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Pilots in North Dakota
4,352 active pilots lived in North Dakota at the end of 2025, making it the 42nd largest pilot population in the country and 0.5% of the US total. Of those, 2,089 were student pilots and 640 held a flight instructor certificate.
Active pilots
4,352
#42 nationally
Students
2,089
48% of pilots here
Instructors
640
one per 3.3 students
By certificate
Where in North Dakota
Pilots by city of residence, from the August 2026 releasable file. That file omits airmen who decline address release, so treat these as relative weight between cities rather than counts — see methodology.
- Grand Forks499
- Fargo237
- Bismarck210
- Minot127
- West Fargo79
- Williston64
- Mandan55
- Dickinson45
- Jamestown38
- Watford City32
- Wahpeton26
The people who keep them flying
North Dakota is home to 698 certificated mechanics — one for every 6.2 pilots in the state.
- Mechanic698
- Flight Attendant172
- Ground Instructor130
- Repair men77
- Flight Engineer26
- Dispatcher18