Foster

Formed January 4, 1873 (7^th county)

Foster County (3,396), Carrington (2,083)

The tan brick Beaux Arts courthouse sits where 10^th Avenue meets 5^th Street.  United States Highway 52 is three blocks north of the building.  The facility was built in 1910.  Buechner and Orth were the architects.  It features a dome.  A small 1887 courthouse in Carrington, the only county seat, preceded this one.  The county was formed on January 4, 1873 as the 7^th county.  The county is named for James S. Foster or George I. Foster, prominent territorial founders.  Carrington is named for land developer, Miles D. Carrington. 

Foster County government consists of a recorder, a sheriff, an attorney, and a treasurer (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Seven District Court Judges serve Foster, Barnes, Dickey, Eddy, Griggs, LaMoure, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Stutsman, and Wells counties and a court clerk serves Foster County (judicial.)  The county is located in eastern North Dakota.  Grand Forks, North Dakota is east and Fargo, North Dakota is southeast of the county.  The county center is 14.7 miles East-Northeast of Carrington nearer Grace City.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Eddy, Griggs, Stutsman, and Wells counties. 

The area of the county is 635 square miles.  It is 52 out of 53 in the state.  It ranks 32 out of 53 in population in the state.  It has a density of 5.3 persons per square mile making it 20 out of 53 in the state.  Foster County has 67.6% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 52 enters the county from the west, Wells County, and exits to the south, Stutsman County.  United States Highway 281 comes from the Eddy County, north, and joins United States Highway 52 into Stutsman County.  The county is a rectangle.  Carrington is located in the western quarter of the county.  Carrington is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 61.3% of the county population.

McHenry