Bottineau is a city in Bottineau County, North Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Bottineau County] and is located just over ten miles south of the Canada–United States border.
The city is home to Dakota College at Bottineau. Attractions in Bottineau include the Bottineau Winter Park and "Tommy Turtle", the world's largest turtle, which has become a landmark for the city. Built in 1978 and standing 30 feet tall, the fiberglass turtle is located in the eastern half of the city and was built as a symbol for the nearby Turtle Mountains
Bottineau was founded in 1883 as Oak Creek as a customs station and an overnight stagecoach stop. The town name was changed to Bottineau in 1884 in honor of Pierre Bottineau (c.1814-1895), a Métis pioneer, hunter, and trapper who became a successful land speculator.
The town was originally located about 1.5 miles north of its current location. The entire town was moved south in 1887 to where the Great Northern Railway was installing new tracks.
In 2012 a new chalet called Annie's House was built in Bottineau Winter Park (16 km North of Bottineau). The facility will be North Dakota's first ski facility for handicapped children and wounded veterans. It is being built to honor Ann Nicole Nelson, who was the only North Dakotan to die in the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City.