Renville County is a county in North Dakota, United States, on the international border with Saskatchewan, Canada. It had a population of 2,282 at the 2020 census and covers 893 square miles (2,313 km2) centred near 48°43′N 101°39′W.
Mohall is the county seat, and its postal code is 58761. The county has six incorporated cities, six unincorporated communities and 24 civil townships, and it observes Central time.
Towns & Villages in Renville County
Renville County has six incorporated cities, all of which North Dakota law classifies simply as “cities” regardless of size, plus a handful of unincorporated communities that never grew large enough to organize. Population figures below are shown only where the 2020 census reported them separately; unincorporated places are marked Unincorp.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohall | City · seat | — | — | 58761 |
| Glenburn | City | — | — | 58740 |
| Sherwood | City | — | — | 58782 |
| Tolley | City | — | — | 58787 |
| Grano | City | — | — | — |
| Loraine | City | — | — | — |
| Chola | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Greene | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Grover | Unincorp. | Grover | — | — |
| Norma | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Rockford | Unincorp. | Rockford | — | — |
| White Ash | Unincorp. | White Ash | — | — |
Grano and Loraine have no ZIP code of their own; mail for both is handled through the Mohall and Sherwood post offices. The three unincorporated places whose names match a civil township — Grover, Rockford and White Ash — sit inside the township of the same name; the county’s other small communities are not confirmed against a single township and are listed without one here rather than guessed.
Townships
Renville County is organized into 24 civil townships. The county does not publish 2020 census counts at the township level, so populations are omitted below rather than estimated; the table lists each township with its known named settlement, if any.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Grover | — | Grover |
| Rockford | — | Rockford |
| White Ash | — | White Ash |
| Brandon | — | — |
| Callahan | — | — |
| Clay | — | — |
| Colquhoun | — | — |
| Eden Valley | — | — |
| Ensign | — | — |
| Fairbanks | — | — |
| Grassland | — | — |
| Hamerly | — | — |
| Hamlet | — | — |
| Hurley | — | — |
| Ivanhoe | — | — |
| Lockwood | — | — |
| McKinney | — | — |
| Muskego | — | — |
| Plain | — | — |
| Prescott | — | — |
| Prosperity | — | — |
| Roosevelt | — | — |
| Stafford | — | — |
| Van Buren | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 58761 — Mohall (also serves Grano)
- 58740 — Glenburn
- 58782 — Sherwood
- 58787 — Tolley (also serves Loraine)
The county’s small unincorporated communities have no post office of their own and are covered by whichever of the four ZIPs above is nearest.
Geography
Renville County sits on North Dakota’s northern border, directly across from Saskatchewan, Canada. The land is rolling hills given over almost entirely to wheat, canola and cattle country, rising to about 2,005 feet at its highest point in the southwest corner. The Souris River crosses the county, and the county holds part of Lake Darling and part of the Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge along the river valley.
Bottineau County lies to the east, McHenry County to the southeast, Ward County to the south and Burke County to the west. To the north, the county line is the international border itself, with no adjoining U.S. county. Bottineau County, McHenry County, Ward County and Burke County are Renville’s four neighbors.
Demographics
Renville County had 2,282 residents at the 2020 census, a density of about 2.7 people per square mile. Mohall and Sherwood are the county’s two largest communities. Renville County’s household income runs below the North Dakota median of $76,525; the county’s population has been shrinking for decades as farm consolidation reduces the number of people the land supports.
Economy & Local Life
Farming drives the county’s economy — wheat, canola, barley and cattle on land largely unbroken by other industry. Mohall serves as the county’s commercial and government center, with the county courthouse, the local school district and the grain elevators that anchor most small-town North Dakota economies. The county’s location on the Canadian border also puts a small share of local commerce around cross-border trade and the Renville County/Saskatchewan port of entry.
History
Renville County was created on January 4, 1873, and formally organized on July 20, 1910. It takes its name from Joseph Renville, a fur trader and interpreter of Dakota and French descent who worked as a go-between in dealings between white settlers and the Sioux in the upper Midwest during the early 19th century. Like most of north-central North Dakota, the county’s towns grew up along the Soo Line and Great Northern branch railroads that reached the area in the early 1900s, and its population peaked decades ago before the long decline common to the region’s farming counties.
Getting There
North Dakota Highway 5 runs east–west across the county’s northern tier, linking Mohall and Sherwood with Bottineau County to the east and Burke County to the west.
- Minot — about 55 miles south
- Kenmare — about 20 miles south
- Bottineau — about 35 miles east
Minot International Airport, about 55 miles south of Mohall, is the nearest commercial airport; Amtrak’s Empire Builder also stops in Minot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Renville County, North Dakota?
It is in the northernmost tier of North Dakota, directly on the border with Saskatchewan, Canada, roughly 55 miles north of Minot.
What is the population of Renville County?
2,282 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Renville County?
893 square miles (2,313 km2), most of it farmland.
What is the county seat of Renville County?
Mohall is the county seat.
How many towns are in Renville County?
Six incorporated cities — Mohall, Glenburn, Grano, Loraine, Sherwood and Tolley — plus several small unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Renville County?
58761 (Mohall), 58740 (Glenburn), 58782 (Sherwood) and 58787 (Tolley).
Does Renville County border Canada?
Yes. Its entire northern edge is the international border with Saskatchewan.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in North Dakota.