Mercer

Formed January 14, 1875 (24^th county)

Mercer County (8,354), Stanton (367), Beulah (3,057)

The Modern brown brick facility was constructed in 1974.  It is located at Arthur Street and Van Slyek Avenue.  North Dakota State Highway 31 is three blocks to the southwest.  Jack Askew provided the building designs.  It was enlarged in 2017.  It features veteran memorials and a rock wall in front.  There were 1888, 1907, and 1923 versions earlier in Stanton the only county seat.  The county was established on January 14, 1875 as the 24^th county.  Mercer County is named for settler William Henry Mercer.  The county seat is named for the mother of two settlers. 

Mercer County government consists of a recorder, a sheriff, an attorney, and a treasurer (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Seven District Court Judges serve Mercer, Burleigh, Emmons, Grant, Kidder, Logan, McIntosh, McLean, Morton, Oliver, Sheridan, and Sioux counties and a court clerk serves Mercer County (judicial.)  The county is in western North Dakota.  The Missouri River forms its northeast border.  Mercer County is shaped like a small letter r.  Stanton is located on the eastern border of the county.  Beulah is in the western third of the county.  Stanton is the county seat and Beulah is the largest city.  Stanton is 4.4% of the county population while Beulah is 36.6% of the county population.  The county center is 16.1 miles West of Stanton nearer Hazen.  The county is surrounded clockwise by McLean, Oliver, Morton, Stark, and Dunn counties. 

The area of the county is 1045 square miles.  It is 35 out of 53 in the state.  It ranks 17 out of 53 in population in the state.  It has a density of 8.0 persons per square mile making it 14 out of 53 in the state.  Mercer County has 74.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  The largest city is pronounced BUE-LA.