Ada

History

Ada was laid out in 1874 and incorporated on February 9, 1881. It was named in honor of a daughter of William H. Fisher (the namesake of Fisher, Minnesota), of St. Paul, then attorney and superintendent of the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, under whose superintendency this line of the Red River Valley was constructed. A post office has been in operation at Ada since 1876. As Norman County grew in the 1880s, they were outgrowing their current space being used as a county courthouse in Ada, and erecting a new building was on the horizon. At the time, Norman County was bigger than today, with Twin Valley roughly at the geographic center. Starting in 1900, Twin Valley worked to rally support behind the goal of building the new courthouse there, turning it into the county seat as well. Two petitions and one vote later, Ada won the challenge. In 1906, it became a moot point when Mahnomen County was formed, shrinking Norman County and making Ada the geographic center.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. Minnesota State Highways 9 and 200 are two of the main routes in the city.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Ada-Borup-West Secondary
  High · ADA · 343 students · 14.3:1 ratio
• Ada-Borup-West Elementary
  Elementary · ADA · 342 students · 16.3:1 ratio