Stutsman County, North Dakota

Stutsman County
County
Historic Stutsman County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of North Dakota
North Dakota's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 46°59′N98°58′W / 46.98°N 98.96°W / 46.98; -98.96
Country	United States
State	North Dakota
Founded	January 4, 1873 (created) June 10, 1873 (organized)
Named for	Enos Stutsman
Seat	Jamestown
Largest city	Jamestown
Area
• Total	2,298 sq mi (5,950 km2)
• Land	2,222 sq mi (5,750 km2)
• Water	76 sq mi (200 km2)  3.3%
Population  (2020)
• Total	21,593
• Estimate  (2023)	21,392
• Density	9.4/sq mi (3.6/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	At-large
Website	www.stutsmancounty.gov

Stutsman County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,593, making it the 8th most populous county in North Dakota. ^[1] Its county seat is Jamestown. ^[2]

The Jamestown, North Dakota Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Stutsman County.

History

The Dakota Territory legislature created the county on January 4, 1873, with area partitioned from Buffalo and Pembina counties. It was not organized at that time, nor was it attached to another county for administrative or judicial purposes. It was named for Enos Stutsman, an area lawyer and politician. On June 10 of the same year, the county organization was effected, with Jamestown as the county seat. Its boundaries have not changed since its creation. ^{[3] [4]}

Outline map of Stutsman County, North Dakota, 1911

Geography

The James River flows south-southeasterly through the east central part of the county. The terrain consists of low rolling hills, dotted with lakes and ponds in its western portion. The area is largely devoted to agriculture.^{[ citation needed ]} The terrain slopes to the east and south; its highest point is a hill at the southwestern corner, at 1,965 ft (599 m) ASL. ^[5] The county has a total area of 2,298 square miles (5,950 km²), of which 2,222 square miles (5,750 km²) is land and 76 square miles (200 km²) (3.3%) is water. ^[6] It is the second-largest county in North Dakota by land area and third-largest by total area.

Major highways

• I-94
• US 52
• 
  US 52 Truck
• US 281
• 
  US 281 Truck
• ND 9
• ND 20
• ND 30
• ND 36
• ND 46

Transit

• Jefferson Lines

Adjacent counties

• Foster County - north
• Griggs County - northeast
• Barnes County - east
• LaMoure County - southeast
• Logan County - southwest
• Kidder County - west
• Wells County - northwest

Protected areas

• Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge
• Halfway Lake National Wildlife Refuge
• National Audubon Society Alkali Lake Wildlife Refuge

Lakes

• Alkali Lake
• Arrowwood Lake
• Barnes Lake
• Big Mallard Marsh
• Blair Slough
• Blue Lake
• Chase Lake
• Chicago Lake
• Colby Lake
• Eric Lake
• Fischer Lake
• Fisher Lake
• Jamestown Reservoir
• Jim Lake
• Moon Lake
• Mud Lake
• Northwest Lake
• Pearl Lake
• Prairie Lake
• Prairie Pothole
• Runner Slough
• School Lake
• Spiritwood Lake
• Trautman Slough
• West Lake

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	1,007		—
1890	5,266		422.9%
1900	9,143		73.6%
1910	18,189		98.9%
1920	24,575		35.1%
1930	26,100		6.2%
1940	23,495		−10.0%
1950	24,158		2.8%
1960	25,137		4.1%
1970	23,550		−6.3%
1980	24,154		2.6%
1990	22,241		−7.9%
2000	21,908		−1.5%
2010	21,100		−3.7%
2020	21,593		2.3%
2023 (est.)	21,392	[7]	−0.9%
U.S. Decennial Census [8] 1790-1960 [9] 1900-1990 [10] 1990-2000 [11] 2010-2020 [1]

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 21,392 people, 9,084 households, and 5,178 families in the county. ^[12] The population density was 9.7 inhabitants per square mile (3.7/km²) There were 10,374 housing units.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 21,100 people, 8,931 households, and 5,255 families in the county. The population density was 9.5 inhabitants per square mile (3.7/km²). There were 9,862 housing units at an average density of 4.4 per square mile (1.7/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.6% white, 1.4% American Indian, 0.7% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.5% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 56.5% were German, 27.6% were Norwegian, 7.2% were Irish, 6.0% were Russian, 5.2% were English, and 2.4% were American.

Of the 8,931 households, 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.3% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 41.2% were non-families, and 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.79. The median age was 42.0 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $44,620 and the median income for a family was $60,171. Males had a median income of $40,365 versus $27,549 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,307. About 6.3% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.5% of those under age 18 and 14.6% of those age 65 or over.

Population by decade

Communities

Cities

• Buchanan
• Cleveland
• Courtenay
• Jamestown (county seat)
• Kensal
• Medina
• Montpelier
• Pingree
• Spiritwood Lake
• Streeter
• Woodworth

Census-designated places

• Spiritwood
• Ypsilanti

Unincorporated communities

• Bloom
• Clementsville
• Durupt
• Fried
• Kloze
• Millarton
• Sharlow
• Sydney
• Vashti

Townships

• Alexander
• Ashland
• Bloom
• Bloomenfield
• Buchanan
• Chicago
• Conklin
• Corinne
• Corwin
• Courtenay
• Cusator
• Deer Lake
• Durham
• Edmunds
• Eldridge
• Flint
• Fried
• Gerber
• Germania
• Glacier
• Gray
• Griffin
• Hidden
• Homer
• Iosco
• Jim River Valley
• Kensal
• Lenton
• Lippert
• Lowery
• Lyon
• Manns
• Marstonmoor
• Midway
• Montpelier
• Moon Lake
• Newbury
• Nogosek
• Paris
• Peterson
• Pingree
• Pipestem Valley
• Plainview
• Rose
• Round Top
• St. Paul
• Severn
• Sharlow
• Sinclair
• Spiritwood
• Stirton
• Streeter
• Strong
• Sydney
• Valley Spring
• Wadsworth
• Walters
• Weld
• Windsor
• Winfield
• Woodbury
• Ypsilanti

Politics

Stutsman County voters have been reliably Republican for several decades. In no national election since 1964 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate.

United States presidential election results for Stutsman County, North Dakota ^[13]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	7,185	70.90%	2,692	26.56%	257	2.54%
2020	6,994	70.23%	2,676	26.87%	289	2.90%
2016	6,718	66.15%	2,498	24.60%	939	9.25%
2012	5,685	59.48%	3,585	37.51%	288	3.01%
2008	5,499	56.20%	4,056	41.46%	229	2.34%
2004	6,517	64.38%	3,438	33.97%	167	1.65%
2000	5,488	60.19%	3,067	33.64%	563	6.17%
1996	3,784	44.04%	3,589	41.77%	1,220	14.20%
1992	4,039	40.39%	3,313	33.13%	2,649	26.49%
1988	5,375	55.59%	4,214	43.58%	80	0.83%
1984	6,591	64.57%	3,495	34.24%	122	1.20%
1980	6,545	63.86%	2,573	25.10%	1,131	11.04%
1976	5,653	52.44%	4,883	45.30%	244	2.26%
1972	6,269	62.51%	3,589	35.79%	170	1.70%
1968	5,162	56.21%	3,532	38.46%	490	5.34%
1964	3,990	42.12%	5,463	57.66%	21	0.22%
1960	5,905	56.78%	4,481	43.09%	13	0.13%
1956	5,718	59.85%	3,825	40.04%	11	0.12%
1952	6,713	67.70%	3,156	31.83%	47	0.47%
1948	4,208	52.88%	3,415	42.92%	334	4.20%
1944	4,220	56.20%	3,243	43.19%	46	0.61%
1940	5,634	58.92%	3,897	40.76%	31	0.32%
1936	2,725	29.09%	5,564	59.39%	1,080	11.53%
1932	2,577	29.03%	6,182	69.63%	119	1.34%
1928	4,782	55.07%	3,873	44.60%	29	0.33%
1924	3,952	56.68%	463	6.64%	2,558	36.68%
1920	5,531	77.41%	1,394	19.51%	220	3.08%
1916	1,664	45.68%	1,846	50.67%	133	3.65%
1912	757	28.30%	1,100	41.12%	818	30.58%
1908	1,777	55.67%	1,344	42.11%	71	2.22%
1904	1,856	78.25%	453	19.10%	63	2.66%
1900	1,077	59.11%	711	39.02%	34	1.87%

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Stutsman County, North Dakota
• North Dakota statistical areas

References

1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "County History". Official Portal for North Dakota State Government. Archived from the original on February 2, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
4. "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 20, 2019.
5. ""Find an Altitude/Stutsman County ND" Google Maps (accessed February 20, 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
6. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on January 29, 2015. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
7. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". Census.gov . Retrieved March 19, 2024.
8. "United States Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
10. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (April 20, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
11. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
12. "US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
13. Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 13, 2018.

External links

• Stutsman County official website
• Stutsman County in the world war : Jamestown, North Dakota (1919) from the Digital Horizons website
• Stutsman County North Dakota in the James River Valley : a Stutsman home, and herds on pasture (1925) from the Digital Horizons website
• Stutsman County maps, Sheet 1 (northern) and Sheet 2 (southern), North Dakota DOT

46°59′N98°58′W / 46.98°N 98.96°W / 46.98; -98.96