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Pierce County, North Dakota facts for kids

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Pierce County
Pierce County Courthouse
Map of North Dakota highlighting Pierce 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 March 11, 1887 (created)
April 6, 1889 (organized)
Named for Gilbert A. Pierce
Seat Rugby
Largest city Rugby
Area
 • Total 1,082 sq mi (2,800 km2)
 • Land 1,019 sq mi (2,640 km2)
 • Water 64 sq mi (170 km2)  5.9%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 3,990
 • Estimate 
(2022)
3,942 Decrease
 • Density 3.688/sq mi (1.4238/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district At-large

Pierce County is a county located in the state of North Dakota in the United States. In 2020, about 3,990 people lived there. The main town, or county seat, is Rugby.

History of Pierce County

Pierce County was officially created on March 11, 1887. It was formed from parts of other counties by the government of the Dakota Territory. The county was named after Gilbert A. Pierce, who was an important political leader in the Dakota Territory.

At first, the county was not fully set up. It was connected to McHenry County for a short time in 1889. But on April 6, 1889, Pierce County started its own government. This meant it could manage its own affairs. Later, on November 8, 1892, the county's size grew when a part of Church County was added to it.

A cool fact about Pierce County is that it's home to the geographical center of North America. This spot is about 6 miles (10 km) west of a town called Balta. In Rugby, you can find a special monument marking this unique location. It is at the crossing of U.S. 2 and N.D. 3.

Map of Pierce County, N.D., 1910
Outline map of Pierce County, North Dakota, 1910

Geography of Pierce County

Pierce County covers a total area of about 1,082 square miles (2,802 square kilometers). Most of this area, 1,019 square miles (2,639 square kilometers), is land. The remaining 64 square miles (166 square kilometers) is water, which is about 5.9% of the total area.

The land in Pierce County has rolling hills and is mostly used for farming. The North Fork of the Sheyenne River flows through the middle of the county, heading east. The highest point in the county is a hill near its southwest corner. It is about 1,634 feet (498 meters) above sea level.

Major Roads

  • US 2.svg U.S. Highway 2
  • US 52.svg U.S. Highway 52
  • ND-3 (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 3
  • ND-17 (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 17
  • ND-19 (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 19
  • ND-60 (2015).svg North Dakota Highway 60

Train Services

  • Amtrak Empire Builder (Rugby station)

Neighboring Counties

Protected Natural Areas

  • Boyer National Wildlife Refuge
  • Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge
  • Hurricane Lake National Wildlife Refuge
  • Meyer Township National Wildlife Refuge

Lakes in Pierce County

  • Antelope Lakes
  • Aylmer Lake (part)
  • Battema Lake
  • Buffalo Lake
  • Clear Lake
  • Davis Lake
  • Girard Lake
  • Goose Lake
  • Gunderson Lake
  • Guss Lake
  • Horseshoe Lake
  • Kilgore Lake
  • Lesmeister Lake
  • Long Lake
  • Petrified Lake
  • Ranch Lake
  • Round Lake
  • Sand Lake
  • Smoky Lake (part)
  • Twin Lakes (part)

Population and People

Historical population
Census Pop.
1890 905
1900 4,765 426.5%
1910 9,740 104.4%
1920 9,283 −4.7%
1930 9,074 −2.3%
1940 9,208 1.5%
1950 8,326 −9.6%
1960 7,394 −11.2%
1970 6,323 −14.5%
1980 6,166 −2.5%
1990 5,052 −18.1%
2000 4,675 −7.5%
2010 4,357 −6.8%
2020 3,990 −8.4%
2022 (est.) 3,942 −9.5%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2020

The population of Pierce County has changed over the years. In 1890, there were 905 people. The population grew to its highest in 1910 with 9,740 people. Since then, it has slowly decreased.

2020 Census Information

According to the census in 2020, there were 3,990 people living in Pierce County.

2010 Census Information

In the census of 2010, there were 4,357 people in the county. This included 1,835 households, which are groups of people living together. The population density was about 4.28 people per square mile (1.65 people per square kilometer).

Most people in the county were white (94.1%). About 3.9% were American Indian. People from German backgrounds made up the largest ancestry group (52.3%), followed by Norwegian (34.5%).

The average age of people in Pierce County was 46.9 years. About 24.5% of households had children under 18 living with them. The average income for a household was $37,091. For families, it was $55,304. About 12.9% of all people in the county lived below the poverty line. This included 11.2% of those under 18 years old.

Population Changes Over Time

Communities in Pierce County

Cities

Census-Designated Places (CDPs)

These are areas identified by the Census Bureau for statistical purposes.

Unincorporated Communities

These are places that are not officially organized as cities or towns.

  • Leverich
  • Silva
  • Tunbridge

Townships

Townships are smaller local government areas within the county.

  • Alexanter
  • Antelope Lake
  • Balta
  • Elling
  • Elverum
  • Hagel
  • Jefferson
  • Meyer
  • Ness
  • Reno Valley
  • Rush Lake
  • Torgerson
  • Truman
  • Tuscarora
  • White

Education in Pierce County

Here are the school districts that serve students in Pierce County:

  • Anamoose Public School District 14
  • Bottineau Public School District 1
  • Harvey Public School District 38
  • Leeds Public School District 6
  • Maddock Public School District 9
  • North Star School District
  • Rugby Public School District 5
  • Towner-Granville-Upham Public School District 60

Former School Districts

  • Wolford Public School District 1 - This district closed in 2019.

See also

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

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