Newcomer 101

It’s hard moving to a new place. A lot of us in Williams County moved here from other parts of the country or world too, so we get it! It’s tough to get acclimated when you don’t even know who to call to hook up your internet, where to get groceries or how to get your water connected.

Don’t worry, we’ve got you fam! Williams County is where every newbie can feel right at home! We’ve got everything you need, from utilities to updating your driver’s licenses to finding the local news in the handy-dandy links that follow.

Image: Walt's Market in Williston, cr: Walt's Market

Resources

Banking 

Williams County is home to several local, regional and national banks so you can protect and grow your nest egg! 

Grenora  

Ray  

Tioga  

Williston  

Family, Health, & Home Public Assistance

The North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services administers the following public assistance programs:

  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
  • Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)
  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Assistance/SNAP)
  • Health Care Coverage (HCC)
  • Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

Check your Eligibility

Learn More

Contact the Customer Support Center or the North Star Human Service Zone for assistance.

Grocery Stores and Markets

Everybody’s gotta eat! With multiple grocery stores and markets across the County, you’re sure to find what you need from fresh produce, to gourmet ingredients to midnight snacks!

Williams County is also home to several stops for the Great Plains Food Bank Mobile Food Pantry, which makes their rounds throughout the year to provide fresh and shelf-stable items to the community. Check out their schedule online for up-to-date information about where they are headed next. For a comprehensive list of food pantries, including hours, locations, and any documentation required, please visit the Great Plains Food Bank website.

Ray

Grocery

Tioga

Grocery

Williston

Grocery

Farmer’s Market

 

QUICK TIP:  Many of the gas stations and convenience stores sell the essentials if you just need a quick stop for milk, bread and eggs.

Health Costs & Insurance Assistance

Health Costs

The North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services provides resources for covering healthcare costs for those who are eligible.

Website

ND Medicaid and CHIP

North Dakota provides Medicaid state plan coverage, Medicaid Expansion, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Website

 866-614-6005

ND Navigators

Need help getting set up with health insurance in general? Reach out to the ND Navigators for their services to find the right insurance for you.

Website

Regional Contact: Paula Burckhard
701-858-3071
Paula.Burckhard@MinotStateU.edu

Internet, Television, and Phone

Depending on where you plant your roots, you’ll have a few different options for internet, landline phone service or television. ALL of our communities and rural areas have fantastic high-speed internet for you to work from home, stream your favorite programs, and connect all of your favorite devices.  

  • Midco  
    Serving the Williston Area
    Internet, Phone, Cable TV
  • Nemont 
    Serving Springbrook, Wildrose & Williston
    Internet, Phone and Wireless
  • Northwest Communications Cooperative (NCC): 
    Serving Alamo, Grenora, Epping, Ray, Springbrook, Tioga, Wildrose & Williston
    Internet, Phone, Cable TV, OTT Video and Security 

Local News

There are lots of ways to find out what is happening in Williams County. Though word of mouth and gossip are definitely an option, you can also turn to the local media. There are large and small community newspapers as well as local TV and radio stations, to keep you well-informed and entertained.   

 

QUICK TIP:  Many of the local news entities have social media accounts so you can keep up to date with local, state and national news as it happens on your favorite social media platform.

 

Mail and Shipping Services

Post Offices

Need stamps, to send a package or a post office box? Williams County has several post offices in our communities where the mail must always come through! 

FedEx

You can find a FedEx Ship Center in Williston as well as several drop boxes. A FedEx drop box is also located in Tioga inside of Farmers Union Oil. Head on over to their online search tool to find the location closest to you.

UPS

The folks in brown at UPS also have several package drop off locations and a UPS Store in Williston and Tioga Hardware is an authorized service provider in Tioga. Find the closest location to you with their online search tool.

 

QUICK TIP:  You can buy stamps, print labels, track packages and more online at USPS.com.  

Public Housing Assistance

Housing Stabilization

This program administered by the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services is intended to assist those who are experiencing homelessness or are at imminent risk of eviction.

Website

Williston Housing Authority

The Williston Housing Authority administers low income housing for qualifying low income elderly, disabled, and family households as well as the Housing Choice Voucher Program for Williams County.

Resource Link

Facebook Page

Transportation

Depending on where you live, there are a couple of options for local transportation. There are two options in Williams County!

NW Public Transit(Williston Council for Aging)

Wildrose Public Transit

QUICK TIP: Use the NDDOT’s Transit Provider Map to find the best transportation option for you! With this map you can  find information about the public transportation providers in your area.

 

Vehicle Registration and Drivers Licenses

If you’re coming to Williams County from out of state, getting a North Dakota drivers license and vehicle registration should be on your to-do list. ND law provides a 60-day grace period to get your new license, and 90 days to get your vehicles registered (and your fancy new North Dakota license plates)! 

If you are coming from another location in North Dakota, you’ll want to make sure you update your drivers license address; you can easily do that online.

The Williston Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) provides vehicle registration and title service (as well as passports), and the Department of Transportation provides drivers license service. Both have offices in Williston, as well as multiple other locations across the state. Be sure to make an appointment! 

 

QUICK TIP:  Once you’ve got your North Dakota license and registration, renewals can be done at one of several kiosk locations, including two in Williston and one in Tioga.

Voter Registration

North Dakota does not have voter registration, however you must have an acceptable form of identification to vote in an election. Acceptable forms of identification include:

  • North Dakota Driver’s license
  • North Dakota Nondriver’s identification card
  • Tribal government issued identification (including those issued by BIA for a tribe located in North Dakota, any other tribal agency or entity, or any other document that sets forth the tribal member’s name, date of birth, and current North Dakota residential address)
  • Long term care identification certificate (provided by North Dakota facility)

For more information about voter identification, including special circumstances, please visit the Secretary of State’s Office website.

The Williams County Auditor’s Office administers primary, general and special county, state, and federal elections. June Primary Elections include city elections. School Districts administer their own elections. Elections are normally held every two years on even years.

Water, Sewer, Gas & Electric

Again, the location of your humble abode will determine who you’ll need to talk to about setting up water, sewer, gas and/or electric service. Your best bet is to reach out to the City you will be living in to get scoop.   

In most cases, electricity will be provided by either Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative or Montana Dakota Utilities (MDU). Water service will be provided by your local city or by one of the rural water districts serving the area (Northwest Rural Water District or R&T Water District). Cities (if living in town) will also likely handle sewer. For communities that offer natural gas, that will be through MDU. 

QUICK TIP:  Some of our more rural areas may not have city sewer or natural gas service available. In those cases, your property will likely have a septic tank (for sewer) and a propane tank (for gas for heating, water heater, appliances, etc.) In those situations, you’ll want to talk to a local plumber and/or HVAC professional to get the run down on how those systems operate – and everything you need to know! 

Close window