The population was 2,764 at the time of the 2020 census,[3] making it the 18th largest city in North Dakota.

New Town was platted in 1950 as a replacement site for the residents of Sanish and Van Hook, as these towns were scheduled to be flooded by the creation of Lake Sakakawea, a reservoir to provide water for irrigation.

New Town is located on State Highway 23 at the crossing of Lake Sakakawea by the Four Bears Bridge.

In 1944, the United States Congress passed the Flood Control Act of 1944, which authorized the construction of the Garrison Dam.

In order to make this dam and reservoir, the towns of Sanish, Elbowoods, Lucky Mound, Shell Creek, Nishu, Charging Eagle, Beaver Creek, Red Butte, Independence, and Van Hook had to be dissolved and the residents relocated before the area was flooded.

With the help of Army engineers, by August 1950, the combined town site was platted.

On September 10, 1950, a ground-breaking ceremony and celebration was held at the proposed town site.

The official ground-breaking was a furrow cut by a county road grader in what was to become Main Street.

In November 1952, seventy-four voters went to the polls to elect the first city officials of New Town.

Businesses were moved from the surrounding villages, and soon people had to go to New Town for groceries and supplies.

Many new workers were attracted to the community and, with work on the new bridge, roads, and construction in the town, jobs were plentiful.

[7] New Town is home to a statue of cowboy Earl Bunyan, "brother" of fictional lumberjack Paul Bunyan, built in 1953 by New Town resident cowboy Fred LaRocque.