Sioux County, North Dakota

County in North Dakota, United States

County in North Dakota

Sioux County

County

Postcard. Historic Sioux County Courthouse at Fort Yates, North Dakota.

Location within the U.S. state of North Dakota

North Dakota's location within the U.S.

Coordinates: 46°06′38″N 101°03′41″W﻿ / ﻿46.110618°N 101.061284°W﻿ / 46.110618; -101.061284
Country|  United States
State|  North Dakota
Founded| September 3, 1914 (created)
September 12, 1914 (organized)
Named after| Sioux people
Seat| Fort Yates
Largest community| Cannon Ball
Area

• Total

| 1,128.203 sq mi (2,922.03 km2)
• Land| 1,094.052 sq mi (2,833.58 km2)
• Water| 34.151 sq mi (88.45 km2)  3.03%
Population

(2020)

• Total

| 3,898

• Estimate

(2024)

| 3,713
• Density| 3.393/sq mi (1.310/km2)
Time zones
(eastern portion)| UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−5 (CDT)
(western portion)| UTC−7 (Mountain)
• Summer (DST)| UTC−6 (MDT)
Area code| 701
Congressional district| At-large

Sioux County is a county located along the southern border of the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,898,[1] and was estimated to be 3,713 in 2024.[2] Its eastern border is the Missouri River and the county seat is Fort Yates.[3]

## History

[edit]

The county was created by proclamation of Governor Louis B. Hanna on September 3, 1914. It was named for the Native American Lakota, whose historic territory included this area. The county government organization was completed on September 12 of that year.[4][5] The county lies entirely within the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, forming the northernmost 30 percent of the reservation; the balance of the reservation is in South Dakota. It is the only county in North Dakota that is entirely within an Indian reservation. From 2013 to 2018, Sioux County was included in the Bismarck, ND Metropolitan Statistical Area.

## Geography

[edit]

Sioux County lies on the south line of North Dakota. Its south boundary line abuts the north boundary line of the state of South Dakota. Its north boundary line is formed by the east-northeastward-flowing Cedar Creek, which discharges into the Missouri River at the county's northeast corner, and its east boundary line is formed by the south-southeast-flowing Missouri River, which also forms Lake Oahe along the county boundary line. Porcupine Creek flows southeastward into the Missouri River, draining the northeastern part of the county. The county terrain consists of low rolling hills etched with gullies and drainages; the area is mostly devoted to agriculture.[6] The terrain slopes to the east and south; its highest point is on the west line, near the southwestern corner of the county, at 2,602 ft (793 m) ASL.[7]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,128.203 square miles (2,922.03 km2), of which 1,094.052 square miles (2,833.58 km2) is land and 34.151 square miles (88.45 km2) (3.03%) is water.[8] It is the 34th largest county in North Dakota by total area.[9]

The southwest corner counties of North Dakota (Adams, Billings, Bowman, Golden Valley, Grant, Hettinger, Slope, and Stark) observe Mountain Time. The counties of McKenzie, Dunn, and Sioux are split, observing Mountain Time in their western portions.

### Major highways

[edit]

* North Dakota Highway 6
* North Dakota Highway 24
* North Dakota Highway 31
* North Dakota Highway 49
* North Dakota Highway 1806

### Adjacent counties

[edit]

* Morton County \- north (observes Central Time)
* Emmons County \- east (observes Central Time)
* Corson County, South Dakota \- south (observes Mountain Time)
* Adams County \- west (observes Mountain Time)
* Grant County \- northwest (observes Mountain Time)

### Protected areas[6]

[edit]

* Cedar River National Grassland (part)
* Froelich Dam State Game Management Area

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1920| 3,308| | —
1930| 4,687| | 41.7%
1940| 4,419| | −5.7%
1950| 3,696| | −16.4%
1960| 3,662| | −0.9%
1970| 3,632| | −0.8%
1980| 3,620| | −0.3%
1990| 3,761| | 3.9%
2000| 4,044| | 7.5%
2010| 4,153| | 2.7%
2020| 3,898| | −6.1%
2024 (est.)| 3,713| [10]| −4.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]
1790–1960[12] 1900–1990[13]
1990–2000[14] 2010–2020[2]

As of the fourth quarter of 2024, the median home value in Sioux County was $92,605.[15]

As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 1,067 estimated households in Sioux County with an average of 3.50 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $41,676. Approximately 34.9% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. Sioux County has an estimated 50.9% employment rate, with 11.2% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 86.9% holding a high school diploma.[2]

The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (92.7%), Spanish (0.3%), Indo-European (0.2%), Asian and Pacific Islander (0.0%), and Other (6.7%).

The median age in the county was 28.7 years.

Sioux County, North Dakota – racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic) | Pop. 1980[16] | Pop. 1990[17] | Pop. 2000[18] | Pop. 2010[19] | Pop. 2020[20]

|
|
|
|
|

White alone (NH)  | 1,265
(34.94%) | 905
(24.06%) | 577
(14.27%) | 517
(12.45%) | 401
(10.29%)
Black or African American alone (NH)  | 0
(0.00%) | 3
(0.08%) | 1
(0.02%) | 6
(0.14%) | 3
(0.08%)
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 2,329
(64.34%) | 2,812
(74.77%) | 3,365
(83.21%) | 3,433
(82.66%) | 3,281
(84.17%)
Asian alone (NH)  | 5
(0.14%) | 12
(0.32%) | 1
(0.02%) | 4
(0.10%) | 2
(0.05%)
Pacific Islander alone (NH)  | — | — | 2
(0.05%) | 0
(0.00%) | 0
(0.00%)
Other race alone (NH)  | 0
(0.00%) | 0
(0.00%) | 0
(0.00%) | 0
(0.00%) | 0
(0.00%)
Mixed race or multiracial (NH)  | — | — | 33
(0.82%) | 111
(2.67%) | 148
(3.80%)
Hispanic or Latino (any race)  | 21
(0.58%) | 29
(0.77%) | 65
(1.61%) | 82
(1.97%) | 63
(1.62%)
Total | 3,620
(100.00%) | 3,761
(100.00%) | 4,044
(100.00%) | 4,153
(100.00%) | 3,898
(100.00%)

### 2020 census

[edit]

As of the 2020 census, there were 3,898 people, 1,103 households, and 791 families residing in the county.[21] The population density was 3.6 inhabitants per square mile (1.4/km2). There were 1,277 housing units at an average density of 1.2 per square mile (0.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 10.29% White, 0.08% African American, 85.48% Native American, 0.05% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from some other races and 3.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.97% of the population.[22]

### 2010 census

[edit]

As of the 2010 census, there were 4,153 people, 1,158 households, and 900 families in the county. The population density was 3.8 inhabitants per square mile (1.5/km2). There were 1,311 housing units at an average density of 1.2 per square mile (0.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 12.64% White, 0.17% African American, 84.08% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.10% from some other races and 2.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.61% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 13.5% were German, and 0.3% were American.

Of the 1,158 households, 54.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.5% were married couples living together, 31.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 22.3% were non-families, and 17.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 3.55 and the average family size was 3.89. The median age was 26.3 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $30,990 and the median income for a family was $31,098. Males had a median income of $31,894 versus $26,619 for females. The per capita income for the county was $13,542. About 39.0% of families and 47.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 58.4% of those under age 18 and 36.1% of those age 65 or over.

### Population by decade

[edit]

## Communities

[edit]

### Cities

[edit]

* Fort Yates (county seat)
* Selfridge
* Solen

### Census-designated places

[edit]

* Cannon Ball
* Porcupine

### Township

[edit]

* Menz

## Politics

[edit]

With its population being mostly Native American, Sioux County is one of the most consistently Democratic counties in North Dakota, having last backed a Republican presidential candidate in 1980. Since then the closest a Republican has gotten to winning the county was Ronald Reagan in 1984 who lost the county by 19 percent. John Hoeven, in his 2010 election to the Senate, as well as his 2008 reelection as governor, won the county. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won the most votes in Sioux County, one of only two counties she won in the state. Green Party candidate Jill Stein received 10.4% of the popular vote.[23]

United States presidential election results for Sioux County, North Dakota[23] Year  | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies)

|
|
|

No. | % | No. | % | No. | %
2024 | 285  | 29.91%  | 654  | 68.63% | 14  | 1.47%
2020 | 258  | 21.75%  | 804  | 67.79% | 124  | 10.46%
2016 | 260  | 21.10%  | 758  | 61.53% | 214  | 17.37%
2012 | 225  | 19.67%  | 900  | 78.67% | 19  | 1.66%
2008 | 215  | 15.60%  | 1,145  | 83.09% | 18  | 1.31%
2004 | 319  | 27.98%  | 804  | 70.53% | 17  | 1.49%
2000 | 269  | 25.84%  | 724  | 69.55% | 48  | 4.61%
1996 | 207  | 30.00%  | 393  | 56.96% | 90  | 13.04%
1992 | 264  | 26.83%  | 463  | 47.05% | 257  | 26.12%
1988 | 325  | 31.19%  | 701  | 67.27% | 16  | 1.54%
1984 | 442  | 39.53%  | 655  | 58.59% | 21  | 1.88%
1980 | 620  | 56.88% | 383  | 35.14%  | 87  | 7.98%
1976 | 354  | 32.75%  | 697  | 64.48% | 30  | 2.78%
1972 | 561  | 49.12% | 557  | 48.77%  | 24  | 2.10%
1968 | 482  | 45.26%  | 525  | 49.30% | 58  | 5.45%
1964 | 314  | 31.00%  | 695  | 68.61% | 4  | 0.39%
1960 | 571  | 45.35%  | 688  | 54.65% | 0  | 0.00%
1956 | 718  | 59.98% | 476  | 39.77%  | 3  | 0.25%
1952 | 968  | 73.22% | 336  | 25.42%  | 18  | 1.36%
1948 | 667  | 57.20% | 465  | 39.88%  | 34  | 2.92%
1944 | 673  | 59.98% | 445  | 39.66%  | 4  | 0.36%
1940 | 1,167  | 66.84% | 578  | 33.10%  | 1  | 0.06%
1936 | 585  | 35.16%  | 877  | 52.70% | 202  | 12.14%
1932 | 350  | 20.33%  | 1,328  | 77.12% | 44  | 2.56%
1928 | 687  | 40.46%  | 988  | 58.19% | 23  | 1.35%
1924 | 777  | 62.21% | 58  | 4.64%  | 414  | 33.15%
1920 | 776  | 80.75% | 163  | 16.96%  | 22  | 2.29%
1916 | 232  | 50.11% | 200  | 43.20%  | 31  | 6.70%

## Education

[edit]

School districts include:[24]

* Fort Yates Public School District 4 (in cooperation with the Standing Rock Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) grant school)
* Selfridge Public School District 8
* Solen Public School District 3

## See also

[edit]

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Sioux County, North Dakota

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
2. ^ a b c "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Sioux County, North Dakota". www.census.gov. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
4. ^ "Dakota Territory, South Dakota, and North Dakota: Individual County Chronologies". publications.newberry.org. The Newberry Library. 2006. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
5. ^ "County History". www.nd.gov. State of North Dakota. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
6. ^ a b "Sioux County, North Dakota". Google Maps. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
7. ^ ""Find an Altitude/Sioux County ND" Google Maps (accessed February 22, 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
8. ^ "2024 County Gazetteer Files – North Dakota". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
9. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Sioux County, North Dakota". www.census.gov. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
10. ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". Retrieved March 28, 2025.
11. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
12. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. 2007. Archived from the original on December 12, 2009. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
13. ^ Forstall, Richard L. (April 20, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 19, 1999. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
14. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
15. ^ "County Median Home Price". National Association of Realtors. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
16. ^ "Sioux County, North Dakota — Population by Race". CensusScope. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
17. ^ "1990 Census of Population: General Population Characteristics North Dakota" (PDF). www.census.gov. October 6, 2022. p. 20. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
18. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Sioux County, North Dakota". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
19. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Sioux County, North Dakota". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
20. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Sioux County, North Dakota". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
21. ^ "US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
22. ^ "How many people live in Sioux County, North Dakota". USA Today. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
23. ^ a b Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
24. ^ "2020 Census - School District Reference Map: Sioux County, ND" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 13, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2022. \- Text list

## External links

[edit]

* Sioux County maps, Sheet 1 (eastern) and Sheet 2 (western), North Dakota DOT

Places adjacent to Sioux County, North Dakota

| Grant County | Morton County |

|
|

|  |
Adams County |

Sioux County, North Dakota

| Emmons County
|  |
| Corson County, South Dakota |

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Sioux County, North Dakota, United States

County seat: Fort Yates

Cities|

* Fort Yates
* Selfridge
* Solen

Map of North Dakota highlighting Sioux County

CDPs|

* Cannon Ball
* Porcupine

Indian reservations|

* Standing Rock Indian Reservation‡

Footnotes|

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

* North Dakota portal
* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

State of North Dakota

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