Walsh County, North Dakota
# Walsh County, North Dakota

Walsh County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,563. Its county seat is Grafton.

## History

The Dakota Territory legislature created the county on May 2, 1881, with areas partitioned from Grand and Pembina counties. It was organized on August 30 of that same year, with Grafton as county seat. It was named for George H. Walsh (1845–1913), a newspaperman and politician in Grand Forks.

## Geography

Walsh County lies on the eastern side of North Dakota. Its eastern boundary line abuts the western boundary line of the state of Minnesota (across the Red River). The Red River flows northward along the east side of the county on its way to Hudson Bay in Canada. The south branch of the Park River flows eastward through the county to discharge into the Red on the east side of the county. The terrain generally slopes to the north and east, but the highest point is its northwestern corner, at 1,647 ft (502 m) ASL. The county has a total area of 1,294 square miles (3,350 $km^2),$ of which 1,282 square miles (3,320 $km^2)$ is land and 12 square miles (31 $km^2)$ (0.9%) is water.

### Major highways

* Interstate 29
* U.S. Highway 81
* North Dakota Highway 17
* North Dakota Highway 18
* North Dakota Highway 32
* North Dakota Highway 35

### Adjacent counties

* Pembina County – north
* Kittson County, Minnesota – northeast
* Marshall County, Minnesota – east
* Grand Forks County – south
* Nelson County – southwest
* Ramsey County – west
* Cavalier County – northwest

### Protected areas

* Ardoch National Wildlife Refuge
* Fairdale Slough National Waterfowl Production Area
* National Waterfowl Production Area
* North Salt Lake State Game Management Area

### Lakes

* Fairdale Slough
* Homme Lake
* North Salt Lake
* Salt Lake
* Waterloo Lake

## Demographics

### 2020 census

As of the census of 2020, there were 10,563 people.

### 2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 11,119 people, 4,746 households, and 3,021 families in the county. The population density was 8.67 people per square mile (3.35 $people/km^2).$ There were 5,498 housing units at an average density of 4.29 units per square mile $(1.66/km^2).$ The racial makeup of the county was 93.5% white, 1.5% American Indian, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% black or African American, 3.1% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 8.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 39.7% were Norwegian, 21.6% were German, 11.0% were Polish, 9.4% were Irish, 9.3% were Czech, 5.8% were English, and 5.4% were American.

Of the 4,746 households, 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.4% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 36.3% were non-families, and 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 45.9 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $44,139 and the median income for a family was $58,429. Males had a median income of $36,934 versus $26,826 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,829. About 5.4% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.

## Communities

### Cities

* Adams
* Ardoch
* Conway
* Edinburg
* Fairdale
* Fordville
* Forest River
* Grafton (county seat)
* Hoople
* Lankin
* Minto
* Park River
* Pisek

### Census-designated places

* Auburn
* Nash

### Unincorporated communities

* Herriott
* Veseleyville
* Voss
* Warsaw

### Townships

* Acton
* Adams
* Ardoch
* Cleveland
* Dewey
* Dundee
* Eden
* Farmington
* Fertile
* Forest River
* Glenwood
* Golden
* Grafton
* Harriston
* Kensington
* Kinloss
* Lampton
* Latona
* Martin
* Medford
* Norton
* Oakwood
* Ops
* Perth
* Prairie Centre
* Pulaski
* Rushford
* St. Andrews
* Sauter
* Shepherd
* Silvesta
* Tiber
* Vernon
* Vesta
* Walsh Centre
* Walshville

Township Numbers and Range Numbers :

| | Range 59 | Range 58 | Range 57 | Range 56 | Range 55 | Range 54 | Range 53 | Range 52 | Range 51 | Range 50 |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Township 155 | Sauter | Perth | Cleveland | Medford | Eden | Ops | Forest River | Ardoch | Walshville | Walshville |
| Township 156 | Shepherd | Latona | Norton | Vernon | Rushford | Prairie Centre | Walsh Centre | Harriston | Pulaski | Pulaski |
| Township 157 | Dewey | Adams | Vesta | Golden | Kensington Township | Fertile | Grafton | Oakwood | Acton | Acton |
| Township 158 | St. Andrews | St. Andrews | Martin | Farmington | Glenwood | Dundee | Lampton | Tiber | Silvesta | Kinloss |

## Politics

Walsh County voters have traditionally voted Republican. In only one national election since 1964 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate (as of 2020).

United States presidential election results for Walsh County, North Dakota :

| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party | Third party |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2020 | 3,324 | 69.50% | 1,333 | 27.87% | 126 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | 2,995 | 64.60% | 1,167 | 25.17% | 474 | 10.22% |
| 2012 | 2,656 | 55.44% | 1,985 | 41.43% | 150 | 3.13% |
| 2008 | 2,415 | 49.47% | 2,325 | 47.62% | 142 | 2.91% |
| 2004 | 3,194 | 61.59% | 1,905 | 36.73% | 87 | 1.68% |
| 2000 | 3,099 | 59.80% | 1,743 | 33.64% | 340 | 6.56% |
| 1996 | 2,222 | 44.99% | 2,082 | 42.15% | 635 | 12.86% |
| 1992 | 2,544 | 43.09% | 1,936 | 32.79% | 1,424 | 24.12% |
| 1988 | 3,250 | 54.48% | 2,646 | 44.35% | 70 | 1.17% |
| 1984 | 4,347 | 64.84% | 2,264 | 33.77% | 93 | 1.39% |
| 1980 | 4,488 | 64.69% | 1,850 | 26.66% | 600 | 8.65% |
| 1976 | 3,518 | 48.13% | 3,555 | 48.64% | 236 | 3.23% |
| 1972 | 3,991 | 56.29% | 2,908 | 41.02% | 191 | 2.69% |
| 1968 | 3,410 | 50.06% | 2,948 | 43.28% | 454 | 6.66% |
| 1964 | 2,454 | 33.27% | 4,911 | 66.58% | 11 | 0.15% |
| 1960 | 4,036 | 50.16% | 4,009 | 49.82% | 2 | 0.02% |
| 1956 | 3,946 | 54.81% | 3,238 | 44.97% | 16 | 0.22% |
| 1952 | 4,761 | 57.33% | 3,494 | 42.08% | 49 | 0.59% |
| 1948 | 2,646 | 37.63% | 4,170 | 59.31% | 215 | 3.06% |
| 1944 | 2,471 | 34.07% | 4,747 | 65.46% | 34 | 0.47% |
| 1940 | 3,051 | 35.61% | 5,499 | 64.18% | 18 | 0.21% |
| 1936 | 1,813 | 22.15% | 5,756 | 70.32% | 616 | 7.53% |
| 1932 | 1,616 | 22.31% | 5,342 | 73.74% | 286 | 3.95% |
| 1928 | 3,657 | 48.94% | 3,798 | 50.83% | 17 | 0.23% |
| 1924 | 2,837 | 49.17% | 917 | 15.89% | 2,016 | 34.94% |
| 1920 | 4,581 | 67.13% | 2,047 | 30.00% | 196 | 2.87% |
| 1916 | 1,670 | 43.81% | 2,003 | 52.54% | 139 | 3.65% |
| 1912 | 586 | 20.33% | 1,206 | 41.85% | 1,090 | 37.82% |
| 1908 | 1,751 | 49.46% | 1,641 | 46.36% | 148 | 4.18% |
| 1904 | 2,042 | 61.97% | 1,113 | 33.78% | 140 | 4.25% |
| 1900 | 1,807 | 49.41% | 1,804 | 49.33% | 46 | 1.26% |
