Sentinel Butte is a city in

Golden Valley County Golden Valley County is the name of two counties in the United States: * Golden Valley County, Montana *Golden Valley County, North Dakota Golden Valley County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the populat ...

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 ...

, United States. The population was 61 at the 2020 census. Sentinel Butte was founded in 1902 along the

transcontinental rail line A transcontinental railroad or transcontinental railway is contiguous railroad trackage, that crosses a continental land mass and has terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks can be via the tracks of either a single ...

of the

Northern Pacific Railway The Northern Pacific Railway was a transcontinental railroad that operated across the northern tier of the western United States, from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest. It was approved by Congress in 1864 and given nearly of land grants, whic ...

. The name comes from the prominent

butte __NOTOC__ In geomorphology, a butte () is an isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top; buttes are smaller landforms than mesas, plateaus, and tablelands. The word ''butte'' comes from a French word mea ...

(3,428 ft ,045 m three miles (5 km) to the south. This geographical feature was named in honor of two

Arikara Arikara (), also known as Sahnish,
''Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation.'' (Retrieved Sep 29, 2011)

sentinels killed nearby in 1864 by the

Sioux The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin (; Dakota language, Dakota: Help:IPA, /otʃʰeːtʰi ʃakoːwĩ/) are groups of Native Americans in the United States, Native American tribes and First Nations in Canada, First Nations peoples in North America. The ...

Geography

Sentinel Butte is located at . According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 56 people, 30 households, and 17 families residing in the city. 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 . There were 38 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 100.0%

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 ...

. There were 30 households, of which 6.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% 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, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.3% were non-families. 40.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.87 and the average family size was 2.47. The median age in the city was 56.8 years. 5.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 16.1% were from 25 to 44; 39.3% were from 45 to 64; and 33.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.8% male and 48.2% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 62 people, 30 households, and 18 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 44 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 100.00%

. There were 30 households, out of which 20.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% were

living together, 3.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 40.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.72. In the city, the population was spread out, with 19.4% under the age of 18, 3.2% from 18 to 24, 16.1% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 33.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $21,563, and the median income for a family was $33,750. Males and females had a median income of $21,250. 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 city was $13,584. There were 16.7% of families and 18.2% of the population living 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 no under eighteens and 26.7% of those over 64.

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Sentinel Butte has a

semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-ar ...

, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Sentinel Butte, North Dakota
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References

{{Authority control Cities in Golden Valley County, North Dakota Cities in North Dakota Populated places established in 1902 1902 establishments in North Dakota