Adams county, named for a distant relative of President John Quincy Adams, is located in southwestern North Dakota with Hettinger serving as the county seat. Adams was the General Land and Townsite Agent for the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad whose main line to the Pacific Coast was built through southwestern North Dakota during 1906-1907.
Among the interesting historical sites in the county are the Adams County Courthouse and the U.S. Post Office, both in Hettinger and the Cedar Creek Bridge near Haynes.
The county population on July 1, 1999, was 2,644, a decrease of 530 over the 1990 census.