List of counties in Montana

Counties of Montana
LN FH LK SA MN MS RV GR PW DL BV SB MD JE GA BW LC TE PN GL TO LB HL CH CS JB MG PK SW SG WL GV FE BL PH PE MU YL CA BH TR RB GF VY DN SH RO MC RL DW PA CU PR CT FA WX
Location	State of Montana
Number	56
Populations	485 (Petroleum) – 155,634 (Yellowstone)
Areas	718 square miles (1,860 km2) (Silver Bow) – 5,543 square miles (14,360 km2) (Beaverhead)
Government	County government
Subdivisions	cities, towns, townships, unincorporated communities, Indian reservations, census designated place

This is a list of the 56 counties in the U.S. state of Montana. Montana has two consolidated city-counties—Anaconda with Deer Lodge County and Butte with Silver Bow County. The portion of Yellowstone National Park that lies within Montana was not part of any county until 1978, when part of it was nominally added to Gallatin County, and the rest of it to Park County. Eight counties of the state are composed of two or more words.

Montana's postal abbreviation is MT and its FIPS state code is 30.

Counties

The Federal 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 to census data for that county.

County	FIPS County Code [1]	County seat [2]	Established [2]	Origin	Etymology	Population [3]	Area	Map
Beaverhead County	001	Dillon	1864	Original County	Beaverhead Rock in the Jefferson River, which is shaped like a beaver's head.[4]	7003934500000000000♠9,345	7003554300000000000♠5,543 sq mi (7004143560000000000♠14,356 km2)
Big Horn County	003	Hardin	1913	Rosebud County, Yellowstone County	Bighorn sheep in the area.[5][6]	7004132820000000000♠13,282	7003499500000000000♠4,995 sq mi (7004129370000000000♠12,937 km2)
Blaine County	005	Chinook	1895	Chouteau County	James G. Blaine (1830 - 1893), United States Secretary of State and presidential candidate.[7]	7003661900000000000♠6,619	7003422600000000000♠4,226 sq mi (7004109450000000000♠10,945 km2)
Broadwater County	007	Townsend	1897	Jefferson County, Meagher County	Charles A. Broadwater (1840 - 1892), a pioneer in the area and colonel in the United States Army.[8]	7003566700000000000♠5,667	7003119200000000000♠1,192 sq mi (7003308700000000000♠3,087 km2)
Carbon County	009	Red Lodge	1895	Park County, Yellowstone County	Coal deposits in the area.[6]	7004103990000000000♠10,399	7003204800000000000♠2,048 sq mi (7003530400000000000♠5,304 km2)
Carter County	011	Ekalaka	1917	Fallon County	Thomas Henry Carter (1854 - 1911), a U.S. Senator from Montana.[9]	7003116900000000000♠1,169	7003334000000000000♠3,340 sq mi (7003865100000000000♠8,651 km2)
Cascade County	013	Great Falls	1887	Chouteau County, Meagher County	Great Falls of the Missouri River.	7004823440000000000♠82,344	7003269800000000000♠2,698 sq mi (7003698800000000000♠6,988 km2)
Chouteau County	015	Fort Benton	1865	Original County	Jean Pierre Chouteau (1758 - 1849) and his son Pierre Chouteau, Jr. (1789 - 1865). They were part of the Chouteau fur-trading family.	7003589400000000000♠5,894	7003397300000000000♠3,973 sq mi (7004102900000000000♠10,290 km2)
Custer County	017	Miles City	1865	Big Horn County	George Armstrong Custer (1839 - 1876), United States Army officer	7004120920000000000♠12,092	7003378300000000000♠3,783 sq mi (7003979800000000000♠9,798 km2)
Daniels County	019	Scobey	1920	Sheridan County, Valley County	Mansfield A. Daniels, an early rancher and storekeeper	7003179300000000000♠1,793	7003142600000000000♠1,426 sq mi (7003369300000000000♠3,693 km2)
Dawson County	021	Glendive	1865	Unorganized lands	Andrew Dawson, a trapping official and major in the United States Army	7003951800000000000♠9,518	7003237300000000000♠2,373 sq mi (7003614600000000000♠6,146 km2)
Deer Lodge County	023	Anaconda	1864	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 where deer came in droves	7003915000000000000♠9,150	7002737000000000000♠737 sq mi (7003190900000000000♠1,909 km2)
Fallon County	025	Baker	1913	Custer County	Benjamin O'Fallon, a Federal Native American agent	7003310800000000000♠3,108	7003162000000000000♠1,620 sq mi (7003419600000000000♠4,196 km2)
Fergus County	027	Lewistown	1885	Original County	Andrew Fergus, one of the first settlers in the county	7004114420000000000♠11,442	7003433900000000000♠4,339 sq mi (7004112380000000000♠11,238 km2)
Flathead County	029	Kalispell	1893	Missoula County	Flathead Native Americans	7004949240000000000♠94,924	7003509900000000000♠5,099 sq mi (7004132060000000000♠13,206 km2)
Gallatin County	031	Bozeman	1864	Original County	Albert Gallatin (1791 - 1849), the United States Secretary of the Treasury at the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition	7004973080000000000♠97,308	7003250700000000000♠2,507 sq mi (7003649300000000000♠6,493 km2)
Garfield County	033	Jordan	1919	Dawson County	James A. Garfield (1831 - 1881), the twentieth President of the United States	7003130900000000000♠1,309	7003466800000000000♠4,668 sq mi (7004120900000000000♠12,090 km2)
Glacier County	035	Cut Bank	1919	Teton County	Glacier National Park, which borders the county	7004136960000000000♠13,696	7003299500000000000♠2,995 sq mi (7003775700000000000♠7,757 km2)
Golden Valley County	037	Ryegate	1920	Musselshell County, Sweet Grass County	Probably named in a promotional attempt to lure settlers to the area	7002852000000000000♠852	7003117500000000000♠1,175 sq mi (7003304300000000000♠3,043 km2)
Granite County	039	Philipsburg	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 rich gold and silver ore; the old mining town of Granite shared the name.[10]	7003320900000000000♠3,209	7003172800000000000♠1,728 sq mi (7003447500000000000♠4,475 km2)
Hill County	041	Havre	1912	Chouteau County	James J. Hill (1838 - 1916), a leading railroad tycoon	7004165960000000000♠16,596	7003289600000000000♠2,896 sq mi (7003750100000000000♠7,501 km2)
Jefferson County	043	Boulder	1864	Original County	Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826), the third President of the United States	7004115580000000000♠11,558	7003165700000000000♠1,657 sq mi (7003429200000000000♠4,292 km2)
Judith Basin County	045	Stanford	1920	Cascade County, Fergus County	The Judith River which was in turn named by William Clark for Julia "Judith" Hancock, whom he would later marry	7003199100000000000♠1,991	7003187000000000000♠1,870 sq mi (7003484300000000000♠4,843 km2)
Lake County	047	Polson	1923	Flathead County, Missoula County	Flathead Lake	7004290990000000000♠29,099	7003149400000000000♠1,494 sq mi (7003386900000000000♠3,869 km2)
Lewis and Clark County	049	Helena	1864	Original County	Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, the famous explorers	7004658560000000000♠65,856	7003346100000000000♠3,461 sq mi (7003896400000000000♠8,964 km2)
Liberty County	051	Chester	1920	Chouteau County, Hill County	The sentiment of the inhabitants when the county was formed soon after World War I	7003235900000000000♠2,359	7003143000000000000♠1,430 sq mi (7003370400000000000♠3,704 km2)
Lincoln County	053	Libby	1909	Flathead County	Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865), the 16th President of the United States	7004191250000000000♠19,125	7003361300000000000♠3,613 sq mi (7003935800000000000♠9,358 km2)
McCone County	055	Circle	1919	Dawson County, Richland County	George McCone, a Montana state senator who helped create the county	7003169400000000000♠1,694	7003264300000000000♠2,643 sq mi (7003684500000000000♠6,845 km2)
Madison County	057	Virginia City	1864	Original County	James Madison (1751 - 1836), the fourth President of the United States and the Secretary of State at the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition	7003782000000000000♠7,820	7003358700000000000♠3,587 sq mi (7003929000000000000♠9,290 km2)
Meagher County	059	White Sulphur Springs	1867	Chouteau County, Gallatin County	Thomas Francis Meagher (1823 - 1867), an acting Governor of the Montana Territory	7003185300000000000♠1,853	7003239200000000000♠2,392 sq mi (7003619500000000000♠6,195 km2)
Mineral County	061	Superior	1914	Missoula County	Many mines and mining prospects within the county	7003425700000000000♠4,257	7003122000000000000♠1,220 sq mi (7003316000000000000♠3,160 km2)
Missoula County	063	Missoula	1864	Original County	Supposedly a contraction of the Flathead word, "im-i-sul-e-etiku", meaning "by or near the place of fear or ambush", a reference to Hell Gate Canyon, in which Flathead Native Americans were sometimes attacked by Blackfeet	7005112684000000000♠112,684	7003259800000000000♠2,598 sq mi (7003672900000000000♠6,729 km2)
Musselshell County	065	Roundup	1911	Fergus County, Meagher County, Yellowstone County	The Musselshell River, named in turn by the Lewis and Clark Expedition presumably due to mussels found on its banks	7003458900000000000♠4,589	7003186700000000000♠1,867 sq mi (7003483600000000000♠4,836 km2)
Park County	067	Livingston	1887	Gallatin County	Nearby Yellowstone National Park	7004158800000000000♠15,880	7003265600000000000♠2,656 sq mi (7003687900000000000♠6,879 km2)
Petroleum County	069	Winnett	1926	Fergus County	The production of petroleum at Cat Creek	7002485000000000000♠485	7003165400000000000♠1,654 sq mi (7003428400000000000♠4,284 km2)
Phillips County	071	Malta	1915	Blaine County, Valley County	B.D. Phillips, a leading rancher and early pioneer in the county	7003419200000000000♠4,192	7003514000000000000♠5,140 sq mi (7004133130000000000♠13,313 km2)
Pondera County	073	Conrad	1919	Chouteau County, Teton County	Originally pend d'oreille, French words meaning "ear pendant"; 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.	7003621900000000000♠6,219	7003162500000000000♠1,625 sq mi (7003420900000000000♠4,209 km2)
Powder River County	075	Broadus	1919	Custer County	The Powder River, named in turn for the gunpowder-like sand on its shores	7003178300000000000♠1,783	7003329700000000000♠3,297 sq mi (7003853900000000000♠8,539 km2)
Powell County	077	Deer Lodge	1901	Deer Lodge County	Mount Powell, which in turn was named for John Wesley Powell (1834 - 1902), the early environmentalist and explorer	7003690900000000000♠6,909	7003232600000000000♠2,326 sq mi (7003602400000000000♠6,024 km2)
Prairie County	079	Terry	1915	Dawson County, Fallon County	The county's location on the Great Plains	7003114800000000000♠1,148	7003173700000000000♠1,737 sq mi (7003449900000000000♠4,499 km2)
Ravalli County	081	Hamilton	1893	Missoula County	Anthony Ravalli (1812 - 1884), a Jesuit missionary who came to the area in 1845	7004410300000000000♠41,030	7003239400000000000♠2,394 sq mi (7003620000000000000♠6,200 km2)
Richland County	083	Sidney	1914	Dawson County	Named so as to depict fertile soil, in an attempt to lure in settlers	7004115760000000000♠11,576	7003208400000000000♠2,084 sq mi (7003539800000000000♠5,398 km2)
Roosevelt County	085	Wolf Point	1919	Sheridan County	Theodore Roosevelt (1858 - 1919), the twenty-sixth President of the United States	7004113320000000000♠11,332	7003235600000000000♠2,356 sq mi (7003610200000000000♠6,102 km2)
Rosebud County	087	Forsyth	1901	Custer County	The Rosebud River, which was named for the many wild roses along its banks	7003932600000000000♠9,326	7003501200000000000♠5,012 sq mi (7004129810000000000♠12,981 km2)
Sanders County	089	Thompson Falls	1905	Missoula County	Wilbur Fiske Sanders (1834 - 1905), a pioneer, vigilante, and U.S. Senator from Montana	7004113640000000000♠11,364	7003276200000000000♠2,762 sq mi (7003715400000000000♠7,154 km2)
Sheridan County	091	Plentywood	1913	Valley County	Philip Sheridan (1831 - 1888), Civil War general	7003369600000000000♠3,696	7003167700000000000♠1,677 sq mi (7003434300000000000♠4,343 km2)
Silver Bow County	093	Butte	1881	Deer Lodge County	Silver Bow Creek; there are multiple theories explaining how the creek got its name	7004346800000000000♠34,680	7002718000000000000♠718 sq mi (7003186000000000000♠1,860 km2)
Stillwater County	095	Columbus	1913	Carbon County, Sweet Grass County, Yellowstone County	Stillwater River, ironically named for its very fast current	7003929000000000000♠9,290	7003179500000000000♠1,795 sq mi (7003464900000000000♠4,649 km2)
Sweet Grass County	097	Big Timber	1895	Meagher County, Park County, Yellowstone County	The abundant sweet grass in the county	7003366500000000000♠3,665	7003185500000000000♠1,855 sq mi (7003480400000000000♠4,804 km2)
Teton County	099	Choteau	1893	Chouteau County	The Teton Range which is in turn named for the French word for 'breast', teton.	7003606400000000000♠6,064	7003227300000000000♠2,273 sq mi (7003588700000000000♠5,887 km2)
Toole County	101	Shelby	1914	Hill County, Teton County	Joseph Toole (1851 - 1929), the first and fourth Governor of Montana	7003515000000000000♠5,150	7003191100000000000♠1,911 sq mi (7003494900000000000♠4,949 km2)
Treasure County	103	Hysham	1919	Rosebud County	Named promotionally to attract new settlers	7002692000000000000♠692	7002979000000000000♠979 sq mi (7003253600000000000♠2,536 km2)
Valley County	105	Glasgow	1893	Dawson County	Much of the county lies within the valley of the Milk River	7003764000000000000♠7,640	7003492100000000000♠4,921 sq mi (7004127450000000000♠12,745 km2)
Wheatland County	107	Harlowton	1917	Meagher County, Sweet Grass County	The many wheat fields in the county	7003210200000000000♠2,102	7003142300000000000♠1,423 sq mi (7003368600000000000♠3,686 km2)
Wibaux County	109	Wibaux	1914	Dawson County, Fallon County, Richland County	Pierre Wibaux (1858 - 1913), a pioneer and cattleman	7003112100000000000♠1,121	7002889000000000000♠889 sq mi (7003230200000000000♠2,302 km2)
Yellowstone County	111	Billings	1893	Custer County	The Yellowstone River, named in turn for the yellow rocks found along its shores	7005155634000000000♠155,634	7003263500000000000♠2,635 sq mi (7003682500000000000♠6,825 km2)

Defunct County

• Yellowstone National Park (1872–1978)

References