Sioux County, North Dakota

Sioux County is a county located along the southern border of the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,898, and was estimated to be 3,713 in 2024. Its eastern border is the Missouri River and its county seat is Fort Yates.

History

The county was created by proclamation of Governor Louis B. Hanna on September 3, 1914. It was named for the Native American Lakota, whose historic territory included this area. The county government organization was completed on September 12 of that year. The county lies entirely within the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, forming the northernmost 30 percent of the reservation; the balance of the reservation is in South Dakota. It is the only county in North Dakota that is entirely within an Indian reservation. From 2013 to 2018, Sioux County was included in the Bismarck, ND Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Sioux County lies on the south line of North Dakota. Its south boundary line abuts the north boundary line of the state of South Dakota. Its north boundary line is formed by the east-northeastward-flowing Cedar Creek, which discharges into the Missouri River at the county's northeast corner, and its east boundary line is formed by the south-southeast-flowing Missouri River, which also forms Lake Oahe along the county boundary line. Porcupine Creek flows southeastward into the Missouri River, draining the northeastern part of the county. The county terrain consists of low rolling hills etched with gullies and drainages; the area is mostly devoted to agriculture. The terrain slopes to the east and south; its highest point is on the west line, near the southwestern corner of the county, at ASL.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (3.03%) is water. It is the 34th largest county in North Dakota by total area.

The southwest corner counties of North Dakota (Adams, Billings, Bowman, Golden Valley, Grant, Hettinger, Slope, and Stark) observe Mountain Time. The counties of McKenzie, Dunn, and Sioux are split, observing Mountain Time in their western portions.

Major highways

* North Dakota Highway 6
* North Dakota Highway 24
* North Dakota Highway 31
* North Dakota Highway 49
* North Dakota Highway 1806

Adjacent counties

* Morton County - north (observes Central Time)
* Emmons County - east (observes Central Time)
* Corson County, South Dakota - south (observes Mountain Time)
* Adams County - west (observes Mountain Time)
* Grant County - northwest (observes Mountain Time)

Protected areas

* Cedar River National Grassland (part)
* Froelich Dam State Game Management Area

Demographics

As of the third quarter of 2024, the median home value in Sioux County was $92,670.

As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 1,067 estimated households in Sioux County with an average of 3.50 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $41,676. Approximately 34.9% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. Sioux County has an estimated 50.9% employment rate, with 11.2% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 86.9% 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 (92.7%), Spanish (0.3%), Indo-European (0.2%), Asian and Pacific Islander (0.0%), and Other (6.7%).

The median age in the county was 28.7 years.

Sioux County, North Dakota – racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 3,898 people, 1,103 households, and 791 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 1,277 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 10.29% White, 0.08% African American, , 0.05% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from some other races and 3.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.97% of the population.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 4,153 people, 1,158 households, and 900 families in the county. The population density was . There were 1,311 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 12.64% White, 0.17% African American, , 0.10% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.10% from some other races and 2.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.61% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 13.5% were German, and 0.3% were American.

Of the 1,158 households, 54.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.5% were married couples living together, 31.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 22.3% were non-families, and 17.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 3.55 and the average family size was 3.89. The median age was 26.3 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,990 and the median income for a family was $31,098. Males had a median income of $31,894 versus $26,619 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,542. About 39.0% of families and 47.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 58.4% of those under age 18 and 36.1% of those age 65 or over.

Population by decade

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Communities

Cities

* Fort Yates (county seat)
* Selfridge
* Solen

Census-designated places

* Cannon Ball
* Porcupine

Township

* Menz

Politics

With its population being mostly Native American, Sioux County is one of the most consistently Democratic counties in North Dakota, having last backed a Republican presidential candidate in 1980. Since then the closest a Republican has gotten to winning the county was Ronald Reagan in 1984 who lost the county by 19 percent. John Hoeven, in his 2010 election to the Senate, as well as his 2008 reelection as governor, won the county. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won the most votes in Sioux County, one of only two counties she won in the state. Green Party candidate Jill Stein received 10.4% of the popular vote.

Education

School districts include:
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* Fort Yates Public School District 4 (in cooperation with the Standing Rock Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) grant school)
* Selfridge Public School District 8
* Solen Public School District 3

See also

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Sioux County, North Dakota

References

External links

* Sioux County maps
Sheet 1
(eastern) an
Sheet 2
(western), ''North Dakota DOT''

{{Authority control

North Dakota counties on the Missouri River
North Dakota placenames of Native American origin
1914 establishments in North Dakota
Populated places established in 1914
Counties in multiple time zones