, preserving the ethnic heritage culture with the annual Ukrainian Festival held each July. The Institute offers unique insight into the Ukrainian heritage with many items on display and tours offered. Also unique to Dickinson for more than a quarter of a century are the Roughrider Days, a western summer fest where cowboys and cowgirls participate in all the activities. The PRCA Rodeo takes center stage for three days over the Fourth of July along with street dances, beer gardens, demolition derby and carnivals.

Wheat Harvest

Dickinson is home to Dickinson State University, a four-year-university, where academia enriches the community through many ways, especially cultural events. Sports are enhanced through the winning tradition of the DSU Blue Hawks and the Lady Hawks sports teams.

With population hovering around 18,600, Dickinson is the regional center for all of southwest North Dakota, where people come for shopping and entertainment. Economics is fueled by agriculture, the oil industry, and a strong manufacturing base.

What makes Dickinson special, true to its roots, is the western hospitality that anyone who visits can attest to. Dickinson is the city on the "Western Edge", the gateway to the serene and rugged Badlands.