Rugby (North Dakota)



Rugby is a city in the Lakes and Gardens region of North Dakota, with a population of about 2900 people. It is located about halfway between Minot and Devils Lake.

By car
US Highway 2 runs along the south side of town. West about 60 miles is Minot. East about the same distance is Devils Lake. US 2 crosses Interstate 29 in Grand Forks.

North Dakota Highway 3 runs North to Dunseith and the International Peace Garden. Brandon, on Trans-Canada 1, is about 2 and a half hours from Rugby.

By train

 * Route stopping at Rugby:
 * Empire Builder operating daily between Seattle/Portland and Chicago including stops at Spokane, Glacier National Park, Fargo, 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. Eastbound trains arrive daily about 7AM. Westbound trains arrive about 11PM.
 * Empire Builder operating daily between Seattle/Portland and Chicago including stops at Spokane, Glacier National Park, Fargo, 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. Eastbound trains arrive daily about 7AM. Westbound trains arrive about 11PM.

Get around
If you come into town by train, you'll have to walk or hitch around town. There isn't any public transport, taxi service, or car rental. Not that this can be a bad thing if, say, you had a rail pass and wanted to spend a day in small-town North Dakota.

However, the more timid may want to take the train to Minot, rent a car, and circle back.

See
The Geographical Center of North America cairn, at the intersection of US 2 and ND 3. The actual center of the continent is some 6 miles west of nearby Balta, but you really have to be a stickler to get there.

Buy
Rugby has a number of small shops, mostly located downtown, which is around the train station, and about 2 miles north of Highway 2.