Dunn County, North Dakota

Coordinates: 47°22′N 102°37′W / 47.36°N 102.62°W / 47.36; -102.62
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Dunn County
Dunn County Courthouse - Manning, North Dakota
Dunn County Courthouse - Manning, North Dakota
Map of North Dakota highlighting Dunn County
Location within the U.S. state of North Dakota
Map of the United States highlighting North Dakota
North Dakota's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 47°22′N 102°37′W / 47.36°N 102.62°W / 47.36; -102.62
Country United States
State North Dakota
FoundedMarch 9, 1883 (created)
January 18, 1908 (organized)
SeatManning
Largest cityKilldeer
Area
 • Total2,082 sq mi (5,390 km2)
 • Land2,008 sq mi (5,200 km2)
 • Water74 sq mi (190 km2)  3.5%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total4,095
 • Estimate 
(2022)
4,015 Decrease
 • Density2.0/sq mi (0.76/km2)
Time zones
(northern portion)UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
(southern portion)UTC−7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (MDT)
Websitewww.dunncountynd.org

Dunn County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,095.[1] Its county seat is Manning.[2]

History[edit]

On March 9, 1883, the Dakota Territory legislature authorized the creation of a new county, using territory partitioned from Howard County (which is now extinct). The county organization was not effected at that time, but the county was not attached to another county for judicial purposes.

The county boundaries were altered in 1883, and on November 3, 1896, the legislature ordered Dunn dissolved, with its territory assigned to Stark County. However, the state supreme court overturned the legislature's act on May 24, 1901; in effect re-creating Dunn County. The county was still not assigned to another county. This was resolved on March 10, 1903, when the county was assigned to Stark County for judicial purposes.

On March 13, 1903, the legislature again voted to dissolve Dunn County, but again (during the 1905 session) the state supreme court voided the act. Dunn County continued to be attached to Stark County. However, on January 18, 1908, the county organization was effected, and Dunn became a standalone county. In the process, Dunn gained a tract of previously unattached land from Stark County, enlarging its boundary. The configuration thus created has remained to the present. The county was named for John Piatt Dunn,[3] who opened the first drugstore in North Dakota, and who was a civic and commercial leader during the early history of Bismarck.[4][5]

Geography[edit]

The Missouri River flows southeasterly along the northeastern boundary of Dunn County, and the Little Missouri River flows eastward across the center part of the county, to its confluence with the Missouri in the northeastern part of the county. The county terrain consists of semi-arid rolling hills, which are etched in the north and east by gullies and drainages to the river valleys.[6] The terrain slopes to the east and north; its highest point is a hill at the southwestern corner, at 2,625 ft (800 m) ASL.[7] The county has a total area of 2,082 square miles (5,390 km2), of which 2,008 square miles (5,200 km2) is land and 74 square miles (190 km2) (3.5%) is water.[8] It is the fifth-largest county in North Dakota by total area.

Dunn County is somewhat unusual among western North Dakota counties. Like other counties in the region, it has both prairie and badlands areas. Located in the northwest part of the county are the Killdeer Mountains, which are more accurately described as hills. These hills help create a mini-ecosystem on the southern edge of the Little Missouri badlands, which has a greater abundance of aspen forests and wildlife than is typically found in southwestern North Dakota. The Killdeer Mountains' highest point, and the highest point in Dunn County, is 3281 feet above sea level.[9]

The northwest corner of the county, northwest of the Killdeer Mountains, features many square miles of bur oak forest, mainly on the north-facing slopes of the hills. Bur oak and quaking aspen, though native to North Dakota, are sparse in western North Dakota, with Dunn County being a notable exception.

Major highways[edit]

Adjacent counties[edit]

Protected areas[edit]

[6]

Lakes[edit]

  • Moffet Slough

[6]

Demographics[edit]

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1890159
19105,302
19208,82866.5%
19309,5668.4%
19408,376−12.4%
19507,212−13.9%
19606,350−12.0%
19704,895−22.9%
19804,627−5.5%
19904,005−13.4%
20003,600−10.1%
20103,536−1.8%
20204,09515.8%
2022 (est.)4,015[10]−2.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]
1790-1960[12] 1900-1990[13]
1990-2000[14] 2010-2020[1]

2020 census[edit]

As of the census of 2020, there were 4,095 people.

2010 census[edit]

As of the census of 2010, there were 3,536 people, 1,401 households, and 977 families in the county. The population density was 1.8 inhabitants per square mile (0.69/km2). There were 2,132 housing units at an average density of 1.1 units per square mile (0.42/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 84.9% white, 12.7% American Indian, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.2% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.1% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 57.6% were German, 20.3% were Norwegian, 8.5% were Czech, 6.0% were Russian, 5.7% were Irish, 5.3% were English, and 1.8% were American.

Of the 1,401 households, 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.7% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.3% were non-families, and 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.93. The median age was 44.4 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $48,707 and the median income for a family was $65,122. Males had a median income of $37,270 versus $23,599 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,832. About 6.2% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.5% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.

Population by decade[edit]

Sites of interest[edit]

Communities[edit]

Cities[edit]

Census-designated place[edit]

Unincorporated communities[edit]

[6]

Politics[edit]

Dunn County has voted Republican in every election since 1976.

United States presidential election results for Dunn County, North Dakota[15]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 1,951 83.45% 342 14.63% 45 1.92%
2016 1,771 78.96% 358 15.96% 114 5.08%
2012 1,506 74.04% 508 24.98% 20 0.98%
2008 1,080 65.69% 527 32.06% 37 2.25%
2004 1,178 66.40% 571 32.19% 25 1.41%
2000 1,124 65.05% 474 27.43% 130 7.52%
1996 830 47.62% 587 33.68% 326 18.70%
1992 784 37.24% 667 31.69% 654 31.07%
1988 1,263 57.99% 892 40.96% 23 1.06%
1984 1,583 68.12% 716 30.81% 25 1.08%
1980 1,706 71.50% 532 22.30% 148 6.20%
1976 1,041 48.26% 1,051 48.73% 65 3.01%
1972 1,438 65.45% 644 29.31% 115 5.23%
1968 1,207 56.17% 772 35.92% 170 7.91%
1964 1,079 44.37% 1,351 55.55% 2 0.08%
1960 1,462 52.53% 1,321 47.47% 0 0.00%
1956 1,567 59.63% 1,055 40.14% 6 0.23%
1952 2,237 76.50% 664 22.71% 23 0.79%
1948 1,244 51.34% 1,074 44.33% 105 4.33%
1944 1,374 59.79% 919 39.99% 5 0.22%
1940 2,132 60.29% 1,392 39.37% 12 0.34%
1936 732 21.65% 2,257 66.76% 392 11.59%
1932 569 18.92% 2,380 79.12% 59 1.96%
1928 1,360 46.50% 1,561 53.37% 4 0.14%
1924 980 42.78% 190 8.29% 1,121 48.93%
1920 2,102 80.60% 457 17.52% 49 1.88%
1916 566 34.43% 1,028 62.53% 50 3.04%
1912 285 32.39% 246 27.95% 349 39.66%
1908 373 68.82% 160 29.52% 9 1.66%

Education[edit]

School districts include:[16]

K-12:

Elementary:

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on July 4, 2012. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 110.
  4. ^ "County History". Official Portal for North Dakota State Government. Archived from the original on February 2, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
  5. ^ "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.
  6. ^ a b c d Dunn County ND Google Maps (accessed February 17, 2019)
  7. ^ ""Find an Altitude/Dunn County ND" Google Maps (accessed 17 February 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  8. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on January 29, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  9. ^ "North Dakota County High Points". Peakbagger. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  10. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022". Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  11. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  12. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  13. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  14. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  15. ^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  16. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Dunn County, ND" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 13, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2022. - Text list

External links[edit]

47°22′N 102°37′W / 47.36°N 102.62°W / 47.36; -102.62