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Traffic heat map of Grand Forks County, North Dakota: 535 miles of roads shaded from blue (light) to red (heavy traffic), busiest on Washington Street

Grand Forks County, North Dakota Traffic Counts

TrafficZoom tracks traffic on 535 road miles in Grand Forks County, North Dakota, divided into 3,486 segments averaging 811 ft. Its drivers are the youngest of any county in North Dakota, a median 38 years. Built from cross-verified mobile and road-sensor data, these counts help you size up a retail site, plan logistics routes or assess infrastructure needs.
Data sourced from TrafficZoom's proprietary analytics platform.
Data current as of:
Q3 2026
Updated:
September 29, 2026
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Total Traffic Volume & Performance in Grand Forks County, North Dakota

Traffic

The average number of vehicles that travel each day over any road in the road network.

vehicles per day3,133
Trucks

The percentage of the total traffic volume composed of heavy vehicles.

8.3%
Average travel time

The average time of travel averaged among all vehicles traveling on the road network.

35.2 min
Congestion ratio

The rate at which the actual travel time exceeds free-flow travel time, averaged among all roads in the network.

15.7%
Drivers’ average age

Average age of residents in the geographic areas where the vehicle trips originated.

38.1 yrs
Drivers’ average income

Average income of residents in the geographic areas where the vehicle trips originated.

$83,119

A typical monitored road in Grand Forks County, North Dakota sees 3,133 vehicles per day, while its 535 miles of monitored roads together handle 1,036,036 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈378 million per year). Trucks are a smaller part of the mix than across North Dakota: 8.3% against 11.1%.

Busier roads than 92% of counties in North Dakota

Grand Forks sees 44% higher average daily traffic volume than the state average (3,133 vehicles per day against 2,174), suggesting more demand on each road - more exposure for roadside businesses, and more competition for road space. Network-wide, Grand Forks accounts for about 5.9% of North Dakota's statewide total of vehicle-miles. By volume, Grand Forks's 3,133 vehicles per day outpaces 92% of counties in North Dakota.

The average trip takes 35.2 minutes, on par with the state level. Its average travel time of 35.2 minutes is shorter than 69% of counties in North Dakota.

Congestion runs 48% higher than the state level, at a ratio of 15.7%, which means more pronounced congestion - a factor for delivery windows and signal timing.

Highway vs. Non-Highway Traffic Analysis

highway traffic icon

Highway Traffic in Grand Forks County, North Dakota

Trafficvehicles per day2,459
Trucks12.4%
Average travel time39.7 min
Congestion ratio5.5%
Drivers’ average age38.1 yrs
Drivers’ average income$85,658

Highways carry a significant share of travel in Grand Forks County, North Dakota: 42% of all vehicle-miles. The average highway carries 2,459 vehicles per day, 23% less than the average non-highway road in the same area, which carries 3,201 vehicles per day.

With 30% of the road miles (160 miles in 319 segments), highways punch above their length, carrying 431,002 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈157 million per year).

By highway travel volume, Grand Forks outranks 82% of counties in North Dakota.

Lower highway truck share than 85% of counties in North Dakota

Highway truck concentration here runs 14% lower than the state average, at 12.4%. The highway traffic mix is typical for North Dakota: neither freight- nor commuter-dominated.

By truck concentration, highways here trail 85% of counties in North Dakota. Grand Forks's highway truck count is higher than 65% of counties in North Dakota, at roughly 306 trucks per day.

non-highway traffic icon

Non-highway Traffic in Grand Forks County, North Dakota

Trafficvehicles per day3,201
Trucks5.3%
Average travel time34.8 min
Congestion ratio16.7%
Drivers’ average age38.1 yrs
Drivers’ average income$81,833

A little more than half of the driving in Grand Forks County, North Dakota happens on local roads: 58% of all vehicle-miles. The average non-highway road carries 3,201 vehicles per day.

Local roads also make up about 70% of the monitored road miles: 375 miles in 3,167 segments, together carrying 605,033 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈221 million per year). Trucks make up 5.3% of non-highway traffic, about 1 in 19 vehicles.

The youngest drivers of any county in North Dakota

Non-highway roads carry a truck concentration that's 57% lower than the highway network.

Non-highway congestion (16.7%) runs 54% higher than the state average, pointing to slower local traffic flow.

Grand Forks's average driver income is higher than 67% of counties in North Dakota. Drivers here also skew toward the lowest median age in North Dakota, at 38 years.

Time-of-Day & Seasonal Patterns

peak hours icon
Peak Traffic Windows
Weekday peaks:
AM peak 10:00 AM–12:00 PM and a long afternoon plateau from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM, with volumes reaching approximately 70% higher than the daily average.
Weekend traffic:
Weekends are somewhat quieter: volumes run about 18% below weekday levels, the usual weekend dip.
seasonal traffic icon
Seasonal Fluctuation
Busy season:
June–August is the high season, with volumes +24% versus the annual average.
Lowest month:
February is the quietest month, with volumes -20% versus the annual average - the usual winter low.

Data Finding: Hourly & Seasonal Patterns

In Grand Forks County, North Dakota, the peak hour concentrates about 7% of the day's traffic, and there is a strong seasonal swing of +24% in high season.

Grand Forks County vs. North Dakota Traffic Comparison

The average daily traffic per road sets Grand Forks County apart: 44% above the North Dakota average. Its truck share, by contrast, is 25% below.

MetricGrand Forks CountyNorth Dakota averageDifference
Traffic3,1332,174+44.1%
Truck % (Total Traffic)8.3%11.1%-25.3%
Truck % (Highway)12.4%14.5%-14.1%
Avg. Travel Time35.2 min37.0 min-4.9%

How Grand Forks County compares

Grand Forks County moves more traffic than any nearby county

Compared with its 4 closest neighbours, Grand Forks County is 246.4% more congested and carries 299.2% more traffic on a typical road; it has the busiest roads of the five. It is where traffic concentrates in this corner of the map - the local bottleneck, with more vehicles per road AND less room to absorb them.

Grand Forks County and the 4 nearest county-level areas by centroid distance, with the North Dakota average for scale.
AreaAverage daily trafficTruck shareDaily vehicle-milesAverage travel timeCongestion ratio
Grand Forks County3,1338.3%1,036,03635.2 min15.7%
Walsh County, North Dakota1,08710.4%269,69630.4 min7.0%
Nelson County, North Dakota52311.1%112,94242.2 min2.5%
Steele County, North Dakota5549.3%58,22851.3 min2.5%
Traill County, North Dakota97612.2%335,35528.5 min6.2%
North Dakota average2,17411.1%N/A37.0 min10.6%

Grand Forks County ranked within North Dakota

No county-level area in North Dakota records a lower average driver age than Grand Forks County.

Grand Forks County ranked among 53 county-level areas in North Dakota (1 = highest); measures without data in every county rank a smaller field, down to 35.
MeasureGrand Forks CountyNorth Dakota rank
Traffic volume (AADT)3,133#5 of 53
Highway vehicle-miles per day431,002#7 of 35
Truck share on highways12.4%#30 of 35
Highway trucks per day306#13 of 35
Average travel time35.2 min#37 of 53
Average driver income$83,119#18 of 53
Average driver age38.1 yrs#53 of 53

The two ends of this table sit far apart: #5 of 53 on average daily traffic volume, against #53 of 53 on average driver age.

Busiest roads in Grand Forks County, North Dakota

On their busiest stretches, the three busiest roads in Grand Forks County carry 21,402 vehicles a day on average, 6.8 times the typical road in the county (3,133).

Washington Street is the busiest road, at 29,077 vehicles a day, 1,211 of them trucks (4.2%). It also carries the most trucks.

Drivers on University Avenue come from neighborhoods with an average household income of $50,357, 39% below the county average of $83,119.

Columbia Road is busy with cars rather than freight: only 2.1% of its traffic is trucks, against 8.3% county-wide.

Traffic and freight follow different roads here: only 2 of the five busiest roads also make the top 5 for trucks.

Ranked by daily traffic (AADT)

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1Washington StreetPrimary road · 29,077vehicles1,211trucks · 4.2%
Road class
Primary road
Congestion ratio
47.4%
Median trip time
34.1 min
Drivers’ median age
38.8 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$76,923

Travel on Washington Street's busiest stretch runs 47% over free-flow time, against 16% across the county, so expect slower peak hours.

232nd AvenuePrimary road · 19,696vehicles787trucks · 4.0%
Road class
Primary road
Congestion ratio
39.7%
Median trip time
34.6 min
Drivers’ median age
38.8 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$81,639

32nd Avenue is one of the more congested roads here: trips take 40% longer than at free-flow speed, against 16% county-wide.

3Columbia RoadSecondary road · 15,433vehicles332trucks · 2.1%
Road class
Secondary road
Congestion ratio
38.3%
Median trip time
34.6 min
Drivers’ median age
37.8 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$68,990

Columbia Road carries 4.9 times the county average at its busiest, 332 of them trucks (2.1%, below the county-wide 8.3%).

4University AvenueTertiary road · 11,426vehicles321trucks · 2.8%
Road class
Tertiary road
Congestion ratio
34.9%
Median trip time
46.1 min
Drivers’ median age
35.3 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$50,357

University Avenue carries through traffic: the median trip using it lasts 46.1 minutes, against 35.2 for the county.

542nd StreetSecondary road · 11,283vehicles443trucks · 3.9%
Road class
Secondary road
Congestion ratio
30.7%
Median trip time
36.4 min
Drivers’ median age
37.2 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$67,424

42nd Street carries 3.6 times the county average on its busiest stretch, where the median trip lasts 36.4 minutes.

Ranked by trucks per day

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1Washington StreetPrimary road · #1 by traffic29,077vehicles1,211trucks · 4.2%
2I 29Motorway · 8,143vehicles1,080trucks · 13.3%
Road class
Motorway
Congestion ratio
8.2%
Median trip time
41.6 min
Drivers’ median age
39.4 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$87,988

At 2.6 times the county average, I 29 draws drivers from neighborhoods averaging $87,988 in household income.

332nd AvenuePrimary road · #2 by traffic19,696vehicles787trucks · 4.0%
4Gateway DriveTrunk road · 7,298vehicles588trucks · 8.1%
Road class
Trunk road
Congestion ratio
7.4%
Median trip time
37.2 min
Drivers’ median age
37.7 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$78,520

The busiest stretch of Gateway Drive carries 2.3 times the county average; trucks are 8.1% of it, in line with the county-wide 8.3%.

518th AvenueTrunk road · 4,160vehicles446trucks · 10.7%
Road class
Trunk road
Congestion ratio
5.5%
Median trip time
38.1 min
Drivers’ median age
38.1 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$87,774

18th Avenue peaks at 4,160 vehicles a day, 33% more than the county average; trucks are 10.7% of it, above the county-wide 8.3%.

How to read these road counts
  • The first number is AADT, annual average daily traffic: the vehicles passing a point on an average day, both directions combined and trucks included. On a divided highway both carriageways are added together.
  • Traffic changes along a road, with more near interchanges and towns and less in open country. Every figure for a road describes its busiest stretch in the county, so the two rankings show the same numbers for the same road.
  • The second number is the trucks on that stretch, a part of its AADT. The bar splits the AADT into cars and light vehicles (blue) and trucks (amber).
  • See segment-level AADT for any road on TrafficZoom.

Data Sources & Methodology

The data presented on this page is derived from TrafficZoom's proprietary analytics platform, which aggregates and normalizes information from multiple sources, including:

Mobile device location data (anonymized and aggregated)

Road sensor networks and traffic counters

Historical traffic pattern databases

Public traffic count programs published by the

Grand ForksDepartment of Transportation

Demographic Baseline for O-D Modeling

U.S. Census Bureau
All metrics represent estimates based on statistical modeling and are intended for strategic planning purposes.
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Data current as of:
Q3 2026

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Counties near Grand Forks County

The same traffic breakdown for the areas closest to Grand Forks County, North Dakota.

Need segment-level traffic data?

Identify traffic patterns street by street and analyze the exact corridors that matter to your project.