Bismarck is the capital of North Dakota, named for German statesman Otto von Bismarck.
The settlement was founded in 1872 beside the Missouri River by the Northern Pacific Railway. It was initially called Edwinton, honoring Edwin Ferry Johnson, a Northern Pacific engineer. The name changed to Bismarck in 1873 as the railroad sought German investment and publicity by honoring Otto von Bismarck, who was then chancellor of the German Empire.
Bismarck became the capital of Dakota Territory in 1883, when the territorial government moved there from Yankton. North Dakota entered the Union in 1889, and Bismarck continued as its capital. Its Missouri River location helped make it an important transportation and administrative center.
Fargo is North Dakota’s largest city by population, but it is not the capital. Bismarck is also distinct from the German capital Berlin; its name honors a statesman rather than a country or geographic region.