Renville

Formed January 4, 1873 (16^th county)

Renville County (2,282), Mohall (699)                

The red/brown brick Modern courthouse was constructed in 1937.  It is situated on Main Street between 1^st and 2^nd avenues.  North Dakota State Highway 5 is Main Street in the town.  E. W. Molander provided the courthouse designs.  The courthouse features faux columns and veteran memorials on the grounds.  Renville County was created on January 4, 1873 as the 16^th county with Mohall as the only county seat.  The county is named for Explorer Joseph Renville.  The county seat is named for city founder, M. O. Hall. 

Renville County government consists of a recorder, a sheriff, an attorney, and a treasurer (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Seven District Court Judges serve Renville, Benson, Bottineau, Cavalier, McHenry, Pembina, Pierce, Ramsey, Rolette, Towner, and Walsh counties and a court clerk serves Renville County (judicial.)  The county is on the northern border with Canada.  Minot, North Dakota is south and Grand Forks, North Dakota is southeast of the county.  The county center is 11.6 miles Southwest of Mohall nearer Loraine.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Canada and Bottineau, McHenry, Ward, and Burke counties. 

The area of the county is 875 square miles.  It is 45 out of 53 in the state.  It ranks 42 out of 53 in population in the state.  It has a density of 2.6 persons per square mile making it 34 out of 53 in the state.  Renville County has 59.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 83 clips the southeast corner of the county from Bottineau County, east, to Ward County, south.  The county is shaped like a capital letter L.  Mohall is located near the northeast border of the county.  Mohall is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 30.6% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced MOE-HAL.  This county is in the Minot Micropolitan Statistical Area.