Formed November 8, 1910 (49th county)
Divide County (2,202), Crosby (1,069)
The tan brick structure sits at the intersection of Main Street and 2nd Avenue. North Dakota State Highway 5 is seven blocks southwest of the site. The Beaux Arts and Classical Revival courthouse was erected in 1917. The courthouse architects were Buechner and Orth. It features columns and a tower with working clock. Veteran memorials are on the grounds. Divide County was created on November 8, 1910 from Williams County as the 49th county. Crosby has always been the county seat. The county is named for being “divided” from Williams County. Crosby is named for local businessman S. A. Crosby.
Divide County government consists of a recorder, a sheriff, an attorney, and a treasurer (executive). It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.) Six District Court Judges serve Divide, McKenzie, and Williams counties and a court clerk serves Divide County (judicial.) The county is located in the northwest corner of the state. Canada and Montana border the county. Minot, North Dakota is southeast and Bismarck, North Dakota is also southeast of the county. The county center is 23.6 miles Southwest of Crosby nearer Ambrose. The county is surrounded clockwise by Canada and Burke and Williams counties and Montana.
The area of the county is 1259 square miles. It is 24 out of 53 in the state. It ranks 44 out of 53 in population in the state. It has a density of 1.7 persons per square mile making it 48 out of 53 in the state. Divide County has 57.0% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 85 originates and heads south into Williams County. The county is a rectangle. Crosby is located in the northeast quarter of the county. Crosby is the county seat and the largest city. It is 48.6% of the county population.
Ambrose
Crosby
Fortuna
Noonan
