Ward County
Ward County, North Dakota: solar permitting grade B (score 42/100, Moderate Risk). Score has been stable over the last 12 months. Primary-source ordinance and board-vote data on SitePath.
Public summary
| Grade | B · Moderate Risk · Score 42/100 |
| Population | 68,672 |
| Solar ordinance | Active solar ordinance on the books |
| Active moratorium | None on record |
| Regulatory trajectory | Stable (no material ordinance movement) |
| 12-month score movement | Stable |
| Last verified | 2026-05-02 |
Developer outlook
Ward County presents moderate permitting risk; conditions are generally workable for utility-scale solar with standard due-diligence preparation.
Local intel
On file: energy-related meetings
Cities, towns & townships
Local governments in Ward County. An incorporated city, town or village can adopt its own zoning, separate from the county’s.
- Berthold city
- Burlington city
- Carpio city
- Des Lacs city
- Donnybrook city
- Douglas city
- Kenmare city
- Makoti city
- Minot city
- Ryder city
- Sawyer city
- Surrey city
- Afton township
- Anna township
- Baden township
- Berthold township
- Brillian township
- Burlington township
- Burt township
- Cameron township
- Carbondale township
- Carpio township
- Denmark township
- Des Lacs township
Show all
- Elmdale township
- Eureka township
- Evergreen township
- Foxholm township
- Freedom township
- Gasman township
- Greely township
- Greenbush township
- Harrison township
- Hiddenwood township
- Hilton township
- Iota Flat township
- Kenmare township
- Kirkelie township
- Linton township
- Lund township
- Mandan township
- Margaret township
- Maryland township
- Mayland township
- McKinley township
- Nedrose township
- New Prairie township
- Newman township
- Orlien township
- Passport township
- Ree township
- Rice Lake township
- Rolling Green township
- Ryder township
- Sauk Prairie township
- Sawyer township
- Shealy township
- Spencer township
- Spring Lake township
- St. Marys township
- Sundre township
- Surrey township
- Tatman township
- Tolgen township
- Torning township
- Vang township
- Waterford township
- Willis township
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, incorporated places and county subdivisions with an active government.
Nearby counties
- Renville County · ≈35 miC44—
- Mountrail County · ≈38 miB36—
- McLean County · ≈39 miA30—
- McHenry County · ≈42 miC43—
- Bottineau County · ≈51 miC43—
- Burke County · ≈60 miC44—
Compare these counties side-by-side →
Ward County ranks #21 of 53 ranked North Dakota counties (1 = lowest permitting risk). Lowest-risk in North Dakota: Dunn County (A · 29), McLean County (A · 30), Dickey County (B · 30). See all North Dakota county grades →
Want the full record?
Setback distances, board vote histories, source documents, and ordinance amendments are available in the full county profile. The map is free; a walkthrough shows you the underlying record.
About this score
Every U.S. county is scored 0–100 on solar permitting risk (lower is friendlier to development). The grade is a weighted composite of compliance stringency, market saturation, regulatory trajectory, and data uncertainty. Every figure traces back to a primary government document. Read the full methodology →
Related reading
SitePath Intelligence is a research platform. Data verified as of 2026-05-02. Scores update on a quarterly review cycle.