List of counties in Montana

{{Infobox subdivision type

| name = Counties of Montana

| alt_name =

| map = {{Montana County Labelled Map}}

| category =

| territory = State of Montana

| start_date =

| current_number = 56

| number_date =

| population_range = 525 (Petroleum) – 171,583 (Yellowstone)

| area_range = {{Convert|718|sqmi}} (Silver Bow) – {{Convert|5543|sqmi}} (Beaverhead)

| government = County government

| subdivision = cities, towns, unincorporated communities, Indian reservations, census designated place

}}

This is a list of the counties in the U.S. state of Montana. There are 56 counties in the state.

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.

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.

{{Countytabletop

| region_width = 120px

| fips_ref = {{cite web |url=http://www.epa.gov/enviro/html/codes/tx.html |title=EPA County FIPS Code Listing |work=EPA.gov |access-date=February 23, 2008}}

| region_seat_width =

| region_seat_title = County seat

| region_seat_ref = {{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/state.cfm&state.cfm&statecode=MT|title=NACo – Find a county|author=National Association of Counties|access-date=April 26, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050421133035/http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=%2Fcffiles%2Fcounties%2Fstate.cfm&state.cfm&statecode=MT|archive-date=April 21, 2005}}

| data2_width =

| data2_title = {{abbr|Est.|Established}}

| data2_ref =

| data3_width =

| data3_title = Origin

| data3_ref =

| data4_width =

| data4_unsortable = yes

| data5_title = License plate prefix

| data5_ref = {{cite web |url=https://www.mtcounties.org/counties/county-seats-corresponding-license-plate-numbers/ |publisher=Montana Association of Counties |title=Montana county seats & corresponding license plate numbers |accessdate=January 2, 2022}}{{cite news |url=https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/whats-the-deal-with-montanas-license-plate-numbering-system/article_119837d9-3863-5951-a163-066c86fd86af.html |work=Billings Gazette |title=What's the deal with Montana's license plate numbering system? |date=May 2, 2014 |accessdate=January 2, 2022}}

| population_ref = {{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/MT/PST045219 |title=2024 U.S. Census QuickFacts: Montana |work=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=March 15, 2025}}

}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=001| Name=Beaverhead| Seat=Dillon| Data2={{dts|1865|2|2|abbr=on}}| Data3=Original County |Data4=Beaverhead Rock in the Jefferson River, which is shaped like a beaver's head.{{cite journal|last=Muntmyler|first=L. E.|title=An Enjoyable Water Trip?|journal=Hunter-Trader-Trapper|date=April 1914|page=52|publisher=A. R. Harding|location=Columbus, Ohio}} |Data5=18 |Population=10006| Area=5543| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=003| Name=Big Horn| Seat=Hardin| Data2={{dts|1913|1|13|abbr=on}}| Data3=Rosebud County, Yellowstone County |Data4=Bighorn sheep in the area.{{cite book|last=Greene|first=Jerome|title=Stricken Field: The Little Bighorn Since 1876|year=2008|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|location=Norman, Oklahoma|isbn=978-0-8061-3791-9 |page=263|type=Hardcover}} |Data5=22 |Population=12796| Area=4995| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=005| Name=Blaine| Seat=Chinook| Data2={{dts|1912|2|29|abbr=on}}| Data3=Chouteau County |Data4=James G. Blaine (1830–1893), United States Secretary of State and presidential candidate.{{cite web|last1=Fay|first1=Robert|title=Oklahoma Geological Survey|url=http://www.ogs.ou.edu/pubsscanned/guidebooks/GB9.pdf|publisher=Ogs.edu|last2=Branson |first2=Carl|format=PDF|year=1959}}|Data5=24|Population=6903|Area=4226| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=007| Name=Broadwater| Seat=Townsend| Data2={{dts|1897|2|9|abbr=on}}| Data3=Jefferson County, Meagher County |Data4=Charles A. Broadwater (1840–1892), a pioneer in the area and colonel in the United States Army.{{cite journal|title=Guidebook … Annual Field Conference|year=1962|issue=13|page=143|quote=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.}} |Data5=43 |Population=8302 |Area=1192 |Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=009| Name=Carbon| Seat=Red Lodge| Data2={{dts|1895|3|4|abbr=on}}| Data3=Park County, Yellowstone County |Data4=Coal deposits in the area.{{cite book|last=Hill|first=Thomas|title=The Open Door To Independence|url=https://archive.org/details/opendoortoindepe00hill|year=1915|publisher=Hill Standard Book Company|location=Chicago, Illinois|page=[https://archive.org/details/opendoortoindepe00hill/page/225 225]}} |Data5=10 | Population=11498| Area=2048| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=011| Name=Carter| Seat=Ekalaka| Data2={{dts|1917|2|22|abbr=on}}| Data3=Fallon County |Data4= Thomas Henry Carter (1854–1911), a U.S. Senator from Montana.{{cite web|url=http://www.cartercountymt.info/|title=Carter County Montana|website=www.cartercountymt.info|access-date=March 18, 2018}} |Data5=42 |Population=1399 |Area=3340 |Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=013| Name=Cascade| Seat=Great Falls| Data2={{dts|1887|9|12|abbr=on}}| Data3=Chouteau County, Meagher County |Data4=Great Falls of the Missouri River. |Data5=2 |Population=84523| Area=2698| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=015| Name=Chouteau| Seat=Fort Benton| Data2={{dts|1865|2|2|abbr=on}}| Data3=Original County |Data4=Jean Pierre Chouteau (1758–1849) and his son Pierre Chouteau, Jr. (1789–1865). They were part of the Chouteau fur-trading family. |Data5=19 |Population=5880| Area=3973| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=017| Name=Custer| Seat=Miles City| Data2={{dts|1865|2|2|abbr=on}}| Data3=Original County |Data4=Originally Big Horn County,Big Horn County, Montana Territory was not the same county as present day Big Horn County, Montana. renamed February 16, 1877 for George Armstrong Custer |Data5=14 |Population=11964| Area=3783| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=019| Name=Daniels| Seat=Scobey| Data2={{dts|1920|8|30|abbr=on}}| Data3=Sheridan County, Valley County |Data4=Mansfield A. Daniels (1858 - 1919), an early rancher and storekeeper |Data5=37 |Population=1625| Area=1426| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=021| Name=Dawson| Seat=Glendive| Data2={{dts|1869|1|15|abbr=on}}| Data3=Unorganized lands |Data4=Andrew Dawson, a trapping official and major in the United States Army |Data5=16 | Population=8731| Area=2373| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=023| Name=Deer Lodge| Seat=Anaconda| Data2={{dts|1865|2|2|abbr=on}}| Data3=Original County |Data4=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 |Data5=30 |Population=9811| Area=737| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=025| Name=Fallon| Seat=Baker| Data2={{dts|1913|12|9|abbr=on}}| Data3=Custer County |Data4=Benjamin O'Fallon, a Federal Native American agent|Data5=39 |Population=2946| Area=1620| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=027| Name=Fergus| Seat=Lewistown| Data2={{dts|1885|3|12|abbr=on}}| Data3=Chouteau County, Meagher County |Data4=Andrew Fergus (1850 - 1928), one of the first settlers in the county |Data5=8 |Population=11862| Area=4339| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=029| Name=Flathead| Seat=Kalispell| Data2={{dts|1893|2|6|abbr=on}}| Data3=Missoula County |Data4=Flathead Native Americans |Data5=7 |Population=114527| Area=5099| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=031| Name=Gallatin| Seat=Bozeman| Data2={{dts|1865|2|2|abbr=on}}| Data3=Original County |Data4=Albert Gallatin (1761–1849), the United States Secretary of the Treasury at the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition |Data5=6 |Population=126984| Area=2507| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=033| Name=Garfield| Seat=Jordan| Data2={{dts|1919|2|7|abbr=on}}| Data3=Dawson County |Data4=James A. Garfield (1831–1881), the twentieth President of the United States|Data5=50 |Population=1181| Area=4668| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=035| Name=Glacier| Seat=Cut Bank| Data2={{dts|1919|2|17|abbr=on}}| Data3=Teton County |Data4=Glacier National Park, which borders the county|Data5=38 |Population=13503| Area=2995| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=037| Name=Golden Valley| Seat=Ryegate| Data2={{dts|1920|10|4|abbr=on}}| Data3=Musselshell County, Sweet Grass County |Data4=Probably named in a promotional attempt to lure settlers to the area |Data5=53 |Population=863| Area=1175| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=039| Name=Granite| Seat=Philipsburg| Data2={{dts|1893|3|2|abbr=on}}| Data3=Deer Lodge County, Missoula County |Data4=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.{{cite web|title=Montana Place Names from Alzada to Zortman|url=http://mtplacenames.org/|website=Montana Place Names Companion Website|publisher=Montana Historical Society and Montana State Library|access-date=October 31, 2015}}|Data5=46 |Population=3602| Area=1728| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=041| Name=Hill| Seat=Havre| Data2={{dts|1912|2|22|abbr=on}}| Data3=Chouteau County |Data4=James J. Hill (1838–1916), a leading railroad tycoon |Data5=12 | Population=16065| Area=2896| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=043| Name=Jefferson| Seat=Boulder| Data2={{dts|1865|2|2|abbr=on}}| Data3=Original County |Data4=Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), the third President of the United States |Data5=51 |Population=13304| Area=1657 |Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=045| Name=Judith Basin| Seat=Stanford| Data2={{dts|1920|12|10|abbr=on}}| Data3=Cascade County, Fergus County |Data4=The Judith River which was in turn named by William Clark for Julia "Judith" Hancock, whom he would later marry |Data5=36 |Population=2111| Area=1870| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=047| Name=Lake| Seat=Polson| Data2={{dts|1923|5|11|abbr=on}}| Data3=Flathead County, Missoula County |Data4=Flathead Lake |Data5=15 | Population=33403| Area=1494| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=049| Name=Lewis and Clark| Seat=Helena| Data2={{dts|1865|2|2|abbr=on}}| Data3=Original County |Data4=Originally Edgerton County), renamed March 1, 1868 for Meriwether Lewis and William Clark |Data5=5 |Population=75129| Area=3461| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=051| Name=Liberty| Seat=Chester| Data2={{dts|1920|2|11|abbr=on}}| Data3=Chouteau County, Hill County |Data4=The sentiment of the inhabitants when the county was formed soon after World War I |Data5=48 |Population=1934| Area=1430| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=053| Name=Lincoln| Seat=Libby| Data2={{dts|1909|3|9|abbr=on}}| Data3=Flathead County |Data4=Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the 16th President of the United States |Data5=56 |Population=22184| Area=3613| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=057| Name=Madison| Seat=Virginia City| Data2={{dts|1865|2|2|abbr=on}}| Data3=Original County |Data4=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 |Data5=25 |Population=9753| Area=3587| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=055| Name=McCone| Seat=Circle| Data2={{dts|1919|2|20|abbr=on}}| Data3=Dawson County, Richland County |Data4=George McCone (1853 - 1929), a Montana state senator who helped create the county |Data5=41 |Population=1717| Area=2643| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=059| Name=Meagher| Seat=White Sulphur Springs| Data2={{dts|1867|11|16|abbr=on}}| Data3=Chouteau County, Gallatin County |Data4=Thomas Francis Meagher (1823–1867), an acting Governor of the Montana Territory |Data5=47 |Population=2065| Area=2392| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=061| Name=Mineral| Seat=Superior| Data2={{dts|1914|8|7|abbr=on}}| Data3=Missoula County |Data4=Many mines and mining prospects within the county |Data5=54 |Population=5195| Area=1220| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=063| Name=Missoula| Seat=Missoula| Data2={{dts|1865|2|2|abbr=on}}| Data3=Original County |Data4=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 |Data5=4 |Population=122546| Area=2598| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=065| Name=Musselshell| Seat=Roundup| Data2={{dts|1911|2|11|abbr=on}}| Data3=Fergus County, Meagher County, Yellowstone County |Data4=The Musselshell River, named in turn by the Lewis and Clark Expedition presumably due to mussels found on its banks |Data5=23 | Population=5452| Area=1867| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=067| Name=Park| Seat=Livingston| Data2={{dts|1887|2|23|abbr=on}}| Data3=Gallatin County |Data4=Nearby Yellowstone National Park |Data5=49 | Population=18074| Area=2656| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=069| Name=Petroleum| Seat=Winnett| Data2={{dts|1924|11|24|abbr=on}}| Data3=Fergus County |Data4=The production of petroleum at Cat Creek |Data5=55 | Population=525| Area=1654| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=071| Name=Phillips| Seat=Malta| Data2={{dts|1915|2|5|abbr=on}}| Data3=Blaine County, Valley County |Data4=Benjamin D. Phillips (1857 - 1926), a leading rancher and early pioneer in the county |Data5=11 | Population=4214| Area=5140| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=073| Name=Pondera| Seat=Conrad| Data2={{dts|1919|2|17|abbr=on}}| Data3=Chouteau County, Teton County |Data4=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.|Data5=26 |Population=6078| Area=1625| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=075| Name=Powder River| Seat=Broadus| Data2={{dts|1919|3|7|abbr=on}}| Data3=Custer County |Data4=The Powder River, named in turn for the gunpowder-like sand on its shores |Data5=9 |Population=1734| Area=3297| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=077| Name=Powell| Seat=Deer Lodge| Data2={{dts|1901|1|31|abbr=on}}| Data3=Deer Lodge County |Data4=Mount Powell, which in turn was named for John Wesley Powell (1834–1902), the early environmentalist and explorer |Data5=28 |Population=7120| Area=2326| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=079| Name=Prairie| Seat=Terry| Data2={{dts|1915|2|5|abbr=on}}| Data3=Dawson County, Fallon County |Data4=The county's location on the Great Plains |Data5=45 |Population=1112| Area=1737| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=081| Name=Ravalli| Seat=Hamilton| Data2={{dts|1893|2|16|abbr=on}}| Data3=Missoula County |Data4=Anthony Ravalli (1812–1884), a Jesuit missionary who came to the area in 1845 |Data5=13 |Population=48187| Area=2394| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=083| Name=Richland| Seat=Sidney| Data2={{dts|1914|5|27|abbr=on}}| Data3=Dawson County |Data4=Named so as to depict fertile soil, in an attempt to lure in settlers |Data5=27 | Population=11028| Area=2084| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=085| Name=Roosevelt| Seat=Wolf Point| Data2={{dts|1919|2|18|abbr=on}}| Data3=Sheridan County |Data4=Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), the 26th President of the United States |Data5=17 |Population=10197| Area=2356| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=087| Name=Rosebud| Seat=Forsyth| Data2={{dts|1901|2|11|abbr=on}}| Data3=Custer County |Data4=The Rosebud River, which was named for the many wild roses along its banks |Data5=29 |Population=8194| Area=5012| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=089| Name=Sanders| Seat=Thompson Falls| Data2={{dts|1905|2|7|abbr=on}}| Data3=Missoula County |Data4=Wilbur Fiske Sanders (1834–1905), a pioneer, vigilante, and U.S. Senator from Montana |Data5=35| Population=13895| Area=2762| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=091| Name=Sheridan| Seat=Plentywood| Data2={{dts|1913|3|24|abbr=on}}| Data3=Valley County |Data4=Philip Sheridan (1831–1888), Civil War general |Data5=34 |Population=3448| Area=1677| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=093| Name=Silver Bow| Seat=Butte| Data2={{dts|1881|2|16|abbr=on}}| Data3=Deer Lodge County |Data4=Silver Bow Creek; there are multiple theories explaining how the creek was named |Data5=1 |Population=36134| Area=718| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=095| Name=Stillwater| Seat=Columbus| Data2={{dts|1913|3|24|abbr=on}}| Data3=Carbon County, Sweet Grass County, Yellowstone County |Data4=Stillwater River, ironically named for its very fast current |Data5=32 |Population=9450| Area=1795| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=097| Name=Sweet Grass| Seat=Big Timber| Data2={{dts|1895|3|5|abbr=on}}| Data3=Meagher County, Park County, Yellowstone County |Data4=The abundant sweet grass in the county |Data5=40 |Population=3757| Area=1855| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=099| Name=Teton| Seat=Choteau| Data2={{dts|1893|2|7|abbr=on}}| Data3=Chouteau County |Data4=The Teton Range which is in turn named for the French word for 'nipple', teton|Data5=31 |Population=6444| Area=2273| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=101| Name=Toole| Seat=Shelby| Data2={{dts|1914|5|7|abbr=on}}| Data3=Hill County, Teton County |Data4=Joseph Toole (1851–1929), the first and fourth Governor of Montana |Data5=21 | Population=5153| Area=1911| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=103| Name=Treasure| Seat=Hysham| Data2={{dts|1919|2|7|abbr=on}}| Data3=Rosebud County |Data4=Named promotionally to attract new settlers |Data5=33 | Population=739| Area=979| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=105| Name=Valley| Seat=Glasgow| Data2={{dts|1893|2|6|abbr=on}}| Data3=Dawson County |Data4=Much of the county lies within the valley of the Milk River |Data5=20 |Population=7434| Area=4921| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=107| Name=Wheatland| Seat=Harlowton| Data2={{dts|1917|2|22|abbr=on}}| Data3=Meagher County, Sweet Grass County |Data4=The many wheat fields in the county |Data5=44 |Population=2058| Area=1423| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=109| Name=Wibaux| Seat=Wibaux| Data2={{dts|1914|8|17|abbr=on}}| Data3=Dawson County, Fallon County, Richland County |Data4=Pierre Wibaux (1858–1913), a pioneer and cattleman |Data5=52 |Population=911| Area=889| Size=80px}}

{{Countyrow|N=30|Num=111| Name=Yellowstone| Seat=Billings| Data2={{dts|1883|2|26|abbr=on}}| Data3=Custer County |Data4=The Yellowstone River, named in turn for the yellow rocks found along its shores |Data5=3 |Population=171583| Area=2635| Size=80px}}

=Previous counties=

St. Charles County, Missouri Territory created October 1, 1812, moved 1813
Vancouver County, Oregon Territory created August 13, 1848, renamed Clarke County, Oregon Territory September 3, 1849
Clarke County, Washington Territory created March 2, 1853
Walla Walla County, Washington Territory April 25, 1854
Spokane County, Washington Territory created January 29, 1858, abolished January 19, 1864
Missoula County, Washington Territory created December 14, 1860, abolished May 26, 1864
Shoshone County, Washington Territory created January 9, 1861, abolished March 3, 1863
Stevens County, Washington Territory created January 20, 1863
Shoshone County, Idaho Territory created February 4, 1864

=Extinct counties=

Edgerton County, Montana Territory created February 2, 1865, renamed Lewis and Clark County, Montana Territory March 1, 1868.
Big Horn County, Montana Territory created February 2, 1865, renamed Custer County, Montana Territory February 16, 1877.

= County equivalents =

Yellowstone National Park (Montana Territory) created March 1, 1872, divided between Park County, Montana and Gallatin County, Montana in 1978.

List of counties in Montana

Counties

=Previous counties=

=Extinct counties=

= County equivalents =

See also

References

Further reading