North Dakota Map with Cities, Counties, and Road Network

Map of North Dakota: A Map Journey through North Dakota

Map of North Dakota, North Dakota map with cities, counties, and road network. This is a detailed map in a road-light style, where stars represent the counties and county seats. State borders, rivers, lakes, and a thin highway lattice help with orientation while keeping labels legible.

Use it as the best map companion for studying, planning road trips, and understanding where every city is located within its county. Minnesota borders North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the south, and Montana to the west. To the north, it shares an international border with the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

How to read this county-first, road-light map

• Follow the water first. The Missouri River arcs through the center. The Red River of the North forms the eastern border with Minnesota. Lake Sakakawea and Devils Lake are the most significant water features.

• Use county seats as anchors. Look for Bismarck (Burleigh), Fargo (Cass), Grand Forks (Grand Forks), Minot (Ward), Williston (Williams), Dickinson (Stark), Jamestown (Stutsman), Wahpeton (Richland), Valley City (Barnes), Devils Lake (Ramsey), and Watford City (McKenzie).

• Let roads confirm, not dominate. The map draws I-94, US-2, US-83, US-85, US-52, and the main state routes as fine threads so the county mosaic and place names come through clearly.

West and North-Central North Dakota - Missouri Plateau to Lake Sakakawea and the Mouse River loop

Missouri Plateau, badlands, and oil patch counties

Far southwest: Bowman, Slope, Adams, and Hettinger

• Bowman County (Bowman) anchors the extreme southwest at the South Dakota line. The road-light design shows US-85 passing through Bowman toward the Theodore Roosevelt country to the north.

• Slope County (Amidon) is the least populated county in the state; Amidon sits near White Butte, the state's high point.

• Adams County (Hettinger) holds the town of Hettinger on the prairie steppe with the Cedar Creek breaks hinting at the Badlands to the north.

• Hettinger County (Mott), east of Adams, places Mott and New Leipzig along gentle wheat and sunflower country.

Theodore Roosevelt Badlands: Billings, Stark, and Golden Valley

• Billings County (Medora) is the postcard of the Badlands. The map marks Medora by the Little Missouri River, where the South and North Units of Theodore Roosevelt National Park sit.

• Stark County (Dickinson) shows Dickinson on I-94, a key service center for the western oil patch.

• Golden Valley County (Beach) hugs the Montana line with Beach and the rolling breaks that lead into Montana's prairie.

Big river bends and energy lakes: McKenzie, Williams, Mountrail, and Dunn

• McKenzie County (Watford City) spans from Watford City to the great bays of Lake Sakakawea. The road-light style lets you see the lake fingers and the Little Missouri without crowding.

• Williams County (Williston) is the northwest hub. Williston sits by the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri, just west of Lake Sakakawea.

• Mountrail County (Stanley) stretches southeast across oil country to New Town on the lake.

• Dunn County (Manning) lies south of the lake, with Killdeer Mountains country north of Manning.

Coal country and the Garrison reach: Mercer, Oliver, and McLean

• Mercer County (Stanton) wraps the wide mid-lake arms with towns Beulah and Hazen near the coal fields and power plants.

• Oliver County (Center), the geographic center of North Dakota, places Center just west of the Missouri River.

• McLean County (Washburn) straddles the Garrison Dam and Riverdale area; Washburn sits on the river's east bank while Garrison and Underwood appear inland.

Missouri crossing to the capital: Morton and Burleigh

• Morton County (Mandan) shows Mandan on the west bank opposite Bismarck. The road-light depiction of I-94 across the river gives orientation without overpowering the county colors.

• Burleigh County (Bismarck) hosts the state capital, Bismarck, and suburbs along the east bank, with Wing and Driscoll dotting the prairie eastward.

Southern river rim: Grant, Sioux, and Emmons

• Grant County (Carson) spreads south of Morton with ranchland and small towns like Elgin.

• Sioux County (Fort Yates) follows the Standing Rock stretch of the Missouri/Lake Oahe; Fort Yates is the county seat.

• Emmons County (Linton) sits along the river's east bank with Linton and Hague close to the South Dakota border.

Central Prairie Corridor - from Kidder to Sheridan and Wells

Kidder, Logan, McIntosh, and the south-central lakes

• Kidder County (Steele) places Steele on I-94 with prairie pothole lakes around Tappen and Dawson.

• Logan County (Napoleon) sits south of Napoleon at the crossroads.

• McIntosh County (Ashley) marks the German-Russian prairie with towns Ashley and Wishek.

• LaMoure County (LaMoure), located just east, is situated on the James River.

Sheridan, Wells, Foster, and Eddy - Sheyenne and James River country

• Sheridan County (McClusky) is centered on McClusky, where prairie wetlands cluster.

• Wells County (Fessenden) lies along the James River with Harvey in the north.

• Foster County (Carrington), the "Central City," shows Carrington at the junction of the US-281 and US-52 corridors.

• Eddy County (New Rockford) places New Rockford on the Sheyenne River with blue sloughs highlighted in the road-light palette.

Stutsman and Barnes - Jamestown and Valley City anchors

• Stutsman County (Jamestown) features Jamestown on the James River and I-94.

• Barnes County (Valley City) displays Valley City, "City of Bridges," along the winding Sheyenne River.

Mouse River Basin and the north border - Minot to the prairie edge

Ward and Minot, plus Renville and Burke on the Canadian line

• Ward County (Minot) holds Minot on the Souris (Mouse) River loop, with Burlington and Surrey nearby.

• Renville County (Mohall) sits north of Minot at the Canada border, with the town of Glenburn appearing along the Mouse.

• Burke County (Bowbells) rides the border west of Renville; Portal on the line is a key crossing.

Bottineau, Rolette, and Towner — Turtle Mountains and prairie lakes

• Bottineau County (Bottineau) lies in the Turtle Mountains with many small lakes.

• Rolette County (Rolla) continues the higher wooded ridge, while Belcourt appears near the international line.

• Towner County (Cando) sits eastward on open prairie with Cando as the "Duck Capital."

McHenry and Pierce — Rugby and geographic center labels

• McHenry County (Towner) runs south from the Mouse loop with Velva along US-52.

• Pierce County (Rugby) labels Rugby near the location often marked as the geographic center of North America.

Devils Lake country - Ramsey, Benson, and Nelson

Ramsey and Devils Lake, Benson and Minnewaukan

• Ramsey County (Devils Lake) features Devils Lake City on the lake's northern shore. The road-light approach makes the bay-filled shoreline readable.

• Benson County (Minnewaukan) wraps the lake's western coves and extends to prairie towns like Fort Totten and Maddock.

Nelson and Griggs - rolling ground between the Sheyenne and Goose rivers

• Nelson County (Lakota) sits southeast of the lake, with Lakota and Michigan City on the map.

• Griggs County (Cooperstown) follows the Sheyenne River corridor.

The Red River Valley and Southeast - Grand Forks to Fargo, Wahpeton, and the Minnesota line

Northeast gateway counties - Pembina to Grand Forks

Pembina and Cavalier - Red River borderlands

• Pembina County (Cavalier) anchors the northeast corner; Cavalier is the seat, while Pembina and Neche sit on the border by the river.

• Cavalier County (Langdon) lies just west of Langdon and the Turtle Mountains, edging into the county's northwest.

Walsh and Grand Forks - Grafton to the university city

• Walsh County (Grafton) places Grafton along the river valley with towns Park River and Minto.

• Grand Forks County (Grand Forks) highlights Grand Forks on the Red River of the North opposite East Grand Forks, Minnesota; the map also labels Emerado near Grand Forks AFB.

Traill and Steele - Hillsboro to Finley along the Goose River

• Traill County (Hillsboro) shows Hillsboro mid-valley with Mayville–Portland nearby.

• Steele County (Finley) displays Finley amid gentle glacial till plains.

Fargo metro and the south Red River - Cass, Ransom, Sargent, and Richland

Cass County and Fargo are the state's largest city

• Cass County (Fargo) shows Fargo and West Fargo on the river, plus Kindred, Horace, and Mapleton across the prairie. Thin I-29 and I-94 lines intersect here without overtaking the county labels.

Valley transition counties

• Ransom County (Lisbon) lies south of Cass with Lisbon on the Sheyenne River.

• Sargent County (Forman) runs along the border to Milnor and Gwinner.

• Richland County (Wahpeton) caps the southeast corner with Wahpeton opposite Breckenridge, Minnesota, where the Bois de Sioux joins the Otter Tail to form the Red River.

Central east-west corridor - Barnes to Kidder on I-94

Barnes and Stutsman recap; LaMoure and Dickey to the south

• Barnes (Valley City) and Stutsman (Jamestown) serve as twin anchors along I-94.

• LaMoure County (LaMoure) lies south of Stutsman along the James River.

• Dickey County (Ellendale) touches the South Dakota line with Ellendale and the western Maple River headwaters.

Kidder recap and east-central ties

• Kidder (Steele) marks the broad prairie pothole country. From here, the map's road-light thread of US-281 links Jamestown, Carrington, and the Devils Lake area without clutter.

Prairie north of I-94 - Foster, Eddy, Benson, Ramsey, Nelson, Grand Forks, Traill

Carrington, New Rockford, and the Sheyenne delta

• Foster (Carrington) sits in the "Central City."

• Eddy (New Rockford) marks the Sheyenne route north toward the delta wetlands that spill into Devils Lake and Stump Lake.

• Nelson (Lakota) and Grand Forks (Grand Forks) complete the arc east toward the Red River.

County directory for fast lookup (mirrors labels on our map)

Western Badlands and Lake Sakakawea counties: Divide - Crosby; Burke - Bowbells; Williams - Williston; McKenzie - Watford City; Mountrail - Stanley; Dunn - Manning; Billings - Medora; Golden Valley - Beach; Stark - Dickinson; Slope - Amidon; Hettinger - Mott; Bowman - Bowman.

Coal and river counties around the Garrison reach: Mercer - Stanton; Oliver - Center; McLean - Washburn; Morton - Mandan; Burleigh - Bismarck; Grant - Carson; Sioux - Fort Yates; Emmons - Linton.

Central prairie and James–Sheyenne corridor: Kidder - Steele; Logan - Napoleon; McIntosh - Ashley; LaMoure - LaMoure; Sheridan - McClusky; Wells - Fessenden; Foster - Carrington; Eddy - New Rockford; Stutsman - Jamestown; Barnes - Valley City; Griggs - Cooperstown.

Mouse River and Turtle Mountains to the Canadian line: Ward - Minot; Renville - Mohall; Bottineau - Bottineau; Rolette - Rolla; Towner - Cando; McHenry - Towner; Pierce - Rugby.

Devils Lake and the northeast: Ramsey - Devils Lake; Benson - Minnewaukan; Nelson - Lakota; Pembina - Cavalier; Cavalier - Langdon; Walsh - Grafton; Grand Forks - Grand Forks; Traill - Hillsboro; Steele - Finley.

Fargo and the south Red River: Cass - Fargo; Ransom - Lisbon; Sargent - Forman; Richland - Wahpeton; Dickey - Ellendale.

Tip: The directory order tracks how clusters appear on our map so that you can confirm a county's seat quickly in the road-light layout.