Map of Golden Valley County, North Dakota

Golden Valley County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,736, making it the fourth-least populous county in North Dakota. The county seat is Beach.

The county should not be confused with the city of Golden Valley, which is located in Mercer County.

Golden Valley County overview:
Name:	Golden Valley County
FIPS code:	38-033
State:	North Dakota
Founded:	1912
Seat:	Beach
Largest city:	Beach
Total Area:	1,002 sq mi (2,600 km²)
Land Area:	1,001 sq mi (2,590 km²)
Total Population:	1,736
Population Density:	1.7/sq mi (0.67/km²)
Time zone:	UTC−7 (Mountain)
Summer Time Zone (DST):	UTC−6 (MDT)
Website:	www.goldenvalleycounty.org

Golden Valley County location map. Where is Golden Valley County?

Golden Valley County location on the U.S. Map. Where is Golden Valley County. — Location of Golden Valley County in the the United States.

Golden Valley County location on the North Dakota map. Where is Golden Valley County. — Location of Golden Valley County in North Dakota.

History

In the general election held November 8, 1910, the voters of Billings County chose to separate the western portion of Billings and form a new county. This result was immediately challenged in court; on September 19, 1912, the ND Supreme Court upheld the election result; therefore the legislature completed the county’s organization on November 13, 1912.

Golden Valley was called ‘Rattlesnake Flats’ by early settlers, due to the large number of the snakes found in the area. The region was dubbed Golden Valley in 1902 after a group of land surveyors noticed that the sunlight gave the surrounding grasses a distinct golden color.

Election controversy

The vote in 1910 to create Golden Valley County was 837 for and 756 against. Shortly after the vote was certified, suit was filed against the Billings County Commission to overturn the result. The plaintiffs alleged that the certification of election was improper, and that certain pre-marked “unofficial” ballots printed by supporters of the new county were cast in place of official ballots, and should be voided. The trial court originally ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. The county appealed to the North Dakota Supreme Court, which upheld the county’s certification of the election. The court also ruled the pre-marked ballots were invalid, but that the number of invalid votes was not sufficient to overturn the election results. The court’s decision upholding the new county was made on September 19, 1912, and Golden Valley was formally organized on November 13, 1912.

Golden Valley County Road Map

Golden Valley CountyStreet Map. — Street map of Golden Valley County, North Dakota. Source: OpenStreetMap (OSM)

Golden Valley CountyMap — Golden Valley Countypolitical map.

Geography

Golden Valley County lies on the west line of North Dakota. Its west boundary line abuts the east boundary line of the state of Montana. Beaver Creek flows east-northeastward through the upper portion of the county, and Little Missouri River flows northeastward through the southeastern corner of the county, with gullies flowing southeastward draining the lower county into the Little Mo River. The county terrain consists of semi-arid hills, dedicated to agriculture in the level areas. The terrain slopes to the east and north, with its highest point on hills at the southwestern corner at 3,251′ (991m) ASL. The county has a total area of 1,002 square miles (2,600 km), of which 1,001 square miles (2,590 km) is land and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km) (0.2%) is water.

Major highways

Interstate 94
North Dakota Highway 16

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Little Missouri National Grassland (part)

Lakes

Bosserman Lake
Camels Hump Lake
Odland Dam