County · code 38101
Ward CountyNorth Dakota
Ward County is a county in North Dakota with its seat in Minot. It was founded in 1885 and became a county in the state of North Dakota in 1889.
- Founded1885
- County seatMinot
- Land area2,013 sq mi + 43 sq mi water
- Population69,919 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped41,372 checked 16 October 2026
Where it is
Ward 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 1885
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Ward gained part of McHenry County in 1887 before becoming a county in North Dakota on November 2, 1889. Between 1891 and 1892, several counties including Buford, Flannery, Garfield, Mountrail, Renville, and Stevens were attached to Ward for judicial purposes, though some were eliminated or separated shortly after. Mountrail was re-created in 1909, and Burke and Renville were created from Ward's territory in 1910 following a North Dakota Supreme Court ruling.
- 1887Gained territory Ward gained part of Non-County Area 20. · Dak. Terr. Laws 1887, 17th sess., ch. 181, sec. 6/p. 379
- 1889Became part of North Dakota Ward 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
- 1891
- 1891Eliminated Buford and Flannery eliminated, ending their attachment to Ward.into Bufordinto Flannery· N. Dak. Laws 1891, 2d sess., ch. 50, secs. 6, 11/pp. 131-132; HRS N. Dak., Williams, 3-5; Hall, 226-229
- 1892Gained territory Ward gained from Garfield, Renville, Stevens, and gained all of Mountrail and all of Non-County Area 17 and Non-County Area 20. Garfield, Mountrail, Renville, Stevens, and Non-County Areas 17 and 20 eliminated, ending the attachment of the four counties to Ward. · N. Dak. Laws 1891, 2d sess., ch. 50, secs. 1-5, 10-11/pp. 129-132; Hall, 224-229
- 1909Lost territory Ward lost to re-creation of Mountrail. · "State of North Dakota v. Alfred Blaisdell, et al." in N. Dak. Rpts., 18:31-44; Hall, 241-242
- 1910Lost territory Ward lost to creation of Burke and to the re-creation of Renville. Vote authorizing these creations was held 3 November 1908, but litigation delayed the enactment until a North Dakota Supreme Court ruling of 3 June 1910 upheld the election results. The governor's proclamation created Burke and Renville on 12 July 1910. · "Fitzmaurice v. Willis," in N. Dak. Rpts., 20:372-392; Hall, 241-246; North Dakota Blue Book, 447, 451; Pioneers and Progress, 10
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Ward
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 41,372 parcels from Ward County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 15 October 2026 · checked 16 October 2026 -
Address points Official
One point per address, 32,329 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
Ward 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.
County government
- County government
The official website of Ward County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Ward 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 Ward County
- When was Ward County founded?
- Ward County was founded in 1885.
- What is the county seat of Ward County?
- The county seat of Ward County is Minot.
- Is there an online parcel map for Ward County?
- Yes. Ward County publishes a parcel map of 41,372 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Ward County's boundary or name changed?
- Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 7 changes for Ward County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 7 later changes, chiefly involving Mountrail County, Renville County and Buford County.
- Who issues building permits in Ward County?
- The county's page on building permits: Building Permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Ward County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby