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Morton County, North Dakota

Coordinates: 46°42′36″N 101°18′36″W / 46.7100°N 101.3100°W / 46.7100; -101.3100
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Morton County, North Dakota
County
The Morton County Courthouse in Mandan
The Morton County Courthouse in Mandan
Official seal of Morton County, North Dakota
Seal
Map of North Dakota highlighting Morton County
Location within the U.S. state of North Dakota
Coordinates: 46°42′36″N 101°18′36″W / 46.7100°N 101.3100°W / 46.7100; -101.3100
Country United States
State North Dakota
FoundedJanuary 8, 1873 (created)
November 5, 1878 (organized)
Named afterOliver P. Morton
SeatMandan
Largest cityMandan
Area
 • Total
1,945.167 sq mi (5,037.96 km2)
 • Land1,925.888 sq mi (4,988.03 km2)
 • Water19.279 sq mi (49.93 km2)  0.99%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
33,291
 • Estimate 
(2025)
34,601 Increase
 • Density17.286/sq mi (6.6742/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Area code701
Congressional districtAt-large
Websitemortonnd.org

Morton County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 33,291,[1] and was estimated to be 34,601 in 2025,[2] making it the sixth-most populous county in North Dakota. The county seat and the largest city is Mandan,[3] the eighth-largest city in North Dakota.

Morton County is included in the Bismarck metropolitan area.

Early history

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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.[4][5] 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.[6] 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.[7] 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.[8]

Recent history

[edit]
Further information: Curlew Township

DAPL protests

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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.[9] 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.[10] 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.[11] This letter was written in response to private security guards using guard dogs on advancing protesters on September 3, along with using pepper spray.[12] 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.[13]

Geography

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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.[14][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 2,375 ft (724 m) ASL.[15]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,945.167 square miles (5,037.96 km2), of which 1,925.888 square miles (4,988.03 km2) is land and 19.279 square miles (49.93 km2) (0.99%) is water.[16] It is the 7th largest county in North Dakota by total area.[17]

Major highways

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Transit

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Adjacent counties

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Protected areas

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Source:[14]

Lakes

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Source:[14]

  • Crown Butte Lake
  • Fish Creek Lake
  • Harmon Lake
  • Lake Oahe (part)
  • Lake Patricia
  • Storm Creek Lake
  • Sweet Briar Lake

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1880200—
18904,7282,264.0%
19008,06970.7%
191025,289213.4%
192018,714−26.0%
193019,6475.0%
194020,1842.7%
195019,295−4.4%
196020,9928.8%
197020,310−3.2%
198025,17724.0%
199023,700−5.9%
200025,3036.8%
201027,4718.6%
202033,29121.2%
2025 (est.)34,601[18]3.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[19]
1790–1960[20] 1900–1990[21]
1990–2000[22] 2010–2020[2]

As of the third quarter of 2025, the median home value in Morton County was $272,790.[23]

As of the 2024 American Community Survey, there are 13,946 estimated households in Morton County with an average of 2.37 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $79,382. Approximately 8.0% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. Morton County has an estimated 68.3% employment rate, with 28.8% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 94.8% holding a high school diploma.[2] There were 15,465 housing units at an average density of 8.03 per square mile (3.1/km2).

The top five reported languages (people were allowed to report up to two languages, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (94.5%), Spanish (3.4%), Indo-European (1.1%), Asian and Pacific Islander (0.4%), and Other (0.6%).

The median age in the county was 37.6 years.

Morton County, North Dakota – racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic) Pop. 1980[24] Pop. 1990[25] Pop. 2000[26] Pop. 2010[27] Pop. 2020[28] Pop. 2024[29]
White alone (NH) 24,821
(98.59%)		 23,168
(97.76%)		 24,161
(95.49%)		 25,537
(92.96%)		 28,796
(86.50%)		 29,501
(86.28%)
Black or African American alone (NH) 7
(0.03%)		 12
(0.05%)		 38
(0.15%)		 112
(0.41%)		 462
(1.39%)		 561
(1.64%)
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 230
(0.91%)		 399
(1.68%)		 589
(2.33%)		 959
(3.49%)		 1,238
(3.72%)		 1,417
(4.14%)
Asian alone (NH) 25
(0.10%)		 47
(0.20%)		 77
(0.30%)		 53
(0.19%)		 171
(0.51%)		 222
(0.65%)
Pacific Islander alone (NH) — — 2
(0.01%)		 24
(0.09%)		 39
(0.12%)		 52
(0.15%)
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%)		 832
(2.43%)
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 84
(0.33%)		 74
(0.31%)		 164
(0.65%)		 400
(1.46%)		 1,312
(3.94%)		 1,609
(4.71%)
Total 25,177
(100.00%)		 23,700
(100.00%)		 25,303
(100.00%)		 27,471
(100.00%)		 33,291
(100.00%)		 34,194
(100.00%)

2024 estimate

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As of the 2024 estimate, there were 34,194 people, 13,946 households, and _ families residing in the county. The population density was 17.75 inhabitants per square mile (6.9/km2). There were 15,465 housing units at an average density of 8.03 per square mile (3.1/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 89.85% White, 1.85% African American, 4.69% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 0.18% Pacific Islander, _% from some other races and 2.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.71% of the population.

2020 census

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As of the 2020 census, there were 33,291 people, 13,827 households, and 8,617 families residing in the county.[30] The population density was 17.29 inhabitants per square mile (6.7/km2). There were 15,107 housing units at an average density of 7.84 per square mile (3.0/km2). 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.[31]

There were 13,827 households, 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 23.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present; about 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

Of the residents, 23.8% were under the age of 18 and 17.1% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 38.1 years. For every 100 females there were 101.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 100.8 males. Among occupied housing units, 70.9% were owner-occupied and 29.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.0%.

2010 census

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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 14.26 inhabitants per square mile (5.5/km2). There were 12,079 housing units at an average density of 6.27 per square mile (2.4/km2). 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.

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

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Communities

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Historic Lewis and Clark Hotel in Mandan
Salem Sue in New Salem

Cities

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Census-designated place

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Unincorporated communities

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Source:[14]

Township

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Politics

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Morton County voters have been reliably Republican for decades. In only one national election since 1964 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate.

United States presidential election results for Morton County, North Dakota[32]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
1900 1,056 66.04% 536 33.52% 7 0.44%
1904 1,474 80.77% 321 17.59% 30 1.64%
1908 2,021 67.91% 873 29.33% 82 2.76%
1912 1,011 27.94% 1,017 28.11% 1,590 43.95%
1916 2,785 56.35% 1,835 37.13% 322 6.52%
1920 4,618 86.37% 632 11.82% 97 1.81%
1924 2,377 44.26% 265 4.93% 2,728 50.80%
1928 2,881 42.04% 3,946 57.58% 26 0.38%
1932 1,828 24.60% 5,548 74.67% 54 0.73%
1936 1,857 22.95% 5,612 69.37% 621 7.68%
1940 5,499 65.25% 2,889 34.28% 40 0.47%
1944 3,537 65.32% 1,850 34.16% 28 0.52%
1948 3,607 56.41% 2,521 39.43% 266 4.16%
1952 6,309 74.88% 2,079 24.67% 38 0.45%
1956 5,232 66.31% 2,628 33.31% 30 0.38%
1960 4,028 45.28% 4,866 54.70% 1 0.01%
1964 2,955 36.31% 5,173 63.57% 10 0.12%
1968 4,465 55.02% 3,156 38.89% 494 6.09%
1972 5,494 59.87% 3,312 36.09% 371 4.04%
1976 4,921 47.04% 5,241 50.10% 300 2.87%
1980 7,659 66.84% 2,861 24.97% 938 8.19%
1984 7,146 62.93% 3,996 35.19% 214 1.88%
1988 5,588 53.49% 4,708 45.07% 151 1.45%
1992 5,042 43.76% 3,594 31.19% 2,886 25.05%
1996 4,699 46.66% 3,745 37.19% 1,626 16.15%
2000 6,993 62.31% 3,439 30.64% 791 7.05%
2004 8,325 65.90% 4,073 32.24% 235 1.86%
2008 7,869 58.99% 5,079 38.08% 391 2.93%
2012 8,680 63.76% 4,469 32.83% 464 3.41%
2016 11,336 71.60% 3,080 19.45% 1,416 8.94%
2020 12,243 73.67% 3,872 23.30% 504 3.03%
2024 12,839 75.36% 3,748 22.00% 449 2.64%

Education

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School districts include:[33]

  • Flasher Public School, District 39, Flasher
  • Glen Ullin Public School, District 48, Glen Ullin
  • Hebron Public School, District 13, Hebron
  • Little Heart Public School, District 4, St. Anthony
  • Mandan Public Schools, District 1, Mandan
  • New Salem-Almont School, District 49, New Salem
  • Solen Public School, District 3, Solen
  • Sweet Briar Public School, District 17, Mandan

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  2. ^ a b c "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Morton County, North Dakota". www.census.gov. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  4. ^ "Dakota Territory, South Dakota, and North Dakota: Individual County Chronologies". publications.newberry.org. The Newberry Library. 2006. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  5. ^ "County History". www.nd.gov. State of North Dakota. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ Patera, Alan H. (1982). North Dakota Post Offices 1850-1982. The Depot, Burtonsville MD. p. 56.
  8. ^ "Certification of the 1916 division of Morton County North Dakota Creation of Grant Count". SolbergFarms. 2006. Archived from the original on July 3, 2008. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  9. ^ Dalrymple, Amy (August 18, 2016). "Pipeline route plan first called for crossing north of Bismarck". The Bismarck Tribune. Archived from the original on November 1, 2016. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
  10. ^ "Dakota Access Order | Sioux". Scribd. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  11. ^ "Amnesty International to Morton County Sheriff: Investigate Use of Force Against Protectors at DAPL - Indian Country Media Network". indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com. October 3, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  12. ^ "VIDEO: Dakota Access Pipeline Company Attacks Native American Protesters with Dogs and Pepper Spray". Democracy Now!. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  13. ^ "Dakota Pipeline: Protesters Soaked With Water in Freezing Temperatures". NBC News. November 21, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  14. ^ a b c d "Morton County, North Dakota". Google Maps. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  15. ^ ""Find an Altitude/Morton County ND" Google Maps (accessed February 19, 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  16. ^ "2025 County Gazetteer Files – North Dakota". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  17. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Morton County, North Dakota". www.census.gov. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  18. ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2025". Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  19. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  20. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. 2007. Archived from the original on December 12, 2009. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  21. ^ Forstall, Richard L. (April 20, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 19, 1999. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  22. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  23. ^ "County Median Home Price". National Association of Realtors. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  24. ^ "Morton County, North Dakota — Population by Race". CensusScope. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  25. ^ "1990 Census of Population: General Population Characteristics North Dakota" (PDF). www.census.gov. October 6, 2022. Retrieved April 10, 2026.
  26. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Morton County, North Dakota". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  27. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Morton County, North Dakota". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  28. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Morton County, North Dakota". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  29. ^ "County Population by Characteristics: 2020-2024". www.census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  30. ^ "US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  31. ^ "How many people live in Morton County, North Dakota". USA Today. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
  32. ^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  33. ^ 2020 Census - School District Reference Map: Morton County, ND (PDF) (Map). United States Census Bureau. January 14, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2026. - Text list

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  1. ^ "Dakota Access Order | Sioux". Scribd.
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