County outline
Where Stutsman County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 96.7% of Stutsman County’s measured area and water for 3.3%. Its combined area converts to 5,952 square kilometers or approximately 1,470,765 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 2,221.904 | 5,754.705 | 1,422,018.6 |
| Water | 76.167 | 197.272 | 48,746.9 |
| Total | 2,298.071 | 5,951.977 | 1,470,765.4 |
How Stutsman County compares
By original Census land area, Stutsman County ranks #2 of 53 in North Dakota and #253 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 1.912 times the North Dakota county-equivalent median of 1,161.8 square miles. It accounts for 3.2% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete North Dakota ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Stutsman County
The Census Bureau estimates that 21,414 people lived in Stutsman County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,812 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #8 of 53 in North Dakota. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 21,594, the population has declined by 180 (−0.8%), compared with +2.6% for North Dakota as a whole.
With 2,221.9 square miles of land, that is 9.6 people per square mile (3.7 per km²), placing Stutsman County #2,657 nationally for density and #11 in North Dakota. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the North Dakota median is 3.7. Put another way, there are about 66 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 21,544 | 21,592 | 21,509 | 21,512 | 21,445 | 21,414 |
| Change | — | +48 | −83 | +3 | −67 | −31 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Stutsman County
11 incorporated places lie at least partly in Stutsman County. Together they are home to 16,720 people (78.1%); the other 4,694 (21.9%) live outside any incorporated place, in unincorporated communities and rural areas.
The largest is Jamestown city, with 15,688 residents in the county.
| Incorporated place | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jamestown cityCounty seat | 15,688 | −1% | 13.7 |
| Medina city | 262 | −2.6% | 1.214 |
| Streeter city | 150 | −2% | 0.357 |
| Kensal city | 146 | −2% | 0.604 |
| Spiritwood Lake city | 96 | +2.1% | 1.141 |
| Montpelier city | 87 | 0% | 0.153 |
| Buchanan city | 84 | −2.3% | 0.076 |
| Cleveland city | 81 | +42.1% | 0.212 |
| Woodworth city | 46 | 0% | 0.213 |
| Pingree city | 43 | +4.9% | 0.193 |
| Courtenay city | 37 | −2.6% | 0.418 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each place inside Stutsman County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer, for the whole place even where it extends into other counties. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Stutsman County is a central county of the Jamestown, ND Micropolitan Statistical Area. Stutsman County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the micro area has the same 2,221.9 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #68 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #504 by population.
ZIP codes
21 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Stutsman County; 12 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
584015840258405584205842158424584265844258454584555846658467584725847558476584815848358486584925849658497
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Stutsman County
Stutsman County shares a land border with 7 county equivalents. It has more land than every one of them. The largest neighbor is Barnes County (1,491.6 mi²) and the smallest is Foster County (634.1 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Stutsman County forms a block of 9,816.4 mi² of land, of which it holds 22.6%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Stutsman | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnes County | 1,491.6 | 1.5× smaller | Compare |
| Kidder County | 1,351.1 | 1.6× smaller | Compare |
| Wells County | 1,270.5 | 1.7× smaller | Compare |
| LaMoure County | 1,146 | 1.9× smaller | Compare |
| Logan County | 992.6 | 2.2× smaller | Compare |
| Griggs County | 708.7 | 3.1× smaller | Compare |
| Foster County | 634.1 | 3.5× smaller | Compare |
How big is Stutsman County compared with U.S. states?
Stutsman County has more land than 2 of the 50 states. It is about 1.1 times the land area of Delaware (1,948.6 mi²), while Connecticut, the next larger state, has 2.2 times as much land (4,842.5 mi²). North Dakota’s county land could hold about 31 areas the size of Stutsman County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 47.1 miles (75.9 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Stutsman County?
Stutsman County has more land than 2,969 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Stutsman County at #269 nationally by total area, 16 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 3.3%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 2.1 percentage points higher. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Stutsman County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #252 | Goshen County, Wyoming | 2,225.6 | Compare |
| #253 | Stutsman County, North Dakota | 2,221.9 | This county |
| #254 | Tuolumne County, California | 2,220.9 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 46.972223, -98.956123. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 5,754,703,446 m²; AWATER: 197,271,625 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Stutsman County?
Stutsman County, North Dakota has 2,221.9 square miles (5,754.7 km²) of land and 76.2 square miles of water, for a total area of 2,298.1 square miles. It ranks #253 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Stutsman County the largest county in North Dakota?
No. Stutsman County ranks #2 of 53 in North Dakota by land area. The largest is McKenzie County, with 2,760.1 square miles of land.
What counties border Stutsman County?
Stutsman County shares a land border with Kidder County, Barnes County, Foster County, LaMoure County, Logan County, Wells County, and Griggs County.
What is the population of Stutsman County?
The Census Bureau estimates Stutsman County had 21,414 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,812 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 9.6 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Stutsman County?
The county seat of Stutsman County is Jamestown.
What cities and towns are in Stutsman County?
Stutsman County has 11 incorporated places. The most populous five are Jamestown city, Medina city, Streeter city, Kensal city, and Spiritwood Lake city; 4,694 residents live outside any incorporated place.
Is Stutsman County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Jamestown, ND Micropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Stutsman County?
21 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Stutsman County, and 12 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Stutsman County compare with U.S. states?
It has more land than 2 of the 50 states, including Delaware (1,948.6 square miles of land).
How many acres of land are in Stutsman County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 1,422,019 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 1,470,765 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.