Valley City

North Dakota has a number of picture-perfect midwestern small towns. You know, those charming little towns that you think only exist in books or movies, but they're real. There are a few towns in particular that have evolved into much more than your average small town. Some would even argue that they have become the coolest places in the Midwest. Valley City, North Dakota has been named one of the most beautiful and scenic towns in the state in a variety of publications. The quiet little town of 6,585 people was founded in 1874. Many of the structures here are quite old, including the Carnegie Library, which dates back over a century. Valley City State University is also located there.

Valley City, which was founded along the Sheyenne River, is now known as the "City of Bridges". Many historic and beautiful bridges can be found throughout town, and you can even take a tour to see them all. It has everything you could want and more in a perfect midwestern town, including its own unique attraction. It's a wonderful place to live because it has many family-owned businesses and a close-knit community.

The Vault, a downtown coffee shop, is an excellent example of Valley City's wonderful community. The story of this shop was covered by national news because of its unusual business structure: the entire shop is self-serve and operates on an honor system. There are never any employees in the store because they believe you will pay what is fair. Over the years that the store has been open in a historic former bank building, the concept has proven to be successful.