Fargo, city in eastern North Dakota. The seat of Cass County, Fargo is located at the head of navigation on the Red River of the North, opposite Moorhead, Minnesota. It is the largest city in North Dakota and is the commercial, financial, cultural, and medical center of a rich grain-, sugar-beet-, and livestock-producing area. Farm equipment and fabricated metal are manufactured, and food is processed. North Dakota State University (1890) is here. The city's railroad station was designed by the architect Cass Gilbert. The community, founded in 1871 by the Northern Pacific Railway, is named for the American express shipper William G. Fargo. Fargo was incorporated as a city in 1875. Nearby West Fargo (population, 1990, 12,287) is an important meat-packing center. Recent growth in population in Fargo is related to the city's diverse economic base, as well as a campaign by local leaders to attract new business. According to the 1990 census, whites constitute 97.1 percent of Fargo's population; people of Asian origin, 1.3 percent; Native Americans, 1.1 percent; and blacks 0.4 percent. Hispanics, who may also be counted among other groups, make up 0.7 percent of the population. Population 61,383 (1980); 74,111 (1990); 86,718 (1998 estimate).
