Watford City, ND: Population, ZIP Codes & Nearby Cities

Looking for facts about Watford City? It is an incorporated town-sized municipality in McKenzie County, North Dakota, with an estimated 7,835 people according to our dataset. It lies at 47.803°N, 103.268°W in Central time. The sections below cover its size, ZIP codes, neighbors and distances.

What are the key facts about Watford City, ND?

What is the population of Watford City, ND?

Watford City has an estimated population of 7,835. That makes it the 11th largest of the 397 places we list in North Dakota, and the largest place in its county. The typical place in North Dakota has about 156 residents, so Watford City is many dozens of times larger than a typical place in the state.

Estimates for places of this size carry wider margins of error than those for big cities, so treat the figure as a guide to scale. Our guide to understanding city population numbers explains why sources disagree.

Places in North Dakota with a similar population include Jamestown (15,084), Wahpeton (11,067), Devils Lake (7,631), Valley City (6,423), Minot AFB (5,312). Comparing these pages is a quick way to see how Watford City differs from communities of the same scale.

How dense is Watford City?

Watford City has about 878 people per square mile (339 per square kilometer), which we classify as small-town or exurban. Within North Dakota, it is denser than about 79% of the listed places. Homes at this level are spread out with larger lots, and most daily trips involve a car, though a small central area may still be walkable. Read how to interpret population density to see how we draw these lines.

What ZIP codes does Watford City use?

Watford City uses one ZIP code: 58854. A single code usually means a compact delivery area, but the same code may also serve addresses just outside the town line. Codes beginning with 5 are assigned to the Upper Midwest and northern Plains (Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, the Dakotas and Wisconsin). Learn more in our guide to how ZIP codes work or check any code with the ZIP code lookup.

What time zone is Watford City in?

Watford City is in the Central time zone, which is UTC−6 from Coordinated Universal Time in standard time (IANA zone America/Chicago). The area observes daylight saving time, so clocks move forward in March and back in November. The nearest listed place in a different time zone is Sidney, MT, about 42 miles away, which gives a sense of how far the nearest zone boundary may be. Current local time: see the Central time hub. For the rules behind these zones, read US time zones explained.

Where is Watford City located in North Dakota?

Watford City lies in the western part of North Dakota, at 47.803° north latitude and 103.268° west longitude. The state capital, Bismarck, is about 136 miles to the southeast. The closest listed place in another state is Sidney, MT, roughly 42 miles to the west, which shows how near Watford City is to a state line. For big-city services, the nearest place with more than 100,000 people is Billings, MT, 286 miles to the southwest.

Which cities are near Watford City, ND?

The closest listed place to Watford City is Williston, ND, 31.2 miles to the northwest. Of the eight nearest places below, 0 are in the same county. Distances are straight-line (great-circle) miles measured between place centers; see how distance is calculated.

Which county is Watford City in?

Watford City is in McKenzie County, which has the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) code 38053. The county contains 6 places in our data, 1 of which have their own page here and 5 smaller communities that appear only in county and state lists. Other places in the county include Mandaree (544), Alexander (375), Four Bears Village (309), Arnegard (175), East Fairview (37). Codes like this one help separate places that share a name; see the guide to counties and FIPS codes.

How far is Watford City from major US cities?

Among six major hubs, Watford City is closest to Denver, CO at about 561 miles and farthest from New York, NY at about 1,522 miles in a straight line. Road distances are usually 10 to 30 percent longer. Try the distance calculator for any other pair.

Are there other places called Watford City?

No. In our data, Watford City in McKenzie County, North Dakota is the only place with this name, so the name alone is enough to identify it, though adding the state is still good practice in addresses and forms.

Planning a move to Watford City?

If you are weighing Watford City, start with the practical numbers: how far it is from where you live, whether it changes your time zone, and how its size and density compare with your current city. Use the distance calculator to measure the trip from where you live. The radius search tool lists every place within any distance of it. Our checklist for comparing cities explains what to check next.

Where to go next

Population and density come from a compiled dataset and are estimates. They may differ from official Census Bureau counts. Verify important figures at census.gov.