County · code 38031
Foster CountyNorth Dakota
Foster County is a county in North Dakota with its seat in Carrington. It was founded in 1873 and became a county in the state of North Dakota on November 2, 1889.
- Founded1873
- County seatCarrington
- Land area634 sq mi + 13 sq mi water
- Population3,397 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped3,508 checked 14 October 2026
Where it is
Foster 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.
Foster County was created in 1873 in Dakota Territory but lost area on March 31, 1885, when Eddy County and Wells County were formed from it. Foster County became a county in the state of North Dakota on November 2, 1889.
- 1885
- 1889Became part of North Dakota Foster 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 Foster
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 3,508 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, 2,282 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
Foster 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 Foster County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Foster 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 Foster County
- When was Foster County founded?
- Foster County was founded in 1873.
- What is the county seat of Foster County?
- The county seat of Foster County is Carrington.
- Is there an online parcel map for Foster County?
- Yes. State of North Dakota GIS Hub (NDIT; State Parcel Program, counties as custodians) publishes a parcel map of 3,508 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Foster County's boundary or name changed?
- Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 2 changes for Foster County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 2 later changes, chiefly involving Eddy County and Wells County.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Foster County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby