Burleigh County, North Dakota

Burleigh County is a county in North Dakota, United States, on the Missouri River in the south-central part of the state. It had a population of 98,458 at the 2020 census and covers 1,668 square miles (4,321 km2), centred near 46°58′N 100°28′W.

Bismarck is the county seat and its postal code is 58501. The county has 5 incorporated cities, 3 census-designated places, 6 unincorporated communities and 39 civil townships. It lies in the Central time zone and carries FIPS code 38015.

Towns & Villages in Burleigh County

Burleigh County holds 14 named settlements: 5 incorporated cities (one, Bismarck, is the state capital), 3 census-designated places (CDPs, unincorporated but Census-tracked) and 6 unincorporated communities with no local government of their own. All population figures below are from the 2020 census.

Wilton straddles the Burleigh–McLean county line, with most of the town’s built-up area actually in McLean County; it is listed here because a share of the community and its township lie inside Burleigh.

Townships

Burleigh County is organized into 39 civil townships, among them Apple Creek, Boyd, Canfield, Christiania, Clear Lake, Crofte, Cromwell, Driscoll, Ecklund, Estherville, Francis, Ghylin, Gibbs, Glenview, Grass Lake, Harriet-Lein, Hay Creek, Hazel Grove, Logan, Long Lake, McKenzie, Menoken, Missouri, Morton, Naughton, Painted Woods, Richmond, Rock Hill, Schrunk-Steiber, Sibley Butte, Sterling, Taft, Telfer, Thelma, Trygg, Wild Rose, Wilson and Wing. Several unorganized territories also exist outside township government, including Burnt Creek-Riverview, Florence Lake, Lincoln-Fort Rice, Lyman and Phoenix. Individual 2020 township population counts are not published separately from the county total, so no per-township table is given here.

ZIP Codes

• 58501, 58503, 58504, 58505 — Bismarck (58502, 58506 and 58507 are Bismarck PO-box-only codes)
• 58477 — Regan
• 58494 — Wing
• 58521 — Baldwin
• 58532 — Driscoll
• 58558 — Menoken
• 58560 — Moffit
• 58572 — Sterling

Arena, McKenzie, Wogansport and Apple Valley have no post office of their own and are served by nearby Bismarck or Wilton addresses.

Geography

Burleigh County sits on the east bank of the Missouri River, which forms most of its western and southwestern boundary. The terrain is semi-arid, low rolling hills, much of it given over to small-grain and cattle farming outside the Bismarck metro area. The county borders Sheridan County to the north, Kidder County to the east, Emmons County to the south, Morton County to the southwest, Oliver County to the west and McLean County to the northwest.

Demographics

Burleigh County had 98,458 residents at the 2020 census, the second most populous county in North Dakota after Cass County. Bismarck (61,272) and Lincoln are its two largest communities; nearly two-thirds of county residents live within the Bismarck city limits. Population density is roughly 60 people per square mile, high for North Dakota. County-level median household income is not separately verified here; the North Dakota state median in 2023 was $76,525, and Burleigh County — anchored by state-government and healthcare employment in Bismarck — typically runs above that figure.

Economy & Local Life

North Dakota’s state government is the county’s largest employer, since Bismarck is the state capital and home to the state Capitol and most executive agencies. Healthcare (Sanford Health and CHI St. Alexius Health both operate major Bismarck hospitals), higher education (Bismarck State College and the University of Mary), and energy-sector services also anchor the local economy. Outside Bismarck, the county’s smaller communities remain oriented toward grain and livestock farming.

History

Burleigh County was created by the Dakota Territory legislature on January 4, 1873, and organized on July 16, 1873. It is named for Walter A. Burleigh, a Dakota Territory delegate to the U.S. Congress. Bismarck, founded the same year as a Northern Pacific Railway crossing of the Missouri River, was named the territorial capital in 1883 and became the state capital when North Dakota was admitted to the Union in 1889. The county includes the site of Double Ditch Indian Village, a fortified Mandan earthlodge settlement occupied from roughly 1490 to 1780, now a state historic site north of Bismarck.

Getting There

Interstate 94 crosses the county east–west through Bismarck, and US Route 83 runs north–south; North Dakota Highways 14, 36, 41 and 1804 also serve the county.

• Mandan — 7 miles west (across the Missouri River, in Morton County)
• Wilton — 25 miles north
• Steele — 30 miles east
• Linton — 45 miles south

Bismarck Municipal Airport, inside the county, offers the nearest commercial air service.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Burleigh County, North Dakota?
It is in south-central North Dakota, on the east bank of the Missouri River, centred near Bismarck.

What is the population of Burleigh County?
98,458 at the 2020 census, the second highest of North Dakota’s 53 counties.

How big is Burleigh County?
1,668 square miles (4,321 km2), of which about 36 square miles is water.

What is the county seat of Burleigh County?
Bismarck, which is also the North Dakota state capital.

How many towns are in Burleigh County?
5 incorporated cities, 3 census-designated places and 6 unincorporated communities, across 39 civil townships.

What ZIP codes are in Burleigh County?
Mainly 58501–58507 for Bismarck, plus 58477 Regan, 58494 Wing, 58521 Baldwin, 58532 Driscoll, 58558 Menoken, 58560 Moffit and 58572 Sterling.

What is Double Ditch Indian Village?
A Mandan earthlodge village site on the Missouri River north of Bismarck, occupied roughly 1490–1780 and now a North Dakota state historic site.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in North Dakota.