CO-OP Butte, North Dakota 10-17-2008, 2008
Butte’s story
120 years in pictures
Census counts: 320 in 1910, 70 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1929 on.
- 1906Butte is settled
ButteND
A town of 69, settled in 1906.
Photo: Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
69
2025 Census estimate · +1.5% since 2020
Median home value
$138K
Census ACS
Median age
50.3
years
Land area
0 sq mi
Is Butte a good place to live?
Butte has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
69 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Butte: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Butte, and how to reach them.
PowerOtter Tail Power11.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet1 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Butte’s trash rules yet
Register to voteNot requiredNorth Dakota has no voter registration: you show ID at the polls.vote.govWho runs elections hereMcLean County AuditorMcLean County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Oct 2022
ZIP code5872358723 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Jul 30, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Butte.
Natural hazards
Butte faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by cold waves
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Butte after 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2011. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 77% of U.S. communities. Expected losses in Butte break down as 33% from cold waves and 30% from inland flooding.
23risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingHail
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers: that is Butte’s year
In Butte, the typical July afternoon high is 81°F, close to North Dakota’s towns (82°F) and below U.S. towns (85°F).
44″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter4–22°
Spring29–52°
Summer54–79°
Fall32–54°
Sep 28
typical first frost
May 16
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
A smaller share of adults in Butte report frequent mental distress than in the typical North Dakota or U.S. town
No town among the 24 in North Dakota we compare has a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Butte. 27% of Butte adults feel lonely, against 29% in North Dakota’s towns and 33% across U.S. towns. For adults locally, the share who say their health is fair or poor is 20%. Of the 24 North Dakota towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Butte.
| Butte | North Dakota towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 22% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 31% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 73% | 79% |
32 measures vs. North Dakota
12 better9 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Butte | ND |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 14.2% | 21.3% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6.1% | 8.9% |
| More adults with heart disease | 11.3% | 6.1% |
CHI St. Alexius Health Turtle Lake
24.5 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Butte
15pages on Butte
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Butte; the nearest are
Minot State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Minot40.7 mi$8,702 in-state tuitionDakota College at BottineauCommunity college · Public · Bottineau69.6 mi$5,388 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Butte residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across North Dakota.
About Butte
City in North Dakota, United States
Butte is a city in McLean County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 70 at the 2020 census. Butte was founded in 1906.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1906
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,736 ft
- ZIP code
- 58723
- Area code
- 701
Questions about Butte
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Butte, ND a good place to live?
Butte has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.