Dunn County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,095. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

Manning Manning (a.k.a. Mannion, Manning) is a family name. Origin and meaning Manning is from an old Norse word — manningi — meaning a brave or valiant man; and one of the first forms of the name was Mannin; another cartography was Mannyg ...

History

On March 9, 1883, the

Dakota Territory The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of No ...

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, who opened the first

drugstore A pharmacy (also called "drugstore" in American English or "community pharmacy" or "chemist" in Commonwealth English, or rarely, apothecary) is a retail shop which provides pharmaceutical drugs, among other products. At the pharmacy, a pharmacis ...

in North Dakota, and who was a civic and commercial leader during the early history of Bismarck.

Geography

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.''Dunn County ND'' Google Maps (accessed 17 February 2019)
/ref> The terrain slopes to the east and north; its highest point is a hill at the southwestern corner, at 2,625' (800m) ASL. The county has a total area of , of which is land and (3.5%) is water. 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 Killdeer Mountains is a mountain range in Dunn County, North Dakota, in the United States. The range's name comes from the Native Americans, who used the area as a hunting ground for deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals for ...

, 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. 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 ''Quercus macrocarpa'', the bur oak or burr oak, is a species of oak tree native to eastern North America. It is in the white oak section, ''Quercus'' sect. ''Quercus'', and is also called mossycup oak, mossycup white oak, blue oak, or scrub o ...

and

quaking aspen ''Populus tremuloides'' is a deciduous tree native to cooler areas of North America, one of several species referred to by the common name aspen. It is commonly called quaking aspen, trembling aspen, American aspen, mountain or golden aspen, tr ...

, though native to North Dakota, are sparse in western North Dakota, with Dunn County being a notable exception.

Major highways

North Dakota Highway 8 North Dakota Highway 8 (ND 8) is a north–south state highway in North Dakota, United States. The highway is split into two segments. The southern segment is long and travels from Lake Sakakawea near Twin Buttes to South Dakota Hig ...

North Dakota Highway 22 North Dakota Highway 22 (ND 22) is a major north–south state highway in North Dakota. It begins at the South Dakota state line south of the small town of Reeder and ends at ND 23 west of New Town and north of Mandaree. The route ha ...

North Dakota Highway 200 North Dakota Highway 200 (ND 200) is a major east–west state highway in North Dakota, United States. It runs from Minnesota State Highway 200 at the Minnesota border near Halstad, Minnesota to Montana Highway 200 near Fairview, Montana. A ...

Adjacent counties

* Mountrail County – north * McLean County – northeast * Mercer County – east * Stark County – south * Billings County – southwest * McKenzie County – northwest

Protected areas

Lake Ilo National Wildlife Refuge Lake Ilo National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is located in the U.S. state of North Dakota and is managed from Audubon National Wildlife Refuge by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge consists of Lake Ilo, surrounding wetlands and some upland ...

* Little Missouri Public Use Area * Kildeer Mountain State Game Preserve * Badlands Trail Rides * Little Mountain State Park

Lakes

* Moffet Slough

Demographics

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 3,600 people, 1,378 households, and 986 families in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 2 people per square mile (1/km²). There were 1,965 housing units at an average density of 0.98 per square mile (0.38/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 86.58%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.03%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 12.44% Native American, 0.08%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, and 0.86% from two or more races. 0.75% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. 43.2% were of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

and 16.6%

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

ancestry. There were 1,378 households, out of which 32.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.30% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 7.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.40% were non-families. 25.30% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.11. The county population contained 27.40% under the age of 18, 5.80% from 18 to 24, 23.60% from 25 to 44, 25.90% from 45 to 64, and 17.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 104.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.60 males. The median income for a household in the county was $30,015, and the median income for a family was $34,405. Males had a median income of $26,226 versus $17,143 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $14,624. About 13.80% of families and 17.50% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 21.70% of those under age 18 and 14.20% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 3,536 people, 1,401 households, and 977 families in the county. The population density was . There were 2,132 housing units at an average density of . 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

, 20.3% were

, 8.5% were

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places * Czech, ...

, 6.0% were

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

, 5.7% were

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

, 5.3% were

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, and 1.8% were

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

. 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

, including 7.5% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.

Sites of interest

* Killdeer Mountains *

Killdeer Mountain Killdeer Mountains is a mountain range in Dunn County, North Dakota, in the United States. The range's name comes from the Native Americans, who used the area as a hunting ground for deer. The range was the scene of the Battle of Killdeer Mountain ...

National Battlefield

Communities

Cities

Dodge Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...

Dunn Center The Winfield Dunn Center (officially the Winfield Dunn Health and Physical Education Building and Convocation Complex) is a facility, located on the main campus of Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. Construction began on th ...

Halliday Halliday or Haliday is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Alexander Henry Haliday (1807–1870), Irish entomologist *Andrew Halliday (journalist) (1830–1877), British journalist and dramatist *Andrew Halliday (physician) (1782& ...

Killdeer The killdeer (''Charadrius vociferus'') is a large plover found in the Americas. It was described and given its current scientific name in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his ''Systema Naturae''. Three subspecies are described. Th ...

Census-designated place

(county seat)

Unincorporated communities

* Emerson * Fayette * Hirschville *

Marshall Marshall may refer to: Places Australia * Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria Canada * Marshall, Saskatchewan * The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia Liberia * Marshall, Liberia Marshall Islands * Marshall Islands, an i ...

* Medicine Hole * New Hradec * Twin Buttes * Werner

Politics

Dunn County has voted Republican in every election since 1976.

Education

School districts include:
Text list
/ref> K-12: * Beulah Public School District 27 * Dickinson Public School District 1 * Halliday Public School District 19 * Hebron Public School District 13 * Killdeer Public School District 16 * Mandaree Public School District 36 * Richardton-Taylor Public School District 34 * South Heart Public School District 9 Elementary: * Twin Buttes Public School District 37

References

External links

Killdeer Mountain Scenic Byway

* Dunn County maps
Sheet 1
(northern) an
Sheet 2
(southern), ''North Dakota DOT'' {{Coord, 47.36, -102.62, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-ND_source:UScensus1990 North Dakota counties on the Missouri River 1908 establishments in North Dakota Populated places established in 1908 Counties in multiple time zones