Lewis and Clark County, Montana

Lewis and Clark County
County
The "Sleeping Giant" formation north of Helena
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Montana
Montana's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 47°07′N112°23′W / 47.11°N 112.38°W / 47.11; -112.38
Country	United States
State	Montana
Founded	June 2, 1865
Named for	Meriwether Lewis and William Clark
Seat	Helena
Largest city	Helena
Area
• Total	3,498 sq mi (9,060 km2)
• Land	3,459 sq mi (8,960 km2)
• Water	39 sq mi (100 km2)  1.1%
Population  (2020)
• Total	70,973
• Estimate  (2022)	73,832
• Density	20/sq mi (7.8/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district	2nd
Website	www.lccountymt.gov/home.html
Montana county number 05

Lewis and Clark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 70,973. ^[1] Its county seat is Helena, ^[2] the state capital. The numerical designation for Lewis and Clark County (used in the issuance of the state's license plates) is 5. The county was established on June 2, 1865, as one of the nine original counties of the Territory of Montana named Edgerton County in honor of Sidney Edgerton, first Governor of the Territory of Montana, and was renamed Lewis and Clark County on March 1, 1868, in honor of explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. ^{[3] [4]}

Lewis and Clark County is part of the Helena, Montana Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,498 square miles (9,060 km²), of which 3,459 square miles (8,960 km²) is land and 39 square miles (100 km²) (1.1%) is water. ^[5]

Major highways

• I-15
• US 12
• US 287
• MT 21
• MT 200
• S-279
• S-284
• S-434

Adjacent counties

• Teton County - north
• Cascade County - east
• Meagher County - east
• Broadwater County - southeast
• Jefferson County - south
• Powell County - west
• Flathead County - northwest

National protected areas

• Flathead National Forest (part)
• Helena National Forest (part)
• Lewis and Clark National Forest (part)
• Lolo National Forest (part)
• Rocky Mountain Front Conservation Area (part)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1870	5,040		—
1880	6,521		29.4%
1890	19,145		193.6%
1900	19,171		0.1%
1910	21,853		14.0%
1920	18,660		−14.6%
1930	18,224		−2.3%
1940	22,131		21.4%
1950	24,540		10.9%
1960	28,006		14.1%
1970	33,281		18.8%
1980	43,039		29.3%
1990	47,495		10.4%
2000	55,716		17.3%
2010	63,395		13.8%
2020	70,973		12.0%
2022 (est.)	73,832	[6]	4.0%
U.S. Decennial Census [7] 1790–1960, [8] 1900–1990, [9] 1990–2000, [10] 2010–2020 [1]

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 70,973 people living in the county.^{[ citation needed ]}

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 63,395 people, 26,694 households, and 16,705 families in the county. The population density was 18.3 inhabitants per square mile (7.1/km²). There were 30,180 housing units at an average density of 8.7 per square mile (3.4/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 94.0% white, 2.1% American Indian, 0.6% Asian, 0.3% black or African American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.5% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 29.2% were German, 19.3% were Irish, 15.0% were English, 8.9% were Norwegian, and 5.1% were American.

Of the 26,694 households, 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.4% were non-families, and 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age was 40.9 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $50,238 and the median income for a family was $65,573. Males had a median income of $44,476 versus $34,893 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,894. About 5.8% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.2% of those under age 18 and 4.1% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Lewis and Clark County leans slightly Republican, but it has voted for Democratic candidates three times since 1964. Bill Clinton won by nearly seven percentage points in 1992, but Bob Dole won by 130 votes in 1996. Barack Obama carried the county in 2008 but lost it to Mitt Romney in 2012.

United States presidential election results for Lewis and Clark County, Montana ^{[11] [12]}

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	21,409	50.64%	19,743	46.70%	1,121	2.65%
2016	16,895	47.87%	14,478	41.02%	3,923	11.11%
2012	16,803	50.43%	15,620	46.88%	895	2.69%
2008	14,966	45.31%	17,114	51.82%	949	2.87%
2004	16,494	55.27%	12,717	42.61%	632	2.12%
2000	15,091	55.34%	9,982	36.61%	2,196	8.05%
1996	11,665	43.94%	11,535	43.45%	3,347	12.61%
1992	9,351	35.72%	11,117	42.47%	5,711	21.82%
1988	10,946	46.91%	11,932	51.14%	456	1.95%
1984	13,569	59.97%	8,768	38.75%	289	1.28%
1980	12,128	57.18%	6,815	32.13%	2,269	10.70%
1976	10,155	54.84%	8,118	43.84%	244	1.32%
1972	10,719	61.90%	6,081	35.12%	516	2.98%
1968	7,979	56.53%	5,379	38.11%	757	5.36%
1964	6,155	44.97%	7,506	54.84%	26	0.19%
1960	7,260	54.65%	6,008	45.22%	17	0.13%
1956	7,959	64.41%	4,397	35.59%	0	0.00%
1952	7,663	62.58%	4,563	37.26%	20	0.16%
1948	5,174	50.85%	4,745	46.63%	257	2.53%
1944	4,482	48.41%	4,737	51.17%	39	0.42%
1940	4,762	44.58%	5,814	54.42%	107	1.00%
1936	2,951	33.82%	5,614	64.34%	160	1.83%
1932	3,671	42.71%	4,714	54.84%	211	2.45%
1928	4,441	57.35%	3,278	42.33%	25	0.32%
1924	3,433	49.93%	1,869	27.19%	1,573	22.88%
1920	4,348	62.90%	2,413	34.91%	152	2.20%
1916	3,423	42.99%	4,337	54.47%	202	2.54%
1912	1,062	24.50%	1,505	34.72%	1,768	40.78%
1908	2,033	45.89%	2,062	46.55%	335	7.56%
1904	2,505	54.60%	1,543	33.63%	540	11.77%
1900	2,043	42.03%	2,763	56.84%	55	1.13%
1896	1,057	21.07%	3,939	78.53%	20	0.40%
1892	2,014	38.14%	2,093	39.64%	1,173	22.22%

Communities

Cities

• Helena (county seat)
• East Helena

Census-designated places

• Augusta
• Canyon Creek
• Craig
• Gilman
• Helena Valley Northeast
• Helena Valley Northwest
• Helena Valley Southeast
• Helena Valley West Central
• Helena West Side
• Lincoln
• Marysville
• Milford Colony
• Rimini
• Unionville
• Wolf Creek
• York

Other unincorporated communities

• Austin ^[13]
• Bald Butte ^[14]
• Birdseye ^[15]
• Canyon Ferry ^[16]
• Dearborn (partially within Cascade County) ^[17]
• Fort Harrison Army Air Park ^[18]
• Four Range ^[19]
• Frontier Town ^[20]
• Gearing ^[21]
• La Chapelle Place ^[22]
• Nelson ^[23]
• Silver City ^[24]
• Stoner Place ^[25]
• Weed ^[26]
• Wilborn ^[27]
• Winston ^[28]

Education

School districts include:

K-12 (Unified): ^[29]

• East Helena K-12 Schools
• Lincoln K-12 Schools

High school: ^[29]

• Augusta High School District
• Helena High School District

Elementary school: ^[29]

• Auchard Creek Elementary School District
• Augusta Elementary School District
• Helena Elementary School District
• Trinity Elementary School District
• Wolf Creek Elementary School District

Notable people

• Seth Bullock, sheriff of Lewis and Clark County, later sheriff of Deadwood, South Dakota.
• Ted Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber, lived in a cabin in Lincoln from 1971 to 1996, during which time he conducted his infamous bombing campaign.
• Mike McGrath, Chief Justice of the Montana Supreme Court, former Montana Attorney General, former County Attorney of Lewis and Clark County.
• Johnny Miljus, major league baseball pitcher, retired to Fort Harrison in Lewis and Clark County.
• W. A. Boyle, president of the UMW, was born in Bald Butte, approximately two miles southwest of Marysville.
• Brian Knight, Major League Baseball umpire
• The governor of Montana, whose official residence is in the state capital of Helena.

See also

• List of lakes in Lewis and Clark County, Montana
• List of mountains in Lewis and Clark County, Montana
• List of counties in Montana
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Lewis and Clark County, Montana

References

1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. "Montana Place Names Companion". Montana Place Names From Alzada to Zortman. Montana Historical Society Research Center. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
4. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p.  185.
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. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
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. Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
12. The leading "other" candidate, Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, received 1,375 votes, while Socialist candidate Eugene Debs received 391 votes and Write-in candidate Eugene Chafin received 2 votes.
13. Austin MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
14. Bald Butte MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
15. Birdseye MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
16. Canyon Ferry MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
17. Dearborn, Lewis & Clark County MT Google Maps (accessed September 4, 2019)
18. Fort Harrison Army Air Park MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
19. Four Range MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
20. Frontier Town MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
21. Gearing MT (accessed January 2, 2019)
22. La Chapelle Place MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
23. Nelson MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
24. Silver City MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
25. Stoner Place MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
26. Weed MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
27. Wilborn MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
28. Winston MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
29. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Lewis and Clark County, MT" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved March 13, 2024. - Text list

External links

• Lewis and Clark County web site

47°07′N112°23′W / 47.11°N 112.38°W / 47.11; -112.38