Sheridan County, Montana

{{Infobox U.S. county

| county = Sheridan County

| state = Montana

| seal =

| founded date = March 11

| founded year = 1913

| seat wl = Plentywood

| largest city wl = Plentywood

| area_total_sq_mi = 1706

| area_land_sq_mi = 1677

| area_water_sq_mi = 29

| area percentage = 1.7

| population_as_of = 2020

| population_total = 3539

| pop_est_as_of = 2024

| population_est = 3448 {{increase}}

| population_density_sq_mi = auto

| time zone = Mountain

| web = www.co.sheridan.mt.us

| ex image = Sheridan county courthouse.jpg

| ex image cap = Sheridan County Courthouse in Plentywood

| district = 2nd

| named for = Philip Sheridan

| footnotes =

Montana county number 34

}}

Sheridan County is a county in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,539.{{Cite web |title=State & County QuickFacts |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/sheridancountymontana/PST045222 |access-date=May 9, 2023 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}} Its county seat is Plentywood.{{Cite web |title=Find a County |url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |publisher=National Association of Counties}} Its northern boundary is the Canada–United States border south of Saskatchewan.

History

The Montana Legislature established Sheridan County in 1913 from portions of Dawson and Valley Counties. It was named for American Civil War General Philip Sheridan.{{Cite web |title=Montana Place Names Companion |url=http://mtplacenames.org/ |access-date=May 9, 2011 |website=Montana Place Names From Alzada to Zortman |publisher=Montana Historical Society Research Center}} In the 1920s and 1930s the county was a hotbed of communist organizing. The CPUSA managed to elect several town and county officials. At the 1932 presidential election the communist candidate William Z. Foster got 576 votes (22%).{{Cite web |title=Communist Party votes by county |url=http://depts.washington.edu/moves/CP_map-votes.shtml |access-date=July 5, 2017 |website=depts.washington.edu}} International changes in communist organizing strategies, especially the move towards the popular front, effectively ended communist presence in the area.{{Cite book |last=Stoner McDonald |first=Verlaine |title=The Red Corner: The Rise and Fall of Communism in Northeastern Montana |publisher=Montana Historical Society Press |year=2010}}

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of {{convert|1706|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|1677|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|29|sqmi}} (1.7%) is water.{{Cite web |date=August 22, 2012 |title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_30.txt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141205145322/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_30.txt |archive-date=December 5, 2014 |access-date=November 30, 2014 |publisher=US Census Bureau}}

=Major highways=

=Adjacent counties and rural municipalities=

Rural Municipality of Happy Valley, Saskatchewan – northwest
Rural Municipality of Surprise Valley, Saskatchewan – north
Rural Municipality of Lake Alma, Saskatchewan – northeast
Daniels County – west
Divide County, North Dakota – east
Williams County, North Dakota – east
Roosevelt County – south

=National protected area=

Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

{{US Census population

|1920= 13847

|1930= 9869

|1940= 7814

|1950= 6674

|1960= 6458

|1970= 5779

|1980= 5414

|1990= 4732

|2000= 4105

|2010= 3384

|2020= 3539

|estyear=2024

|estimate=3448

|estref={{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html|title=County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=June 3, 2025}}

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{Cite web |title=U.S. Decennial Census |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |access-date=November 30, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}
1790–1960,{{Cite web |title=Historical Census Browser |url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu |access-date=November 30, 2014 |publisher=University of Virginia Library}} 1900–1990,{{Cite web |title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/mt190090.txt |access-date=November 30, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}
1990–2000,{{Cite web |title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |access-date=November 30, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}} 2010–2020

}}

=2020 census=

As of the 2020 census, there were 3,539 people living in the county.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

=2010 census=

As of the 2010 census, there were 3,384 people, 1,587 households, and 944 families living in the county. The population density was {{convert|2.0|PD/sqmi}}. There were 2,089 housing units at an average density of {{convert|1.2|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units |units|}}. The racial makeup of the county was 95.4% white, 1.7% American Indian, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.3% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 33.8% were Norwegian, 26.0% were German, 12.0% were Danish, 11.6% were Irish, 5.5% were Swedish, 5.3% were English, and 5.0% were American.

Of the 1,587 households, 21.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 40.5% were non-families, and 37.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.70. The median age was 50.3 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,578 and the median income for a family was $55,313. Males had a median income of $46,932 versus $22,107 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,537. About 6.4% of families and 14.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Sheridan County voters have selected the Republican County candidate in 80% of the national elections since 1980.

Sheridan County had a strong Communist Party presence in the first half of the 20th century. In the 1932 presidential election, Communist candidate William Z. Foster received 18% of the vote in the county, his strongest performance nationwide.

{{PresHead|place=Sheridan County, Montana|source={{Cite web |last=Leip |first=David |title=Atlas of US Presidential Elections |url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS |access-date=April 3, 2018 |website=uselectionatlas.org}}}}

Communities

=City=

Plentywood (county seat)

=Towns=

=Unincorporated communities=

Coalridge[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Coalridge,+MT+59219/@48.6983593,-104.1978624,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x532226850b892bbb:0x97a3ce49afc86c37!8m2!3d48.6983602!4d-104.1891076 Coalridge MT Google Maps (accessed January 6, 2019)]
Comertown
Dagmar
Raymond
Reserve
Caldera

=Former towns=

Dooley
Archer

Census-designated places

Education

School districts include:{{cite map|author=Geography Division|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st30_mt/schooldistrict_maps/c30091_sheridan/DC20SD_C30091.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Sheridan County, MT|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|date=December 22, 2020|access-date=2025-03-22}}