EXHIBIT 5

                                 August 27, 2004

Western Wireless Corporation
3650 131st Avenue SE, Suite 400
Bellevue, WA 98006

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel to Western Wireless Corporation (the "Company") in
connection with the filing of the Company's prospectus supplement dated August
24, 2004 (the "Prospectus Supplement") to the prospectus dated August 13, 2004
(the "Prospectus"). The Prospectus was contained in the Company's registration
statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-117793) (the "Registration
Statement") initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July
30, 2004, as subsequently amended, in connection with the registration under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), of up to an aggregate
of $500,000,000 of the Company's debt securities, shares of preferred stock or
shares of Class A common stock.

The Company currently proposes to sell 8,000,000 shares (the "Takedown Shares")
of the Company's Class A common stock, no par value per share, under the
Registration Statement (the "Offering") to Goldman, Sachs & Co. pursuant to an
underwriting agreement dated August 24, 2004 between the Company and Goldman,
Sachs & Co. (the "Underwriting Agreement").

We have reviewed the corporate action of the Company in connection with the
Offering and have examined such documents, corporate records, and other
instruments as we have deemed necessary for the purposes of this opinion. In
such examination, we have assumed (i) the authenticity of original documents and
the genuineness of all signatures, (ii) the conformity to the originals of all
documents submitted to us as copies and (iii) the truth, accuracy, and
completeness of the information, representations and warranties contained in the
records, documents, instruments and certificates we have reviewed.

Based on such examination, we are of the opinion that the Takedown Shares, when
issued, sold and delivered pursuant to the terms of the Underwriting Agreement,
will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

The opinions expressed herein are limited solely to the laws of the State of
Washington and United States federal laws. We express no opinion as to any
matter other than expressly set forth above, and no other opinion is intended to
be implied or inferred herefrom. The opinions expressed herein are opinions of
legal matters and not factual matters. Our opinions are given as of the date
hereof, and we undertake no obligation and hereby disclaim any obligation to
advise of any change in law, facts or circumstances, occurring after the date
hereof.

We hereby consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration
Statement, and to the reference to our firm in the Prospectus and the Prospectus
Supplement under the heading "Legal Matters." In giving such consent, we do not
thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required
under Section 7 of the Securities Act.

                                    Very truly yours,

                                    /s/ Preston Gates & Ellis LLP
                                    Preston Gates & Ellis LLP