Pembina County

History

For thousands of years, various indigenous peoples inhabited the area along the Pembina and Red rivers. At the time of European contact in the 16th century, the dominant tribes were the Assiniboine and the Lakota (or Sioux, as the French colonists called them). The Ojibwe, also known as Chippewa, a branch of the Anishinaabe-speaking language group, gradually migrated west along both sides of the Great Lakes. They developed a long trading relationship with French trappers and colonists. Throughout the Red River of the North area, French trappers married Native American women, and their descendants continued to hunt and trap. A large mixed-race population developed, recognized as an ethnic First Nations group in Canada called the Métis. The Ojibwe and Métis generally supported the French forces during the Seven Years' War in the mid-eighteenth century against Great Britain.

With the British defeat of France and takeover of its colonial territory, the Chippewa learned to deal with a new trading culture. Armed with guns by trading and having adopted the horse from the Mandan and Hidatsa, by the end of the eighteenth century the Chippewa had migrated from woodlands to the Great Plains and begun to push the Lakota west before them. By the time of the War of 1812, the Ojibwe allied with the British against the United States, hoping to forestall European-American settlers' encroaching on their territory. With the settlement of the northern boundary with Canada, the Chippewa within the Dakota Territory were forced to deal with the United States. During the first half of the nineteenth century, the Chippewa had continued conflicts with the Lakota along the Red River, finally pushing them into present-day western North and South Dakota.

Father George Belcourt, a Catholic Jesuit missionary who served them, described their territory in 1849 as the following

We understand here, that the district or department called Pembina, comprises all of the country or basin which is irrigated or traversed by the tributaries of the Red River, south of the line of the 49th parallel of latitude. The prairies' rivers and lakes which extend to the height of land of the Mississippi, and the immense plains which feed innumerable herds of bison to the westward and from which the Chippewa and half breeds [Métis] of this region obtain their subsistence, contains within their limits a country about 400 miles from north to south and more than five hundred miles from east to west.

Geography

Pembina County lies at the northeastern corner of North Dakota. Its northern boundary line abuts the southern boundary line of Canada and its eastern boundary line abuts the western boundary line of the state of Minnesota (across the Red River, which flows northward along the county's eastern boundary line). The Pembina River flows eastward through the upper portion of the county, discharging into the Red River near the northeastern county corner. The Tongue River flows northeastward through the upper portion of the county, discharging into the Pembina shortly before the Pembina joins the Red River. The county terrain consists of rolling hills, etched by river drainages. The area is devoted to agriculture. The terrain slopes to the east and north; its highest point is on the lower western boundary line, at 1,302 feet (397 m) above sea level.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,121.241 square miles (2,904.00 km2), of which 1,118.535 square miles (2,896.99 km2) is land and 2.706 square miles (7.01 km2) (0.24%) is water. It is the 32nd largest county in North Dakota by total area. The lowest point in the state of North Dakota is located on the Red River of the North in Pembina Township in Pembina County, where it flows out of North Dakota and into the Canada–US border of Manitoba.

Protected areas

Source:

Demographics

As of the fourth quarter of 2024, the median home value in Pembina County was $123,544.

As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 2,959 estimated households in Pembina County with an average of 2.23 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $66,884. Approximately 8.9% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. Pembina County has an estimated 58.5% employment rate, with 22.9% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 91.9% holding a high school diploma.

The median age in the county was 45.5 years.

Pembina County, North Dakota – racial and ethnic compositionNote: 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.

2024 estimate

As of the 2024 estimate, there were 6,588 people and 2,959 households residing in the county. There were 3,492 housing units at an average density of 3.13 per square mile (1.2/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 93.0% White (88.7% NH White), 1.0% African American, 2.7% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, _% from some other races and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.9% of the population.

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 6,844. Of the residents, 21.6% were under the age of 18 and 24.9% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 47.1 years. For every 100 females there were 109.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 107.7 males.

There were 3,003 households and 1,872 families residing in the county.

The population density was 6.1 inhabitants per square mile (2.4/km2); there were 3,499 housing units at an average density of 3.13 per square mile (1.2/km2). Of those units, 14.2% were vacant and, among occupied housing units, 78.4% were owner-occupied and 21.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 13.9%.

The racial makeup of the county was 90.2% White, 0.4% African American, 2.0% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 1.1% from some other races and 5.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 3.6% of the population.

The most commonly reported ancestries were German (30.8%), Norwegian (19.4%), English (14.8%), Irish (14.5%), French (8.4%), and Icelandic (7.1%).

Of those households, 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 19.3% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present, and about 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals. Some 15.9% of households had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 7,413 people, 3,257 households, and 2,069 families in the county. The population density was 6.62 inhabitants per square mile (2.6/km2). There were 3,859 housing units at an average density of 3.45 per square mile (1.3/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.47% White, 0.28% African American, 1.94% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.78% from some other races and 1.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.56% of the population.

In terms of ancestry, 33.8% were German, 21.3% were Norwegian, 10.6% were Irish, 9.5% were English, 8.0% were American, and 5.5% were Swedish.

There were 3,257 households, 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 36.5% were non-families, and 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.82. The median age was 46.7 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $48,502 and the median income for a family was $61,804. Males had a median income of $40,334 versus $29,662 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,019. About 4.0% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.5% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

American Indian reservations

Pembina Band of Chippewa Indians

Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians

Ghost Town

Bowesmont

Concrete

Politics

Pembina County voters have traditionally backed the Republican Party. In only one national election since 1948 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate (as of 2024).