Pembina

Formed January 1, 1867 (1^st county)

Pembina County (6,832), Cavalier (1,249)

The 1912 tan brick Beaux Arts courthouse serves Pembina County. The facility is located on Courthouse Drive at Dakota Street.  North Dakota State Highway 5 is two blocks north.  Buechner & Orth are the architects.  It features columns with Lady Justice and two eagles over the main entrance.  A County Building augments the courthouse.  An 1881 courthouse was located in Pembina.  Pembina was the county seat until 1911 when Cavalier became the county seat.  The county was formed on January 1, 1867 as the original county.  Pembina County is named for the river which is Native American for the “cranberries” growing on its bank.  The county seat is named for Postmaster, C. T. Cavileer. 

Pembina County government consists of a recorder, a sheriff, an attorney, and a treasurer (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Seven District Court Judges serve Pembina, Benson, Bottineau, Cavalier, McHenry, Pierce, Ramsey, Renville, Rolette, Towner, and Walsh counties and a court clerk serves Pembina County (judicial.)  The county is in the northeast corner of the state on the border with Canada and Minnesota.  Grand Forks, North Dakota is south and Minot, North Dakota is west of the county.  The county center is 13 miles Southeast of Cavalier nearer Glasston.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Canada and Minnesota and Walsh and Cavalier counties. 

The area of the county is 1119 square miles.  It is 32 out of 53 in the state.  It ranks 19 out of 53 in population in the state.  It has a density of 6.1 persons per square mile making it 17 out of 53 in the state.  Pembina County has 64.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 29 originates in the county and heads south into Walsh County.  United States Highway 81 originates and parallels Interstate Highway 29 into Walsh County.  The county is shaped like a rectangle.  Cavalier is located slightly west of center in the county.  Cavalier is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 18.3% of the county population.  The county is pronounced PEM-BEE-NA.  The county seat is pronounced KAV-A-LEER.