Moorhead, MN: Population, ZIP Codes & Nearby Cities

Moorhead is a small incorporated city in Clay County, Minnesota. In the dataset behind this page it has an estimated population of 43,652, sits at 46.867°N, 96.746°W, and observes Central time. Below you will find how it ranks inside Minnesota, which ZIP codes it uses, the closest places around it, and how far it is from major US cities.

What are the key facts about Moorhead, MN?

What is the population of Moorhead, MN?

Moorhead has an estimated population of 43,652. That makes it the 22nd largest of the 896 places we list in Minnesota, and the largest place in its county. The typical place in Minnesota has about 648 residents, so Moorhead is many dozens of times larger than a typical place in the state.

Estimates for places of this size carry wider margins of error than those for big cities, so treat the figure as a guide to scale. Our guide to understanding city population numbers explains why sources disagree.

Places in Minnesota with a similar population include St. Louis Park (48,662), Shakopee (41,570), Maplewood (40,885), Cottage Grove (37,604), Roseville (36,457). Comparing these pages is a quick way to see how Moorhead differs from communities of the same scale.

How dense is Moorhead?

Moorhead has about 1,958 people per square mile (756 per square kilometer), which we classify as suburban. Within Minnesota, it is denser than about 91% of the listed places. Land at this level is usually a mix of single-family neighborhoods, shopping corridors and parks, where driving is common but destinations are close. Read how to interpret population density to see how we draw these lines.

What ZIP codes does Moorhead use?

The postal data lists 3 ZIP codes for Moorhead: 56560, 56562, 56563. Several codes in one place usually reflect separate delivery areas, post offices or large buildings with their own code. Codes beginning with 5 are assigned to the Upper Midwest and northern Plains (Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, the Dakotas and Wisconsin). Learn more in our guide to how ZIP codes work or check any code with the ZIP code lookup.

What time zone is Moorhead in?

Moorhead is in the Central time zone, which is UTC−6 from Coordinated Universal Time in standard time (IANA zone America/Chicago). The area observes daylight saving time, so clocks move forward in March and back in November. The nearest listed place in a different time zone is Dickinson, ND, about 285 miles away, which gives a sense of how far the nearest zone boundary may be. Current local time: see the Central time hub. For the rules behind these zones, read US time zones explained.

Where is Moorhead located in Minnesota?

Moorhead lies in the western part of Minnesota, at 46.867° north latitude and 96.746° west longitude. The state capital, St. Paul, is about 220 miles to the southeast. The closest listed place in another state is Fargo, ND, roughly 4 miles to the west, which shows how near Moorhead is to a state line. For big-city services, the nearest place with more than 100,000 people is Fargo, ND, 4 miles to the west.

Which cities are near Moorhead, MN?

The closest listed place to Moorhead is Fargo, ND, 3.9 miles to the west. Of the eight nearest places below, 0 are in the same county. Distances are straight-line (great-circle) miles measured between place centers; see how distance is calculated.

Which county is Moorhead in?

Moorhead is in Clay County, which has the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) code 27027. The county contains 12 places in our data, 1 of which have their own page here and 11 smaller communities that appear only in county and state lists. Other places in the county include Dilworth (4,422), Barnesville (2,602), Hawley (2,198), Glyndon (1,373), Sabin (558). Codes like this one help separate places that share a name; see the guide to counties and FIPS codes.

How far is Moorhead from major US cities?

Among six major hubs, Moorhead is closest to Chicago, IL at about 566 miles and farthest from Los Angeles, CA at about 1,431 miles in a straight line. Road distances are usually 10 to 30 percent longer. Try the distance calculator for any other pair.

Are there other places called Moorhead?

Yes. Our data lists 2 other places named Moorhead: Moorhead, MS (2,201), Moorhead, IA (204). When you search for Moorhead, add the state or county so you land on the right one. This page covers the Moorhead in Clay County, Minnesota.

Planning a move to Moorhead?

If you are weighing Moorhead, start with the practical numbers: how far it is from where you live, whether it changes your time zone, and how its size and density compare with your current city. Use the distance calculator to measure the trip from where you live. The radius search tool lists every place within any distance of it. Our checklist for comparing cities explains what to check next.

Where to go next

Population and density come from a compiled dataset and are estimates. They may differ from official Census Bureau counts. Verify important figures at census.gov.