kids encyclopedia robot

Adams County, North Dakota facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Adams County
Postcard. Adams County Courthouse in Hettinger
Postcard. Adams County Courthouse in Hettinger
Map of North Dakota highlighting Adams County
Location within the U.S. state of North Dakota
Map of the United States highlighting North Dakota
North Dakota's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  North Dakota
Founded April 17, 1907 (created)
April 24, 1907 (organized)
Seat Hettinger
Largest city Hettinger
Area
 • Total 989 sq mi (2,560 km2)
 • Land 988 sq mi (2,560 km2)
 • Water 1.1 sq mi (3 km2)  0.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 2,200
 • Estimate 
(2022)
2,115 Decrease
 • Density 2.22/sq mi (0.859/km2)
Time zone UTC−7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district At-large

Adams County is a place in the state of North Dakota in the United States. It's like a big district or area within the state. In 2020, about 2,200 people lived there. The main town, or county seat, is Hettinger.

Adams County was officially created on April 17, 1907. It was named after John Quincy Adams, who worked for a railroad company. He was also a distant relative of an earlier U.S. President, also named John Quincy Adams.

In 1923, a very strong tornado hit Adams County. It was called the "Adams County Twister." This tornado was one of the most dangerous in North Dakota's history. It caused eight deaths and injured 20 people.

Geography of Adams County

Adams County is located in the southern part of North Dakota. Its southern border touches the state of South Dakota. The land here has low, rolling hills and is a bit dry. The highest point in the county is about 3,002 feet (915 meters) above sea level. The county covers a total area of about 989 square miles (2,561 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with only a small part being water.

Neighboring Counties

Adams County shares its borders with several other counties:

Main Roads

These are the most important roads that go through Adams County:

  • US 12.svg U.S. Highway 12
  • ND-8 (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 8
  • ND-22 (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 22

Special Areas

  • North Lemmon Lake State Game Management Area is a protected area in the county.

Lakes in Adams County

  • North Lemmon Lake
  • Mirror Lake

People in Adams County (Demographics)

Historical population
Census Pop.
1910 5,407
1920 5,593 3.4%
1930 6,343 13.4%
1940 4,664 −26.5%
1950 4,910 5.3%
1960 4,449 −9.4%
1970 3,832 −13.9%
1980 3,584 −6.5%
1990 3,174 −11.4%
2000 2,593 −18.3%
2010 2,343 −9.6%
2020 2,200 −6.1%
2022 (est.) 2,115 −9.7%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2020

Population in 2020

According to the census in 2020, there were 2,200 people living in Adams County.

Population in 2010

In 2010, there were 2,343 people living in the county. These people lived in 1,098 households, and 658 of those were families. Most people (97.3%) were white. Other groups included American Indian, Asian, and Black or African American people. About 0.9% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino background.

Many people in Adams County have German (51.8%) or Norwegian (29.9%) ancestors. Other backgrounds include Irish, Swedish, English, Russian, and American.

About 22.3% of households had children under 18 living with them. The average age of people in the county was 49.5 years old.

The average income for a household was about $35,966. For families, it was about $50,227. About 10.6% of all people in the county lived below the poverty line.

How the Population Changed Over Time

Towns and Areas

Map of Adams County, North Dakota
A detailed map of Adams County, North Dakota.

Cities

These are the main cities in Adams County:

Small Communities (Unincorporated)

These are smaller places that are not officially cities:

Ghost Towns

  • Petrel (This place is also considered a ghost town, meaning it used to be more populated but now has very few or no residents.)

Townships

Townships are smaller local government areas within the county:

  • Beisigl
  • Bucyrus
  • Cedar
  • Chandler
  • Clermont
  • Darling Springs
  • Duck Creek
  • Gilstrap
  • Hettinger
  • Lightning Creek
  • Maine
  • Orange
  • Reeder
  • Scott
  • South Fork
  • Taylor Butte
  • Wolf Butte

Unorganized Areas

These are parts of the county that are not part of any specific township or city:

Former Townships

These townships used to exist but are no longer active:

  • Argonne
  • Cedar Butte
  • Dakota
  • Holden
  • Holt
  • Jordan
  • Kansas City
  • Lemmon
  • North Lemmon
  • Spring Butte
  • Whetstone

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Adams (Dakota del Norte) para niños

kids search engine
Adams County, North Dakota Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.