Morton County, North Dakota
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox U.S. county
Morton County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 33,291,<ref name="2020 Census (City)">Template:Cite web</ref> and was estimated to be 34,194 in 2024,<ref name="QF"/> making it the sixth-most populous county in North Dakota. Its county seat and the largest city is Mandan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The eighth-largest city in North Dakota.
Morton County is included in the Bismarck metropolitan area.
Early history
[edit]The county was created on January 8, 1873, by the Dakota Territory legislature, using territory that had not previously been included in any county. The county organization was not completed at that time, but the new county was not attached to any other county for administrative or judicial matters. Its organization was completed on November 5, 1878.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was named for Oliver Hazard Perry Throck Morton (1823-1877), governor of Indiana during the American Civil War and later a United States Senator. Portions of the county were partitioned off on February 10, 1879, causing the county organization to be not fully organized.<ref>The territorial legislature removed the eastern part of Morton County, including Fort Abraham Lincoln and the adjacent military reservation, attaching it to Burleigh County. Lincoln, the civilian settlement north of Fort Abraham Lincoln, was county seat 1878 to 1879 until it was reassigned to Burleigh County.</ref> This lasted until February 28, 1881, when the organization was again completed. The county's boundaries were adjusted in 1881 and in 1887. In 1916, a portion of Morton County was partitioned off to create Grant County, setting Morton County's boundaries to their present configuration.
After the Northern Pacific Railroad announced the location for the western approach to its Missouri River bridge, a new settlement appeared in December 1878. Initially the US Post Office designated the riverside settlement "Morton" after the corresponding county. The Morton post office later moved to the city center 3 miles west.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The county was reorganized in 1881 after the detached land was returned to Morton County by the 1881 legislature. The town, eventually renamed Mandan, was named the county seat.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Recent history
[edit]- Further information: Curlew Township
DAPL protests
[edit]The 1,172-mile long Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) route submitted in its final permit applications starting in September 2014 would include a 72-mile portion through Morton County.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The county became a focus of DAPL protests in April 2016. In August 2016 the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe (SRST) filed an injunction against United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to attempt to halt construction. In his 58-page decision by United States District Judge James E. Boasberg shows that the tribe failed to participate in the process of the USACE and Energy Transfer Partners (ETP) to address the tribes complaints.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Furthermore, the tribe did not cite a fear of water contamination in the injunction. The injunction request was denied and also failed on appeal. Amnesty International wrote a letter to Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier on September 28, 2016, requesting that he investigate the use of force by private contractors, remove blockades and discontinue the use of riot gear by Morton County sheriff's deputies when policing protests in order to facilitate the right to peaceful protests in accordance with international law and standards.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This letter was written in response to private security guards using guard dogs on advancing protesters on September 3, along with using pepper spray.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On Sunday, November 20, 2016, North Dakota police officers fired rubber bullets, tear gas, CS canisters and water from fire hoses at rioting protesters in subfreezing temperatures.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Geography
[edit]The Missouri River flows south-southeastward along the east boundary line of Morton County, and Cannonball River flows east-northeastward along the eastern portion of the county's south boundary line. The county terrain consists of low rolling hills, etched by gullies and drainages; the more level areas are devoted to agriculture.<ref name="MCND">Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Unreliable source? The terrain generally slopes to the east and south, but also slopes into the river valleys, with the high point near the midpoint of the north boundary line, at Template:Convert ASL.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (0.99%) is water.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is the 7th largest county in North Dakota by total area.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Major highways
[edit]- File:I-94.svg Interstate 94
- File:ND-6 (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 6
- File:ND-21 (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 21
- File:ND-25 (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 25
- File:ND-31 (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 31
- File:ND-49 (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 49
- File:ND-1806 (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 1806
.svg){kind=link}
.svg){kind=link}
.svg){kind=link}
.svg){kind=link}
.svg){kind=link}
.svg){kind=link}
Transit
[edit]- Bis-Man Transit (Capital Area Transit)
Adjacent counties
[edit]- Oliver County - north
- Burleigh County - northeast
- Emmons County - east
- Sioux County - southeast
- Grant County - south
- Stark County - west
- Mercer County - northwest
Protected areas
[edit]Source:<ref name=MCND/> Template:Div col
- Lake Patricia National Wildlife Refuge
- Morton County State Game Management Area
- Storm Creek State Game Management Area
- Sweet Briar Dam State Game Management Area
Lakes
[edit]Source:<ref name=MCND/> Template:Div col
- Crown Butte Lake
- Fish Creek Lake
- Harmon Lake
- Lake Oahe (part)
- Lake Patricia
- Storm Creek Lake
- Sweet Briar Lake
Demographics
[edit]As of the third quarter of 2024, the median home value in Morton County was $255,340.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 13,529 estimated households in Morton County with an average of 2.43 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $79,483. Approximately 7.9% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. Morton County has an estimated 71.7% employment rate, with 29.3% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 94.5% holding a high school diploma.<ref name="QF">Template:Cite web</ref>
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 (95.3%), Spanish (3.0%), Indo-European (0.9%), Asian and Pacific Islander (0.3%), and Other (0.5%).
The median age in the county was 37.7 years.
Morton County, North Dakota – racial and ethnic composition
Template:Nobold
| Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic) | Pop. 1980<ref name=1980CensusScope>Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop. 1990<ref name="Census 1990">Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop. 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop. 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> | Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 24,821 (98.59%) |
23,168 (97.76%) |
24,161 (95.49%) |
25,537 (92.96%) |
28,796 (86.5%) |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 7 (0.03%) |
12 (0.05%) |
38 (0.15%) |
112 (0.41%) |
462 (1.39%) |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 230 (0.91%) |
399 (1.68%) |
589 (2.33%) |
959 (3.49%) |
1,238 (3.72%) |
| Asian alone (NH) | 25 (0.10%) |
47 (0.20%) |
77 (0.30%) |
53 (0.19%) |
171 (0.51%) |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | — | — | 2 (0.01%) |
24 (0.09%) |
39 (0.12%) |
| Other race alone (NH) | 10 (0.04%) |
0 (0.00%) |
8 (0.03%) |
8 (0.03%) |
74 (0.22%) |
| Mixed race or multiracial (NH) | — | — | 264 (1.04%) |
378 (1.38%) |
1,199 (3.60%) |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 84 (0.33%) |
74 (0.31%) |
164 (0.65%) |
400 (1.46%) |
1,312 (3.94%) |
| Total | 25,177 (100.00%) |
23,700 (100.00%) |
25,303 (100.00%) |
27,471 (100.00%) |
33,291 (100.00%) |
2023 estimate
[edit]As of the 2023 estimate, there were 33,895 people and 13,529 households residing in the county. There were 15,596 housing units. The racial makeup of the county was 90.6% White (87.0% NH White), 1.7% African American, 4.4% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, _% from some other races and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.7% of the population.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2020 census
[edit]As of the 2020 census, there were 33,291 people, 13,827 households, and 8,617 families residing in the county.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 15,107 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 87.56% White, 1.40% African American, 3.97% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 1.53% from some other races and 4.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 3.94% of the population.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2010 census
[edit]As of the 2010 census, there were 27,471 people, 11,289 households, and 7,523 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 12,079 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 93.64% White, 0.44% African American, 3.64% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from some other races and 1.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.46% of the population.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
There were 11,289 households, 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.4% were non-families, and 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age was 39.3 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $50,591 and the median income for a family was $62,713. Males had a median income of $42,044 versus $31,505 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,303. About 5.4% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.
Population by decade
[edit]<timeline> Colors=
id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.8) id:sfondo value:rgb(1,1,1) id:barra value:rgb(0.55,0.0,0.0) id:darkblue value:rgb(0.0,0.0,0.8)
ImageSize = width:700 height:350 PlotArea = left:50 bottom:50 top:30 right:30 DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:34200 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = late ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:8550 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:4275 start:0 BackgroundColors = canvas:sfondo
BarData=
bar:1880 text:1880 bar:1890 text:1890 bar:1900 text:1900 bar:1910 text:1910 bar:1920 text:1920 bar:1930 text:1930 bar:1940 text:1940 bar:1950 text:1950 bar:1960 text:1960 bar:1970 text:1970 bar:1980 text:1980 bar:1990 text:1990 bar:2000 text:2000 bar:2010 text:2010 bar:2020 text:2020 bar:2024 text:present
PlotData=
color:barra width:25 align:left
bar:1880 from: 0 till:200 bar:1890 from: 0 till:4728 bar:1900 from: 0 till:8069 bar:1910 from: 0 till:25289 bar:1920 from: 0 till:18714 bar:1930 from: 0 till:19647 bar:1940 from: 0 till:20184 bar:1950 from: 0 till:19295 bar:1960 from: 0 till:20992 bar:1970 from: 0 till:20310 bar:1980 from: 0 till:25177 bar:1990 from: 0 till:23700 bar:2000 from: 0 till:25303 bar:2010 from: 0 till:27471 bar:2020 from: 0 till:33291 bar:2024 from: 0 till:34194 color:darkblue
PlotData=
bar:1880 at:200 fontsize:M text:200 shift:(-16,5) bar:1890 at:4728 fontsize:M text:4,728 shift:(-16,5) bar:1900 at:8069 fontsize:M text:8,069 shift:(-16,5) bar:1910 at:25289 fontsize:M text:25,289 shift:(-16,5) bar:1920 at:18714 fontsize:M text:18,714 shift:(-16,5) bar:1930 at:19647 fontsize:M text:19,647 shift:(-16,5) bar:1940 at:20184 fontsize:M text:20,184 shift:(-16,5) bar:1950 at:19295 fontsize:M text:19,295 shift:(-16,5) bar:1960 at:20992 fontsize:M text:20,992 shift:(-16,5) bar:1970 at:20310 fontsize:M text:20,310 shift:(-16,5) bar:1980 at:25177 fontsize:M text:25,177 shift:(-16,5) bar:1990 at:23700 fontsize:M text:23,700 shift:(-16,5) bar:2000 at:25303 fontsize:M text:25,303 shift:(-16,5) bar:2010 at:27471 fontsize:M text:27,471 shift:(-16,5) bar:2020 at:33291 fontsize:M text:33,291 shift:(-16,5) bar:2024 at:34194 fontsize:L text:34,194 shift:(-18,5)
TextData=
fontsize:S pos:(20,20) text:Data from U.S. Census Bureau
</timeline>
Communities
[edit]
Cities
[edit]Census-designated place
[edit]Unincorporated communities
[edit]Source:<ref name=MCND/> Template:Div col
- Bluegrass
- Breien
- Eagle Nest
- Fallon
- Fort Rice
- Huff
- Judson
- Rock Haven
- St. Anthony
- Sims
- Solen
- Sweet Briar
- Timmer
- Youngstown
Township
[edit]Politics
[edit]Morton County voters have been reliably Republican for decades. In only one national election since 1964 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate. 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:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresFoot
See also
[edit]References
[edit]Template:Reflist<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
External links
[edit]- Morton County official website
- Morton County maps, Sheet 1 (northeast), Sheet 2 (southeast), and Sheet 3 (western), North Dakota DOT
Template:Morton County, North Dakota Template:Bismarck-Mandan Template:North Dakota