Kenmare, ND

Kenmare sits about 50 miles northwest of Minot along Highway 52, offering a classic small-town North Dakota lifestyle to its roughly 1,000 residents. Set in the rolling Des Lacs River valley, the community is supported by agriculture and energy, giving newcomers a quiet, affordable place to put down roots while keeping the services and retail in Minot within an easy hour's drive.

ATTRMasterhatch / CC BY-SA 4.0

The heart of town is its green downtown square, marked by a historic 1902 Danish windmill that serves as a distinctive local gathering spot. Outdoor lovers benefit from having the Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge headquarters right in town, providing miles of scenic valley wetlands for birdwatching, hiking, and hunting. Local pride runs deep here as well, from the sprawling Pioneer Village museum to the hillside rocks south of town that graduating high school classes have painted every year since 1945. It is a welcoming, down-to-earth community surrounded by wide-open prairie.