Overview
Fargo is a charming western city of just over 100,000 in the Red River Valley of North Dakota. As the biggest city for more than 200 miles (350 km) in any direction, it's a cultural hub for the region, and its lively, walkable downtown is full of old-fashioned architecture and friendly cafes.
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.
8 sights · 15 things to do · 16 places to eat · 16 bars & cafés · 19 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Fargo
North Dakota State University
A nice campus to walk around and see Midwest college life in all its glory. They also have tours. It's a decent size campus with lots to see like the Memorial garden and the creek.
Plains Art Museum
Surprisingly interesting contemporary art museum.
Fargo Air Museum
Museum focused on aviation history and machinery. Closed on all major holidays such as Easter, July 4, Christmas Eve and Day, and New Year's Day. Some days may be booked for private events, so check the website.
Red River Zoo
Open daily May to October, weekends only rest of year. Has red pandas.
Horse Racing
Season is from early August to mid-September.
Fargodome
Offers athletic events (most notably North Dakota State football games), broadway shows, music concerts. During some concerts 1/4 of the population fits inside the Fargodome.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 82°F; winter lows dip to about 1°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Jun and May.
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- FAR Hector International Airport, Fargo — 3 mi away. Directions
- GFK Grand Forks International Airport, Grand Forks — 76 mi away. Directions
- MSP Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field, Minneapolis — 220 mi away (major hub). Directions
Fargo's tiny Hector International Airport (FAR) is served by Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, and United with flights to Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Orlando, Phoenix, and Dallas. The airport only has five gates but there are a few food options, mostly outside of security. North Dakota souvenirs are also sold outside security (including local jams in containers too big to take through TSA – it is unclear how that's supposed to work).
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 3-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning North Dakota State University, Germans from Russia Heritage Collection, Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks
- Lunch Herd and Horns
- Afternoon Fargodome, Vietnam Week
- Dinner Pho Thien Kim & Boba
- Evening Chub's Pub
Day 2
- Morning Roger Maris Museum, Sky Zone Fargo, Red River Zoo
- Lunch Porter Creek Hardwood Grill
- Afternoon Celebrity Walk of Fame, Fargo Billiards and Gastropub
- Dinner Himalayan Yak
- Evening Rick's Bar
Day 3
- Morning Horse Racing
- Lunch Passage to India
- Afternoon North Dakota State Bison
- Dinner Kroll's Diner
- Evening Speck's Bar
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Fargo is named after William G. Fargo, one of the founders of American Express and Wells Fargo.
Climate
Fargo has an extreme humid continental climate with cold, snowy winters, and warm to hot, humid summers. Average summer heat indices factoring in humidity are around 84°F for daytime highs and around 62°F for overnight lows. Some exceptionally hot, sweltering summer days can see heat indices climb upwards to around or even exceeding 95°F, and not go below 71°F at night.
Tourist information
- The Fargo-Moorhead Visitors Center features the original woodchipper from the notorious scene in the movie Fargo, as well as an exact replica. There's other memorabilia on display too, and a gift shop.
Get in
By plane
Fargo's tiny Hector International Airport (FAR) is served by Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, and United with flights to Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Orlando, Phoenix, and Dallas. The airport only has five gates but there are a few food options, mostly outside of security. North Dakota souvenirs are also sold outside security (including local jams in containers too big to take through TSA – it is unclear how that's supposed to work).
There are no buses to the airport, so if you're not renting a car or having a someone pick you up, your main ground transportation option is taxi/Uber/Lyft.
If you can't find a decent flight and want to get creative, the nearest major airport is Minneapolis–Saint Paul, about four hours from Fargo by car or five hours by bus.
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 bus
Go Jefferson Lines
Jefferson Lines provides bus service to Fargo from cities in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Montana. They have three stops in the Fargo-Moorhead area: Fargo (NDSU) at 1201 University Drive N, Fargo (Jefferson Lines) at 1211 41st St N, and Moorhead (MSU - Comstock) at 615 14th Street S, Moorhead. Check all three as different buses serve different stops and the main Fargo (Jefferson Lines) stop is way out on the outskirts of town.
By car
Fargo is at the intersection of Interstate Highways 29 and 94. It's about 230 miles (370 km) northwest of the Twin Cities on I-94, about a three-hour and twenty minute drive.
Get around
Fargo has maintained a charming and very walkable downtown area, which is also within tolerable walking distance of downtown Moorhead across the river.
Matbus bus transportation is available Monday–Saturday to most parts of the city and to Moorhead, but not to the airport. Parking around Fargo is plentiful, even on the main thoroughfares in downtown areas.
Uber and Lyft operate in the area.
See
See Roger Maris Museum
Museum of the baseball player Roger Maris, who went to high school in Fargo and went on to play for the New York Yankees.
See Celebrity Walk of Fame
The walk where more than 100 celebrities have left their marks in cement. Stars from music, the arts, politics, and sports, like: Garth Brooks, Neil Diamond, KISS, Maury Wills, Debbie Reynolds, and Governor Jesse Ventura, have left their signatures, handprints and footprints.
Do
- ,
Do Bill's Gun Shop & Range
Indoor gun range with a huge variety of firearms available to rent for target shooting. The staff is friendly, helpful, and happy to teach beginners, so even if you've never touched a gun before, you'll be welcomed. High-quality eye and ear protection is essential and available for sale. Closed-toe, closed-heel shoes are required. Make sure to fill out the online waiver on their website, and be prepared to give them your ID to hold on to while you're on the range.
- There are a few golf courses open to the public sprinkled around the city.
- In many of the parks, there are disc golf courses.
- There are five skate parks in Fargo, one of which is indoors.
Entertainment
Do Fargo Theatre
The Fargo Theater show mostly independent films, on actual film, not digital. Inside the theatre there is a statue of Marge Olmstead Gunderson, of the movie Fargo carved out of wood. Inside on the stage is a functional Wurlitzer pipe organ that is occasionally used to score silent films.
Sports
Do North Dakota State Bison
The university's sports teams, competing in eight men's and eight women's sports, mostly in the Summit League. The most prominent program by far is the football team, a major power at the Division I FCS (second) level, including nine national championships in 11 seasons (2011–2015, 2017–2019, 2021) and the most recent title in 2024. With the Summit League not sponsoring football, NDSU plays that sport in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Most Bison teams play on campus, including the football team (the Fargodome is owned by the city, but the underlying land is owned by the university and part of the campus). Football games frequently sell out, but tickets for other sports are easier to find. Tip to fit in with the locals: the "S" in "Bison" is locally pronounced with a "z" sound instead of the "s" sound found in most other American English dialects.
Events
Buy
Downtown Fargo has many interesting boutique and specialty style shops:
Eat
Budget
Eat Grand Junction
East Coast Style Subs serves hot subs grilled fresh right in front of you. A local favorite. Try the Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich, very delicious.
Eat Boppa's Bagels
Boppa's Bagels makes wonderful bagels, of note are their speciality bagels, that are also available at some coffee shops around the city.
Eat Brewhalla
Indoor market with several food stalls. Also has an attached hotel.
Eat Los Vaqueros Taqueria
Mexican restaurant offering authentic dishes and drinks. Friendly staff and nice decor inside.
Eat Labby's Grill and Bar
Grill and bar featuring sandwiches, hamburgers, and more. Good atmosphere.
Eat Kroll's Diner
German and American 1950s diner. Also has locations in other North Dakota cities.
Eat The Bison Turf (The Turf)
Bar and grill right by the NDSU campus. Popular with students. Features a pool table, darts, a second floor bar, and a rooftop lounge.
Eat Herd and Horns
Restaurant and bar popular with students at NDSU. Has hamburgers, sandwiches, salads, etc.
Eat Pho Thien Kim & Boba
Vietnamese restaurant south of the NDSU campus. Serves pho, bubble tea, sub sandwiches, as well as rice with grilled meats.
Mid-range
Eat Passage to India
An excellent Indian buffet place. A flavourful and delightful selection from soup to dessert is available.
Eat Himalayan Yak
Offers excellent Nepalese and Indian food. Lunch buffet offered M - Su at 11AM - 2:30PM
Eat Würst Bier Hall
German-style restaurant and bar. Extensive list of local and exotic sausages (including two that are vegetarian and vegan), soft pretzels, and a variety of other German dishes. The drink menu has lots of beers and a few cocktails. Also has a location in West Fargo.
Eat Frank's Lounge
Home of the Pink Pussycat, this "lounge" has a good atmosphere that resembles a sports bar. Serves food and alcohol and kids sometimes permitted. Also sells merchandise.
Eat 701 Eateries (Prairie Kitchen & Camp Lonetree)
Contains two restaurants in the same building: Prairie Kitchen is the main interior restaurant area, and Camp Lonetree is a bar and grill, upstairs. They also operate a rooftop patio year round. This is all housed in the old Acme Dairy building. They serve modern American food.
Splurge
Eat Mezzaluna & The Drawing Room
Fine dining in downtown Fargo in a very unassuming location.
Eat Porter Creek Hardwood Grill
Modern American restaurant with on display grilling. Features a large menu with many options for grilled food, salads, and more.
Drink
While you're in the area, see if you can try the local soft drink Flannel Fizz, sold in several unique flavors at the Red River Market and some local restaurants.
A few of the bars (such as The Bison Turf, Herd & Horns, and Chub's Pub) will have mug night once a week, where you can buy a large mug which you can then get filled with beer or booze at a discount. This makes them very crowded with students that night!
Drink Bismarck Tavern
The PBR is always cold, all the whiskey drinks are doubles, and pull tabs litter the dirty floor. This downtown Fargo watering hole is Fargo's best dive bar. Black jack tables, off-sale liquor, pool, and pinball are available. Also the oldest bar in Fargo.
Drink Dempsey's Public House
Irish pub. Free popcorn, karaoke, and a side room with various amenities. LGBTQ+ friendly bar!
Drink Blarney Irish Pub
Irish pub featuring pub food as well as beers and ales on tap.
Drink Rooters Bar
Bar made up of two different buildings with the center wall removed, and bars on each side. It has darts, pool, and a blackjack table. Mostly serves drinks and the only food is microwaved pizza. There are specialty drinks like their root beer and green lantern.
Drink Fort Noks Bar of Gold
Sports type bar with daily specials varying. Lots of tables as well as a blackjack table. Has daily specials. In the warmer months, the empty lot next door hosts picnic tables where people crowd and drink.
Drink Empire Liquors
Despite its name, the Empire is also a dive bar. The door on the left is the liquor store and the door on the right is the bar.
Drink Cowboy Jacks
Bar with two floors, including a rooftop lounge. Usually has a live DJ and has a long bar with lots of tables.
Drink Sports Bar
This bar is a narrow and well lit bar on the south side of downtown. Happy hour M-F 4:30-6:30PM with a dice roll dictating your options.
Drink Chub's Pub
Dive bar with nightly specials. Has a pool table, darts, slots, breathalyzer, and more. Quiet atmosphere and popular with students depending on the night. Also sells off-sale alcohol.
Drink The Old Broadway
Restaurant and bar. Art deco interior with $2 drinks before 10 PM. People tend to leave after then. Attracts lots of students. The restaurant closes at 3 PM and the bar opens at 7 PM.
Drink Rick's Bar
Bar on main avenue, also has a lounge and off-sale. Featuring live music and serves food, including a daily lunch special.
Drink Speck's Bar
Rough-around-the-edges dive bar. Pool tables and cold drinks, this place has seen a lot.
Drink Duffy's Tavern
Little bar with a cast of regulars. Relaxing atmosphere, and has a happy hour on weekdays. Does not serve food. Cash only.
Drink Wild Terra
A cider and wine bar! Relaxed and family friendly atmosphere, and it has a happy hour on weekdays.
Coffee
Maybe it's the combination of bitterly cold winters and Scandinavian cultural heritage: Fargo has an incredible number of coffee shops per capita, especially in the downtown area.
Drink Babb's Coffee House
A fantastic independent coffee shop located across the street from the Fargo Theater downtown. Also serves breakfast and lunch with vegan options. Credit cards are accepted for a $0.25 surcharge.
Drink Atomic Coffee
Coffee shop with a lot of atmosphere and a varied seating selection.
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. Fargo has three primary hotel areas, being by the Fargodome, downtown, and in the West Acres neighborhood. Most, if not all, of the hotels are in these three areas.
In addition, you may rent rooms from $300 per month or less. There are signs everywhere and some interesting residential hotels scattered about.
Budget
Mid-range
Splurge
Stay Hotel Donaldson
A beautiful experience. The Donaldson has only 17 rooms, each featuring original works by a Plains artist. It was immaculately renovated in 2003. Room decor is modern. Amenities include flat screen cable TV, rooftop spa and high speed internet access. Outstanding personal service includes complimentary gourmet breakfast bar in the morning and wine and cheese bar in the early evening.
Stay safe
Fargo is a safe city, with little violent crime. 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 a rowdy atmosphere. Uncommonly, 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. Cover extremities such as fingers, ears, and your head with warm clothing, as the wind chill can be far colder than what a thermometer reads.
The region is frequented by severe thunderstorms, bringing lightning, damaging hail, and the threat of tornadoes. If you see a large dark cloud looming on the horizon, check the National Weather Service for storm watches and warnings to see what is in store.
Go next
- Moorhead is right across the river from downtown Fargo, and has some interesting museums.
- West Fargo, a rapidly-growing suburb, has Bonanzaville Pioneer Village and the Red River Valley Speedway.
- In nearby Blanchard 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.
Nearby
Moorhead
City / town · 25 listings · 0 mi away
Dilworth
City / town · 4 listings · 4 mi away
West Fargo
City / town · 7 listings · 5 mi away
Argusville
City / town · 14 mi away
Casselton
City / town · 7 listings · 20 mi away
Arthur
City / town · 4 listings · 26 mi away
Chaffee
City / town · 1 listings · 28 mi away
Abercrombie
City / town · 1 listings · 30 mi away
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