Mountrail County, North Dakota

Mountrail County is a county in the northwestern part of North Dakota, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,809.<ref name="QF">Template:Cite web</ref> Its county seat is Stanley.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The county was originally created in 1873, then removed in 1892, annexed by Ward County. It was re-created and organized in 1909.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=dakota/> The county is home to the headquarters of the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara people, and a large part of the county belongs to the tribe's Fort Berthold reservation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

The Dakota Territory legislature created the county (as Mountraille County) on January 4, 1873, with area annexed from Buffalo County. The origin of its name came from Joseph Mountraille, a locally famed Metis voyageur and mail carrier from Pembina under Norman Kittson's employment.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="earlyhistoryofnor00loun">Template:Cite book</ref> The county was not organized at that time, nor was it attached to another county for administrative or judicial purposes. The new county lost territory in 1885 when a portion was annexed off to create Garfield County (now extinct). This situation continued until February 21, 1891, when Mountrail County was attached to Ward County, for "judicial and other purposes". The following year (November 8, 1892), the North Dakota legislature voted to dissolve the county and have its territory absorbed by Ward County.

An election held in Ward County on November 3, 1908, authorized the re-creation of Mountrail County, although with different boundaries than the previous county proposal. The countywide vote totals were 4207 to 4024, but the result was contested in court. On January 16, 1909, the state Supreme Court upheld the vote,<ref>Template:Cite court</ref> so the county government was organized on January 29 of that year.<ref name=dakota>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Oil production from the Bakken formation in the early 21st century attracted workers and reversed decades of population decline in the county. From 2010 to 2015, especially, population markedly increased, creating its own strains.

File:Map of Mountrail County, N.D., 1917.jpg

Outline map of Mountrail County, North Dakota, 1917

Geography

The Missouri River flows southeastward along the SW boundary line of Mountrail County, and Shell Creek drains the lower central part of the county into the Missouri, discharging at Shell Creek Bay. The terrain consists of rolling hills, largely devoted to agriculture. Its NE portion is dotted with ponds and lakes.<ref name="MCND">Template:Cite web</ref> The Laurentian Divide runs east–west through the central part of the county, with the northern areas sloping to the north and the southern areas sloping to the south. Its highest point is on the upper west boundary line, at Template:Convert ASL.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (6.0%) is water.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Mountrail County is one of several western North Dakota counties with significant exposure to the Bakken Formation in the Williston Basin.

Major highways

• File:US 2.svg U.S. Highway 2
• File:ND-8 (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 8
• File:ND-23 (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 23
• File:ND-37 (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 37
• File:ND-1804 (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 1804

Transit

• Amtrak Empire Builder (Stanley station)

Adjacent counties

• Burke County - north
• Ward County - east
• McLean County - southeast
• Dunn County - south
• McKenzie County - southwest
• Williams County - west

Protected areas

Source:<ref name=MCND/> Template:Div col

• Crow Flies High Butte
• Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Palermo State Game Management Area
• Reunion Point Public Use Area
• Shell Lake National Wildlife Refuge
• Van Hook State Game Management Area
• Van Hook State Wildlife Management Area

Lakes

Source:<ref name=MCND/> Template:Div col

• Cottonwood Lake
• Lake Sakakawea
• Powers Lake (part)
• Rat Lake
• Robinson Lake
• Shell Lake
• Van Hook Arm
• White Lake

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 9,809 people, 3,715 households, and 2,407 families in the county.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert There were 5,108 housing units.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 7,673 people, 2,793 households, and 1,852 families in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 4,119 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 65.6% White, 30.6% Native American, 0.2% Black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 36.6% were Norwegian, 24.4% were German, 6.6% were Irish, and 0.8% were American.

Of the 2,793 households, 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.7% were non-families, and 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.11. The median age was 37.0 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $53,912 and the median income for a family was $63,238. Males had a median income of $43,386 versus $29,432 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,762. About 13.5% of families and 16.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.2% of those under age 18 and 14.2% of those age 65 or over.

Population by decade

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Communities

Cities

• New Town
• Palermo
• Parshall
• Plaza
• Ross
• Stanley (county seat)
• White Earth

Unincorporated communities

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• Belden
• Blaisdell
• Coulee
• Lostwood
• Lunds Valley
• Prairie Junction
• Sanish
• Tagus
• Van Hook
• Wabek Wabek Consolidated School

Government

Aspects of county government are subdivided into townships.

Townships

• Alger
• Austin
• Banner
• Bicker
• Big Bend
• Brookbank
• Burke
• Clearwater
• Cottonwood
• Crane Creek
• Crowfoot
• Debing
• Egan
• Fertile
• Howie
• Idaho
• James Hill
• Kickapoo
• Knife River
• Liberty
• Lostwood
• Lowland
• Manitou
• McAlmond
• McGahan
• Model
• Mountrail
• Myrtle
• Oakland
• Osborn
• Osloe
• Palermo
• Parshall
• Plaza
• Powers
• Powers Lake
• Purcell
• Rat Lake
• Redmond
• Ross
• Shell
• Sidonia
• Sikes
• Sorkness
• Spring Coulee
• Stave
• Van Hook
• Wayzetta
• White Earth

Politics

Mountrail County was historically a swing county, but now leans strongly Republican. Bill Clinton won both of his terms, and Barack Obama carried this county in the 2008 election. However, he wasn't able to carry this county in 2012, falling to Republican Mitt Romney by over 16%. Kamala Harris received the smallest vote by a Democratic candidate (27.6%) since Progressive Party candidate Robert La Follette received an overwhelming vote in 1924. Template:PresHead Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresFoot

Education

School districts include:<ref>Template:Cite web - Text list</ref>

• Kenmare Public School District 28
• Lewis and Clark Public School District 161
• New Town Public School District 1
• Parshall Public School District 3
• Powers Lake Public School District 27
• Stanley Public School District 2
• Tioga Public School District 15

See also

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

External links

• Mountrail County maps, Sheet 1 (northern) and Sheet 2 (southern), North Dakota DOT