McHenry County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,345. The county seat is Towner, and largest city is Velva.

McHenry County is part of the Minot metropolitan 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.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.97%) is water. It is the 8th largest county in North Dakota by total area.

Major highways

  • 25px U.S. Highway 2
  • 25px U.S. Highway 52
  • 25px North Dakota Highway 14
  • 25px North Dakota Highway 19
  • 25px North Dakota Highway 41
  • 25px North Dakota Highway 53
  • 25px 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

Source:

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|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<br>1790–1960 1900–1990<br>1990–2000 2010–2020

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 5,345. Of the residents, 23.3% were under the age of 18 and 22.5% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 44.5 years. For every 100 females there were 108.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 106.8 males.

The racial makeup of the county was 94.6% White, 0.2% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, 0.5% from some other race, and 3.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.8% of the population.

  • Norwich
  • Rangeley
  • Riga
  • Rising
  • Rose Hill
  • Simcoe
  • Verendrye
  • Willowdale

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See also

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in McHenry County, North Dakota

References

  • McHenry County – official website
  • McHenry County maps, Sheet 1 (northern) and Sheet 2 (southern), North Dakota DOT