Williston, North Dakota | |
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 Business district of Williston, 2008 | |
 Flag  Logo | |
 Location of Williston, North Dakota | |
  Williston, North Dakota Location within theUnited States | |
| Coordinates:48°10′53″N103°37′41″W / 48.18139°N 103.62806°W /48.18139; -103.62806 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Dakota |
| County | Williams |
| Founded | 1887 |
| Incorporated (village) | 1894 |
| Incorporated (city) | 1904 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Howard Klug |
| Area | |
• City | 25.875 sq mi (67.016 km2) |
| • Land | 25.734 sq mi (66.652 km2) |
| • Water | 0.141 sq mi (0.365 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,916 ft (584 m) |
| Population | |
• City | 29,160 |
• Estimate (2023)[5] | 27,706 |
| • Density | 1,076.6/sq mi (415.69/km2) |
| • Urban | 29,510[2] |
| • Metro | 39,113 (US:324th) |
| Time zone | UTC–6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC–5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 58801, 58802 |
| Area code | 701 |
| FIPS code | 38-86220 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1036335[3] |
| Highways | US 85,US 85 Bus.,US 2,US 2 Bus.,ND 1804 |
| Sales tax | 8.0%[6] |
| Website | cityofwilliston.com |
Williston is a city in and thecounty seat ofWilliams County, North Dakota, United States.[7] The2020 census[4] gave its population as 29,160, making Williston thesixth-most populous city in North Dakota. The city's population nearly doubled between 2010 and 2020, due largely to theNorth Dakota oil boom.
Williston's newspaper is the weeklyWilliston Herald. Williston is the home ofWilliston State College and theMiss North Dakota Scholarship Pageant.
Founded in 1887, Williston was named forDaniel Willis James, a merchant and capitalist, by his friend, railroad magnateJames J. Hill.[8][9][10]
In 1907 Williston was the site of a rolling cyclone that killed two people.[11]
Williston is located at the crossroads of U.S.Highways 2 and85, near the confluence of theYellowstone andMissouri rivers, at the upper end of theLake Sakakawea.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 25.875 square miles (67.02 km2), of which 25.734 square miles (66.65 km2) is land and 0.141 square miles (0.37 km2) is water.[1]
Themunicipality is 18 miles (29 km) from theMontana-North Dakota border and 60 miles (97 km) from theCanadian border.[12]
Williston has acold semi-arid climate; closely bordering upon awarm-summer humid continental climate. It is part of USDAHardiness zone 4a.[13] The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from 11.5 °F (−11.4 °C) in January to 70.4 °F (21.3 °C) in July.[14] On average, there are 2 days that reach 100 °F (38 °C) or higher, 22 days of 90 °F (32 °C)+ highs, 39 days with a low of 0 °F (−18 °C) or below, 7 days with lows plummeting to at least −20 °F (−29 °C), and 6 days that do not rise above 0 °F annually.[14] The average window for freezing temperatures is September 20 through May 21,[14] allowing a growing season of 121 days; . Extreme temperatures officially range from −50 °F (−46 °C) on December 23, 1983 andFebruary 16, 1936 up to 110 °F (43 °C) onJuly 5, 1936; the record cold daily maximum is −29 °F (−34 °C) on January 16, 1930, while, conversely, the record warm daily minimum is 78 °F (26 °C) last set July 19, 1974.[14]
Precipitation is greatest in June and July and averages 14.88 in (378 mm) annually, but has ranged from 6.13 in (156 mm) in 1934 to 22.04 in (560 mm) in 1896.[14] Snowfall averages 48.2 in (122 cm) per season, and has historically ranged from 8.0 in (20 cm) in 1908–1909 to 107.2 in (272 cm) in 2010–2011;[14] the average window for measurable (≥0.1 in or 0.25 cm) snowfall is October 21 through April 26, although snow in May occurs at most several times per decade and September snow is a much rarer event.[14] Due to the relative aridity, there are only 3.9 days per season where 24-hour snowfall exceeds 3 in (7.6 cm).[15]
| Climate data for Williston, North Dakota (1991–2020 normals,[a] extremes 1894–present[b] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 58 (14) | 66 (19) | 84 (29) | 92 (33) | 106 (41) | 108 (42) | 110 (43) | 108 (42) | 104 (40) | 93 (34) | 76 (24) | 63 (17) | 110 (43) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 44.0 (6.7) | 46.7 (8.2) | 65.1 (18.4) | 79.0 (26.1) | 86.6 (30.3) | 93.5 (34.2) | 98.0 (36.7) | 98.9 (37.2) | 93.3 (34.1) | 80.3 (26.8) | 60.4 (15.8) | 46.1 (7.8) | 100.6 (38.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 22.1 (−5.5) | 26.7 (−2.9) | 40.1 (4.5) | 55.6 (13.1) | 67.4 (19.7) | 76.7 (24.8) | 84.5 (29.2) | 83.9 (28.8) | 72.6 (22.6) | 55.9 (13.3) | 38.4 (3.6) | 26.1 (−3.3) | 54.2 (12.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 11.6 (−11.3) | 16.1 (−8.8) | 28.8 (−1.8) | 42.4 (5.8) | 53.8 (12.1) | 63.5 (17.5) | 70.4 (21.3) | 69.0 (20.6) | 58.0 (14.4) | 43.2 (6.2) | 27.8 (−2.3) | 16.1 (−8.8) | 41.7 (5.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 1.0 (−17.2) | 5.5 (−14.7) | 17.5 (−8.1) | 29.2 (−1.6) | 40.2 (4.6) | 50.2 (10.1) | 56.3 (13.5) | 54.0 (12.2) | 43.5 (6.4) | 30.4 (−0.9) | 17.1 (−8.3) | 6.1 (−14.4) | 29.3 (−1.5) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −25.8 (−32.1) | −19.5 (−28.6) | −7.6 (−22.0) | 12.6 (−10.8) | 24.4 (−4.2) | 37.5 (3.1) | 45.1 (7.3) | 40.9 (4.9) | 27.2 (−2.7) | 12.0 (−11.1) | −4.6 (−20.3) | −19.8 (−28.8) | −29.2 (−34.0) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −42 (−41) | −50 (−46) | −35 (−37) | −15 (−26) | 10 (−12) | 26 (−3) | 34 (1) | 32 (0) | 13 (−11) | −9 (−23) | −27 (−33) | −50 (−46) | −50 (−46) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 0.56 (14) | 0.48 (12) | 0.63 (16) | 1.05 (27) | 2.10 (53) | 2.64 (67) | 2.48 (63) | 1.57 (40) | 1.36 (35) | 0.94 (24) | 0.67 (17) | 0.63 (16) | 15.11 (384) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 11.2 (28) | 6.7 (17) | 6.4 (16) | 3.7 (9.4) | 0.9 (2.3) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 2.6 (6.6) | 6.3 (16) | 10.4 (26) | 48.2 (122) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 7.6 | 7.1 | 7.4 | 8.3 | 9.9 | 12.3 | 9.2 | 8.7 | 7.5 | 6.9 | 6.8 | 8.5 | 100.2 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 9.8 | 6.9 | 6.0 | 2.7 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.9 | 5.8 | 8.8 | 42.8 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 71.3 | 75.6 | 72.5 | 61.4 | 58.5 | 59.6 | 56.1 | 54.9 | 61.1 | 65.2 | 74.9 | 77.1 | 66.1 |
| Averagedew point °F (°C) | 3.4 (−15.9) | 10.0 (−12.2) | 19.9 (−6.7) | 28.6 (−1.9) | 38.8 (3.8) | 48.6 (9.2) | 52.2 (11.2) | 49.5 (9.7) | 41.2 (5.1) | 31.1 (−0.5) | 19.6 (−6.9) | 7.5 (−13.6) | 29.2 (−1.6) |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 144.5 | 169.7 | 227.3 | 250.3 | 297.9 | 326.0 | 366.3 | 331.5 | 249.5 | 197.1 | 122.2 | 125.5 | 2,807.8 |
| Percentagepossible sunshine | 53 | 59 | 62 | 61 | 63 | 68 | 76 | 75 | 66 | 59 | 44 | 48 | 63 |
| Source:NOAA (relative humidity and dew point 1962–1990, sun 1961–1990)[c][14][15][17] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 295 | — | |
| 1900 | 763 | 158.6% | |
| 1910 | 3,124 | 309.4% | |
| 1920 | 4,178 | 33.7% | |
| 1930 | 5,106 | 22.2% | |
| 1940 | 5,790 | 13.4% | |
| 1950 | 7,398 | 27.8% | |
| 1960 | 11,866 | 60.4% | |
| 1970 | 11,230 | −5.4% | |
| 1980 | 13,336 | 18.8% | |
| 1990 | 13,136 | −1.5% | |
| 2000 | 12,512 | −4.8% | |
| 2010 | 14,716 | 17.6% | |
| 2020 | 29,160 | 98.2% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 27,706 | [5] | −5.0% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[18] 2020 Census[4] | |||
Williston is in northwestern North Dakota's booming oil patch, where adequate, affordable housing has become a concern since the 2010s.[19] According to a February 2014 article inBusiness Insider, Williston had the highestapartment rents in the United States.[20] The 2010 census counted a population of 14,716, up from 12,680 in 2000, but the number of residents was possibly significantly higher since the count did not include those living in temporary housing. In September 2011, the mayor estimated the actual population to be 20,000 persons.[21] The aforementioned 2014Business Insider story estimated that the population was over 30,000.[20]
As of the 2022American Community Survey, there are 11,410 estimated households in Williston with an average of 2.39 persons per household. The city has a median household income of $80,352. Approximately 7.4% of the city's population lives at or below thepoverty line. Williston has an estimated 76.8% employment rate, with 25.8% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 89.8% holding a high school diploma.[22]
The top nine reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were German (18.0%), Norwegian (15.5%), English (4.5%), Irish (4.5%), Subsaharan African (2.9%), Polish (2.4%), French (except Basque) (2.1%), Scottish (1.3%), and Italian (0.8%).
The median age in the city was 31.4 years.
| Race / ethnicity(NH = non-Hispanic) | Pop. 2000[23] | Pop. 2010[24] | Pop. 2020[25] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 11,622 | 13,428 | 21,049 | 92.89% | 91.25% | 72.18% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 15 | 47 | 1,912 | 0.12% | 0.32% | 6.56% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 453 | 471 | 691 | 3.62% | 3.20% | 2.37% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 30 | 47 | 545 | 0.24% | 0.32% | 1.87% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 2 | 4 | 96 | 0.02% | 0.03% | 0.33% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 0 | 2 | 104 | 0.00% | 0.01% | 0.36% |
| Mixed race or multiracial (NH) | 236 | 389 | 1,600 | 1.89% | 2.64% | 5.49% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 154 | 328 | 3,163 | 1.23% | 2.23% | 10.85% |
| Total | 12,512 | 14,716 | 29,160 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the2020 census, there were 29,160 people, 11,706 households, and 6,570 families residing in the city.[26] Thepopulation density was 1,258.7 inhabitants per square mile (486.0/km2). There were 14,417 housing units at an average density of 622.3 inhabitants per square mile (240.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 75.10%White, 6.72%African American, 2.62%Native American, 1.93%Asian, 0.33%Pacific Islander, 4.33% from some other races and 8.96% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 10.85% of the population.[27] 28.9% of residents were under the age of 18, 8.9% were under 5 years of age, and 7.9% were 65 and older.
As of the2010 census, there were 14,716 people, 6,180 households, and 3,589 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,962.1 inhabitants per square mile (757.6/km2). There were 6,542 housing units at an average density of 872.3 per square mile (336.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 92.65%White, 0.35%African American, 3.32%Native American, 0.33%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 0.35% from some other races and 2.98% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.23% of the population.
There were 6,180 households, of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% weremarried couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.9% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.99.
The median age in the city was 35.5 years. 23.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 10% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.7% were from 25 to 44; 25.4% were from 45 to 64; and 14.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.0% male and 49.0% female.
As of the2000 census, there were 12,512 people, 5,255 households, and 3,205 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,794.1 inhabitants per square mile (692.7/km2). There were 5,912 housing units at an average density of 847.7 inhabitants per square mile (327.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.69%White, 0.17%African American, 3.65%Native American, 0.24%Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 0.17% from some other races and 2.06% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.23% of the population.
The six leading ancestry groups in the city areNorwegian (47.8%),German (31.6%),Irish (9.6%),English (5.8%),Swedish (4.5%),Dutch (4.3%) andFrench (4.0%).
There were 5,255 households, of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% weremarried couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.96.
The age distribution was 25.6% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $29,962, and the median income for a family was $38,713. Males had a median income of $29,578 versus $18,879 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $16,656. About 11.3% of families and 13.4% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 19.1% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.
Williston's economy, while historically based in agriculture and especially ranching, is increasingly being driven by the oil industry. TheWilliston Basin, named after the town, is a huge subterranean geologic feature known for its rich deposits ofpetroleum,coal, andpotash.
Williston developed over theBakken formation, which by the end of 2012 was predicted to be producing more oil than any other site in the United States, surpassing even Alaska'sPrudhoe Bay, the longtime leader in domestic output in the nation.[28] The oil boom has been spurred here by the development of new technologies—such asfracking—which enabled extraction from areas previously inaccessible.
In 1995, theU.S. Geological Survey estimated that there were 150 million barrels of oil "technically recoverable" from the Bakken shale. In April 2008, the number was said to be about four billion barrels; in 2010 geologists atContinental Resources, the major drilling operation in North Dakota, estimated the reserve at eight billion. In March 2012, after the discovery of a lower shelf of oil, it announced a possible 24 billion barrels. Although current technology allows for extraction of only about 6% of the oil trapped 0.99–1.99 mi (1.6–3.2 km) beneath the earth's surface, recoverable oil might eventually exceed 500 billion barrels.[28]
Williston has seen a huge increase in population and infrastructure investments during the last several years with expanded drilling using the fracking petroleum extraction technique in the Bakken Formation andThree Forks Groups.[29] Examples of oil industry-related infrastructure investments are the multi-acre branch campus ofBaker Hughes and the Sand Creek Retail Center.
A major regionalgrain elevator is served by theBNSF Railway. Williston's livestock arena has weekly auctions.
Forts Union andBuford, as well as the nearbyconfluence of theYellowstone andMissouri Rivers west of the city, associated with the history of theLewis and Clark Expedition and development of the fur trade and frontier—are destinations for area tourism. Williston is also comparatively close to the North Unit ofTheodore Roosevelt National Park.
Sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places include:
The first Williston Public Library was completed in town in 1911, opening February 27, 1911, and it operated as the only facility until 1983. In the early 1990s the city began to address the issue of probable demolition of this aged building to replace it with one meeting modern needs.[citation needed] Williston Public Library serves as the public library for all of Williams County. The library also has a bookmobile that serves rural schools and retirement home communities.[33]
TheWilliston Basin School District 7 serves the entire city, withWilliston High School as its public high school.
Previously the majority of the city limits was inWilliston Public School District 1 while some parts were inWilliams County Public School District 8 (formerly New Public School District 8, elementary only).[38] The two districts merged into Williston Basin on July 1, 2021.[39]
Trinity Christian School is a private K–12 school, and St. Joseph Catholic School (of theRoman Catholic Diocese of Bismarck) a private K–6 school.[citation needed]
Williston State College was founded in 1961 as the University of North Dakota—Williston. It is a two-year public college in the North Dakota University System. Students can earn associate degrees, and transfer to the state universities offering four-year programs and degrees.
Williston Basin International Airport opened in 2019, replacingSloulin Field International Airport.[40]
Amtrak servesa station in Williston via itsEmpire Builder, a once-daily train in each direction betweenPortland, Oregon/Seattle, Washington, andChicago.
US 2 runs through the city.US 85 bypasses the city to the northwest, andUS 85B bypasses the city to the northeast.ND 1804 runs through the southern portion of the city.
Demand response service is provided by Northwest Dakota Public Transit.[41] There is no fixed-route bus service in the city.[citation needed]
Williston clinics include Craven-Hagan Clinic, Fairlight Medical Center, and Trinity Community Clinic-Western Dakota.[citation needed]
Mercy Medical Center provides 24-hour emergency and trauma care, and features the Leonard P. Nelson Family Cancer Treatment Center.[42]
Municipalities and communities ofWilliams County, North Dakota,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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