Visitor Information
Contact the North Dakota Tourism Division, 1600 E. Century Ave., Suite 2, P.O. Box 2057, Bismarck, ND 58502-2057 (tel. 800/435-5663 or 701/328-2525; www.ndtourism.com), and request a free visitor travel guide. Several welcome centers are scattered at strategic points along the state's major road routes; for operating hours and exact locations, contact the Tourism Division. Note: Road conditions can change at whim; call tel. 701/328-7623 (or 511 when in North Dakota) before heading out on a long drive.
Getting There
By Plane -- The two major airports are Bismarck Municipal Airport (tel. 800/453-4244; www.bismarckairport.com) and Minot International Airport (tel. 701/857-4724; http://web.ci.minot.nd.us/airport). Northwest is the domestic airline that offers the most service to North Dakota.
By Train -- Amtrak's Empire Builder (tel. 800/872-7245; www.amtrak.com) services six cities in North Dakota, including Grand Forks, Devils Lake, and Minot on its way from Chicago to Seattle.
By Car -- The major east-west corridor is I-94, which enters the state from Minnesota at Fargo and runs through Bismarck and on to Medora before exiting into Montana. I-29 enters from Canada along the eastern edge of the state and runs south through Grand Forks and Fargo into South Dakota.
Special Events
The North Dakota State Fair (www.ndstatefair.com) is held annually in Minot in late July. Visitors will enjoy live entertainment from top national artists (Keith Urban and the Steve Miller Band performed here in 2006), a parade, rodeo events, a car show, a carnival, lots of local and native cuisine, and a host of juried competitions involving everything from wine to rabbits. The United Tribes International Pow Wow (tel. 701/255-3285; www.unitedtribespowwow.com), held annually in Bismarck on the weekend after Labor Day, is one of the largest powwows in the United States. Representatives from over 70 tribes, including more than 1,500 dancers and drummers, take part in numerous concerts and performances.
