When was Stark County founded?

Stark County was founded in 1879.

What is the county seat of Stark County?

The county seat of Stark County is Dickinson.

Is there an online parcel map for Stark County?

Yes. Stark County publishes a parcel map of 26,053 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Stark County's boundary or name changed?

Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 13 changes for Stark County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 10 later changes, chiefly involving Dunn County, Hettinger County and Wallace County.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

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

County · code 38089

Stark CountyNorth Dakota

Stark County is a county in North Dakota, located in the state's western region, with its county seat in Dickinson. Founded in 1879, the county became part of the state of North Dakota in 1889.

Founded1879
County seatDickinson
Land area1,335 sq mi + 5.4 sq mi water
Population33,646 2020 Census
Parcels mapped26,053 checked 14 October 2026

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

Updated 20 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Founded in 1879

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

Stark County was formed in 1879. Dickinson is the county seat.

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

1887
Gained territory Stark gained from Villard (Dakota Territory, extinct); part of Stark reverted to Non-County Area 21.
from Villard
13 March 1887 · Dak. Terr. Laws 1887, 17th sess., ch. 179, secs. 1-3/pp. 374-375
1889
Became part of North Dakota Stark 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
1901
Lost territory Stark lost to re-creation of Dunn, Hettinger, Wallace (extinct), and Non-County Area 23 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.
to Dunn to Hettingerto Wallace
24 May 1901 · "Henry B. Schaffner v. John Young," in N. Dak. Rpts., 10:245-254; Hall, 232-233
1904
Eliminated Bowman eliminated, ending its attachment to Stark.
into Bowman
8 November 1904 · N. Dak. Laws 1903, 8th sess., ch. 67/p. 76; North Dakota Blue Book, 447
1905
Eliminated Wallace eliminated, ending its attachment to Stark.
into Wallace
16 March 1905 · N. Dak. Laws 1905, 9th sess., ch. 73/p. 155; Hall, 236

Show all 13 changes (8 more, mostly small adjustments)

1887
Gained territory Stark gained from Villard (Dakota Territory, extinct); part of Stark reverted to Non-County Area 21.
from Villard
13 March 1887 · Dak. Terr. Laws 1887, 17th sess., ch. 179, secs. 1-3/pp. 374-375
1889
Became part of North Dakota Stark 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
1891
Changed Legislature authorized Stark to gain all of Dunn, all of Hettinger, parts of Billings, Bowman, McKenzie, Wallace (extinct), Williams (original, extinct), and part of Non-County Area 9; gain did not take effect (no change).
Dunn Hettinger Billings Bowman McKenzie WallaceWilliams
2 March 1891 · N. Dak. Laws 1891, 2d sess., ch. 50, secs. 6-11/pp. 130-132; HRS N. Dak., Williams, 3-5; Hall, 226-229
1896
Gained territory Stark gained all of Dunn and all of Hettinger. Stark also gained part of Wallace (extinct) and gained parts of Non-County Area 9 and Non-County Area 23. Dunn, Hettinger, Wallace, and Non-County Area 23 eliminated. Act was overturned by the North Dakota Supreme Court, 24 May 1901.
from Dunn from Hettingerfrom Wallace
3 November 1896 · N. Dak. Laws 1895, 4th sess., ch. 25/pp. 21-23; Hall, 229-233
1901
Lost territory Stark lost to re-creation of Dunn, Hettinger, Wallace (extinct), and Non-County Area 23 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.
to Dunn to Hettingerto Wallace
24 May 1901 · "Henry B. Schaffner v. John Young," in N. Dak. Rpts., 10:245-254; Hall, 232-233
1903
Changed Bowman, Dunn, Hettinger, McKenzie, Wallace (extinct), and Non-County Area 23 were attached to Stark "for judicial purposes."
Bowman Dunn Hettinger McKenzieWallace
10 March 1903 · N. Dak. Laws 1903, 8th sess., ch. 70/p. 80
1903
Changed Legislature authorized Stark to gain all of Dunn, all of Hettinger, and part of Non-County Area 23; gain did not take effect (no change). Act was overturned by the North Dakota Supreme Court at the 1905 session.
Dunn Hettinger
13 March 1903 · N. Dak. Laws 1903, 8th sess., ch. 69/pp. 78-80; Hall, 233-236; "State of North Dakota v. Stark County," in N. Dak. Rpts., 14:368-375
1904
Eliminated Bowman eliminated, ending its attachment to Stark.
into Bowman
8 November 1904 · N. Dak. Laws 1903, 8th sess., ch. 67/p. 76; North Dakota Blue Book, 447
1905
Eliminated Wallace eliminated, ending its attachment to Stark.
into Wallace
16 March 1905 · N. Dak. Laws 1905, 9th sess., ch. 73/p. 155; Hall, 236
1905
Changed McKenzie fully organized, detached from Stark.
McKenzie
20 April 1905 · North Dakota Blue Book, 449
1905
Changed In December 1905, the North Dakota Supreme Court overturned the act of 13 March 1903 by which Stark was authorized to gain all of Dunn, all of Hettinger, and part of Non-County Area 23 (no change).
Dunn Hettinger
31 December 1905 · "State of North Dakota v. Stark County," in N. Dak. Rpts., 14:368-375
1907
Changed Hettinger fully organized, detached from Stark.
Hettinger
19 April 1907 · North Dakota Blue Book, 449
1908
Gained territory Stark gained a small portion of Non-County Area 23; the remainder was gained by Dunn, eliminating Non-County Area 23 and ending its attachment to Stark. Dunn fully organized, detached from Stark.
from Dunn
18 January 1908 · "Dunn County," 2; Hall, 238-239

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Stark

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

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 26,053 parcels from Stark County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 14 October 2026 · checked 14 October 2026
Address points Official

One point per address, 16,273 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

Stark by the Census

Population

33,646 2020 Census count

Housing units

15,381 2020 Census count

Land area

1,335 square miles

Water area

5.4 square miles

People per sq mi

25 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

Stark 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 Stark County.
starkcountynd.com

See your own lot on these maps

Open Stark 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 Stark County

When was Stark County founded?: Stark County was founded in 1879.
What is the county seat of Stark County?: The county seat of Stark County is Dickinson.
Is there an online parcel map for Stark County?: Yes. Stark County publishes a parcel map of 26,053 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Stark County's boundary or name changed?: Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 13 changes for Stark County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 10 later changes, chiefly involving Dunn County, Hettinger County and Wallace County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Stark County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby