Rugby, North Dakota

Rugby is the geographic center of North America

Rugby is a city in Pierce County, North Dakota in the United States. It is the county seat of Pierce County. The population was 2,939 at the 2000 census. Rugby was founded in 1886. Rugby the little town is famous for being the geographic center of North America.

From recreational facilities and unique shopping opportunities to museums and historical landmarks, Rugby has everything you're looking for. Whether it's a weekend getaway or an extended stay, we have the services and attractions to make your stay both pleasurable and memorable.

The little town of Rugby

Rugby was founded in 1886 at a junction on the Great Northern Railway, where a branch line to Bottineau met the main line. The railroad promoters initially platted the town as Rugby Junction, getting the name Rugby from the town of Rugby in Warwickshire, England. It was one of several sites along the Great Northern's transcontinental route between Devils Lake and Minot that were named after places in England (the others were Berwick, Leeds, Knox, Norwich, Penn, Surrey, Churches Ferry, Tunbridge, and York). When the community became a city, the Junction was dropped from the name. As of the census of 2010, there were 2,876 people, 1,239 households, and 697 families residing in the city. Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, serves a station in Rugby via its Empire Builder, a once-daily train in each direction between Portland, Oregon/Seattle, Washington and Chicago.