Most of Minot AFB was built recently: 1% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2002. Below: 4 old photos and papers, maps from 1949 on, and the census since 1970.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Minot AFB is more historic than 2% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Minot AFB’s overall grade.
North Dakota towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical North Dakota town has 2.8 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Minot AFB’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (22% of North Dakota towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1957.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to D. The pre-1940 share (±1.3 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Minot AFB’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Construction of Minot AFB began in May 1956 and it officially opened on January 10, 1957, named for the nearby city of Minot. The base is approximately forty miles (65 km) south of the 49th parallel, the international border with Canada, and the tripoint of North Dakota with the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
The initial USAF host unit was the Air Defense Command (ADC) 32d Air Base Group, activating on 8 February 1957.
Between 5,017 and 12,077 people in every census since 1970.
6 censuses, 1970–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Minot AFB’s Wikipedia page.
Questions about Minot AFB’s history
What year was Minot AFB founded?
In 1957, according to Wikidata. the census of 1970 counted 12,077 people here.
How does Minot AFB rank for history?
Minot AFB is more historic than 2% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Minot AFB?
1% of Minot AFB’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.3 points), against a typical 7.2% for a North Dakota town; the median home was built in 2002.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (6), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1996
2005
2002
