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The Merkel Township handbook

Living in Merkel Township, ND: what to set up and who to call

Most mail in Merkel Township goes to 58423 (78% of residents), one of 2 ZIP codes in town. For an emergency, SMP Health St. Aloisius is the closest ER, 35.8 miles away.

Which school will my kid attend?How do I register to vote?ZIP codes

I’m new in town

What to set up in Merkel Township, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.

PowerMontana-Dakota Utilitiesinvestor-owned utility · 11.1¢/kWhMore →Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsMore →Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Merkel Township’s trash rules yetMore →SchoolKidder County School District 1Which school depends on grade and addressMore →Register to voteNot requiredRules from vote.govMore →ZIP codes58423, 58478Where people live, not P.O. boxesMore →
Home services

Power, water and internet

Who to call to start service at a new address in Merkel Township.

Electricity

Power comes from Montana-Dakota Utilities

Montana-Dakota Utilities (Montana-Dakota Utilities Co), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Merkel Township. Its homes paid an average of 11.1¢ per kWh in 2025, about $92 a month (its average across North Dakota).

Start or move service: montana-dakota.com · (800) 638-3278

Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.

Internet

3 home internet providers serve Merkel Township

100% of 22 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.

ProviderTechnologyAddressesFastest (Mbps)
BEK Communications CooperativeFiber95%5,000/5,000
Dakota CentralFiber5%1,000/1,000
VerizonFixed wireless18%300/20

FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.

Trash & recycling

We don’t have Merkel Township’s trash rules yet

Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Merkel Township.

Trash, recycling and bulk pickupNot on fileOpenStreetMap lists no public drop-off in Merkel Township or within 5 miles (as of Oct 9, 2026); map coverage varies by town.
Schools

Where your child goes to school

Public school districts and the school path by grade.

Merkel Township kids go to
PK–5Kidder County Elementary Schoolin Steele
6–12Kidder County High Schoolin Steele

Most of Merkel Township (97%) is in Kidder County School District 1; parts are in Fessenden-Bowdon Public School District 25 (3%).

Test scores and every school: see Schools →

U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.

Government & voting

Town hall and registering to vote

Who to call, and how to register.

Town HallBudget, officials, electionsMerkel Township’s government in one page
Who runs elections hereKidder County AuditorElections here are run by Kidder County (county election office). P.O. Box 167, Steele, ND 58482-0167 · (701) 475-4547 · [email protected]FVAP, Jul 2019
Register to voteNot requiredNorth Dakota has no voter registration: you show ID at the polls.vote.govCheck your registration and polling placevip.sos.nd.govThe state’s voter lookup

Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jul 2019; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Jul 30, 2024.

ZIP codes & area codes

Merkel Township spans 2 ZIP codes

ZIP codes where Merkel Township residents live, with the share of the town in each.

ZIPPost office nameShare of Merkel TownshipZIP’s residents in Merkel Township
58423Chaseley, ND78%28%
58478Robinson, ND22%8%

Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.

Everyday places

Getting around, the ER and the library

One line each; the subject pages have the rest.

Nearest emergency roomSMP Health St. Aloisius35.8 miles awayGet a library cardKidder County Public Library115 West Broadway · (701) 475-2855

ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.

Questions about living in Merkel Township

Who provides electricity in Merkel Township?

Montana-Dakota Utilities (Montana-Dakota Utilities Co), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 11.1¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).

What internet providers serve Merkel Township?

BEK Communications Cooperative, Dakota Central, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).

What ZIP codes are in Merkel Township?

58423 (78%), 58478 (22%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.

What school district is Merkel Township in?

Kidder County School District 1. Parts of the city are in Fessenden-Bowdon Public School District 25.

How do I register to vote in Merkel Township?

North Dakota has no voter registration: you show ID at the polls. Elections here are run by the Kidder County Auditor. Check your registration at vip.sos.nd.gov.

Sources & dates

Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.

  • Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
  • Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
  • ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
  • Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
  • Registration: vote.gov, updated Jul 30, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
  • Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
  • Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.