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County · code 38011

Bowman CountyNorth Dakota

Bowman County is a county in northwestern North Dakota with its seat in the town of Bowman. The county was established in 1883 and named after Edward M. Bowman.

  • Founded1883
  • County seatBowman
  • Named forEdward M. Bowman
  • Land area1,162 sq mi + 5.2 sq mi water
  • Population2,993 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped6,557 checked 15 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in Bowman County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

SlopeHarding, SDFallon, MTAdams Bowman Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Bowman 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.

Adams CountyBarnes CountyBenson CountyBillings CountyBottineau CountyBurke CountyBurleigh CountyCass CountyCavalier CountyDickey CountyDivide CountyDunn CountyEddy CountyEmmons CountyFoster CountyGolden Valley CountyGrand Forks CountyGrant CountyGriggs CountyHettinger CountyKidder CountyLaMoure CountyLogan CountyMcHenry CountyMcIntosh CountyMcKenzie CountyMcLean CountyMercer CountyMorton CountyMountrail CountyNelson CountyOliver CountyPembina CountyPierce CountyRamsey CountyRansom CountyRenville CountyRichland CountyRolette CountySargent CountySheridan CountySioux CountySlope CountyStark CountySteele CountyStutsman CountyTowner CountyTraill CountyWalsh CountyWard CountyWells CountyWilliams CountyBowman County Bowman
Counties of North Dakota · Bowman highlighted

History

Founded in 1883

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Bowman County was formed in 1883, and named after Edward M. Bowman. Bowman is the county seat.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

  1. 1885
    Lost territory Bowman lost to Billings and Villard (Dakota Territory, extinct).
    to Billingsto Villard
    · Dak. Terr. Laws 1885, 16th sess., ch. 3/p. 226
  2. 1889
    Became part of North Dakota Bowman 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
  3. 1901
    Bowman County created Bowman re-created from Billings when the North Dakota Supreme Court overturned the act of 9 March 1899 and confirmed its decision of 18 May 1899 that overturned act of 3 November 1896. Bowman implicitly gained part of Non-County Area 9 located between 46 degrees north latitude and the southern boundary of North Dakota, and gained a small strip along its eastern line, when the boundary was shifted from 103 degrees west longitude to the line between ranges 98 and 99. This placed the county boundaries on federal land survey lines.
    from Billings
    · "Henry B. Schaffner v. John Young," in N. Dak. Rpts., 10:245-254; Hall, 232-233
  4. 1904
    Lost territory Bowman lost all territory to Billings; Bowman eliminated, ending its attachment to Stark.
    to Billingsto Stark
    · N. Dak. Laws 1903, 8th sess., ch. 67/p. 76; North Dakota Blue Book, 447
  5. 1907
    Bowman County created Bowman re-created from Billings by proclamation of the governor; Bowman not fully organized, not attached.
    from Billings
    · North Dakota Blue Book, 447
Show all 9 changes (4 more)
  1. 1885
    Lost territory Bowman lost to Billings and Villard (Dakota Territory, extinct).
    to Billingsto Villard
    · Dak. Terr. Laws 1885, 16th sess., ch. 3/p. 226
  2. 1889
    Became part of North Dakota Bowman 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
  3. 1891
    Changed Legislature authorized Billings and Stark to gain all of Bowman; neither gain took effect (no change).
    BillingsStark
    · N. Dak. Laws 1891, 2d sess., ch. 50, secs. 6-11/pp. 130-132; HRS N. Dak., Williams, 3-5; Hall, 226-229
  4. 1896
    Lost territory Bowman lost all territory to Billings; Bowman eliminated. Act was overturned by the North Dakota Supreme Court, 24 May 1901.
    to Billings
    · N. Dak. Laws 1895, 4th sess., ch. 25/pp. 21-23; Hall, 229-233
  5. 1901
    Bowman County created Bowman re-created from Billings when the North Dakota Supreme Court overturned the act of 9 March 1899 and confirmed its decision of 18 May 1899 that overturned act of 3 November 1896. Bowman implicitly gained part of Non-County Area 9 located between 46 degrees north latitude and the southern boundary of North Dakota, and gained a small strip along its eastern line, when the boundary was shifted from 103 degrees west longitude to the line between ranges 98 and 99. This placed the county boundaries on federal land survey lines.
    from Billings
    · "Henry B. Schaffner v. John Young," in N. Dak. Rpts., 10:245-254; Hall, 232-233
  6. 1903
    Changed Bowman attached to Stark "for judicial purposes."
    Stark
    · N. Dak. Laws 1903, 8th sess., ch. 70/p. 80
  7. 1904
    Lost territory Bowman lost all territory to Billings; Bowman eliminated, ending its attachment to Stark.
    to Billingsto Stark
    · N. Dak. Laws 1903, 8th sess., ch. 67/p. 76; North Dakota Blue Book, 447
  8. 1907
    Bowman County created Bowman re-created from Billings by proclamation of the governor; Bowman not fully organized, not attached.
    from Billings
    · North Dakota Blue Book, 447
  9. 1907
    Changed Bowman fully organized. · Hall, 237; N. Dak. Rev. Code 1943, 1:495; North Dakota Blue Book, 447

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Bowman

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

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

Bowman by the Census

Population
2,993 2020 Census count
Housing units
1,633 2020 Census count
Land area
1,162 square miles
Water area
5.2 square miles
People per sq mi
3 population ÷ land area

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.

Records

Permits

Zoning and code

County government

See your own lot on these maps

Open Bowman 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.

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Questions

Common questions about Bowman County

When was Bowman County founded?
Bowman County was founded in 1883, and named after Edward M. Bowman.
What is the county seat of Bowman County?
The county seat of Bowman County is Bowman.
Is there an online parcel map for Bowman County?
Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 6,557 parcels, rated fallback here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Bowman County's boundary or name changed?
Bowman County was created in 1901. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 7 later changes, chiefly involving Billings County, Stark County and Villard County.
Who issues septic and well permits in Bowman County?
The county's page on septic systems and wells: Health.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Bowman County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Counties next door