McHenry County, North Dakota

Not to be confused with McHenry, North Dakota.

McHenry County
County
McHenry County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of North Dakota
North Dakota's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 48°14′N100°38′W / 48.23°N 100.64°W / 48.23; -100.64
Country	United States
State	North Dakota
Founded	January 4, 1873 (created) October 15, 1884 (organized)
Seat	Towner
Largest city	Velva
Area
• Total	1,912 sq mi (4,950 km2)
• Land	1,874 sq mi (4,850 km2)
• Water	38 sq mi (100 km2)  2.0%
Population  (2020)
• Total	5,345
• Estimate  (2022)	5,189
• Density	2.8/sq mi (1.1/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	At-large
Website	www.mchenrycountynd.com

McHenry County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,345. ^[1] Its county seat is Towner. ^[2]

McHenry County is part of the Minot, ND Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The Dakota Territory legislature created the county on January 4, 1873, with territory annexed from Bottineau County. It was named for James McHenry, an early settler of Vermillion (in present South Dakota). The county government was not organized at that time, nor was the county attached to another county for administrative and judicial purposes. The county organization was effected on October 15, 1884. The county boundaries were altered in 1885, 1887, 1891, and in 1892. It has retained its present boundaries since 1892. ^[3]

When the county was organized in 1884, Villard was named as county seat. In 1885 this designation was moved to Scriptown. In 1886 the designation was again moved, to Towner, which has remained the seat to the present time (the two former sites are now ghost towns). ^[4]

Geography

The Souris River loops through the county before turning north to its eventual discharge into Lake Winnipeg. The Wintering River drains the southern part of the county. The county terrain consists of rolling hills, partly devoted to agriculture (including limited use of center pivot irrigation). ^[5] The terrain slopes to the north and east, with its highest point on the west boundary line near the southwest corner, at 2,156 ft (657 m) ASL. ^[6] The county has a total area of 1,912 square miles (4,950 km²), of which 1,874 square miles (4,850 km²) is land and 38 square miles (98 km²) (2.0%) is water. ^[7] In 2013, 131 plants were collected in the Lake George area. ^[8]

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 2
• U.S. Highway 52
• North Dakota Highway 14
• North Dakota Highway 19
• North Dakota Highway 41
• North Dakota Highway 53
• North Dakota Highway 97

Adjacent counties

• Bottineau County - north
• Pierce County - east
• Sheridan County - southeast
• McLean County - southwest
• Ward County - west
• Renville County - northwest

National protected areas

• Cottonwood Lake National Wildlife Refuge
• Denbigh Experimental Forest
• J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Wintering River National Wildlife Refuge

Lakes ^[5]

• Bromley Lake
• Buffalo Lodge Lake
• Connia Slough
• Erickson Lake
• Heringen Lake
• Horseshoe Lake (part)
• Lake George
• Lake Hester
• Lauinger Lake
• Martin Lake
• North Lake
• Potters Lake
• Round Lake
• Smoky Lake (part)
• Stevens Slough
• Stink Lake

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1890	1,584		—
1900	5,253		231.6%
1910	17,627		235.6%
1920	15,544		−11.8%
1930	15,439		−0.7%
1940	14,034		−9.1%
1950	12,556		−10.5%
1960	11,099		−11.6%
1970	8,977		−19.1%
1980	7,858		−12.5%
1990	6,528		−16.9%
2000	5,987		−8.3%
2010	5,395		−9.9%
2020	5,345		−0.9%
2022 (est.)	5,189	[9]	−2.9%
U.S. Decennial Census [10] 1790-1960 [11] 1900-1990 [12] 1990-2000 [13] 2010-2020 [1]

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, there were 5,345 people.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 5,395 people, 2,377 households, and 1,527 families in the county. The population density was 2.88 people per square mile (1.11 people/km²). There were 2,948 housing units at an average density of 1.57 units per square mile (0.61/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.8% white, 0.6% American Indian, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% black or African American, 0.3% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 55.3% were of German, 39.5% Norwegian, 5.3% English, 3.6% Swedish, 3.5% American, 2.4% Russian and 1.7% Dutch ancestry.

Of the 2,377 households, 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.8% were non-families, and 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.81. The median age was 46.2 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,944 and the median income for a family was $54,350. Males had a median income of $36,625 versus $26,205 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,911. About 6.4% of families and 12.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.1% of those under age 18 and 17.9% of those age 65 or over.

Population by decade

Communities

Cities

• Anamoose
• Balfour
• Bergen
• Deering
• Drake
• Granville
• Karlsruhe
• Kief
• Towner (county seat)
• Upham
• Velva
• Voltaire

Census-designated place

• Bantry (former city)

Unincorporated communities ^[5]

• Berwick
• Cole Ford
• Denbigh
• Funston
• Genoa
• Guthrie
• Kottkethal ^[14]
• Milroy
• Newport
• Norfolk ^[14]
• Norwich
• Rangeley
• Riga
• Rising
• Rose Hill
• Simcoe
• Verendrye
• Willowdale ^[14]
• Willow Vale ^[14]
• Willow Valley ^[14]
• Willow Creek

Townships

• Anamoose
• Balfour
• Bantry
• Berwick
• Bjornson
• Brown
• Cottonwood Lake
• Deep River
• Deering
• Denbigh
• Egg Creek
• Falsen
• Gilmore
• Granville
• Grilley
• Hendrickson
• Karlsruhe
• Kottke Valley
• Lake George
• Lake Hester
• Land
• Layton
• Lebanon
• Little Deep
• Meadow
• Mouse River
• Newport
• Normal
• North Prairie
• Norwich
• Odin
• Olivia
• Pratt
• Riga
• Rose Hill
• Round Lake
• Saline
• Schiller
• Spring Grove
• Strege
• Velva
• Villard
• Voltaire
• Wagar
• Willow Creek

Notable people

• Sondre Norheim, pioneer of modern skiing
• Cordell Volson, professional football player

Politics

McHenry County voters have traditionally voted Republican. In only one national election since 1936 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate.

United States presidential election results for McHenry County, North Dakota ^[15]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	2,223	80.78%	479	17.41%	50	1.82%
2020	2,364	78.72%	564	18.78%	75	2.50%
2016	2,050	72.70%	490	17.38%	280	9.93%
2012	1,678	61.87%	943	34.77%	91	3.36%
2008	1,374	56.87%	981	40.60%	61	2.52%
2004	1,744	61.84%	1,030	36.52%	46	1.63%
2000	1,682	61.45%	888	32.44%	167	6.10%
1996	1,187	43.07%	1,096	39.77%	473	17.16%
1992	1,321	38.90%	1,173	34.54%	902	26.56%
1988	1,888	52.69%	1,665	46.47%	30	0.84%
1984	2,485	65.38%	1,283	33.75%	33	0.87%
1980	2,922	71.20%	939	22.88%	243	5.92%
1976	2,043	49.70%	1,994	48.50%	74	1.80%
1972	2,765	63.62%	1,554	35.76%	27	0.62%
1968	2,226	54.21%	1,595	38.85%	285	6.94%
1964	1,728	39.46%	2,643	60.36%	8	0.18%
1960	2,715	54.87%	2,231	45.09%	2	0.04%
1956	3,019	62.12%	1,825	37.55%	16	0.33%
1952	4,227	76.60%	1,228	22.25%	63	1.14%
1948	2,578	56.45%	1,770	38.76%	219	4.80%
1944	3,141	61.44%	1,934	37.83%	37	0.72%
1940	3,894	63.07%	2,225	36.04%	55	0.89%
1936	1,619	26.24%	3,294	53.40%	1,256	20.36%
1932	1,396	25.08%	3,937	70.73%	233	4.19%
1928	2,914	53.04%	2,535	46.14%	45	0.82%
1924	1,692	36.89%	264	5.76%	2,631	57.36%
1920	3,534	74.09%	848	17.78%	388	8.13%
1916	692	31.33%	1,316	59.57%	201	9.10%
1912	589	23.61%	959	38.44%	947	37.96%
1908	1,772	56.16%	1,296	41.08%	87	2.76%
1904	1,807	73.54%	556	22.63%	94	3.83%
1900	595	70.00%	222	26.12%	33	3.88%

See also

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

References

1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "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 3, 2015.
4. "County History". Official Portal for North Dakota State Government. Archived from the original on February 2, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
5. "McHenry County · North Dakota". Google Maps. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
6. ""Find an Altitude/McHenry County ND" Google Maps (accessed February 23, 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
7. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on January 29, 2015. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
8. The checklist of the flora of Lake George environs, McHenry County, North Dakota
9. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022" . Retrieved April 4, 2023.
10. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
11. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
12. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (April 20, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
13. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
14. Genealogy Trails: North Dakota (accessed February 23, 2019)
15. Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 12, 2018.

External links

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

48°14′N100°38′W / 48.23°N 100.64°W / 48.23; -100.64