McKenzie County, North Dakota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
McKenzie County
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Location within the U.S. state of North Dakota
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 North Dakota's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  North Dakota |
| Founded | March 9, 1883 (created) April 20, 1905 (organized) |
| Named for | Alexander McKenzie |
| Seat | Watford City |
| Largest city | Watford City |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2,861 sq mi (7,410 km2) |
| • Land | 2,760 sq mi (7,100 km2) |
| • Water | 100 sq mi (300 km2) 3.5% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 14,704 |
| • Estimate
(2021)
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13,819 |
| • Density | 5.1395/sq mi (1.9844/km2) |
| Time zones | |
| (northern portion) | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| (southern portion) | UTC−7 (Mountain) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Congressional district | At-large |
McKenzie County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,704. Its county seat is Watford City.
The county lies immediately adjacent to the Williston Micropolitan Statistical Area, although the Census Bureau does not include McKenzie County in that grouping.
Contents
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,861 square miles (7,410 km2), of which 2,760 square miles (7,100 km2) is land and 100 square miles (260 km2) (3.5%) is water. It is the largest county in North Dakota by area.
The McKenzie County landscape features a wide diversity of physical features, ranging from sugarbeet fields bordering the Missouri River at the northwest corner of the county to rugged badlands near the Little Missouri River in the south, where Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the Little Missouri National Grassland are located. Between the two rivers is a large area of prairie, ranging from gentle rolling terrain to rocky, rugged pastures. The southeast corner of the county, bordering on the Little Missouri badlands of neighboring Dunn County, is abundant in wildlife, quaking aspen groves, and bur oak groves, interspersed in places with western red cedar on the north-facing slopes of the badlands.
Adjacent counties
- Williams County (north)
- Mountrail County (northeast)
- Dunn County (southeast)
- Billings County (south)
- Golden Valley County (southwest)
- Wibaux County, Montana (southwest)
- Richland County, Montana (west)
Major highways
U.S. Highway 85
North Dakota Highway 22
North Dakota Highway 23
North Dakota Highway 58
North Dakota Highway 68
North Dakota Highway 73
North Dakota Highway 200
North Dakota Highway 1806
National protected areas
- Little Missouri National Grassland (part)
- Theodore Roosevelt National Park (part)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 5,720 | — | |
| 1920 | 9,544 | 66.9% | |
| 1930 | 9,709 | 1.7% | |
| 1940 | 8,426 | −13.2% | |
| 1950 | 6,849 | −18.7% | |
| 1960 | 7,296 | 6.5% | |
| 1970 | 6,127 | −16.0% | |
| 1980 | 7,132 | 16.4% | |
| 1990 | 6,383 | −10.5% | |
| 2000 | 5,737 | −10.1% | |
| 2010 | 6,360 | 10.9% | |
| 2020 | 14,704 | 131.2% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 13,819 | 117.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2020 |
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2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 6,360 people, 2,410 households, and 1,682 families in the county. The population density was 2.30/sqmi (0.89/km2). There were 3,090 housing units at an average density of 1.12/sqmi (0.43/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 75.3% white, 22.2% American Indian, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% black or African American, 0.4% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 39.5% were Norwegian, 30.6% were German, 6.1% were Irish, and 0.7% were American.
Of the 2,410 households, 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.2% were non-families, and 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.06. The median age was 38.0 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $48,480 and the median income for a family was $58,906. Males had a median income of $42,803 versus $33,056 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,605. About 6.7% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.8% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Cities
- Alexander
- Arnegard
- Watford City (county seat)
Townships
- Alex
- Antelope Creek
- Arnegard
- Blue Butte
- Charbon
- Elm Tree
- Ellsworth
- Grail
- Hawkeye
- Keene
- Randolph
- Riverview
- Sioux
- Tri
- Twin Valley
- Yellowstone
Defunct Townships
Elk, Poe, and Wilbur townships merged January 1, 2002 to form Tri Township.
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
Sites of interest
- Theodore Roosevelt National Park
- Little Missouri National Grassland
- Maah Daah Hey Trail
- Lake Sakakawea
See also
In Spanish: Condado de McKenzie (Dakota del Norte) para niños
