McKenzie County, North Dakota
| McKenzie County, North Dakota | |
|---|---|
 Location in the U.S. state of North Dakota |
|
 North Dakota's location in the U.S. |
|
| Founded | April 20, 1905 |
| Named for | Alexander McKenzie |
| Seat | Watford City |
| Largest city | Watford City |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2,861 sq mi (7,410 km2) |
| • Land | 2,760 sq mi (7,148 km2) |
| • Water | 100 sq mi (259 km2), 3.5% |
| Population (est.) | |
| • (2015) | 12,826 |
| • Density | 2.3/sq mi (1/km²) |
| Congressional district | At-large |
| Time zones |
Central: UTC-6/-5 (northern portion) |
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Mountain: UTC-7/-6 (southern portion) |
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| Website | county |
McKenzie County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2010 census, the population was 6,360. Its county seat is Watford City. Between 2010 and 2015, according to Census Bureau estimates, it was the fastest growing county in the United States, growing 101.7 percent. The county lies immediately adjacent to the Williston Micropolitan Statistical Area, although, technically, by Census Bureau definition, is not a part of it.
McKenzie County was first created by the March 8, 1883 Dakota Territory legislature but eliminated in 1891 due to a lack of settlement. The county was then recreated by the 1905 state legislature, with the county government first organizing on April 20, 1905. The name comes from early North Dakota politician Alexander McKenzie. Before becoming Watford City, the county seat was Alexander from 1905 to 1907 and Schafer from 1907 to 1941.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,861 square miles (7,410 km2), of which 2,760 square miles (7,100 km2) is land and 100 square miles (260 km2) (3.5%) is water. It is the largest county in North Dakota by area.
The McKenzie County landscape features a wide diversity of physical features, ranging from sugarbeet fields bordering the Missouri River at the northwest corner of the county to rugged badlands near the Little Missouri River in the south, where Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the Little Missouri National Grassland are located. Between the two rivers is a large area of prairie, ranging from gentle rolling terrain to rocky, rugged pastures. The southeast corner of the county, bordering on the Little Missouri badlands of neighboring Dunn County, is abundant in wildlife, quaking aspen groves, and bur oak groves, interspersed in places with western red cedar on the north-facing slopes of the badlands.
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