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West Central Initiative serves the counties of Becker,
Clay, Douglas, Grant, Otter
Tail, Pope, Stevens, Traverse and Wilkin,
and is the area designated as Minnesota's Economic Development Region
IV in west central Minnesota. The region encompasses 8,615 square
miles and measures approximately 125 miles between its northern
and southern boundaries and 85 miles east to west. The region is
bounded on the west by North and South Dakota and is approximately
200 miles from the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area.
The region is essentially rural with most communities having populations
less than 1,000. The total regional population from the 2000 Census
was 210,059 and the population continues to increase. The largest
city in the region, Moorhead, has a 2000 population of 32,177 and
is part of the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Statistical Area. Other
major cities in the region include: Fergus Falls (13,471), Alexandria
(8,820), Detroit Lakes (7,348) and Morris (5,068). The region is
served by Interstate Highway 94, U.S. Highways 10, 59 and 75, as
well as numerous state highways.
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