What is the county seat of Pierce County?

The county seat of Pierce County is Rugby.

Is there an online parcel map for Pierce County?

Yes. State of North Dakota GIS Hub (NDIT; State Parcel Program, counties as custodians) publishes a parcel map of 6,931 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Pierce County's boundary or name changed?

Pierce County was created in 1887 from Bottineau County, McHenry County, Rolette County and De Smet County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 2 later changes, chiefly involving Church County.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

We do not have flood maps for Pierce County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

County · code 38069

Pierce CountyNorth Dakota

Pierce County is a county in North Dakota with its seat in Rugby. It was formed on March 11, 1887, from parts of Bottineau, McHenry, Rolette, and De Smet counties.

Founded1887
County seatRugby
Named forGilbert A. Pierce
Land area1,018 sq mi + 64 sq mi water
Population3,990 2020 Census
Parcels mapped6,931 checked 14 October 2026

Open the free map Click any parcel in Pierce County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated 20 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Formed in 1887 from Bottineau County, McHenry County, Rolette County and De Smet County

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

Pierce County was created by Dakota Territory from Bottineau, McHenry, Rolette, and De Smet counties in present-day North Dakota. It was named after Gilbert A. Pierce. Pierce became a county in the state of North Dakota on November 2, 1889. In 1892, Pierce gained part of Church County, which was eliminated.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

1887
Pierce County created Pierce created by Dakota Territory in present North Dakota from Bottineau, McHenry, Rolette, and all of De Smet (Dakota Territory, extinct).
from Bottineau from McHenry from Rolettefrom De Smet
11 March 1887 · Dak. Terr. Laws 1887, 17th sess., ch. 180/p. 376
1889
Became part of North Dakota Pierce became a county in the state of North Dakota. 2 November 1889 · 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
1892
Gained territory Pierce gained part of Church, Church eliminated.
from Church
8 November 1892 · N. Dak. Laws 1891, 2d sess., ch. 50, secs. 1-5, 10-11/pp. 129-132; Hall, 224-229

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Pierce

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

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 6,931 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, 2,470 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

Pierce by the Census

Population

3,990 2020 Census count

Housing units

2,040 2020 Census count

Land area

1,018 square miles

Water area

64 square miles

People per sq mi

4 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

Pierce County's official site

We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.

County government

County government
The official website of Pierce County.
piercecountynd.gov

See your own lot on these maps

Open Pierce 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.

Open the free map no sign-in Pro early access

Questions

Common questions about Pierce County

When was Pierce County founded?: Pierce County was founded in 1887, formed from Bottineau County, McHenry County, Rolette County and De Smet County, and named after Gilbert A. Pierce.
What is the county seat of Pierce County?: The county seat of Pierce County is Rugby.
Is there an online parcel map for Pierce County?: Yes. State of North Dakota GIS Hub (NDIT; State Parcel Program, counties as custodians) publishes a parcel map of 6,931 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Pierce County's boundary or name changed?: Pierce County was created in 1887 from Bottineau County, McHenry County, Rolette County and De Smet County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 2 later changes, chiefly involving Church County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Pierce County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby