Main, North Dakota School of Forestry, Old · National Register of Historic Places
Bottineau’s story
139 years in pictures
1 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1887Bottineau is settled
BottineauND
A town of 2,205, settled in 1887. Home to Dakota College at Bottineau.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Billybob2002 · CC BY 4.0
Population
2,205
−0.8% since 2010
Typical home
$248K
+9.1% in a year
Household income
$66K
median
Median age
35.5
years
Jobs based here
1,108
Balanced
What makes Bottineau stand out
The 3 things Bottineau does most differently from other towns.
College town
11% of Bottineau is in college
College Scorecard · IPEDS
Bottineau’s report card
Now in Bottineau
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Live in Bottineau? Is a B+ for health right?
Your answer becomes a post in Bottineau’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Local news
All →- Bottineau EDC Director Faces Charges for Half a Million Dollars of Missing FundsDakota News Network · Sep 24
- Bottineau EDC director faces felony theft charge, $500,000+ missing from EDC & City of KramerKX News · Sep 23
- Bottineau EDC director charged after audit shows more than half a million dollars missingKFYR-TV · Sep 22
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Bottineau. Another town gets a different order.
Natural hazards
Very low risk, with cold waves at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 5% of U.S. communities.
5risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingWinter weather
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Health
Healthier than 68% of U.S. towns
Bottineau beats the North Dakota average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6.
B+Health Grade
32 measures vs. North Dakota
1 better25 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Bottineau | ND |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.7% | 76.3% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.3% | 10.8% |
St. Andrew's Hospital
0.4 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
46th
percentile among ND towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Climate
Snowy winters, pleasant summers
Bottineau has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to -3°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
50″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter0–19°
Spring28–50°
Summer53–78°
Fall30–52°
Sep 25
typical first frost
May 15
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Schools
Bottineau’s public schools outperform 36% of North Dakota districts
The public schools Bottineau’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 64% of North Dakota’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
C+School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bottineau Elementary School | PK–6 | 351 | B− |
| Bottineau Junior-Senior High School | 7–12 | 320 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within ND on state tests and graduationAll 2 schools →
Work & commute
About one in two working residents works right in Bottineau
42% of Bottineau’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Minot (9%), Bismarck (5%) and Fargo (4%). Half commute less than 11 miles.
42%work in town
Where working residents work
In Bottineau42%
Minot9%
Bismarck5%
Fargo4%
Belcourt3%
11 mi
median commute distance
1,108
jobs based in Bottineau
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Housing
A typical Bottineau home is worth about $248K
The typical Bottineau home is worth about $248,000, up 9.1% in a year, 15% below the North Dakota typical home.
$248KZillow home value
Typical home value
Bottineau$248K
North Dakota$292K
+9.1%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Outdoors
9.5% of Bottineau is conserved land
1.4 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves.
9.5%conserved
9.5%
conserved · 80 of 838 acres
1.4 mi
of trails · 1.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Forestry Park | 0.4 mi | 21 |
| 2. Tommy Turtle Park | — | 14 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
About Bottineau
City in North Dakota, United States
Bottineau is a city in and the county seat of Bottineau County, North Dakota, United States. Located just over ten miles (16 km) south of the Canada–United States border. The population was 2,194 as of the 2020 census, and was estimated at 2,152 in 2025. The city is home to Dakota College at Bottineau. Attractions in Bottineau include the Bottineau Winter Park and "Tommy Turtle," the world's largest turtle, which has become a landmark for the city. Built in 1978 and thirty feet (9 m) in height, the fiberglass turtle is located in the eastern half of the city and was built as a symbol for the nearby Turtle Mountains. The International Peace Garden is nearby to the northeast. Bottineau is als…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1887
- Population
- 2,194
- Area
- 1.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,637 ft
- ZIP code
- 58318
- Area code
- 701
Bottineau’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Bottineau.
WhitteronPickeringBottineau
More about Bottineau
Still missing for Bottineau:archive photosupcoming events