 Grand Forks is located 74 miles ( 119 km ) north of the Fargo @-@ Moorhead area and 145 miles ( 233 km ) south of Winnipeg , Manitoba . Grand Forks is situated on the western bank of the Red River of the North in an area known as the Red River Valley . The term " forks " refers to the forking of the Red River with the Red Lake River located near downtown Grand Forks . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 20 @.@ 09 square miles ( 52 @.@ 03 km2 ) , of which , 19 @.@ 91 square miles ( 51 @.@ 57 km2 ) is land and 0 @.@ 18 square miles ( 0 @.@ 47 km2 ) is water . Since it is in one of the flattest parts of the world , the city has few differences in elevation . There are no lakes in the city limits of Grand Forks , but the meandering Red River and the English Coulee flow through the community and provide some break in the terrain . The Red River Valley is the result of an ancient glacier carving its way south during the last Ice Age . Once the glacier receded , it formed a glacial lake called Lake Agassiz . The ancient beaches can still be seen as rolling hills west of the city . 
