Williams

Formed March 2, 1891 (46^th county)

Williams County (40,950), Williston (29,170)

A Modern concrete and marble building is the Williams County Courthouse.  It was built in 1953 to replace an 1899 facility.  The county began on March 2, 1891 as the 46^th county with Williston the only county seat.  The county is named for Legislator Erastus Appleman Williams.  Williston is named for railroad officer S. Willis James.  The courthouse is on Broadway at 2^nd Avenue.  The courthouse is two blocks east of United States Highway 85 Alternate in the town.  William Kurke and Associated are the building designers.  The building has been enlarged.  An Administration Building is across the street from the courthouse. 

Williams County government consists of a recorder, a sheriff, an attorney, and a treasurer (executive).  It has 5 Commissioners (legislative.)  Six District Court Judges serve Williams, Divide, and McKenzie counties and a court clerk serves Williams County (judicial.)  The county is located on the northwest border with Montana.  Minot, North Dakota is east and Bismarck, North Dakota is southeast of the county.  The Missouri River forms its southern border.  The county center is 33.2 miles Northeast of Williston nearer Epping.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Divide, Burke, Mountrail, and McKenzie counties and Montana. 

The area of the county is 2071 square miles.  It is 4 out of 53 in the state.  It ranks 5 out of 53 in population in the state.  It has a density of 19.8 persons per square mile making it 6 out of 53 in the state.  Williams County has 79.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 2 passes through the county from east to west from Mountrail County to Montana.  United States Highway 85 goes north to south from Divide County to McKenzie County.  The county looks like the plug end of an electrical cord.  Williston is located on the southwest border of the county.  Williston is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 71.2% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced WIL-LIS-TON.  This county is in the Williston Micropolitan Statistical Area.