Bottineau is a city in Bottineau County, North Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Bottineau County and is located just over south of the Canada–United States border. The city's population was 2,194 at the 2020 census.
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 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 also home to Programmer's Broadcasting, which owns and operates KBTO, along with KTZU and KWGO in Minot.
History
thumb|left|upright|Pierre Bottineau
Bottineau was founded in 1883 as Oak Creek as a customs station and an overnight stagecoach stop. The town name was changed to Bottineau in 1884 in honor of Pierre Bottineau a Métis pioneer, hunter, and trapper, who became a successful land speculator.
The town was originally located about 1½ miles (2½ km) north of its current location. The entire town was moved south in 1887 to where the Great Northern Railway was installing new tracks.
The widest tornado on record in North Dakota, at 1.14 miles wide, dropped near Bottineau in 1986. It destroyed a mobile home but did not harm the pregnant woman who was inside.
Geography and climate
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. The elevation is above sea level.
Bottineau has a humid continental climate (Koppen: Dfb) with four seasons and huge differences in temperatures throughout the year. Summers tend to be warm, sometimes hot, and winters are severely cold. On February 13, 2021, the record low temperature of was registered.
Law and government
Bottineau uses the city council style of municipal government. Citizens are divided by location into four wards, who each elect two city council members, for a total of eight.
The current president of the city council is Doug Marsden and the current mayor of the city is Perry Schoenborn. The city council meets on the first Monday of every month in the city's Armory.
Economy
thumb|left|Downtown Bottineau. The "Botno" theater name reflects the local pronunciation of Bottineau.
The economy in Bottineau is based on agriculture and recreational activities.
The city's commercial district consists mainly of small local shops, but a Wal-Mart Supercenter store is now operating within Bottineau; some consider this unusual for a town of such a small size. Bottineau is also home to the Bottineau County Fair, which is the state's oldest county fair.