North Dakota Census

Federal
Federal census records are found at the Family History Library, the National Archives, and other federal and state archives. The United States Research Outline provides more detailed information regarding these records.

The Family History Library has the U.S. federal censuses for the state of North Dakota for 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930. A statewide soundex (phonetic) index is on microfilm for the 1900, 1920, and 1930 censuses. The 1890 census has been destroyed. The 1890 union veterans schedule and index are at the Family History Library.

Territorial and State
North Dakota was included in the 1836 Wisconsin, the 1840 Iowa, the 1850 Minnesota, and the 1860, 1870, and 1880 Dakota Territorial censuses.

Indexes to the censuses of the Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and Dakota Territories have been published in book and microfiche format for 1836, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880.

Censuses were also taken in 1885 (as Dakota Territory), 1905, 1915, and 1925. These records are at the State Historical Society of North Dakota. The 1885 census is indexed and is at the Family History Library (FHL book 978.4 X22j 1885). It has also been printed in Volume 4 of O.G. Libby, ed., Collections of the State Historical Society of North Dakota (Fargo, North Dakota: Knight Printing Company, 1913; FHL book 978.4 B2h; film 547583 item 2). The census gives the relationship to the head of house, and parents' birthplaces.

Mortality schedules for the Dakota Territory exist for 1860, 1870, 1880, and 1885. The schedules for 1870, 1880, and 1885 are indexed and are at the Family History Library.

See Indians of North Dakota for information on tribal census reports.

Online Resources
Censuses are digitized, indexed and online at these subscription websites:


 * www.ancestry.com
 * http://www.heritagequestonline.com