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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Alexander
Alexander, North Dakota
Stop for the Lewis and Clark Trail Museum (Memorial Day–Labor Day) and a night if you are driving US-85; skip the town itself in winter.
Alexander is a small town of about 220 people on US Highway 85 in the North Dakota Badlands, near the west end of Lake Sakakawea. Its one draw is the Lewis and Clark Trail Museum, open only from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Most travellers pass through on the way to Theodore Roosevelt National Park or Williston; a stop of two to three hours, or one night, is enough.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Alexander, North Dakota
- Best months
- Jun–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (cold, museum closed)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $60–100 excl. bed · Mid $100–160 excl. bed · High $160+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · North Dakota Highway Patrol (non-emergency) 701-328-2455 · Poison Control 1-800-222-1222
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $2–4 |
| Diner breakfast | $10–16 |
| Burger and fries | $12–18 |
| Museum entry (adult) | $2 (check) |
| Gallon of fuel | $3.00–3.60 (check) |
| Motel room, Watford City | $90–160 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- XWA · Williston Basin International
- About 20 miles north via US-85; rental cars at the airport (check)
- DIK · Dickinson Theodore Roosevelt Regional
- About 2 h south; alternative for the Badlands loop (check)
Typical fares
- Fuel, Alexander → Watford City and back
- about $8–12 (check)
- Rental car, one day from XWA
- $50–130 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The town is walkable in 10–15 minutes. Everything outside it — the museum is on the north edge, the river a few miles north — needs a car. No public transport; fuel and groceries are in Watford City.
See and do
Known for
- Lewis and Clark Trail Museum
- US-85 Badlands corridor
- Lake Sakakawea and the Missouri River
- Oil-boom crossroads near Watford City
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Unit | US-85 north to Watford City, then US-85 north to the park entrance | About 1 h 15 min |
| Williston | US-85 north, about 20 miles | About 30 min |
| Watford City | US-85 east, about 22 miles | About 30 min |
| Medora and the South Unit | US-85 south to Belfield, then I-94 west | About 2 h |
| Bowman | US-85 south, then ND-22 and US-12 west | About 3 h |
Sleep
- Alexander town centre
- One small inn on Elk St with RV hookups; book ahead in summer.
- City Park campground
- Primitive camping; no hookups — bring water.
- Watford City
- About 22 miles east on US-85; the nearest full range of motels and services.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the museum? | Where is the Lewis and Clark Trail Museum? |
| Is it open today? | Are you open today? |
| How far to Watford City? | How far is it to Watford City? |
| Can I pay by card? | Do you take cards? |
| Where is the nearest gas station? | Where is the nearest gas station? |
| Thank you | Thank you |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- The museum is open Memorial Day to Labor Day only; outside that window there is nothing to visit.
- Distances are long and cell coverage is patchy between towns: fill the tank in Watford City or Williston.
- Winter brings snow, ice and wind chill well below −20 °C; summer storms can bring hail.
- No rideshare and no taxi: without a car you are stuck.
Low crime, high exposure: the real risks are winter driving, long empty stretches of US-85 and summer heat with no shade. Carry water, keep the tank above half and tell someone your route.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Alexander yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Lewis and Clark Trail Museum
- US-85 Badlands corridor
- Lake Sakakawea and the Missouri River
- Oil-boom crossroads near Watford City
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- North Dakota Tourism: www.ndtourism.com/
- Wikivoyage: Alexander, revision 4357967 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4357967
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
AlexanderAlexander, North Dakota
Please take me to this address
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- North Dakota Highway Patrol (non-emergency)701-328-2455
- Poison Control1-800-222-1222
No consulates in North Dakota; nearest consulates are in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Emergency help: 911.
Tipping: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/alexander). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.