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Williams County, North Dakota

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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,<ref name="2020 Census (City)">Template:Cite web</ref> making it the fifth most populous county in North Dakota, and was estimated to be 41,407 in 2025.<ref name="QF"/> Its county seat is Williston.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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

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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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The county is named for Erastus Appleman Williams, a European-American settler who served in the Dakota Territory legislature and the North Dakota legislature.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In June 2014, lightning struck a Williams County Oasis Petroleum saltwater disposal facility.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref> It sparked a fire that destroyed the facility, burning 630 gallons of oil and tens of thousands of gallons of brine.<ref name=":0" />

File:Map of Williams County, N.D., 1914.jpg
Outline map of Williams County, North Dakota, 1914

Geography

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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.<ref name=WCND>Williams County ND Google Maps (accessed February 19, 2019)</ref> 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 Template:Convert ASL.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (3.3%) is water.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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

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Transit

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Adjacent counties

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Protected areas<ref name=WCND/>

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Lakes<ref name=WCND/>

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  • Alkali Lake
  • Blacktail Lake
  • Cottonwood Lake
  • Epping Dam
  • Green Lake
  • Helle Slough
  • Holm Lake
  • Kota-Ray Dam
  • Lake Trenton
  • Lake Zahl
  • McLeod Lake
  • Shirley Lake
  • Tioga River Dam
  • Twin Lakes

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Demographics

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Template:US Census population

As of the third quarter of 2024, the median home value in Williams County was $378,850.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 15,308 estimated households in Williams County with an average of 2.53 persons per household. The county has a median household income of $90,224. Approximately 7.7% of the county's population lives at or below the poverty line. Williams County has an estimated 73.0% employment rate, with 23.7% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 90.6% holding a high school diploma.<ref name="QF">Template:Cite web</ref>

The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (89.8%), Spanish (5.6%), Indo-European (1.5%), Asian and Pacific Islander (1.0%), and Other (2.1%).

The median age in the county was 32.3 years.

Williams County, North Dakota – racial and ethnic composition
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Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic) Pop. 1980<ref name=1980CensusScope>Template:Cite web</ref> Pop. 1990<ref name=1990CensusScope>Template:Cite web</ref> Pop. 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref> Pop. 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>
White alone (NH) 21,366
(96.08%)		 19,953
(94.43%)		 18,245
(92.33%)		 20,364
(90.92%)		 30,761
(75.12%)
Black or African American alone (NH) 3
(0.01%)		 18
(0.09%)		 18
(0.09%)		 57
(0.25%)		 2,041
(4.98%)
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 715
(3.22%)		 1,004
(4.75%)		 865
(4.38%)		 878
(3.92%)		 1,125
(2.75%)
Asian alone (NH) 61
(0.27%)		 42
(0.20%)		 36
(0.18%)		 78
(0.35%)		 612
(1.49%)
Pacific Islander alone (NH) — — 2
(0.01%)		 5
(0.02%)		 98
(0.24%)
Other race alone (NH) 21
(0.09%)		 2
(0.01%)		 4
(0.02%)		 3
(0.01%)		 164
(0.40%)
Mixed race or multiracial (NH) — — 406
(2.05%)		 577
(2.58%)		 2,252
(5.50%)
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 71
(0.32%)		 110
(0.52%)		 185
(0.94%)		 436
(1.95%)		 3,897
(9.52%)
Total 22,237
(100.00%)		 21,129
(100.00%)		 19,761
(100.00%)		 22,398
(100.00%)		 40,950
(100.00%)

2020 census

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As of the 2020 census, there were 40,950 people, 16,095 households, and 9,585 families residing in the county.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 20,227 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 77.79% White, 5.12% African American, 2.93% Native American, 1.55% Asian, 0.25% Pacific Islander, 3.73% from some other races and 8.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 9.52% of the population.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2010 census

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As of the 2010 census, there were 22,398 people, 9,293 households, and 5,746 families in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 10,464 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 92.15% White, 0.28% African American, 4.01% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from some other races and 2.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.95% 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

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Media

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  • The Williston Herald

Communities

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Cities

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Census-designated places

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Other unincorporated communities

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Townships

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File:West Bonetraill, North Dakota.jpg
Scandia Valley Lutheran Church in Bonetraill Township, North Dakota

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  • 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

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Defunct townships

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Politics

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Williams County voters have been reliably Republican for decades. In no national election since 1964 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate. Template:PresHead Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresFoot

Education

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School districts include:<ref name=Schooldistmap2020>Template:Cite web - Text list - This map was made before Williston Public School District 1 and Williams County Public School District 8 merged into Williston Basin School District 7.</ref>

Former districts include:<ref name=Schooldistmap2020/><ref>Template:Cite web - Text list</ref>

See also

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References

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