Eddy

Formed March 31, 1885 (42^nd county)

Eddy County (2,338), New Rockford (1,359)

The red brick and stone courthouse was built in 1899.  It is located on Central Avenue between 5^th and 6^th streets.  United States Highway 281 is five blocks to the east of the courthouse.  M. J. Moran provided the Classical Revival and Federalist designs.  It features a tower.  Eddy County was organized on March 31, 1885 as the 42^nd county with New Rockford as the only county seat.  The county is named for banker, Ezra B. Eddy.  The county seat is named for Rockford, Illinois. 

Eddy County government consists of a recorder, a sheriff, an attorney, and a treasurer (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Seven District Court Judges serve Eddy, Barnes, Dickey, Foster, Griggs, LaMoure, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Stutsman, and Wells counties and a court clerk serves Eddy County (judicial.)  The county is in eastern North Dakota.  Grand Forks, North Dakota is east and Bismarck, North Dakota is southwest of the county.  The county center is 12.6 miles East of New Rockford nearer Brantford.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Benson, Nelson, Griggs, Foster, and Wells counties. 

The area of the county is 632 square miles.  It is 53 out of 53 in the state.  It ranks 39 out of 53 in population in the state.  It has a density of 3.7 persons per square mile making it 27 out of 53 in the state.  Eddy County has 66.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 281 crosses through the county from north to south from Benson County to Foster County.  The county is an overall rectangle.  New Rockford is located in the southwest quarter of the county.  New Rockford is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 58.1% of the county population.  The county is pronounced ED-DEE.