Ward County, North Dakota

Ward County
Ward County
County
	Ward County Administration Building
	Location within the U.S. state of North Dakota
	North Dakota's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 48°13′N 101°33′W / 48.22°N 101.55°W
Country	United States
State	North Dakota
Founded	April 14, 1885 (created); November 23, 1885 (organized)
Named for	Mark Ward
Seat	Minot
Largest city	Minot
Area
• Total	2,056 sq mi (5,330 km2)
• Land	2,013 sq mi (5,210 km2)
• Water	43 sq mi (110 km2) 2.1%
Population (2020)
• Total	69,919
• Estimate (2023)	68,332
• Density	34/sq mi (13/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	At-large
Website	www.co.ward.nd.us

Ward County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 69,919,^[1] making it the fourth most populous county in North Dakota. Its county seat is Minot.^[2] Ward County is part of the Minot, ND Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The Dakota Territory legislature created the county on April 14, 1885, with areas partitioned from Renville, Stevens, and Wynn counties (Stevens and Wynn counties are now extinct). The county government was not organized at that date; the organization was effected on November 23 of that year. The county was named for Mark Ward, chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Counties during the session. Burlington was the county seat; this was changed to Minot in 1888.^[3]

The boundaries of Ward County were altered two times in 1887, and in 1892, 1909 and 1910. The present county boundaries have been in place since 1910.^[4]

Until 1908, Ward County included what is now Burke, Mountrail, and Renville counties; this landmass often being referred to as 'Imperial Ward' County and which was the largest county in the state at the time. In 1908, voters took up measures to partition the county. The results for that portion forming Mountrail County were accepted but the results for the portions that would become Burke and Renville counties were disputed in court, which resulted in favorable rulings in 1910.^[5] When the proposed county lines for Burke and Renville counties were drawn, neither group wanted to include Kenmare and risk that city's becoming the county seat, so Kenmare was left in Ward County at the end of a narrow strip of land, commonly referred to as the 'gooseneck'.^[6] One of the options reportedly considered around this time was to create a fifth county, Lake, with Kenmare as its seat.

Geography

The Des Lacs River flows southeasterly through the northeast part of the county before doubling to the northeast on its journey to Lake Winnipeg. The county terrain consists of low rolling hills, dotted with ponds and lakes in its southern part, and carved by drainage gullies. The area is largely devoted to agriculture.^[7] The terrain slopes to the east and north, with its highest point near the southwest corner, at 2,175 ft (663 m) ASL.^[8] The county has a total area of 2,056 square miles (5,330 km²), of which 2,013 square miles (5,210 km²) is land and 43 square miles (110 km²) (2.1%) is water.^[9] It is the fifth-largest county in North Dakota by land area.

Major highways

Lakes^[7]

Carpenter Lake
Douglas Lake (part)
Hiddenwood Lake (part)
Makoti Lake
Rice Lake
Rush Lake

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	Note	%±
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%
2020	69,919		13.4%
2023 (est.)	68,332	^[10]	−2.3%
US Decennial Census^[11] 1790-1960^[12] 1900-1990^[13] 1990-2000^[14] 2010-2020^[1]

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 69,919 people, 28,847 households, and 17,323 families in the county.^[15] The population density was 34.7 inhabitants per square mile (13.4/km²) There were 32,176 housing units.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 61,675 people, 25,029 households, and 15,597 families in the county. The population density was 30.6 people per square mile (11.8 people/km²). There were 26,744 housing units at an average density of 13.3 units per square mile (5.1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 90.3% white, 2.6% American Indian, 2.5% black or African American, 0.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.7% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 44.4% were German, 30.8% were Norwegian, 11.6% were Irish, 5.7% were English, and 2.3% were American.

Of the 25,029 households, 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.7% were non-families, and 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age was 32.7 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $48,793 and the median income for a family was $60,361. Males had a median income of $37,569 versus $28,415 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,326. About 6.7% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.0% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.

Population by decade

Communities

Cities

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities^[7]

Aurelia - (ghost town)
Drady
Gassman - founded when the Gassman Creek Coulee trestle was being built, now referred to as "Trestle Valley"
Hartland - (ghost town)
Hesnault
Lonetree
Rice Lake - community at Rice Lake near Minot
South Prairie
Wolseth

Historical areas^[7]

Harrison - early community, now part of Minot
Ralston - railroad siding
Waldorf - early community, now part of Minot

Townships

Politics

Ward County voters are traditionally and increasingly Republican. The Democratic Party presidential candidate has only won the county once since 1944, during Lyndon B. Johnson's landslide victory in 1964. In 2020, Donald Trump received 70.7% of the vote in this county, the highest for any candidate since Theodore Roosevelt, although his margin relative to his Democratic opponent declined from 2016, most likely due to the high number of third party votes from the 2016 election cycle in Ward County.

United States presidential election results for Ward County, North Dakota^[16]^[17]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	19,974	70.71%	7,293	25.82%	979	3.47%
2016	18,636	67.98%	5,806	21.18%	2,970	10.83%
2012	16,230	63.74%	8,441	33.15%	792	3.11%
2008	15,061	58.45%	10,144	39.37%	563	2.18%
2004	17,008	66.41%	8,236	32.16%	368	1.44%
2000	13,997	62.26%	7,533	33.51%	952	4.23%
1996	10,546	48.01%	8,660	39.43%	2,758	12.56%
1992	12,056	46.63%	7,856	30.39%	5,940	22.98%
1988	13,179	56.74%	9,906	42.65%	143	0.62%
1984	16,077	68.06%	7,336	31.05%	210	0.89%
1980	14,997	67.59%	5,554	25.03%	1,638	7.38%
1976	12,751	56.12%	9,484	41.74%	486	2.14%
1972	13,900	66.61%	6,706	32.14%	262	1.26%
1968	9,079	53.11%	7,105	41.56%	911	5.33%
1964	6,798	38.33%	10,871	61.30%	66	0.37%
1960	9,680	54.83%	7,954	45.06%	19	0.11%
1956	9,042	60.96%	5,762	38.85%	28	0.19%
1952	10,130	66.60%	4,966	32.65%	115	0.76%
1948	5,514	48.64%	5,189	45.77%	634	5.59%
1944	5,514	48.30%	5,822	50.99%	81	0.71%
1940	6,519	45.61%	7,669	53.66%	105	0.73%
1936	3,142	22.36%	8,872	63.12%	2,041	14.52%
1932	4,195	33.23%	8,129	64.38%	302	2.39%
1928	6,561	59.72%	4,362	39.71%	63	0.57%
1924	4,166	47.99%	721	8.31%	3,794	43.70%
1920	6,166	67.41%	2,291	25.05%	690	7.54%
1916	1,743	35.43%	2,791	56.74%	385	7.83%
1912	686	19.59%	1,071	30.58%	1,745	49.83%
1908	5,286	57.39%	3,163	34.34%	761	8.26%
1904	4,349	78.15%	914	16.42%	302	5.43%
1900	880	68.06%	364	28.15%	49	3.79%

References

^ ^a ^b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
^ "County History". Official Portal for North Dakota State Government. Archived from the original on February 2, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
^ "Dakota Territory, South Dakota, and North Dakota: Individual County Chronologies". Dakota Territory Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2006. Archived from the original on April 2, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
^ Fitzmaurice v. Willis, 127 N.W. 95 (N.D. 1910).
^ Wick, Douglas A. "Kenmare (Ward County)". North Dakota Place Names. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Ward County · North Dakota". Google Maps. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
^ ""Find an Altitude/Ward County ND" Google Maps (accessed February 22, 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on January 29, 2015. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". Retrieved March 18, 2024.
^ "US Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (April 20, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
^ "US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
^ The leading "other" candidate, Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, received 1,065 votes, while Socialist Eugene Debs received 613 votes, Prohibition candidate Eugene Chafin received 67 votes.