List of counties in Montana
| Counties of Montana | |
|---|---|
| Location | State of Montana |
| Number | 56 |
| Populations | 554 (Petroleum) – 170,843 (Yellowstone) |
| Areas | 718 square miles (1,860 km2) (Silver Bow) – 5,543 square miles (14,360 km2) (Beaverhead) |
| Government | |
| Subdivisions |
|
This is alist of thecountiesin theU.S. stateofMontana.There are 56 counties in the state.
Montana has two consolidated city-counties—AnacondawithDeer Lodge CountyandButtewithSilver Bow County.The portion ofYellowstone National Parkthat lies within Montana was not part of any county until 1978, when part of it was nominally added toGallatin County,and the rest of it toPark County.
Montana'spostal abbreviationisMTand itsFIPS state codeis30.
Counties
[edit]TheFederal Information Processing Standard(FIPS) code, which is used by the United States government to uniquely identify counties, is provided for each county. The FIPS code for each county links tocensusdata for that county.
| County |
FIPScode[1] | County seat[2] | Est.[2] | Origin | Etymology | License plate prefix [3][4] |
Population[5] | Area | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaverhead County | 001 | Dillon | February 2, 1865 | Original County | Beaverhead Rockin theJefferson River,which is shaped like abeaver's head.[6] | 18 | 9,885 | 5,543sq mi (14,356km2) |
|
| Big Horn County | 003 | Hardin | January 13, 1913 | Rosebud County,Yellowstone County | Bighorn sheepin the area.[7][8] | 22 | 12,751 | 4,995sq mi (12,937km2) |
|
| Blaine County | 005 | Chinook | February 29, 1912 | Chouteau County | James G. Blaine(1830–1893),United States Secretary of Stateand presidential candidate.[9] | 24 | 6,899 | 4,226sq mi (10,945km2) |
|
| Broadwater County | 007 | Townsend | February 9, 1897 | Jefferson County,Meagher County | Charles A. Broadwater(1840–1892), a pioneer in the area and colonel in theUnited States Army.[10] | 43 | 8,032 | 1,192sq mi (3,087km2) |
|
| Carbon County | 009 | Red Lodge | March 4, 1895 | Park County,Yellowstone County | Coaldeposits in the area.[8] | 10 | 11,419 | 2,048sq mi (5,304km2) |
|
| Carter County | 011 | Ekalaka | February 22, 1917 | Fallon County | Thomas Henry Carter(1854–1911), aU.S. SenatorfromMontana.[11] | 42 | 1,418 | 3,340sq mi (8,651km2) |
|
| Cascade County | 013 | Great Falls | September 12, 1887 | Chouteau County,Meagher County | Great Fallsof theMissouri River. | 2 | 84,900 | 2,698sq mi (6,988km2) |
|
| Chouteau County | 015 | Fort Benton | February 2, 1865 | Original County | Jean Pierre Chouteau(1758–1849) and his sonPierre Chouteau, Jr.(1789–1865). They were part of theChouteaufur-trading family. | 19 | 5,847 | 3,973sq mi (10,290km2) |
|
| Custer County | 017 | Miles City | February 2, 1865 | Original County | OriginallyBig Horn County,[12]renamed February 16, 1877 forGeorge Armstrong Custer | 14 | 11,985 | 3,783sq mi (9,798km2) |
|
| Daniels County | 019 | Scobey | August 30, 1920 | Sheridan County,Valley County | Mansfield A. Daniels (1858 - 1919), an early rancher and storekeeper | 37 | 1,633 | 1,426sq mi (3,693km2) |
|
| Dawson County | 021 | Glendive | January 15, 1869 | Unorganized lands | Andrew Dawson, atrappingofficial and major in theUnited States Army | 16 | 8,810 | 2,373sq mi (6,146km2) |
|
| Deer Lodge County | 023 | Anaconda | February 2, 1865 | Original County | Deer Lodge Valley, which in turn was either named for the Native American name "Lodge of the White-tailed Deer" or a salt lick wheredeercame in droves | 30 | 9,673 | 737sq mi (1,909km2) |
|
| Fallon County | 025 | Baker | December 9, 1913 | Custer County | Benjamin O'Fallon,a FederalNative Americanagent | 39 | 2,994 | 1,620sq mi (4,196km2) |
|
| Fergus County | 027 | Lewistown | March 12, 1885 | Chouteau County,Meagher County | Andrew Fergus (1850 - 1928), one of the first settlers in the county | 8 | 11,772 | 4,339sq mi (11,238km2) |
|
| Flathead County | 029 | Kalispell | February 6, 1893 | Missoula County | FlatheadNative Americans | 7 | 113,679 | 5,099sq mi (13,206km2) |
|
| Gallatin County | 031 | Bozeman | February 2, 1865 | Original County | Albert Gallatin(1761–1849), theUnited States Secretary of the Treasuryat the time of theLewis and Clark Expedition | 6 | 126,409 | 2,507sq mi (6,493km2) |
|
| Garfield County | 033 | Jordan | February 7, 1919 | Dawson County | James A. Garfield(1831–1881), the twentiethPresident of the United States | 50 | 1,211 | 4,668sq mi (12,090km2) |
|
| Glacier County | 035 | Cut Bank | February 17, 1919 | Teton County | Glacier National Park,which borders the county | 38 | 13,609 | 2,995sq mi (7,757km2) |
|
| Golden Valley County | 037 | Ryegate | October 4, 1920 | Musselshell County,Sweet Grass County | Probably named in a promotional attempt to lure settlers to the area | 53 | 835 | 1,175sq mi (3,043km2) |
|
| Granite County | 039 | Philipsburg | March 2, 1893 | Deer Lodge County,Missoula County | Named for the granite rock which is common in the area's mountains and also held the area's richgoldandsilverore; the old mining town ofGraniteshared the name.[13] | 46 | 3,595 | 1,728sq mi (4,475km2) |
|
| Hill County | 041 | Havre | February 22, 1912 | Chouteau County | James J. Hill(1838–1916), a leadingrailroadtycoon | 12 | 16,276 | 2,896sq mi (7,501km2) |
|
| Jefferson County | 043 | Boulder | February 2, 1865 | Original County | Thomas Jefferson(1743–1826), the thirdPresident of the United States | 51 | 13,048 | 1,657sq mi (4,292km2) |
|
| Judith Basin County | 045 | Stanford | December 10, 1920 | Cascade County,Fergus County | TheJudith Riverwhich was in turn named byWilliam Clarkfor Julia "Judith" Hancock, whom he would later marry | 36 | 2,093 | 1,870sq mi (4,843km2) |
|
| Lake County | 047 | Polson | May 11, 1923 | Flathead County,Missoula County | Flathead Lake | 15 | 33,338 | 1,494sq mi (3,869km2) |
|
| Lewis and Clark County | 049 | Helena | February 2, 1865 | Original County | OriginallyEdgerton County), renamed March 1, 1868 forMeriwether LewisandWilliam Clark | 5 | 75,011 | 3,461sq mi (8,964km2) |
|
| Liberty County | 051 | Chester | February 11, 1920 | Chouteau County,Hill County | The sentiment of the inhabitants when the county was formed soon afterWorld War I | 48 | 1,974 | 1,430sq mi (3,704km2) |
|
| Lincoln County | 053 | Libby | March 9, 1909 | Flathead County | Abraham Lincoln(1809–1865), the 16thPresident of the United States | 56 | 21,895 | 3,613sq mi (9,358km2) |
|
| Madison County | 057 | Virginia City | February 2, 1865 | Original County | James Madison(1751–1836), the fourthPresident of the United Statesand theSecretary of Stateat the time of theLewis and Clark Expedition | 25 | 9,521 | 3,587sq mi (9,290km2) |
|
| McCone County | 055 | Circle | February 20, 1919 | Dawson County,Richland County | George McCone (1853 - 1929), aMontanastatesenatorwho helped create the county | 41 | 1,676 | 2,643sq mi (6,845km2) |
|
| Meagher County | 059 | White Sulphur Springs | November 16, 1867 | Chouteau County,Gallatin County | Thomas Francis Meagher(1823–1867), anacting Governorof theMontana Territory | 47 | 2,071 | 2,392sq mi (6,195km2) |
|
| Mineral County | 061 | Superior | August 7, 1914 | Missoula County | Manyminesand mining prospects within the county | 54 | 5,090 | 1,220sq mi (3,160km2) |
|
| Missoula County | 063 | Missoula | February 2, 1865 | Original County | Supposedly a contraction of theFlatheadword, "im-i-sul-e-etiku", meaning "by or near the place of fear or ambush", a reference to Hell Gate Canyon, in which FlatheadNative Americanswere sometimes attacked byBlackfeet | 4 | 121,849 | 2,598sq mi (6,729km2) |
|
| Musselshell County | 065 | Roundup | February 11, 1911 | Fergus County,Meagher County,Yellowstone County | TheMusselshell River,named in turn by theLewis and Clark Expeditionpresumably due tomusselsfound on its banks | 23 | 5,308 | 1,867sq mi (4,836km2) |
|
| Park County | 067 | Livingston | February 23, 1887 | Gallatin County | NearbyYellowstone National Park | 49 | 17,903 | 2,656sq mi (6,879km2) |
|
| Petroleum County | 069 | Winnett | November 24, 1924 | Fergus County | The production ofpetroleumatCat Creek | 55 | 554 | 1,654sq mi (4,284km2) |
|
| Phillips County | 071 | Malta | February 5, 1915 | Blaine County,Valley County | Benjamin D. Phillips (1857 - 1926), a leading rancher and early pioneer in the county | 11 | 4,249 | 5,140sq mi (13,313km2) |
|
| Pondera County | 073 | Conrad | February 17, 1919 | Chouteau County,Teton County | Originallypend d'oreille,Frenchwords meaning "earpendant "; the name was changed to a form resembling the phonetic spelling to avoid confusion with the lake and town of the same name in Idaho and of a county in Washington. | 26 | 6,125 | 1,625sq mi (4,209km2) |
|
| Powder River County | 075 | Broadus | March 7, 1919 | Custer County | ThePowder River,named in turn for thegunpowder-like sand on its shores | 9 | 1,743 | 3,297sq mi (8,539km2) |
|
| Powell County | 077 | Deer Lodge | January 31, 1901 | Deer Lodge County | Mount Powell, which in turn was named forJohn Wesley Powell(1834–1902), the early environmentalist andexplorer | 28 | 7,133 | 2,326sq mi (6,024km2) |
|
| Prairie County | 079 | Terry | February 5, 1915 | Dawson County,Fallon County | The county's location on theGreat Plains | 45 | 1,112 | 1,737sq mi (4,499km2) |
|
| Ravalli County | 081 | Hamilton | February 16, 1893 | Missoula County | Anthony Ravalli(1812–1884), a Jesuit missionary who came to the area in 1845 | 13 | 47,738 | 2,394sq mi (6,200km2) |
|
| Richland County | 083 | Sidney | May 27, 1914 | Dawson County | Named so as to depict fertile soil, in an attempt to lure in settlers | 27 | 11,173 | 2,084sq mi (5,398km2) |
|
| Roosevelt County | 085 | Wolf Point | February 18, 1919 | Sheridan County | Theodore Roosevelt(1858–1919), the 26thPresident of the United States | 17 | 10,319 | 2,356sq mi (6,102km2) |
|
| Rosebud County | 087 | Forsyth | February 11, 1901 | Custer County | TheRosebud River,which was named for the manywild rosesalong its banks | 29 | 8,160 | 5,012sq mi (12,981km2) |
|
| Sanders County | 089 | Thompson Falls | February 7, 1905 | Missoula County | Wilbur Fiske Sanders(1834–1905), a pioneer, vigilante, andU.S. SenatorfromMontana | 35 | 13,684 | 2,762sq mi (7,154km2) |
|
| Sheridan County | 091 | Plentywood | March 24, 1913 | Valley County | Philip Sheridan(1831–1888),Civil Wargeneral | 34 | 3,498 | 1,677sq mi (4,343km2) |
|
| Silver Bow County | 093 | Butte | February 16, 1881 | Deer Lodge County | Silver Bow Creek; there are multiple theories explaining how the creek was named | 1 | 36,360 | 718sq mi (1,860km2) |
|
| Stillwater County | 095 | Columbus | March 24, 1913 | Carbon County,Sweet Grass County,Yellowstone County | Stillwater River,ironically named for its very fast current | 32 | 9,173 | 1,795sq mi (4,649km2) |
|
| Sweet Grass County | 097 | Big Timber | March 5, 1895 | Meagher County,Park County,Yellowstone County | The abundantsweet grassin the county | 40 | 3,763 | 1,855sq mi (4,804km2) |
|
| Teton County | 099 | Choteau | February 7, 1893 | Chouteau County | The Teton Range which is in turn named for the French word for 'nipple',teton | 31 | 6,430 | 2,273sq mi (5,887km2) |
|
| Toole County | 101 | Shelby | May 7, 1914 | Hill County,Teton County | Joseph Toole(1851–1929), the first and fourthGovernor of Montana | 21 | 5,133 | 1,911sq mi (4,949km2) |
|
| Treasure County | 103 | Hysham | February 7, 1919 | Rosebud County | Named promotionally to attract new settlers | 33 | 772 | 979sq mi (2,536km2) |
|
| Valley County | 105 | Glasgow | February 6, 1893 | Dawson County | Much of the county lies within the valley of theMilk River | 20 | 7,474 | 4,921sq mi (12,745km2) |
|
| Wheatland County | 107 | Harlowton | February 22, 1917 | Meagher County,Sweet Grass County | The manywheatfields in the county | 44 | 2,057 | 1,423sq mi (3,686km2) |
|
| Wibaux County | 109 | Wibaux | August 17, 1914 | Dawson County,Fallon County,Richland County | Pierre Wibaux(1858–1913), a pioneer and cattleman | 52 | 910 | 889sq mi (2,302km2) |
|
| Yellowstone County | 111 | Billings | February 26, 1883 | Custer County | TheYellowstone River,named in turn for the yellow rocks found along its shores | 3 | 170,843 | 2,635sq mi (6,825km2) |
|
Previous counties
[edit]- St. Charles County, Missouri Territorycreated October 1, 1812, moved 1813
- Vancouver County, Oregon Territorycreated August 13, 1848, renamedClarke County, Oregon TerritorySeptember 3, 1849
- Clarke County, Washington Territorycreated March 2, 1853
- Walla Walla County, Washington TerritoryApril 25, 1854
- Spokane County, Washington Territorycreated January 29, 1858, abolished January 19, 1864
- Missoula County, Washington Territorycreated December 14, 1860, abolished May 26, 1864
- Shoshone County, Washington Territorycreated January 9, 1861, abolished March 3, 1863
- Stevens County, Washington Territorycreated January 20, 1863
- Shoshone County, Idaho Territorycreated February 4, 1864
Extinct counties
[edit]- Edgerton County, Montana Territorycreated February 2, 1865, renamedLewis and Clark County, Montana TerritoryMarch 1, 1868.
- Big Horn County, Montana Territory[12]created February 2, 1865, renamedCuster County, Montana TerritoryFebruary 16, 1877.
County equivalents
[edit]- Yellowstone National Park (Montana Territory)created March 1, 1872, divided betweenPark County, MontanaandGallatin County, Montanain 1978.
See also
[edit]- History of Montana
- List of cities and towns in Montana
- List of ghost towns in Montana
- List of places in Montana
References
[edit]- ^"EPA County FIPS Code Listing".EPA.gov.RetrievedFebruary 23,2008.
- ^abNational Association of Counties."NACo – Find a county".Archived fromthe originalon April 21, 2005.RetrievedApril 26,2007.
- ^"Montana county seats & corresponding license plate numbers".Montana Association of Counties.RetrievedJanuary 2,2022.
- ^"What's the deal with Montana's license plate numbering system?".Billings Gazette.May 2, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 2,2022.
- ^"2023 U.S. Census QuickFacts: Montana".U.S. Census Bureau.RetrievedApril 20,2024.
- ^Muntmyler, L. E. (April 1914). "An Enjoyable Water Trip?".Hunter-Trader-Trapper.Columbus, Ohio:A. R. Harding: 52.
- ^Greene, Jerome (2008).Stricken Field: The Little Bighorn Since 1876(Hardcover).Norman, Oklahoma:University of Oklahoma Press.p. 263.ISBN978-0-8061-3791-9.
- ^abHill, Thomas (1915).The Open Door To Independence.Chicago, Illinois:Hill Standard Book Company. p.225.
- ^Fay, Robert; Branson, Carl (1959)."Oklahoma Geological Survey"(PDF).Ogs.edu.
- ^"Guidebook… Annual Field Conference" (13). 1962: 143.
Townsend, Montana lies in the central part of Townsend Valley at an elevation of 3833 and is the county seat of Broadwater County. The town was named for an official of the Northern Pacific Railroad. The county was named for Colonel Charles A. Broadwater, an early pioneer.
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^"Carter County Montana".cartercountymt.info.RetrievedMarch 18,2018.
- ^abBig Horn County, Montana Territorywas not the same county as present dayBig Horn County, Montana.
- ^"Montana Place Names from Alzada to Zortman".Montana Place Names Companion Website.Montana Historical Society and Montana State Library.RetrievedOctober 31,2015.
