North Dakota ranks #48 among US states for total patents filed all time, with 8,915 patents from 2,395 inventors across 221 cities. On a per-capita basis that is 11.4 patents per 1,000 residents, a standard benchmark for comparing state-level R&D intensity.
Top Cities in North Dakota All Time
| Rank | City | Patents | Inventors |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Fargo, ND | 3,064 | 650 |
| #2 | West Fargo, ND | 844 | 146 |
| #3 | Bismarck, ND | 680 | 226 |
| #4 | Mayville, ND | 673 | 197 |
| #5 | Jamestown, ND | 506 | 96 |
| #6 | Dickinson, ND | 304 | 78 |
| #7 | Mandan, ND | 214 | 55 |
| #8 | Linton, ND | 201 | 35 |
| #9 | Hankinson, ND | 195 | 69 |
| #10 | Williston, ND | 171 | 64 |
| #11 | Minot, ND | 152 | 68 |
| #12 | Lisbon, ND | 147 | 30 |
| #13 | Gwinner, ND | 93 | 12 |
| #14 | Kindred, ND | 84 | 13 |
| #15 | Portland, ND | 72 | 38 |
| #16 | Wahpeton, ND | 69 | 17 |
| #17 | Horace, ND | 67 | 23 |
| #18 | Devils Lake, ND | 56 | 28 |
| #19 | Valley City, ND | 47 | 16 |
| #20 | Bottineau, ND | 44 | 7 |
| #21 | Argusville, ND | 42 | 7 |
| #22 | Milnor, ND | 42 | 10 |
| #23 | Oakes, ND | 41 | 7 |
| #24 | Ypsilanti, ND | 40 | 2 |
| #25 | Watford City, ND | 35 | 12 |