Emmons

Formed February 10, 1879 (26^th county)

Emmons County (3,306), Linton (1,068)

The tan brick Art Deco courthouse was constructed in 1933.  The courthouse is on 4^th Street at St. Paul Avenue.  The facility is on United States Highway 83.  Bugenhagen, Hess & Deeter provided the building designs.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds and prairie life etchings are on the building front.  There was an 1899 wooden courthouse earlier in Linton.  The county was created on February 10, 1879 as the 26^th county.  Emmons County is named for steamboat operator, James Emmons.  Williamsport was the first county seat until 1899.  Linton is named for lawyer, George W. Lynn. 

Emmons County government consists of a recorder, a sheriff, an attorney, and a treasurer (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Seven District Court Judges serve Emmons, Burleigh, Grant, Kidder, Logan, McIntosh, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Oliver, Sheridan, and Sioux counties and a court clerk serves Emmons County (judicial.)  Emmons County is on the southern border with South Dakota.  The Missouri River forms its western border.  Bismarck, North Dakota is north and Fargo, North Dakota is northeast of the county.  The county center is 3.3 miles East of Linton.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Burleigh, Kidder, Logan, and McIntosh counties and South Dakota and Sioux and Morton counties. 

The area of the county is 1510 square miles.  It is 14 out of 53 in the state.  It ranks 33 out of 53 in population in the state.  It has a density of 2.2 persons per square mile making it 42 out of 53 in the state.  Emmons County has 53.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 83 goes north to south in the county from Burleigh County to South Dakota.  The overall county shape is rectangular.  Linton is located slightly south of center in the county.  Linton is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 32.3% of the county population.