Williams County, North Dakota

Williams County, North Dakota
Williams County is located on the western border of the U.S. state of North Dakota, next to Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,950. making it the fifth-most populous county in North Dakota. Its county seat is Williston.
The Williston Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Williams County. It is bordered on the south by the upper Missouri River, whose confluence with its tributary Yellowstone River is located just east of the border with Montana.
History
There have been two Williams counties in the history of North Dakota. The first, created in 1873, was located south of the Missouri River near where Dunn and Mercer counties are today. This county continued to exist through North Dakota statehood, and while the second Williams County was created in 1891. The first Williams County was extinguished by a county referendum on November 8, 1892; part of its territory was absorbed by Mercer County and the rest reverted to an unorganized territory.
The second Williams County was created by the North Dakota legislature on March 2, 1891, from the previous counties of Buford and Flannery, which were dissolved. The government of this county was organized on December 8, 1891. This county's boundaries were altered in 1910, when a portion of its territory was annexed to create Divide County. Its boundaries have remained unchanged since then.
The county is named for Erastus Appleman Williams, a European-American settler who served in the Dakota Territory legislature and the North Dakota legislature.
Geography
Williams County lies on the west edge of North Dakota. Its west boundary line abuts the east boundary line of the state of Montana. The Missouri River flows eastward along the county's south boundary line from the confluence with its tributary Yellowstone River, located on the Dakota side of the state border with Montana. Horse Creek and Willow Creek flow to the west across the upper portion of the county. The terrain consists of isolated hills amid rolling, hilly, semi-arid stretches. The area is partly devoted to agriculture. The terrain is highest across its midpoint, and slopes to the NW and SE. Its highest point is a hill near the NE corner, at ASL. The county has a total area of , of which is land and (3.3%) is water. It is the fourth-largest county in North Dakota by area.
Lake Sakakawea, a reservoir on the Missouri River, is situated on the southern boundary of the county. Little Muddy Creek is entirely within Williams County. The confluence of the Yellowstone River with the Missouri is west of Williston.
The Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site is located in Williams County along the Missouri River on the Montana border.
Williams County is one of several western North Dakota counties with significant exposure to the Bakken formation in the Williston Basin.
Major highways
Transit
Amtrak Empire Builder (Williston station)
Adjacent counties
Divide County (north)
Burke County (northeast)
Mountrail County (east)
McKenzie County (south)
Roosevelt County, Montana (southwest)
Sheridan County, Montana (west)
Protected areas
Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site (part)
Hofflund State Game Management Area
Lewis & Clark State Park
Lake Zahl National Wildlife Refuge
North Tobacco Garden State Game Management Area
Lakes
Alkali Lake
Blacktail Lake
Cottonwood Lake
Epping Dam
Green Lake
Helle Slough
Holm Lake
Lake Trenton
Lake Zahl
McLeod Lake
Shirley Lake
Tioga River Dam
Twin Lakes
KotaRay Dam
Demographics
2020 census
As of the census of 2020, there were 40,950 people, 20,227 households, and 15,286 families in the county.
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 22,398 people, 9,293 households, and 5,746 families in the county. The population density was . There were 10,464 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 92.1% white, 4.0% American Indian, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% black or African American, 0.3% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.9% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 46.2% were of Norwegian, 35.9% of German, 9.8% of Irish, 4.5% of Swedish and 4.4% of English ancestry.
Of the 9,293 households, 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.2% were non-families, and 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.95. The median age was 39.0 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $55,396 and the median income for a family was $67,875. Males had a median income of $50,735 versus $27,071 for females. The per capita income for the county was $29,153. About 4.7% of families and 8.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.7% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.
Population by decade
Media
The Williston Herald
Communities
Cities
Alamo
Epping
Grenora
Ray
Springbrook
Tioga
Wildrose
Williston (county seat)
Census-designated places
Blacktail
Long Creek
McGregor
Trenton
Other unincorporated communities
Appam
Bonetraill
Buford
Corinth
Hamlet
Hanks
Lunds Landing
Temple
Wheelock
Zahl
Townships
Athens
Barr Butte
Big Meadow
Big Stone
Blacktail
Blue Ridge
Bonetraill
Brooklyn
Buford
Bull Butte
Champion
Climax
Cow Creek
Dry Fork
Dublin
East Fork
Ellisville
Equality
Farmvale
Golden Valley
Good Luck
Grenora
Hardscrabble
Hazel
Hebron
Judson
Lindahl
Marshall
Missouri Ridge
Mont
New Home
Oliver
Orthell
Pherrin
Pleasant Valley
Rainbow
Rock Island
Round Prairie
Sauk Valley
Scorio
South Meadow
Springbrook
Stony Creek
Strandahl
Tioga
Trenton
Truax
Twelve Mile
Tyrone
View
West Bank
Wheelock
Williston
Winner
Defunct townships
Hofflund
Politics
Williams County voters have been reliably Republican for decades. In no national election since 1964 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate.
Education
School districts include:
Divide County Public School District 1
Eightmile Public School District 6
Grenora Public School District 99
Nesson Public School District 2
Tioga Public School District 15
Williston Basin School District 7
Former districts include:
Williston Public School District 1 - Merged into Williston Basin 7 in 2021.
Williams County Public School District 8 (formerly New Public School District 8, elementary only) - Merged into Williston Basin 7 in 2021.
See also
National Register of Historic Places listings in Williams County, North Dakota
North Dakota statistical areas
References
External links
Williams County official website
Map of southeastern portion of Williams County North Dakota DOT
Map of northern portion of Williams County North Dakota DOT
Map of southwestern portion of Williams County North Dakota DOT
1891 establishments in North Dakota
Populated places established in 1891
North Dakota counties on the Missouri River