Bottineau

Formed January 4, 1873 (3^rd county)

Bottineau County (6,378), Bottineau (2,192)

The Modern concrete courthouse was erected in 1976 using the designs of Brunner, Hoefel, Torno & Nester.  It is located on a square at 4^th, Ohmer, 5^th, and Bennett streets.  The courthouse is six blocks north of North Dakota State Highway 5.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  There was a 1901 facility earlier in Bottineau, the only county seat.  The county was established on January 4, 1873 as the 3^rd county.  The county and county seat are named for frontiersman, Pierre Bottineau. 

Bottineau County government consists of a recorder, a sheriff, an attorney, and a treasurer (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Seven District Court Judges serve Bottineau, Benson, Cavalier, McHenry, Pembina, Pierce, Ramsey, Renville, Rolette, Towner, and Walsh counties and a court clerk serves Bottineau County (judicial.)  The county is on the northern border of the state across from Canada.  Minot, North Dakota is southwest and Grand Forks, North Dakota is southeast of the county.  The county center is 17.1 miles West-Southwest of Bottineau nearer Kramer.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Canada and Rolette, Pierce, McHenry, and Renville counties. 

The area of the county is 1669 square miles.  It is 11 out of 53 in the state.  It ranks 20 out of 53 in population in the state.  It has a density of 3.8 persons per square mile making it 26 out of 53 in the state.  Bottineau County has 51.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 83 originates in the county and heads south into Renville County.  The county looks like a fat capital letter C lying on its face.  The City of Bottineau is located in the eastern quarter of the county.  Bottineau is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 34.4% of the county population.  The county and county seat are pronounced BOE-TI-NOE.