Morton County is a county in North Dakota, United States, on the west bank of the Missouri River across from Bismarck. It had a population of 33,291 at the 2020 census and covers 1,945 square miles (5,040 km2) centred near 46°43′N 101°19′W.
Mandan is the county seat, and its postal code is 58554. The county has six incorporated cities, more than a dozen unincorporated communities, and one organized township. Morton County is part of the Bismarck, North Dakota Metropolitan Statistical Area, sits in the Central time zone, and carries FIPS code 38059.
Towns & Villages in Morton County
Morton County has six incorporated cities and about fourteen recognized unincorporated communities. “Unincorp.” below marks a place with no municipal government of its own.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mandan | City · seat | 24,206 | 58554 |
| New Salem | City | 973 | 58563 |
| Glen Ullin | City | — | 58631 |
| Hebron | City | — | 58638 |
| Flasher | City | — | 58535 |
| Almont | City | — | 58520 |
| Bluegrass | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Breien | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Eagle Nest | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fallon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fort Rice | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Huff | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Judson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rock Haven | Unincorp. | — | — |
| St. Anthony | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sims | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Solen | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sweet Briar | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Timmer | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Youngstown | Unincorp. | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 58554 — Mandan (also serves nearby St. Anthony and Huff)
- 58563 — New Salem
- 58631 — Glen Ullin
- 58638 — Hebron
- 58535 — Flasher (also serves Fort Rice)
- 58520 — Almont
Smaller unincorporated places such as Breien, Sims, Solen, and Eagle Nest share the ZIP code of their nearest post-office town rather than having their own.
Geography
Morton County covers 1,926 square miles of land and 19 square miles of water in south-central North Dakota. The Missouri River forms most of the county’s eastern boundary, separating it from Burleigh County and the city of Bismarck; the Heart River crosses the county’s north-central reaches before joining the Missouri at Mandan, and the Cannonball River marks part of the southern county line. Terrain is rolling prairie cut by coulees and buttes, rising toward badland-like breaks along the Missouri and Cannonball valleys.
Morton County borders seven other counties: Oliver County to the north, Burleigh County to the northeast, Emmons County to the east, Sioux County to the southeast, Grant County to the south, Stark County to the west, and Mercer County to the northwest.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 33,291 residents in Morton County, up from 27,471 in 2010. Mandan, the county seat, is home to 24,206 people, more than seven in ten county residents; New Salem, the second-largest place, has 973. Countywide median household income has not been independently verified for this profile; for context, the North Dakota median is $76,525. Population density is about 17 people per square mile of land.
Economy & Local Life
Mandan anchors the county’s economy with rail, energy-service, and healthcare employers, including a longtime BNSF Railway division point and locomotive shops and clinics serving the west side of the Bismarck-Mandan area. Outside the city, agriculture dominates: wheat, corn, soybeans, and cattle grazing spread across the county’s western townships, with irrigated cropland along the Missouri River bottomlands. Glen Ullin and Hebron each host grain elevators and small-town retail serving surrounding farms. The Morton County Fair and Mandan’s Rodeo Days are among the county’s best-attended annual events.
History
Morton County was created by the Dakota Territorial legislature on January 8, 1873, and formally organized on November 5, 1878, taking its name from Oliver P. Morton, the Civil War-era governor of Indiana and later a U.S. senator. Mandan grew up opposite Bismarck at a historic Missouri River crossing long used by Native American trade routes, and the Northern Pacific Railway reached the site in 1879. Fort Abraham Lincoln, just south of Mandan, was the last posting of Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and the 7th Cavalry before the 1876 campaign that ended at the Little Bighorn.
Getting There
Interstate 94 crosses Morton County east-west through Mandan, and North Dakota Highways 6, 21, 25, 31, 49, and 1806 provide the main state-road network.
- Bismarck — 5 miles east
- Dickinson — 90 miles west
- Minot — 110 miles north
- Fargo — 195 miles east
Bismarck Municipal Airport, just across the Missouri River from Mandan, is the nearest commercial airport. Amtrak does not serve Morton County.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Morton County, North Dakota?
It sits in south-central North Dakota, on the west bank of the Missouri River opposite Bismarck.
What is the population of Morton County?
33,291 at the 2020 census.
How big is Morton County?
1,945 square miles (5,040 km2), of which 1,926 square miles is land.
What is the county seat of Morton County?
Mandan is the county seat.
How many towns are in Morton County?
Six incorporated cities — Almont, Flasher, Glen Ullin, Hebron, Mandan, and New Salem — plus more than a dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Morton County?
58554 (Mandan), 58563 (New Salem), 58631 (Glen Ullin), 58638 (Hebron), 58535 (Flasher), and 58520 (Almont).
What river runs through Morton County?
The Missouri River forms the eastern county line, joined by the Heart River at Mandan and the Cannonball River along the southern border.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in North Dakota.