Ward County, North Dakota

Ward County, North Dakota
Location in the state of North Dakota
North Dakota's location in the U.S.
Founded	November 23, 1885
Seat	(1885–1888) Burlington (1888–present) Minot
Largest city	Minot
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	2,056 sq mi (5,325 km²) 2,013 sq mi (5,214 km²) 43 sq mi (111 km²), 2.11%
Population  - (2010)  - Density	61,675 28/sq mi (11/km²)
Website	www.co.ward.nd.us

Ward County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2010 census, the population was 61,675. Its county seat is Minot.

Ward County was created by the 1885 Dakota Territory legislature and named for Mark Ward, chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Counties during the session. The county government was first organized on November 23, 1885 with Burlington as the county seat. This was changed to Minot in 1888.

Until 1910, Ward County included what is now Burke, Mountrail, and Renville counties; this landmass often being referred to as 'Imperial Ward' County. When Burke and Renville counties were partitioned out of Imperial Ward County, neither wanted to include Kenmare and risk that city becoming the county seat, so Kenmare was left in Ward County at the end of a narrow strip of land.

Ward County is part of the Minot Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,056 square miles (5,330 km²), of which, 2,013 square miles (5,210 km²) of it is land and 43 square miles (110 km²) of it (2.11%) is water.

Much of the county is flat to rolling plains. The southern reaches of the county are dotted with numerous small lakes, water neither sloping towards the Souris River basin nor Lake Sakakawea.

Townships

Afton Anna Baden Berthold Brillian Burlington Burt Cameron Carbondale Carpio Denmark Des Lacs Elmdale Eureka Evergreen Foxholm Freedom Gasman Greely

Greenbush Harrison Hiddenwood Hilton Iota Flat Kenmare Kirkelie Linton Lund Mandan Margaret Maryland Mayland McKinley Nedrose New Prairie Newman Orlien Passport

Ree Rice Lake Rolling Green Ruthville Ryder St. Marys Sauk Prairie Sawyer Shealy Spencer Spring Lake Sundre Surrey Tatman Tolgen Torning Vang Waterford Willis

Major highways

U.S. Highway 2 U.S. Highway 52 U.S. Highway 83 North Dakota Highway 5

North Dakota Highway 23 North Dakota Highway 28 North Dakota Highway 50

Adjacent counties

• Renville County (north)
• McHenry County (east)
• McLean County (south)
• Mountrail County (west)
• Burke County (northwest)

National protected areas

• Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Hiddenwood National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

Historical populations
Year	Pop.	±%
1890	1,681	—
1900	7,961	+373.6%
1910	25,221	+216.8%
1920	28,811	+14.2%
1930	33,597	+16.6%
1940	31,981	−4.8%
1950	34,782	+8.8%
1960	47,072	+35.3%
1970	58,560	+24.4%
1980	58,392	−0.3%
1990	57,921	−0.8%
2000	58,975	+1.8%
2010	61,675	+4.6%
2010 Est	62,093	+0.7%
U.S. Decennial Census ND County Population, 1900-90

As of the census of 2000, there were 58,795 people, 23,041 households, and 15,368 families residing in the county. The population density was 29 people per square mile (11/km²). There were 25,097 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile (5/km²). The county is predominately White (92.40%), with African Americans and Native Americans making up 2.22% and 2.07% respectively. Asians and Pacific Islanders made up less than 1% of the population. Other races and those that identified as being two or more races made up 2.43%. 1.91% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 34.7% were of German ancestry and 27.9% Norwegian ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 23,041 households out of which 34.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.20% were married couples living together, 8.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.30% were non-families. 27.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the county the population was spread out with 26.20% under the age of 18, 13.00% from 18 to 24, 29.10% from 25 to 44, 19.20% from 45 to 64, and 12.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 99.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,670, and the median income for a family was $41,342. Males had a median income of $27,980 versus $19,830 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,926. About 7.90% of families and 10.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.50% of those under age 18 and 8.40% of those age 65 or over.

Places

Cities

• Berthold
• Burlington
• Carpio
• Des Lacs
• Donnybrook
• Douglas
• Kenmare
• Makoti
• Minot
• Ryder
• Sawyer
• Surrey

Note: all incorporated communities in North Dakota are called "cities" regardless of their size.

Census-designated places

• Minot Air Force Base

Unincorporated communities

• Aurelia - "ghost town" south of Donnybrook
• Drady
• Foxholm - small community in the Des Lacs Valley north of Burlington
• Gassman - founded as the Gassman Creek Coulee trestle was being built, now referred to as "Trestle Valley"
• Hartland - "ghost town" north of Berthold
• Hesnault
• Lonetree - small 100 person community northwest of Des Lacs and southeast of Berthold
• Logan - small community south of Minot and north of Sawyer in the Souris River Valley
• Rice Lake - small community around Rice Lake south of Minot
• Rice Lake Park
• Ruthville - small community that was created due to construction of Minot Air Force Base about a mile north
• South Prairie - small community with modern school, south of Minot
• Wolseth - diminishing community, south of the Renville County border, and Granville

Historical areas:

• Harrison - early sister community of Minot, annexed into Minot
• Waldorf - annexed into Minot boundaries in its early years
• Roach - railroad siding
• Ralston - railroad siding

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Ward County, North Dakota

External links

• Ward County official website
• Ward County Historical Society website