Lakota is a city in Nelson County, North Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Nelson County. Lakota is located 63 miles west of Grand Forks and 27 miles east of Devils Lake. The population was 683 at the 2020 census, making Lakota the 76th-largest city in North Dakota.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Town numbers

ZIP code58344

Area code701

Living in Lakota

Work & commute in Lakota

Full picture →

About one in 4 of Lakota’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are McVille (10%), Grand Forks (9%) and Fargo (7%). Half commute less than 24 miles.

McVille

10%

Grand Forks

Fargo

Devils Lake

23%Work in townlive and work in Lakota 24 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 316Jobs based herebalanced

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Lakota →

Health in Lakota

Compared with North Dakota

8better than ND·8worse

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 16 are too close to call.

Conditions 8▼ 4 close Habits 1▲ 3 close Care 3▲ 4 close Mind 1▲ 4 close Everyday needs 3▲ 1 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

4.6%Fewer adults facing a utility shut-offND 5.8% · better 7.1%Fewer adults facing housing insecurityND 8.9% · better 12.1%More adults who have had cancerND 8.2% · worse

Care nearby

Nelson County Health SystemMcville · 20.7 mi · ER · rural critical access

Spectra Health LarimoreLarimore · 34.7 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careNo shortage

DentalNo shortage

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Lakota · CMS · HRSAHealth in Lakota →

Natural hazards in Lakota

Moderate

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 52% of U.S. communities.

🥶 Cold waves🧊 Hail🌊 Inland flooding

0Does Lakota flood?no paid flood claims on record 5Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to Lakota

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Lakota →

Climate in Lakota

Full climate →

Lakota has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to -4°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

18° / 0°Winter

50° / 28°Spring

77° / 54°Summer

52° / 31°Fall

How much snow does Lakota get?About 43 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Sep 28, with the last in spring around May 11.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+1.1° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Lakota →

Schools in Lakota

All Lakota schools →

School Grade B

The public schools Lakota’s kids attend outperform 55% of North Dakota’s districts on state tests. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.

DistrictLAKOTA 66Schools2

Lakota Elementary School B+Elementary · Grades PK–6 · 129 students Lakota High School BHigh · Grades 7–12 · 76 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results, graded within ND. Ratings are from neighbors.