McHenry County, North Dakota

McHenry County, North Dakota
McHenry County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,345. Its county seat is Towner.
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.
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).
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). The terrain slopes to the north and east, with its highest point on the west boundary line near the southwest corner, at ASL. The county has a total area of , of which is land and (2.0%) is water. In 2013, 131 plants were collected in the Lake George area.
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
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
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 . There were 2,948 housing units at an average density of . 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
Bantry
Bergen
Deering
Drake
Granville
Karlsruhe
Kief
Towner (county seat)
Upham
Velva
Voltaire
Unincorporated communities
Berwick
Cole Ford
Denbigh
Funston
Genoa
Guthrie
Kottkethal
Milroy
Newport
Norfolk
Norwich
Rangeley
Riga
Rising
Rose Hill
Simcoe
Verendrye
Willowdale
Willow Vale
Willow Valley
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.
See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in McHenry County, North Dakota
References
External links
McHenry County JDA
McHenry County maps, Sheet 1 (northern) and Sheet 2 (southern), North Dakota DOT
Minot, North Dakota micropolitan area
1884 establishments in Dakota Territory
Populated places established in 1884