Watford City District Court is McKenzie county's district court in the Northwest judicial district of North Dakota.

Lewis and Clark were known to have passed through the area of McKenzie county around 1805. The early settlers were hunters and trappers who came to take advantage of the bison, bear, elk, pronghorn antelope, mule deer, white-tailed deer, bighorn sheep, beaver, otter, mink, muskrats, wolves, coyotes and wild fowl to be found here. Around 1883 a log cabin was built at the mouth of Cherry Creek on the banks of the Little Missouri River. At the same time Theodore Roosevelt created two ranches here; the Maltese Cross Ranch and the Elkhorn Ranch and the county was formed. However, not until the early 1900's when homesteaders starting staking their claims did real settlement begin. In the Southeastern part of Watford City along Cherry Creek, there is a nature park where you can fish and enjoy nature The pond in this park each year is stocked with a variety of game fish and has a fishing pier and walkway.