Bismarck, North Dakota Bismarck, North Dakota Bismarck () is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second-most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The city's population was estimated in 2017 at 72,865, while its metropolitan population was 132,142. In 2017, "Forbes" magazine ranked Bismarck as the seventh fastest-growing small city in the United States. Bismarck was founded by European Americans in 1872 on the east bank of the Missouri River. It has been North Dakota's capital city since 1889, when the state was created from the Dakota Territory and admitted
U.S. Route 12 in North Dakota run concurrently for a short distance through the city. U.S. Route 12 in North Dakota U.S. Route 12 (US 12) is a part of the U.S. Highway System that travels from Aberdeen, Washington, to Detroit, Michigan. In the state of North Dakota, US 12 extends from the Montana border east to the South Dakota border. Throughout the state, US 12 is a two-lane undivided highway that runs through Adams, Bowman and Slope counties in southwest North Dakota. The speed limit is on rural segments, with slower posted speeds within the cities of Marmarth, Rhame, Bowman, Scranton and Hettinger. US 12