Williston, ND: Population, ZIP Codes & Nearby Cities

Looking for facts about Williston? It is a small incorporated city in Williams County, North Dakota, with an estimated 29,844 people according to our dataset. It lies at 48.181°N, 103.636°W in Central time. The sections below cover its size, ZIP codes, neighbors and distances.

What are the key facts about Williston, ND?

What is the population of Williston, ND?

Williston has an estimated population of 29,844. That makes it the 6th largest of 397 places in North Dakota, placing it among the state's ten biggest, and the largest place in its county. The typical place in North Dakota has about 156 residents, so Williston 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 West Fargo (37,058), Dickinson (23,133), Mandan (22,752), Jamestown (15,084), Wahpeton (11,067). Comparing these pages is a quick way to see how Williston differs from communities of the same scale.

How dense is Williston?

Williston has about 1,251 people per square mile (483 per square kilometer), which we classify as suburban. Within North Dakota, it is denser than about 90% of the listed places. Land at this level is usually a mix of single-family neighborhoods, shopping corridors and parks, where driving is common but destinations are close. Read how to interpret population density to see how we draw these lines.

What ZIP codes does Williston use?

The postal data lists 3 ZIP codes for Williston: 58801, 58802, 58803. Several codes in one place usually reflect separate delivery areas, post offices or large buildings with their own code. 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 Williston in?

Williston 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 41 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 Williston located in North Dakota?

Williston lies in the northwestern part of North Dakota, at 48.181° north latitude and 103.636° west longitude. The state capital, Bismarck, is about 164 miles to the southeast. The closest listed place in another state is Sidney, MT, roughly 41 miles to the southwest, which shows how near Williston is to a state line. For big-city services, the nearest place with more than 100,000 people is Billings, MT, 285 miles to the southwest.

Which cities are near Williston, ND?

The closest listed place to Williston is Watford City, ND, 31.2 miles to the southeast. 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 Williston in?

Williston is in Williams County, which has the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) code 38105. The county contains 8 places in our data, 1 of which have their own page here and 7 smaller communities that appear only in county and state lists. Other places in the county include Tioga (1,339), Ray (901), Grenora (332), Wildrose (149), Epping (134). Codes like this one help separate places that share a name; see the guide to counties and FIPS codes.

How far is Williston from major US cities?

Among six major hubs, Williston is closest to Denver, CO at about 585 miles and farthest from New York, NY at about 1,543 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 Williston?

Yes. Our data lists 5 other places named Williston: Williston, FL (3,205), Williston, SC (2,925), Williston, OH (423), Williston, TN (377), Williston, MD (96). When you search for Williston, add the state or county so you land on the right one. This page covers the Williston in Williams County, North Dakota.

Planning a move to Williston?

If you are weighing Williston, 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.