Fargo

Fargo is a modern city of just over 100,000 in the Red River Valley of North Dakota. Many people relate Fargo to the eponymous 1996 Coen Brothers movie starring Oscar-winner Frances McDormand and William H. Macy, though none of the movie was filmed in Fargo. Neighboring Moorhead, Minnesota is across the river from Fargo and the area is generally referred to as Fargo-Moorhead. Fargo is the seat of Cass County.

By plane
Fargo's  is served by Allegiant, American, Delta, and United with flights to Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Orlando, Phoenix, and Dallas.

By train
Amtrak's Empire Builder serves this station daily on its route between Seattle/Portland and Chicago, including stops at Spokane, Glacier National Park, Saint Paul, and Milwaukee. The trains split into separate branches between Seattle and Spokane, and between Portland and Spokane, while operating as trains consisting of train cars from both branches between Spokane and Chicago. Unfortunately, arrival time is in the middle of night, about 2:30AM, and delays are quite common on this route too.

By car
Fargo is located at the intersection of Interstate Highways 29 and 94. It's about 230 miles northwest of the Twin Cities on I-94, about a three-hour and twenty minute drive.

Get around
Matbus Bus transportation is available to most parts of the city. Parking around Fargo is plentiful, even on the main thoroughfares in downtown areas.

See
Two interesting landmarks in the surrounding are the KVLY-TV mast and the KXJB-TV mast, which were the tallest towers on earth until the construction of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.



Do

 * - located in Fargo
 * - located in Fargo

Buy
Fargo has many interesting boutique and specialty style shops downtown.



Sleep
Great variety of hotels and motels ranging from budget to luxury. Major national chains like Motel 6, Comfort Inn, Best Western, Howard Johnson's, Ramada, Radisson, Courtyard by Marriott, and Travelodge all have Fargo locations.

In addition, you may rent rooms from $300 per month or less. There are signs everywhere and some interesting residential hotels scattered about.

Stay safe
Fargo is a safe city, with little violent crime, however, use common sense especially when it comes to personal property, just as you would anywhere else. The only area in which a person would need to be on the look-out is downtown on the weekends, especially during the school year. With the many colleges and bars it makes for an unpredictable experience.

Occasionally, crimes such as carjackings and assault happen around the NDSU campus, but these events are few and far between. Be wary of your surroundings like anywhere else.

The region is known for bitterly cold winters. Be sure to have appropriate attire, and know the forecast ahead of time for the day. If you need to drive, learn how to drive in snowy and icy road conditions, and follow weather warnings. It will save you a lot of headaches.

Connect
There is free wireless internet access in the food court at the West Acres Shopping Center.

Most coffee shops and even a few bars also offer free wireless internet access.


 * High Plains Reader The source for what is happening in the city, an alternative newspaper that from the start was doomed to fail due to the small population of the city, but has since lasted over 10 years and remains as strong as ever. Free.