LaMoure County, North Dakota

LaMoure County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,093, and was estimated to be 4,135 in 2025.

History

The Dakota Territory legislature created the county on January 4, 1873, with Grand Rapids as the county seat. However, the county organization was not completed at that time, nor was the county attached to another county for administrative and judicial purposes. It was named for Judson LaMoure, a member of the territorial/state legislature from 1872 to 1918.

The county organization was affected on October 27, 1881. Its boundaries were altered in February 1881 and in March 1883. It has retained its present boundary since that time. The present county seat, LaMoure, was founded in 1882, and the county seat was transferred to that community soon after.

thumb|Outline map of LaMoure County, North Dakota, 1913

Geography

The James River flows southeasterly through the central portion of LaMoure County, and a tributary of the South Branch Maple River flows southerly from the center of the county. The county terrain consists of rolling hills, mostly devoted to agriculture.

The terrain slopes to the south and east; its highest point is on its upper west boundary line at ASL.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.43%) is water. It is the 29th largest county in North Dakota by total area.

LaMoure County hosts a Navy transmitter, the Naval Radio Transmitter Facility LaMoure.

Major highways

25px U.S. Highway 281
25px North Dakota Highway 1
25px North Dakota Highway 13
25px North Dakota Highway 46
25px North Dakota Highway 56

Airports

Kulm Municipal Airport - public use airport NE of Kulm.

Adjacent counties

Stutsman County - north
Barnes County - northeast
Ransom County - east
Dickey County - south
McIntosh County - southwest
Logan County - west

National protected area

Bone Hill National Wildlife Refuge

Lakes

Source:

| align-fn = center

| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census:

As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 1,712 estimated households in LaMoure County with an average of 2.31 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $70,263. Approximately 9.4% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. LaMoure County has an estimated 63.6% employment rate, with 24.2% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 92.0% holding a high school diploma.

The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (95.6%), Spanish (1.0%), Indo-European (3.2%), Asian and Pacific Islander (0.1%), and Other (0.1%).

The median age in the county was 46.7 years.

LaMoure County, North Dakota – racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" style="font-size: 95%;"

! Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic)

! Pop. 1980 !! Pop. 1990 !! Pop. 2000 !! Pop. 2010 !!

| White alone (NH)

| 6,440 (99.49%) || 5,368 (99.72%) || 4,648 (98.87%) || 4,053 (97.92%) || style='background: #ffffe6; |3,897 (95.21%)

| Black or African American alone (NH)

| 2 (0.03%) || 0 (0.00%) || 0 (0.00%) || 5 (0.12%) || style='background: #ffffe6; |6 (0.15%)

| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

| 14 (0.22%) || 5 (0.09%) || 8 (0.17%) || 16 (0.39%) || style='background: #ffffe6; |20 (0.49%)

| Asian alone (NH)

| 4 (0.06%) || 2 (0.04%) || 6 (0.13%) || 6 (0.14%) || style='background: #ffffe6; |7 (0.17%)

| Pacific Islander alone (NH)

| — || — || 0 (0.00%) || 0 (0.00%) || style='background: #ffffe6; |4 (0.10%)

| Other race alone (NH)

| 7 (0.11%) || 0 (0.00%) || 0 (0.00%) || 0 (0.00%) || style='background: #ffffe6; |10 (0.24%)

| Mixed race or multiracial (NH)

| — || — || 13 (0.28%) || 25 (0.60%) || style='background: #ffffe6; |61 (1.49%)

| Hispanic or Latino (any race)

| 6 (0.09%) || 8 (0.15%) || 26 (0.55%) || 34 (0.82%) || style='background: #ffffe6; |88 (2.15%)

| Total

| 6,473 (100.00%) || 5,383 (100.00%) || 4,701 (100.00%) || 4,139 (100.00%) || style='background: #ffffe6; |4,093 (100.00%)

2024 estimate

As of the 2024 estimate, there were 4,051 people and 1,712 households residing in the county. There were 2,056 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.3% White (94.7% NH White), 0.6% African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, _% from some other races and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.7% of the population.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 4,093, 1,720 households, and 1,105 families residing in the county. Of the residents, 22.6% were under the age of 18 and 25.8% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 47.4 years. For every 100 females there were 103.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 103.2 males.

The population density was . There were 2,064 housing units at an average density of .

The racial makeup of the county was 95.8% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, 0.8% from some other race, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.2% of the population.

Education

School districts include:

Fort Ransom Public School District 6
Gackle-Streeter Public School District 56
Litchville-Marion Public School District 46
Edgeley Public School District 3
Kulm Public School District 7
LaMoure Public School District 8
Montpelier Public School District 14
Oakes Public School District 41

References

External links

LaMoure County – official website
LaMoure County Chamber of Commerce
LaMoure County bicentennial celebration : July 2, 3, 4, 5, 1976, Memorial Park, Grand Rapids, N.D. from the *Digital Horizons website
In the valley of the Jim (1937) from the Digital Horizons website
LaMoure County map, North Dakota DOT