New Town, ND

New Town sits right along the shores of Lake Sakakawea, serving as the central hub of the Fort Berthold Reservation in western North Dakota. Home to around 2,800 residents, it is a welcoming community with a unique history, established in the early 1950s to replace older settlements flooded during the creation of the Garrison Dam reservoir. Today, Highway 23 and the landmark Four Bears Bridge carry drivers across the water, offering great lake views and easy connections to neighboring communities.

ATTRM. Readey / CC BY-SA 3.0

Everyday life here revolves around the outdoors, with fantastic boating, camping, and walleye fishing right in town. New Town is also the governmental and cultural center for the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, which brings steady activity, cultural events, and local services to the area. Families have access to a full K-12 public school system, and Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College offers higher education close to home, making the town a solid base for newcomers settling into the region.