McHenry County is a county in North Dakota, United States, in the north-central part of the state. It had a population of 5,345 at the 2020 census and covers 1,911.5 square miles (4,950.8 km2) of land and water, centred near 48°14′N 100°38′W.
Towner is the county seat, and its postal code is 58788. The county holds 12 incorporated cities plus a scatter of unincorporated communities, and it runs on Central time.
Towns & Villages in McHenry County
McHenry County has 12 incorporated cities, led by Velva, and more than a dozen small unincorporated places and rural post-office communities that survive from the county’s homestead era. The table below lists both; population and ZIP are given where verified, otherwise marked —.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Velva | City | — | 58790 |
| Towner | City · seat | — | 58788 |
| Anamoose | City | — | 58710 |
| Balfour | City | — | 58712 |
| Bergen | City | — | — |
| Deering | City | — | 58731 |
| Drake | City | — | 58736 |
| Granville | City | — | 58741 |
| Karlsruhe | City | — | 58744 |
| Kief | City | — | — |
| Upham | City | — | 58789 |
| Voltaire | City | — | 58792 |
| Bantry | Unincorp. | — | 58713 |
| Norwich | Unincorp. | — | 58768 |
| Berwick | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cole Ford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Denbigh | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Funston | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Genoa | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Guthrie | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Kongsberg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Milroy | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rangeley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Riga | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rising | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Simcoe | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Verendrye | Unincorp. | — | — |
Most of the unincorporated places on this list are 19th-century rail sidings or homestead post offices that never grew past a grain elevator and a handful of houses; several, including Cole Ford, Genoa and Rising, have no standing population today and survive only as named locations on county maps.
ZIP Codes
- 58790 — Velva
- 58788 — Towner
- 58710 — Anamoose
- 58712 — Balfour
- 58713 — Bantry
- 58731 — Deering
- 58736 — Drake
- 58741 — Granville
- 58744 — Karlsruhe
- 58768 — Norwich
- 58789 — Upham
- 58792 — Voltaire
Bergen and Kief use a neighboring town’s ZIP code, and the smaller unincorporated communities are served by whichever post office is closest rather than a ZIP code of their own.
Geography
McHenry County sits on the drift prairie of north-central North Dakota, a rolling landscape of glacial till dotted with sloughs and shallow lakes; roughly 2 percent of the county’s area is water. Six counties share its border: Bottineau County to the north, Pierce County to the east, Sheridan County to the southeast, McLean County to the southwest, Ward County to the west, and Renville County to the northwest.
Demographics
McHenry County had 5,345 residents at the 2020 census, spread across a land area of 1,873.9 square miles for a density of roughly 3 people per square mile — one of the more sparsely populated counties in the state. Velva is the largest community, followed by Towner, the county seat. Census-tract income data specific to McHenry County was not verified for this profile; statewide, the North Dakota median household income was $76,525 (2023 ACS).
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture drives the county’s economy — small grains, canola and cattle on the surrounding drift-prairie farmland — supplemented by grain elevators and farm-service businesses in Velva, Towner, Granville and Drake. Velva is home to Velva Public School and sits along U.S. Highway 52, giving it the county’s strongest retail and service base.
History
McHenry County was created by the Dakota Territory legislature on January 4, 1873, and organized on October 15, 1884. Like most of north-central North Dakota, it was settled from the 1880s through the early 1900s by homesteaders, including a substantial number of Norwegian and German-Russian immigrant families, whose place names — Karlsruhe, Kongsberg — still mark the county today. Many of the smaller communities on today’s map began as railroad sidings and lost population through the 20th century as farms consolidated.
Getting There
U.S. Highway 52 runs through Velva and Towner, and ND Highway 14 and ND Highway 41 cross the county’s smaller towns.
- Minot — about 25 miles northwest of Velva
- Bismarck — about 90 miles south of Towner
- Devils Lake — about 55 miles east of Towner
- Rugby — about 35 miles northeast of Towner
The nearest commercial airport is Minot International Airport (MOT).
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is McHenry County, North Dakota?
It is in the north-central part of the state, between Minot and Devils Lake.
What is the population of McHenry County?
5,345 at the 2020 census.
How big is McHenry County?
1,911.5 square miles (4,950.8 km2) of land and water.
What is the McHenry County seat?
Towner is the county seat.
How many towns are in McHenry County?
The county has 12 incorporated cities and roughly a dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in McHenry County?
ZIP codes include 58788 (Towner), 58790 (Velva), 58710 (Anamoose) and 58741 (Granville), among others listed above.
What is the largest town in McHenry County?
Velva, on U.S. Highway 52, is the county’s largest community.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in North Dakota.