Ward

Formed April 14, 1885 (44^th county)

Ward County (69,933), Minot (48,384)

The masonry Art Deco courthouse was erected in 1930.  There was an 1890 version also in Minot.  Ward County was founded on April 14, 1885 as the 44^th county.  Burlington was the first county seat until 1888 when Minot assumed the position.  The county is named for Legislator J. P. Ward.  The county seat is named for railroad official H. D. Minot.  The building is on 3^rd Street Southeast at 4^th Avenue Southeast.  United States Highway 2 Business is 4^th Avenue Southeast.  Toltz, King & Day are the architects.  An Administrative Building was built in 2015. 

Ward County government consists of a recorder, a sheriff, an attorney, and a treasurer (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Five District Court Judges serve Ward, Burke, and Mountrail counties and a court clerk serves Ward County (judicial.)  Ward County is located in northwest North Dakota.  Bismarck, North Dakota is southeast and Grand Forks, North Dakota is east of the county.  The county center is 15.1 miles West of Minot nearer Des Lacs.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Renville, McHenry, McLean, Mountrail, and Burke counties. 

The area of the county is 2013 square miles.  It is 5 out of 53 in the state.  It ranks 4 out of 53 in population in the state.  It has a density of 34.7 persons per square mile making it 4 out of 53 in the state.  Ward County has 76.6% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 2 crosses the county east to west from McHenry County to Mountrail County.  United States Highway 52 comes from the southeast, McHenry County, and goes to the northwest, Burke County.  United States Highway 83 enters from Renville County, north, and exits to McLean County, south.  The county is shaped like a pot with a handle.  Minot is located in the southeast quarter of the county.  Minot is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 69.2% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced MIE-NOT.  This county is in the Minot Micropolitan Statistical Area.