County · code 38003
Barnes CountyNorth Dakota
Barnes County is in North Dakota with its seat in Valley City. The county was formed in 1873 and named after Alanson H. Barnes.
- Founded1873
- County seatValley City
- Named forAlanson H. Barnes
- Land area1,492 sq mi + 22 sq mi water
- Population10,853 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped11,412 checked 14 October 2026
Where it is
Barnes on the map of North Dakota
North Dakota has 53 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Founded in 1873
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Barnes County lost territory to the creation of Griggs County in 1881. It became a county in the state of North Dakota on November 2, 1889.
- 1881Lost territory Barnes lost to creation of Griggs. · Dak. Terr. Laws 1881, 14th sess., ch. 41/p. 44
- 1889Became part of North Dakota Barnes became a county in the state of North Dakota. · U.S. Stat., vol. 25, ch. 180[1889]/pp. 676-684 and vol. 26, no. 5/pp. 1548-1549; Swindler, 7:526-527; Van Zandt, 134
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Barnes
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 11,412 parcels from State of North Dakota GIS Hub (NDIT; State Parcel Program, counties as custodians). Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 12 October 2026 · checked 14 October 2026 -
Address points Official
One point per address, 6,024 in all from State of North Dakota — NDGISHUB / ND Department of Emergency Services (owner NDGISHDP-DES).
edited 12 October 2026 · checked 13 October 2026 -
Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- Official
- from the office that keeps the record
- Good enough
- a reliable statewide or national copy
- Fallback
- a guide only; check the official record
- Missing
- nothing public found yet
People and land
Barnes by the Census
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Who to ask before you build, dig or sell
Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.
Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.
Zoning and code
County government
- County government
The official website of Barnes County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Barnes County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.
Questions
Common questions about Barnes County
- When was Barnes County founded?
- Barnes County was founded in 1873, and named after Alanson H. Barnes.
- What is the county seat of Barnes County?
- The county seat of Barnes County is Valley City.
- Is there an online parcel map for Barnes County?
- Yes. State of North Dakota GIS Hub (NDIT; State Parcel Program, counties as custodians) publishes a parcel map of 11,412 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Barnes County's boundary or name changed?
- Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 2 changes for Barnes County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 2 later changes, chiefly involving Griggs County.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Barnes County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby