Ada (/ˈeɪdə/ AY-də)[7] is a city in Norman County, Minnesota, United States.

It was named in honor of a daughter of William H. Fisher (the namesake of Fisher, Minnesota), of St. Paul, then attorney and superintendent of the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, under whose superintendency this line of the Red River Valley was constructed.

At the time, Norman County was bigger than today, with Twin Valley roughly at the geographic center.

Starting in 1900, Twin Valley worked to rally support behind the goal of building the new courthouse there, turning it into the county seat as well.

[11] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.39 square miles (3.60 km2), all land.

Held the last full weekend in June, the fair is a gathering place for the whole county.

The festival includes a parade, Pioneer Days at Prairie Village (a collection of historical buildings preserved as museums and located immediately west of the Norman County Fairgrounds), old time demonstrations, kids' games, food stands, a craft show, a produce market, a car show, entertainment, and more.

[16] Ada hosts an Old-Fashioned Family Christmas each December, with highlights including a parade, opportunities for children to visit Santa and Mrs. Claus, free family movies at Ada's historic Orpheum Theatre, and an old-time snowmobile show.

The elementary building serves preK-6 students and was built in 1978; the adjacent high school houses students in grades 7-12 and was constructed in 1998 following the devastating 1997 Red River flood, which destroyed the former 1953 building on Ada's east side.

Further, Ada-Borup Secondary was awarded a bronze medal by U.S. News & World Report for three consecutive years, recognizing it among the nation's top high schools.

[18] The Norman County Index is a weekly newspaper founded in 1883 and headquartered in Ada.