Valley City was established in 1874 with the building of a railroad station.

[8] The present name is for the city's location in the valley of the Sheyenne River.

[10] A Carnegie Library opened in 1903[11] through the efforts of the "Tuesday Club," a local women's organization.

[15] The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (95.4%), Spanish (0.7%), Indo-European (1.5%), Asian and Pacific Islander (2.0%), and Other (0.4%).

As of the 2020 census, there were 6,575 people, 2,966 households, and 1,454 families residing in the city.

As of the 2010 census, there were 6,585 people, 2,986 households, and 1,563 families living in the city.

As of the 2000 census, there were 6,826 people, 2,996 households, and 1,668 families living in the city.

The top six ancestry groups in the city are German (45.5%), Norwegian (38.8%), Irish (9.1%), Swedish (5.2%), French (4.8%), English (3.8%).

St. Catherine's Catholic School for grade K–6 also serves students in Valley City.

Intercity bus service to the city is provided by Jefferson Lines.

[23] Valley City Parks and Recreation operates a bikeshare system with a single station located at the Gaukler Family Wellness Center.

[24] This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters.