Towner County is a county in North Dakota, United States, on the Laurentian Divide near the Manitoba border. It had a population of 2,162 at the 2020 census and covers 1,041 square miles (2,698 km2), of which 1,025 square miles (2,655 km2) are land, centred near 48°41′N 99°15′W.
Cando is the county seat, and its postal code is 58324. The county has 6 incorporated cities and a handful of unincorporated communities, no organized civil townships (North Dakota’s townships here are unincorporated survey townships, not administrative units with their own governments), and sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Towner County
Six incorporated cities anchor the county, all small agricultural service centers. Cando, the seat, holds roughly 70% of the county’s population. The remaining communities are Bisbee, Egeland, Hansboro, Perth and Rocklake. A handful of unincorporated places round out the list.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cando | City · seat | — | 58324 |
| Bisbee | City | — | 58317 |
| Egeland | City | — | 58331 |
| Perth | City | — | 58363 |
| Rocklake | City | — | 58365 |
| Hansboro | City | — | 58339 |
| Amourdale | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Arndt | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Considine | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Crocus | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Maza | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Newville | Unincorp. | — | — |
Sarles, on the county’s east edge, is mostly within neighboring Cavalier County, so it is not counted here as a Towner County settlement.
ZIP Codes
- 58324 — Cando
- 58317 — Bisbee
- 58331 — Egeland
- 58339 — Hansboro (also serves Sarles)
- 58363 — Perth
- 58365 — Rocklake
The unincorporated places in the county draw mail from the nearest of these six post offices rather than carrying a ZIP of their own.
Geography
Towner County straddles the Laurentian Divide: land in the northern part of the county drains toward Hudson Bay, while the southern part drains toward the Gulf of Mexico via the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. The terrain is rolling prairie dotted with small lakes and sloughs, typical of the Drift Prairie region of north-central North Dakota. The county borders Rolette County to the west, Pierce County to the southwest, Benson County to the south, Ramsey County to the southeast, and Cavalier County to the east, with Manitoba, Canada, directly north.
Demographics
The county’s population was 2,162 at the 2020 census, with Cando and Bisbee the two largest communities. Median household income runs below the North Dakota median of $76,525, reflecting the county’s rural, agriculture-dependent economy. Population density works out to about 2.1 people per square mile, among the lowest in the state.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture, chiefly small grains, canola and cattle, drives the local economy, supported by grain elevators and farm-service businesses clustered in Cando. Towner County Medical Center in Cando is the area’s main health-care employer, and the Towner County courthouse and Cando Public School are among the largest local employers outside farming. As in much of rural north-central North Dakota, seasonal farm work and grain-hauling shape the local calendar, with harvest through late summer and early fall the busiest stretch of the year. Small-town civic life in the county centers on school sports, church congregations, and county-fair-style community gatherings rather than large commercial venues.
History
Towner County was created on March 8, 1883, and organized on January 24, 1884. It is named for Oscar M. Towner (1842–1897), a businessman who served in the 15th Dakota territorial legislature. Like much of north-central North Dakota, the county was settled by homesteaders in the late 19th century, many of Scandinavian and German-from-Russia descent, drawn by railroad expansion through the region in the 1880s and 1890s. Cando was platted as the county seat and grew as the local rail and grain-shipping point, a role its elevators still serve today. The smaller towns of Bisbee, Egeland, Hansboro, Perth and Rocklake developed in the same era as depot towns spaced along the branch lines that once crisscrossed the county.
Getting There
U.S. Route 281 runs north-south through the county via Cando, connecting to Devils Lake to the south and the Manitoba border crossing to the north; North Dakota Highways 4, 5, 17 and 66 provide east-west links.
- Devils Lake — 30 miles south
- Rugby — 35 miles southwest
- Rolla — 40 miles west
- Langdon — 45 miles east
The nearest commercial airport is Devils Lake Regional Airport, with fuller service available at Grand Forks International Airport, about 130 miles southeast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Towner County?
It is in north-central North Dakota, on the Laurentian Divide just south of the Manitoba, Canada border.
What is the population of Towner County?
2,162 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Towner County?
1,041 square miles (2,698 km2), of which 1,025 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Towner County?
Cando, which holds about 70% of the county’s population.
How many towns are in Towner County?
Six incorporated cities: Cando, Bisbee, Egeland, Hansboro, Perth and Rocklake.
What ZIP codes are in Towner County?
58324 (Cando), 58317 (Bisbee), 58331 (Egeland), 58339 (Hansboro), 58363 (Perth) and 58365 (Rocklake).
Why is it called Towner County?
It is named for Oscar M. Towner, a 19th-century businessman and territorial legislator.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in North Dakota.