Lincoln, ND: Suburban town celebrates with neighborhood lights!
December 2023: We visited the small town of Lincoln, ND (pop.4,257*) during the Christmas holiday, and enjoyed the pulsing holiday light show hosted by several neighborhoods. The largest neighborhood display keeps beat with a local radio station 105.5!
Considered a residential suburb of adjacent Bismarck (pop.73,622*), Lincoln does not have a traditional Main Street business district. However, it does have a grade school, a couple of restaurants, parks and several other businesses within the city limits. It is one of the fastest growing cities in North Dakota, with its population having increased by an estimated 28.8% since the 2010 Census.
Lincoln – A Brief History
A Lincoln Township south of present-day Bismarck has been shown on maps dating back to 1872, when Edwinton (as Bismarck was originally known) was first platted. Efforts to formerly organize a township and city under the name of Lincoln have persisted, including one in 1965.
The town was first established as a 300-acre, 492-lot housing development called Fort Lincoln Estates in 1972. It was originally considered part of Apple Creek Township. Twenty-four homes were constructed by 1973.
Lincoln, along with eleven other sections of Apple Creek Township, entered the Bismarck Public School district through annexation in 1973. For decades, the town consisted chiefly of middle-class single-family houses. By the 2010s, the growing town diversified to include condos, apartments, businesses, and even an elementary school, It now boasts a small handful of businesses, including a bank, two convenience stores, and a couple of bars and restaurants.
Residents voted to incorporate as a city on July 12, 1977.
The Elementary school opened in 2014, the first public school in the city. Prior to that, students were bused into Bismarck.
More to Explore!
Online research identified a well-organized City of Lincoln webpage where I found a couple interesting factoids to share.
- The town has a Safewise designation for 2023
- The city government offers helpful information via a New Resident Welcome Letter
- A Comprehensive Plan (developed in 2018), provides a legal basis for land use regulation and provides a vision of Lincoln’s future with goals and strategies.
VISION STATEMENT
Lincoln, North Dakota is a welcoming, prosperous
City of Lincoln: Comprehensive Plan 2018
community with small-town charm where residents enjoy
a high quality of life and a range of housing options within
attractive, walkable neighborhoods, employment districts,
a vibrant, mixed use town center, well maintained parks,
and natural areas, connected by a safe and accessible
network of streets, walkways and trails
