Hettinger County is a county in North Dakota, United States, on the state’s southwestern border with Montana-adjacent Slope County. It had a population of 2,489 at the 2020 census and covers 1,133.8 square miles (2,936 km2) centred near 46°26′N 102°27′W.
Mott is the county seat, and its postal code is 58646. The county has 3 incorporated cities and 2 unincorporated communities, spread across more than two dozen organized townships. Hettinger County lies in the Mountain time zone.
Towns & Villages in Hettinger County
Hettinger County has 5 named places on record: 3 incorporated cities (including the county seat) and 2 unincorporated communities. New England is the county’s largest city; the rest are small farm-service towns strung along ND Highway 21.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mott | City · seat | — | 58646 |
| New England | City | — | 58647 |
| Regent | City | — | 58650 |
| Bentley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Burt | Unincorp. | — | — |
The old page’s list also carried “Havelock” and “Watrous” as settlements. Havelock and Watrous are historic rural post-office names that no longer appear as active places in the county’s current gazetteer entries, so they are omitted here pending independent verification.
ZIP Codes
- 58646 — Mott (county seat)
- 58647 — New England
- 58650 — Regent
Bentley and Burt have no dedicated post office and are served by the nearest incorporated city’s ZIP code.
Geography
Hettinger County sits on the semi-arid rolling plains of southwestern North Dakota, land given over almost entirely to wheat, cattle and hay production. The county’s highest ground, in its northwestern corner, tops 2,897 feet; the Cannonball River’s headwaters and several coulees drain the interior toward the Missouri basin. Hettinger County borders Stark County to the north, Grant County to the east, Adams County to the south, and Slope County to the west. The county has almost no natural lakes; most surface water comes from stock dams and small impoundments built for cattle operations, and shelterbelts planted after the 1930s Dust Bowl era still line many section roads.
Demographics
The county’s 2020 census population was 2,489, down from earlier decades as the county’s farm population has thinned. New England and Mott are the two largest communities. North Dakota’s 2023 median household income was the state median of $76,525; Hettinger County, a sparsely populated agricultural county, typically runs below that figure. Population density is roughly 2.2 people per square mile, among the lowest in the state.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture drives the county economy — wheat, durum, canola and cattle ranching dominate the tax base, supplemented by oilfield-services work spilling over from the Bakken-adjacent counties to the north. Mott and New England both host grain elevators and farm-implement dealers that anchor their downtowns, and the county’s public schools remain consolidated around Mott-Regent and New England, reflecting the sparse rural population. New England’s annual county fair and local rodeo events are the area’s biggest seasonal draws, and Mott’s American Legion hall hosts the county’s Fourth of July celebration.
History
Hettinger County was created by the territorial legislature on March 9, 1883, and organized as a functioning county government on April 19, 1907; it was briefly dissolved in 1896 before being re-created in 1901. It is named for Mathias K. Hettinger, a Freeport, Illinois banker who helped finance Dakota Territory railroad expansion. Settlement followed the Milwaukee Road’s line west through Mott and New England in the early 1900s, homestead-era immigration bringing German-Russian and Scandinavian farm families who still make up much of the county’s population base today. The county’s economy has stayed tied to dryland grain farming ever since, with periodic booms tied to wheat prices and, more recently, to nearby energy development.
Getting There
ND Highways 8, 21 and 22 cross the county; Mott sits at the junction of Highways 8 and 21.
- Dickinson, ND — 35 miles north
- Bowman, ND — 25 miles southwest
- Bismarck, ND — 100 miles northeast
The nearest commercial airport is Dickinson Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport, about 35 miles north of Mott.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Hettinger County?
It is in southwestern North Dakota, bordering Montana-adjacent Slope County to the west and Adams County to the south.
What is the population of Hettinger County?
2,489 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Hettinger County?
1,133.8 square miles (2,936 km2), of which 1.5 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Hettinger County?
Mott is the county seat.
How many towns are in Hettinger County?
Three incorporated cities — Mott, New England and Regent — plus the unincorporated communities of Bentley and Burt.
What ZIP codes are in Hettinger County?
58646 (Mott), 58647 (New England) and 58650 (Regent).
Is there a town in North Dakota called Hettinger?
Yes, but it is confusingly in neighboring Adams County, not in Hettinger County itself — the county was named for the same Hettinger family that gave the town its name.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in North Dakota.