Lignite is a city in Burke County, North Dakota, United States.

[5] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.14 square miles (0.36 km2), all land.

The racial makeup of the city was 96.1% White, 2.6% Native American, 0.6% Asian, and 0.6% from two or more races.

About 5.6% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.0% of those under the age of eighteen and 19.0% of those 65 or over.

Historically there has been some oil activity in the area, but it is a bit north of the current "Bakken" boom.

[citation needed] In 2010, a London-based resources company announced it had gotten the first potash drilling permit in three decades from the state of North Dakota.

Sirius Minerals drilled an exploratory potash well near Lignite in November, 2010.