ColfaxNow

History

Colfax was platted in 1881, although it was not incorporated until 1954, first as a village, then in 1967 as a city. Its first settler was Horace Crandall, a resident of Fargo who made a homestead claim in 1879 where Colfax is now. The town was later named after Schuyler Colfax – then vice-president under President U.S. Grant – after the former purchased and later sold 3,120 acres in the townsite. The town grew as a stop along the Northern Pacific Railway. In its early days it was known for its artesian wells which gushed water to the surface from underground aquifers.

Schuyler Colfax, Namesake of the City of Colfax

The original Railroad Depot at Colfax

The early town catered to area farmers. The first grain elevator was built in 1891 and two more would follow. One elevator burned down in 1917 and another was largely destroyed by a fire in 1952 but rebuilt the following summer. The elevator has since been modernized with new structures.

The St. Anthony Elevator - Destroyed by fire in 1917

Colfax in 1913

The town recorded 100 residents at the 1900 census. Its population went through periods of growth and decline until about 2000 when steady growth began and continues today. Many early residents were immigrants from Norway.

The first school was constructed in 1885, north of the cemetery, serving grades 1-8 and teaching English to immigrants. Over the following years, the school was moved and added on to. In 1966, the North Central District (Colfax and Galchutt) and the Eagle School District (Abercrombie and Christine) merged to become Richland 44.

The first school in 1885

Richland 44 Junior-Senior Highschool after the 1974 addition

Colfax pool

The Colfax outdoor swimming pool was constructed when several residents banded together and formed a corporation for the purpose. With donations of money and labor, the pool quickly transitioned from an idea into reality. Plans for the pool began in 1960 and the pool had its first day on June 20, 1961. The pool still operates in Colfax and is a point of pride for the community – in fact, in every public meeting held during this planning process, the pool and the fact that the town is the smallest town in North Dakota with a pool was brought up as a major asset for the community.

Location

Colfax is located in Richland County approximately 20 miles from Wahpeton, ND and is about 2 miles from I-29. Colfax is bisected by County Road 4, which runs east-west and has an interchange at I-29. County Road 1 runs north-south along Colfax’s western edge. The city is also served by the Red River Valley and Western Railway. Colfax is about 25 miles from the southern edge of the growing Fargo-Moorhead urban area, a destination for commuters but also home to some Colfax workers. The North Country Scenic Trail – a rugged hiking trail stretching from Vermont to western North Dakota – passes through Colfax on its way to the Sheyenne National Grasslands and eventually Lake Sakakawea.

Demographics

Colfax’s recorded population for the 2020 census was 172. Since that time there has been significant growth and new home construction. Census estimates in 2022 gave the city’s population as 194, a nearly thirteen percent increase since 2020. The estimated median age of Colfax residents is 41 years old, older than both the county-wide median of 37.3 and the statewide median of 35.4 years old [1]. Colfax is also less diverse than Richland County or North Dakota; 94% of Colfax residents reported their race and ethnicity as Non-Hispanic White in 2020, compared to 89% and 82% in Richland County and North Dakota, respectively. Colfax has considerably higher incomes than the county or the state, with an estimated household median income of $99,375 in 2022.

[1] ACS Estimates, 2018-2022

In 2010, Colfax’s population was 121. This grew to 172 in 2020, a 42% increase. During that time period the city’s age distribution remained mostly stable, except for a shift in children’s age cohorts. Children who were under 5 in 2010 grew ten years older by 2020, however there have not been as many children under 5 either born or moving to Colfax to replace them by 2020.

Colfax is part of the Richland 44 School District along with the cities of Abercrombie and Christine. The district has two schools: an elementary school serving grades PK-6 in Abercrombie and a junior-senior high school serving grades 7-12 in Colfax. Enrollment data for the district is available from the 2007-08 school year to the 2023-24 school year. Enrollment in the district slowly declined from 2007 until reaching a low of 245 students in the 2018-19 school year. Since then, enrollment has grown to 284 students. In recent years, enrollment has increased for the elementary school faster than the junior-senior high school. As these students graduate to grade 7, junior and senior high school enrollment will increase.

Colfax has seen significant growth in recent years. In the time period from August 2022 to October 2023, fifteen homes were constructed in the city. Assuming an average of 2.23 persons per household [2], Colfax’s population has increased by about 33 people to 227. With more development likely on the way, the city’s population will continue to grow.

Click here to compare an aerial view of Colfax in 2012 (right) and 2023 (left). Move the slider to reveal the aerial imagery from each year.

Growth in Colfax is mostly due to new residents moving in from the surrounding region. Many newcomers do not work in Colfax but commute to neighboring communities including Fargo. The new homes being built are single-family, typically 3-bed, 2-bath slab on grade construction.

Input from community members suggests that more people would like to move to Colfax, especially teachers at the junior-senior high school. However, home prices and available lots in town may be out of reach for prospective buyers. A focus group of students at the junior-senior high school expressed a desire for Colfax to maintain its largely rural character and that they would prefer to stay in places like Colfax if they could.

[2] Richland County, ND persons per household, ACS Estimates, 2018-2022

Employment & Economics

Employment in Colfax is dominated by the junior-senior high school. North Dakota's Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) tracks staffing at all public schools in the state. Richland 44 employs about 69 people. The junior-senior high school employs about 27 people including teachers, administration, and support staff. Other employers and businesses include:

Colfax Farmers Elevator, a part of Minn-Kota Ag Products
The Yarn Factory
Colfax Bar & Grill
Colfax Express, a community-owned convenience store
Colfax Parks and Recreation
Keith’s Electric
Schmitt & Sons Construction
North Star Genetics
US Post Office

Other notable businesses in the area outside of Colfax include Dakota Vines Vineyard and Winery and Crooked Lane Farm wedding venue, both located about 4 miles east of Colfax on County Road 4 along the Wild Rice River.

Based on anecdotal evidence from focus groups, the majority of working residents work in agriculture in the area or commute to Fargo or Wahpeton. This information is also shown in data, as almost 60% of working residents commute 30 minutes or more to their jobs.

The median Household income in Colfax is $89,956, and the median net worth is $367,733. 60.4% of residents are employed in white collar positions. 40.2% of residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher, while 42.7% have some college or an associate degree.

Amenities

Colfax has numerous amenities for a town its size. The park has an outdoor swimming pool, basketball court, outdoor ice-skating rink with warming house, and picnic shelter. The city also maintains Wold Field, with two baseball diamonds on the west side of town.

Colfax Park

Colfax baseball diamonds - Wold Field

The junior-senior high school in Colfax has approximately 157 students as of the 2023-24 school year. The school was constructed in several phases with multiple additions. A portion of the school dates to 1962, with major additions and renovations in 1974, 2000, 2010, and 2013. The district noted in February 2024 that the school’s HVAC system is well past its lifespan and is controlled through multiple units. The system may cost an estimated $300,000 to replace.

Richland 44 Junior-Senior High School

Government

Local government in Colfax is limited. A dedicated 5-member city council meets about once a month. The City of Colfax has no full-time staff. Engineering, Planning, and Legal are all contracted positions with local firms.

Parks in Colfax are run by Colfax Parks and Recreation, served by an elected board of five members, with the majority of functions being performed by volunteers. Activities include swimming lessons and organized summer youth baseball.

Existing Documents

Colfax’s city ordinances were last revised in 2009. However, the zoning ordinance is much older and is outdated. It went largely unenforced until about ten years ago.

The current zoning ordinance and zoning map are not aligned, which leads to some confusion about what may or may not be allowed on a property.

There are also some properties that are not shown on the zoning map, and the zoning map hasn’t been updated with recent subdivisions.

Entities with resources and planning in the region include the Lake Agassiz Development Group and the Southern Valley Economic Development Association, which includes the Richland-Wilkin Joint Powers Authority. Lake Agassiz Development Group has a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) plan, which includes the Colfax region. It discusses regional priorities for Economic Diversification, Small Businesses and Entrepreneurship, Workforce, Infrastructure, Housing, Community Quality of Life, and Capacity Building, and is relevant to this planning effort. That CEDS plan can be found here: LADG CEDS

Development Pressures

Colfax faces development pressures. The city’s location, developable real estate, and rural pace of life make it an attractive location. Houses are currently being built in the Colfax Meadows Third Addition Subdivision, on the north end of town. In addition to Colfax Meadows, the Boehm Addition, directly north of Wold Field has been platted but is not currently on the market. Other potentially developable land includes 130 acres north of Colfax Meadows and another 13 acres located north of the Boehm Addition, east of County Road 1, and west of the railroad tracks. There are about 65 buildable lots left in the city.

New housing north of Colfax

Current Infrastructure

Roads

All of Colfax’s streets are gravel, except for County Road 4. Maintenance of the gravel roads is through informal arrangements with residents and occasional county assistance. During discussions with the community, the gravel road infrastructure was a topic of concern. Community members felt that improving the road infrastructure should be a focus of the city, though they acknowledged the cost of both pavement and maintenance as an obstacle.

Sidewalks

The community lacks sidewalks. There is one sidewalk that was constructed as part of a Transportation Alternatives Project, which connects the high school to the neighborhoods north of the school. It is fairly short but well used.

In discussion, community members mentioned the need for sidewalks and multiuse paths, particularly along County 4, crossing the rail tracks.

Sewer and Water

The existing City sewer lagoon is sized to handle a population of roughly 375 people. The existing lagoon is not sufficient for the full build out of all currently platted lots in the City of Colfax. A lagoon expansion will be needed to not only service the existing lots, but any future growth as well. In May of 2024, a lagoon capacity report was provided to the City Council by Interstate Engineering. That report can be found here: Lagoon Capacity and Expansion

The existing water system in Colfax consists of 4” and 6” watermains. A majority of the watermains are PVC, with some clay tile or asbestos piping south of Richland County Road 4. The existing City water reservoir is located on the west edge of town and borderline sufficient for currently platted lots within City limits. It will not be able to service a growing population without a reservoir expansion and controls upgrade.

Rail

Exisiting Land Uses

Industrial

Existing industrial land use in Colfax is mostly concentrated in the grain elevator and related operations. Additional industrial use exists along County Road 4 on the east side of town in the shop condos and in Minnkota Power Cooperative’s large transmission tower.

Commercial

Existing commercial land uses in Colfax consist mostly of the C-store, run by a group of community members who bought the store when it had been closed for several years, and the local bar, which is open only in the evenings and does not regularly serve food. The C-store does provide some lunch to high school students.

Residential

Existing residential land use takes up 75 acres of the City of Colfax, a little over a tenth of the land within city limits. More than half of this acreage was built up in the last 20 years. Most housing in the city is single family homes built on lots that average about ¾ of an acre.

Planning Process

ColfaxNEXT was created with significant input from community members. Input included the following:

Project Advisory Committee – A group of fourteen dedicated community members who met five times to guide the project and craft a vision for the future of Colfax. These community members did visioning exercises and provided expertise from varied viewpoints- some community members had served or are serving on city council or school board, some community members had lived in the community for close to 30 years, others had moved in the last few years. The park committee and school board were also both represented. The project advisory committee was tasked with grappling with hard conversations about the future of Colfax.

Focus Groups – Three focus group meetings were held in January of 2024. These included a group of high school students (freshman through seniors), a group of community residents of various longevity, and a group of senior residents of the community. These focus groups provided information on their hopes for Colfax, as well as the areas they saw needed improvement. The recurring themes in all of these focus groups was a need for updated infrastructure such as paved roads and sidewalks, as well as a great deal of community pride.

One-on-ones – The planning team met with multiple community members one-on-one, including several developers, several business owners, and the school principal. These meetings provided opportunities for candid conversations about the past and future of Colfax and informed many of the recommendations found in this plan.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse