Garfield County, Montana

Last updated

Garfield County
County
Jordan MT Fergus County Courthouse.jpg
Garfield County Courthouse in Jordan
Map of Montana highlighting Garfield County.svg
Location within the U.S. state of Montana
Montana in United States.svg
Montana's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 47°17′N106°59′W / 47.28°N 106.99°W / 47.28; -106.99
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of Montana.svg Montana
FoundedFebruary 7, 1919 [1]
Seat Jordan
Largest townJordan
Area
 • Total
4,847 sq mi (12,550 km2)
 • Land4,675 sq mi (12,110 km2)
 • Water172 sq mi (450 km2)  3.6%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
1,173
 • Estimate 
(2024)
1,181 Increase2.svg
 • Density0.24/sq mi (0.093/km2)
Time zone UTC−7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district 2nd
Website garfieldcountymt.com
  • Montana county number 50

Garfield County is a county located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,173. [2] Its county seat is Jordan. [3] Garfield County is noteworthy as the site of the discovery and excavation of four of the world's dozen or so major specimens (as of 1994) of Tyrannosaurus rex . A cast of the skull of one of these dinosaurs is on display at the Garfield County Museum. [4]

Contents

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 4,847 square miles (12,550 km2), of which 4,675 square miles (12,110 km2) is land and 172 square miles (450 km2) (3.6%) is water. [5] Its average population density of 0.1058 inhabitants per square kilometre (0.274 inhabitants/sq mi) is the third-lowest of any county outside of Alaska (behind Loving County, Texas and Esmeralda County, Nevada).

Major highways

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1920 5,368—
1930 4,252−20.8%
1940 2,641−37.9%
1950 2,172−17.8%
1960 1,981−8.8%
1970 1,796−9.3%
1980 1,656−7.8%
1990 1,589−4.0%
2000 1,279−19.5%
2010 1,206−5.7%
2020 1,173−2.7%
2024 (est.)1,181 [6] 0.7%
U.S. Decennial Census [7]
1790–1960, [8] 1900–1990, [9]
1990–2000, [10] 2010–2020 [2]

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 1,173 people living in the county.[ citation needed ]

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 1,206 people, 532 households, and 347 families living in the county. The population density was 0.3 inhabitants per square mile (0.12/km2). There were 844 housing units at an average density of 0.2 per square mile (0.077/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 98.6% white, 0.4% American Indian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.1% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 0.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 33.3% were German, 16.9% were Irish, 15.0% were Norwegian, 13.3% were English, 10.5% were American, 8.1% were Swedish, and 7.4% were Scottish.

Of the 532 households, 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.0% were married couples living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.8% were non-families, and 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age was 46.4 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,955 and the median income for a family was $54,375. Males had a median income of $37,813 versus $19,286 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,424. About 8.1% of families and 10.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.1% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Like nearly all of the High Plains outside of Native American counties, Garfield is an overwhelmingly Republican county. It has been the most Republican county in Montana since the 2004 United States presidential election.

The last Democratic presidential candidate to carry the county was Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940, [11] and in the last eight Presidential elections no Democratic candidate has managed to receive more than 15.1 percent. [12] In the 2016, 2020, and 2024 elections, Garfield was the only county in Montana to give over 90% of the vote to the Republican nominee, namely Donald Trump.

Garfield County is also Republican at the local level. Democratic governor Brian Schweitzer never received more than 37 percent of the county's vote and no Democratic gubernatorial candidate has carried the county since Ted Schwinden in 1984. [13] As part of the 15th district of the Montana Senate, the county is represented by Republican Jim Peterson and as part of the 30th district of the Montana House of Representatives it is represented by Republican Dave Kasten. [14]

United States presidential election results for Garfield County, Montana [15]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
1920 1,22668.19%48426.92%884.89%
1924 87650.55%35520.48%50228.97%
1928 1,17669.67%49929.56%130.77%
1932 67837.98%1,04458.49%633.53%
1936 54834.75%99162.84%382.41%
1940 62549.17%64450.67%20.16%
1944 55353.53%47846.27%20.19%
1948 50151.49%45146.35%212.16%
1952 72372.74%26927.06%20.20%
1956 55856.82%42443.18%00.00%
1960 51558.52%36341.25%20.23%
1964 50956.81%38442.86%30.33%
1968 54264.22%19022.51%11213.27%
1972 69577.83%17319.37%252.80%
1976 62567.79%27329.61%242.60%
1980 76078.03%16917.35%454.62%
1984 77084.52%13414.71%70.77%
1988 63174.15%19623.03%242.82%
1992 40349.21%12515.26%29135.53%
1996 56275.34%10714.34%7710.32%
2000 65187.50%618.20%324.30%
2004 59090.08%527.94%131.98%
2008 59882.26%11015.13%192.61%
2012 62288.73%669.42%131.85%
2016 65390.95%344.74%314.32%
2020 76493.97%415.04%80.98%
2024 75694.50%394.88%50.63%

Communities

Town

Unincorporated communities

See also

References

  1. ↑ County Timeline Genealogy Trails
  2. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ↑ David Quammen, "Local Bird Makes Good" (1995), collected in The Boilerplate Rhino (2000), ISBN   0-684-83728-5
  5. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  6. ↑ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  7. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  11. ↑ Geographie Electorale
  12. ↑ The New York Times electoral map (Zoom in on Montana)
  13. ↑ David Leip US Election Atlas
  14. ↑ Montana legislative site
  15. ↑ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  16. ↑ Benzien, Garfield County MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
  17. ↑ Brusett Post Office, Garfield County MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
  18. ↑ Haxby, Garfield County MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
  19. ↑ Hillside, Garfield County MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
  20. ↑ Histopolis: Tindall, Garfield County, Montana, United States. Accessed July 23, 2021.

47°17′N106°59′W / 47.28°N 106.99°W / 47.28; -106.99

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