Foster County is a county in North Dakota, United States, in the east-central part of the state along the James River valley. It had a population of 3,397 at the 2020 census and covers 634 square miles (1,642 km2) of land centred near 47°28′N 98°52′W.
Carrington is the county seat, and its postal code is 58421. The county has four incorporated cities and five unincorporated communities, organized into 18 civil townships. Foster County sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Foster County
Foster County has nine named places on the map: four incorporated cities and five unincorporated communities. Nothing here is a Census Designated Place; the table below marks incorporated status only.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrington | City · seat | Carrington | — | 58421 |
| Glenfield | City | Glenfield | — | 58443 |
| Grace City | City | Bordulac | — | 58445 |
| McHenry | City | McHenry | — | 58464 |
| Barlow | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Bordulac | Unincorp. | Bordulac | — | — |
| Guptill | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Juanita | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Melville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
Grace City and Bordulac are easy to confuse: Grace City is the incorporated city, while Bordulac is a separate unincorporated community and township a few miles away — both sit in the county’s southeast corner.
ZIP Codes
- 58421 — Carrington (also serves most of the surrounding townships)
- 58443 — Glenfield
- 58445 — Grace City
- 58464 — McHenry
The unincorporated communities of Barlow, Bordulac, Guptill, Juanita and Melville have no post office of their own and are served by mail routes out of the nearest incorporated city.
Geography
Foster County lies in the drift prairie of east-central North Dakota, drained by the James River, which crosses the county roughly north to south through Carrington. The terrain is gently rolling farmland with scattered wetlands and small lakes; the county has 634 square miles of land and about 13 square miles of water.
Foster County borders Eddy County to the north, Griggs County to the east, Stutsman County to the south, and Wells County to the west. Of these, only Stutsman County currently has a live page on this site; Eddy, Griggs, and Wells are named here without a link because the matching county-and-state page is not yet published under this slug.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 3,397 residents, giving Foster County a density of about 5.4 people per square mile. Carrington, the county seat, is by far the largest place; Grace City and McHenry are the next-largest incorporated communities, each with only a few dozen residents. Median household income figures specific to Foster County are not independently verified here; North Dakota’s statewide 2023 ACS median household income is $76,525.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture drives the county’s economy — small grains, corn, soybeans and cattle on the surrounding drift-prairie farmland. Carrington is also home to the North Dakota State University Carrington Research Extension Center, a regional agronomy research station that anchors much of the county’s ag-service and seed-testing employment. Foster County Memorial Hospital in Carrington is the county’s main healthcare employer.
History
Foster County was created on January 4, 1873, and organized on October 11, 1883. It was named for George H. Foster, a pioneer and member of the Dakota Territorial legislature. Like most of east-central North Dakota, the county was settled by homesteaders and Scandinavian and German immigrant farm families in the 1880s and 1890s, following the extension of railroad lines through Carrington.
Getting There
U.S. Routes 52 and 281 and North Dakota Highways 9, 20 and 200 cross the county, meeting at Carrington.
- Jamestown — 30 miles south
- Devils Lake — 50 miles northeast
- Fargo — 110 miles east
- Bismarck — 100 miles southwest
The nearest commercial airport is Jamestown Regional Airport in Stutsman County; Hector International Airport in Fargo offers wider connections.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Foster County?
It is in east-central North Dakota, along the James River, about 100 miles northeast of Bismarck.
What is the population of Foster County?
3,397 residents at the 2020 census.
How big is Foster County?
634 square miles of land (1,642 km2), making it one of North Dakota’s smaller counties by land area.
What is the county seat of Foster County?
Carrington is the county seat.
How many towns are in Foster County?
Four incorporated cities — Carrington, Glenfield, Grace City and McHenry — plus five unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Foster County?
58421 (Carrington), 58443 (Glenfield), 58445 (Grace City) and 58464 (McHenry).
What is Foster County’s economy based on?
Small-grain and row-crop farming and cattle ranching, plus agricultural research and services centered on the NDSU Carrington Research Extension Center.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in North Dakota.