Barnes County is a county in North Dakota, United States, crossed by the Sheyenne River in the east-central part of the state. It had a population of 10,853 at the 2020 census and covers 1,491.6 square miles (3,863 km2) of land, centred near 46°56′N 98°04′W.
Valley City is the county seat, and its postal code is 58072. The county has 3 incorporated cities, 10 incorporated towns, and several unincorporated communities. Barnes County sits in the Central time zone and carries FIPS code 38003.
Towns & Villages in Barnes County
Barnes County has around two dozen named places, from Valley City down to unincorporated crossroads with only a handful of residents. The table below marks incorporated cities and towns separately from unincorporated (Unincorp.) communities; population figures are 2020 census counts where available.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley City | City · seat | 6,575 | 58072 |
| Litchville | City | — | 58461 |
| Wimbledon | City | — | 58492 |
| Dazey | Town | — | 58429 |
| Fingal | Town | — | 58031 |
| Kathryn | Town | — | 58049 |
| Nome | Town | — | 58062 |
| Oriska | Town | — | 58063 |
| Pillsbury | Town | — | 58065 |
| Rogers | Town | — | 58479 |
| Sanborn | Town | — | 58480 |
| Sibley | Town | — | — |
| Tower City | Town | — | — |
| Berea | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cuba | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Daily | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Eastedge | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Eckelson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hastings | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Koldok | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Leal | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lucca | Unincorp. | — | — |
| North Valley City | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Peak | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Urbana | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Spiritwood | Unincorp. | — | 58481 |
Most of Barnes County’s small towns sit along the former Northern Pacific rail line between Valley City and the Cass County line, which explains the tight, evenly-spaced spacing of Sanborn, Rogers, Fingal, Nome, Litchville, and Oriska. North Valley City is a small unincorporated place just across the Sheyenne River from Valley City proper, distinct from the city itself.
ZIP Codes
- 58072 — Valley City
- 58461 — Litchville
- 58063 — Oriska
- 58492 — Wimbledon
- 58429 — Dazey
- 58031 — Fingal
- 58049 — Kathryn
- 58480 — Sanborn
- 58479 — Rogers
- 58481 — Spiritwood
- 58062 — Nome
- 58065 — Pillsbury
Sibley and Tower City use rural-route ZIP codes shared with a neighboring post office rather than their own, and the smaller unincorporated places have no dedicated ZIP.
Geography
Barnes County lies in east-central North Dakota on the Drift Prairie, gently rolling glacial till country broken by the Sheyenne River valley, which crosses the county from northwest to southeast on its way toward the Red River. Most of the land is cropland and pasture; the Sheyenne National Grassland lies to the south in Ransom County, not within Barnes County itself. The county has almost no natural lakes, though the Sheyenne feeds several small reservoirs and wildlife management areas.
Barnes County borders Cass County to the east and Steele County to the northeast. It also borders Griggs County to the north, Stutsman County to the west, LaMoure County to the southwest, and Ransom County to the southeast, none of which currently have a live townsvillages.com page.
Demographics
Barnes County had 10,853 residents at the 2020 census. Valley City, the county seat, is by far the largest community at 6,575 people — roughly 60% of the county’s population — followed by Litchville and Wimbledon, both small cities of a few hundred residents each. Median household income in the county runs below the North Dakota median of $76,525, typical of the state’s rural counties outside the oil patch and the Fargo-Moorhead metro. Population density works out to about 7.3 people per square mile, reflecting the county’s agricultural land use outside Valley City.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture drives Barnes County’s economy: wheat, soybeans, corn, and cattle dominate the farmland outside Valley City. Valley City itself is a regional trade and education center, home to Valley City State University and the Barnes County North campus of a technical college system. The city’s historic downtown and Sheyenne River bridges (Valley City is nicknamed the “City of Bridges”) support tourism, and the Barnes County Fair is a major summer event for the surrounding farm communities.
History
Barnes County was organized on January 6, 1879, and named for Alanson H. Barnes, an associate justice of the Dakota Territory supreme court; the county was briefly known as Burbank County in the early 1870s before the rename. Valley City grew up around a Northern Pacific Railway crossing of the Sheyenne River in the 1870s and became the county seat soon after organization. The Northern Pacific’s arrival, followed by branch lines through Litchville, Wimbledon, and the county’s other small towns, set the settlement pattern that still defines the county today.
Getting There
Interstate 94 runs east-west through Valley City, linking the county to Fargo and the Cass County line to the east and Jamestown in Stutsman County to the west. US 52 and North Dakota highways 1, 9, 18, 26, 32, and 46 connect the smaller towns to Valley City.
- Fargo — 60 miles east
- Jamestown — 30 miles west
- Grand Forks — 110 miles northeast
- Bismarck — 100 miles west
The nearest commercial airport is Hector International Airport in Fargo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Barnes County, North Dakota?
Barnes County sits in east-central North Dakota, along the Sheyenne River, about 60 miles west of Fargo.
What is the population of Barnes County?
Barnes County had 10,853 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Barnes County?
The county covers 1,491.6 square miles (3,863 km2) of land.
What is the county seat of Barnes County?
Valley City is the county seat.
How many towns are in Barnes County?
Barnes County has 3 cities, 10 incorporated towns, and about a dozen smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Barnes County?
The main ZIP codes include 58072 (Valley City), 58461 (Litchville), 58492 (Wimbledon), 58429 (Dazey), 58031 (Fingal), and 58049 (Kathryn), among others.
What is Valley City known for?
Valley City is known as the “City of Bridges” for its many Sheyenne River crossings and is home to Valley City State University.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in North Dakota.