McLean County, North Dakota

McLean County (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell) is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,771.<ref name="QF">Template:Cite web</ref> Its county seat is Washburn.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

The Dakota Territory legislature created the county on March 8, 1883, with areas partitioned from Burleigh, Sheridan, and (now-extinct) Stevens counties. The county was named for John A. McLean, the first mayor of Bismarck.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The county organization was completed on November 1 of that year. Its boundaries were altered in 1885, in 1892, and in 1908. It has retained its current configuration since November 3, 1908, when a portion of its previous territory was partitioned to recreate Sheridan County (Sheridan had been dissolved on November 8, 1892, with its territory annexed to McLean).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Geography

The county's western boundary is delineated by Lake Sakakawea, created in 1956 by construction of Garrison Dam at the county's southwestern edge. The southwestern boundary of the county is delineated by the Missouri River as it continues its southeastward flow from the lake. The county terrain consists of rolling hills, dotted with lakes and ponds in its eastern portion. The area is largely devoted to agriculture.<ref name="MCND">Template:Cite web</ref> The terrain slopes to the south and east, with its highest point on the north boundary line near its NW corner, 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 (9.3%) is water.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is the third-largest county in North Dakota by land area and second-largest by total area.

Major highways

• File:US 83.svg U.S. Highway 83
• File:ND-28 (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 28
• File:ND-37 (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 37
• File:ND-41 (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 41
• File:ND-40 (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 48
• File:ND-53 (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 53
• File:ND-200 (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 200
• File:ND-200A (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 200A
• File:ND-1804 (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 1804

Adjacent counties

• Ward County - north
• McHenry County - northeast
• Sheridan County - east
• Burleigh County - southeast
• Oliver County - south
• Mercer County - southwest
• Dunn County - west
• Mountrail County - northwest

Protected areas

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

• Audubon National Wildlife Refuge
• Camp Lake National Wildlife Refuge
• De Trobriand State Game Management Area
• Douglas Creek Public Use Area
• Hiddenwood National Wildlife Refuge
• Lake Nettie National Wildlife Refuge
• Lake Otis National Wildlife Refuge
• Lake Susie National Wildlife Refuge
• Lost Lake National Wildlife Refuge
• McLean National Wildlife Refuge
• Riverdale State Game Management Area
• Totten Trail Park
• Wilton Mine State Game Management Area (part)

Lakes

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

• Blackwater Lake
• Blue Lake
• Brumwell Slough
• Camp Lake
• Cherry Lake (part)
• Cottonwood Lake
• Crooked Lake
• Lake Audubon
• Lake Brekken
• Lake Holmes
• Lake Margaret
• Lake Nettie
• Lake Ordway
• Lake Williams
• Lost Lake
• Minehan Slough
• Nelson Lake
• Otis Lake
• Painted Woods Lake
• Pelican Lake
• Peterson Lake
• Postel Lake (part)
• Strawberry Lake
• Turtle Lake
• Wildwood Lake
• Yanktonal Lake

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 9,771 people, 4,129 households, and 2,712 families in the county.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert There were 5,728 housing units.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 8,962 people, 3,897 households, and 2,600 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 5,590 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 91.0% white, 7.0% American Indian, 0.1% black or African American, 0.1% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 54.4% were German, 24.6% were Norwegian, 6.5% were Irish, 5.6% were Swedish, 5.1% were English, and 3.6% were American.

Of the 3,897 households, 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.8% were married couples living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.3% were non-families, and 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.75. The median age was 49.1 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $52,922 and the median income for a family was $62,686. Males had a median income of $48,906 versus $29,431 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,029. About 6.5% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.5% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.

Population by decade

<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)

ImageSize = width:650 height:325 PlotArea = left:50 bottom:50 top:30 right:30 DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:18824 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = late ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:9412 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:4706 start:0 BackgroundColors = canvas:sfondo

BarData=

 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:2023 text:present

PlotData=

 color:barra width:25 align:left

 bar:1890 from: 0 till:860
 bar:1900 from: 0 till:4791
 bar:1910 from: 0 till:14496
 bar:1920 from: 0 till:17266
 bar:1930 from: 0 till:17991
 bar:1940 from: 0 till:16082
 bar:1950 from: 0 till:18824
 bar:1960 from: 0 till:14030
 bar:1970 from: 0 till:11251
 bar:1980 from: 0 till:12383
 bar:1990 from: 0 till:10457
 bar:2000 from: 0 till:9311
 bar:2010 from: 0 till:8962
 bar:2020 from: 0 till:9771
 bar:2023 from: 0 till:9832 color:darkblue

PlotData=

 bar:1890 at:860 fontsize:S text:860 shift: (-13,5)
 bar:1900 at:4791 fontsize:S text:4791 shift:(-13,5)
 bar:1910 at:14496 fontsize:S text:14496 shift:(-13,5)
 bar:1920 at:17266 fontsize:S text:17266 shift:(-13,5)
 bar:1930 at:17991 fontsize:S text:17991 shift:(-13,5)
 bar:1940 at:16082 fontsize:S text:16082 shift:(-13,5)
 bar:1950 at:18824 fontsize:S text:18824 shift:(-13,5)
 bar:1960 at:14030 fontsize:S text:14030 shift:(-13,5)
 bar:1970 at:11251 fontsize:S text:11251 shift:(-13,5)
 bar:1980 at:12383 fontsize:S text:12383 shift:(-13,5)
 bar:1990 at:10457 fontsize:S text:10457 shift:(-13,5)
 bar:2000 at:9311 fontsize:S text:9311 shift:(-13,5)
 bar:2010 at:8962 fontsize:S text:8962 shift:(-13,5)
 bar:2020 at:9771 fontsize:S text:9771 shift:(-13,5)
 bar:2023 at:9832 fontsize:S text:9832 shift:(-13,5)

TextData=

 fontsize:S pos:(20,20)
 text:Data from U.S. Census Bureau

</timeline>

Communities

Cities

• Benedict
• Butte
• Coleharbor
• Garrison
• Max
• Mercer
• Riverdale
• Ruso
• Turtle Lake
• Underwood
• Washburn (county seat)
• Wilton (partly in Burleigh County)

Census-designated place

• White Shield

Unincorporated communities

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

• Falkirk
• Merida
• Raub
• Roseglen

Townships

• Amundsville
• Andrews
• Aurena
• Blackwater
• Blue Hill
• Butte
• Byersville
• Cremerville
• Deepwater
• Dogden
• Douglas
• Gate
• Greatstone
• Horseshoe Valley
• Lake Williams
• Longfellow
• Loquemont
• Malcolm
• McGinnis
• Medicine Hill
• Mercer
• Otis
• Roseglen
• Rosemont
• Saint Mary
• Snow
• Turtle Lake
• Victoria
• Wise

Communities flooded by Garrison Dam

• Beaver Creek
• Charging Eagle
• Elbowoods
• Independence
• Lucky Mound
• Nishu
• Red Butte (Mandan community)
• Shell Creek

Politics

McLean County voters have voted Republican for decades. In only one national election since 1964 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate (as of 2024). 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

Education

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

• Drake Public School District 57
• Garrison Public School District 51
• Lewis and Clark Public School District 161
• Max Public School District 50
• Parshall Public School District 3
• Turtle Lake-Mercer Public School District 72
• Underwood Public School District 8
• Velva Public School District 1
• Washburn Public School District 4
• White Shield Public School District 85
• Wilton Public School District 1

Riverdale School District 89 had portions in McLean County and in Mercer County. The Associated Press described the district as "divided equally" between the counties. In 1993 members of the Riverdale School District school board voted to abolish their school district, with the Underwood and Hazen districts to obtain pieces of it.<ref name=NewlineAPdist>Template:Cite news</ref>

See also

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

Further reading

• Mary Ann Barnes Williams, Pioneer Days of Washburn, N. Dakota and Vicinity. Washburn ND: Washburn Leader, 1936.
• McLean County Heritage. Washburn ND: McLean County Historical Society, 1978.

External links

• McLean County maps, Sheet 1 (western), Sheet 2 (northeast), and Sheet 3 (southeast), North Dakota DOT