Icelandic Evangelical Lutheran Church · National Register of Historic Places
Pembina’s story
149 years in pictures
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1877Pembina is settled
PembinaND
A town of 625, settled in 1877. A regional job hub with 387 jobs.
Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
625
−13.5% since 2010
Median home value
$136K
Census ACS
Household income
$102K
median
Median age
40.9
years
Jobs based here
387
A job hub
What makes Pembina stand out
The 2 things Pembina does most differently from other towns.
Small town
625 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Pembina’s report card
Now in Pembina
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Live in Pembina? Is an A for its schools right?
Your answer becomes a post in Pembina’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →57°
Fog/Mist
H 68° · L 42°
Local news
All →- Despite summer travel rebound, some Canadians still icy on AmericansMPR News · Jul 21
- Fewer Canadian shoppers leave border businesses strugglingMPR News · Jul 20
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Pembina. Another town gets a different order.
Work & commute
About one in three working residents works right in Pembina
About one in 3 of Pembina’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Neche (12%), Cavalier (7%) and Fargo (6%). Half commute less than 14 miles.
32%work in town
Where working residents work
In Pembina32%
Neche12%
Cavalier7%
Fargo6%
Grand Forks5%
14 mi
median commute distance
387
jobs based in Pembina
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Schools
Pembina’s public schools outperform 92% of North Dakota districts
The public schools Pembina’s kids attend outperform 92% of North Dakota’s districts on state tests. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
ASchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Border-Pembina Elementary School | PK–8 | 109 | A |
| North Border-Pembina High School | 9–12 | 36 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ND on state testsAll 2 schools →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Pembina has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to -4°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
39″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter-0–17°
Spring28–50°
Summer55–78°
Fall32–52°
Sep 29
typical first frost
May 16
typical last frost
+2.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
Low risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 37% of U.S. communities.
37risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
135
paid flood claims since 1978
10
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Health
How healthy Pembina is
Pembina beats the North Dakota average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2.
32 measures vs. North Dakota
1 better29 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Pembina | ND |
|---|---|---|
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 86.3% | 82.7% |
| More adults with arthritis | 30.2% | 25.3% |
Kittson Healthcare
19.6 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Outdoors
0% of Pembina is conserved land
0.7 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 516 acres
0.7 mi
of trails · 0.9 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pembina State Park | — | 9 |
| 2. Fort Daer Landing and Recreation Area | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
A job hub
Every workday, about 326 people come to Pembina for work
Where Pembina’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
387jobs based in Pembina
32%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Pembina
City in North Dakota, United States
Pembina ( ) is a city in Pembina County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 512 at the 2020 census. Pembina is 2 miles (3.2 km) south of the Canada–US border. Interstate 29 passes on the western side of Pembina, leading north to the Canada–US border at Emerson, Manitoba, and south to the cities of Grand Forks and Fargo. The Pembina–Emerson Border Crossing is the second busiest along the Canada–United States border west of the Great Lakes. It is one of three 24-hour ports of entry in North Dakota, the others being Portal and Dunseith. The Noyes–Emerson East Border Crossing, 2 miles (3.2 km) to the east on the Minnesota side of the Red River, also processed cross-border traffic u…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1877
- Population
- 512
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 778 ft
- ZIP code
- 58271
- Area code
- 701
More about Pembina
Still missing for Pembina:archive photosupcoming events