County · code 38005
Benson CountyNorth Dakota
Benson County is in North Dakota and was established in 1884, with its county seat at Minnewaukan. The county was named after Bertil W. Benson.
- Founded1884
- County seatMinnewaukan
- Named forBertil W. Benson
- Land area1,389 sq mi + 51 sq mi water
- Population5,964 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped9,420 checked 14 October 2026
Where it is
Benson 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 1884
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Benson County became a county in the state of North Dakota on November 2, 1889.
- 1885Lost territory Benson lost to Ramsey. · Dak. Terr. Laws 1885, 16th sess., ch. 32, sec. 3/p. 270; Hall, 213-214
- 1889Became part of North Dakota Benson 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
- 1891Changed Legislature authorized Ramsey to gain from Benson; gain did not take effect (no change). · N. Dak. Laws 1891, 2d sess., ch. 130/p. 329
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Benson
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 9,420 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, 4,111 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
Benson 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 Benson County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Benson 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 Benson County
- When was Benson County founded?
- Benson County was founded in 1884, and named after Bertil W. Benson.
- What is the county seat of Benson County?
- The county seat of Benson County is Minnewaukan.
- Is there an online parcel map for Benson County?
- Yes. State of North Dakota GIS Hub (NDIT; State Parcel Program, counties as custodians) publishes a parcel map of 9,420 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Benson County's boundary or name changed?
- Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 3 changes for Benson County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 2 later changes, chiefly involving Ramsey County.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Benson County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby