# Stutsman County, North Dakota

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. Its county seat is Jamestown.
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.

## 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. 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. The county has a total area of 2,298 square miles (5,950 km$^2$), of which 2,222 square miles (5,750 km$^2$) is land and 76 square miles (200 km$^2$) (3.3%) is water. 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
### 2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 21,392 people, 9,084 households, and 5,178 families in the county. The population density was 9.7 inhabitants per square mile (3.7/km$^2$) 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/km$^2$). There were 9,862 housing units at an average density of 4.4 per square mile (1.7/km$^2$). 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 :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | 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% |