Ravalli County, Montana

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Ravalli County, Montana
County
IOOF building Stevensville.JPG
Independent Order of Odd Fellows Hall in Stevensville, Montana.
Map of Montana highlighting Ravalli County.svg
Location within the U.S. state of Montana
Montana in United States.svg
Montana's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 46°05′N114°07′W / 46.08°N 114.12°W / 46.08; -114.12
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of Montana.svg Montana
FoundedMarch 3, 1893
Named after Antonio Ravalli
Seat Hamilton
Largest cityHamilton
Area
 • Total
2,400 sq mi (6,200 km2)
 • Land2,391 sq mi (6,190 km2)
 • Water9.4 sq mi (24 km2)  0.4%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
44,174
 • Estimate 
(2024)
48,187 Increase2.svg
 • Density18.48/sq mi (7.133/km2)
Time zone UTC−7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district 1st
Website www.rc.mt.gov
  • Montana county number 13

Ravalli County is a county in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,174. [1] Its county seat is Hamilton. [2]

Contents

Ravalli County is part of a north–south mountain valley bordered by the Sapphire Mountains on the East and the Bitterroot Mountains on the West. It is often referred to as the Bitterroot Valley, which is named for the Bitterroot Flower. The county is on the Pacific Ocean side of the Continental Divide, which follows the Idaho-Montana border from Wyoming until Ravalli County. Here, it turns east into Montana, between Chief Joseph Pass and Lost Trail Pass, and follows the Ravalli County-Beaverhead County border.

History

Ravalli County was once home to the Bitterroot Salish tribe. The tribe was first encountered in 1805 by the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which noted their friendly nature. The Catholic Church took an interest in creating a mission in the area, and in 1841 founded St. Mary's Mission, subsequently renamed as Fort Owen. In 1864, the settlement's current name, Stevensville, was adopted. In 1891, the Salish tribe was moved to the current Flathead Reservation under the Treaty of Hellgate.

In 1877, Chief Joseph and his Wallowa band of Nez Perce passed through Ravalli County in their attempt to escape confinement to a reservation; they were captured en route to Canada just south of Havre.

Ravalli County was created in 1893 by the Montana Legislature, carving off a portion of Missoula County. It was named after the Italian Jesuit priest Antony Ravalli, who came to the Bitterroot Valley in 1845.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has an area of 2,400 square miles (6,200 km2), of which 2,391 square miles (6,190 km2) is land and 9.4 square miles (24 km2) (0.4%) is water. [3]

Major highways

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1900 7,822—
1910 11,66649.1%
1920 10,098−13.4%
1930 10,3152.1%
1940 12,47821.0%
1950 13,1015.0%
1960 12,341−5.8%
1970 14,40916.8%
1980 22,49356.1%
1990 25,01011.2%
2000 36,07044.2%
2010 40,21211.5%
2020 44,1749.9%
2024 (est.)48,187 [4] 9.1%
U.S. Decennial Census [5]
1790–1960, [6] 1900–1990, [7]
1990–2000, [8] 2010–2020 [1]

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 44,174. Of the residents, 19.3% were under the age of 18 and 27.9% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 50.2 years. For every 100 females there were 97.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.3 males. 15.6% of residents lived in urban areas and 84.4% lived in rural areas. [9] [10]

The racial makeup of the county was 91.4% White, 0.2% Black or African American, 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, 1.2% from some other race, and 5.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.6% of the population. [9]

There were 18,750 households in the county, of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 22.6% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. [11]

There were 21,062 housing units, of which 11.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 76.5% were owner-occupied and 23.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.1%. [11]

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 40,212 people, 16,933 households, and 11,380 families in the county. The population density was 16.8 inhabitants per square mile (6.5/km2). There were 19,583 housing units at an average density of 8.2 per square mile (3.2/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 95.9% white, 0.9% American Indian, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.6% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 28.8% were German, 17.4% were English, 15.9% were Irish, 8.3% were American, 5.7% were Italian, and 5.5% were Norwegian.

Of the 16,933 households, 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.8% were non-families, and 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.83. The median age was 46.0 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $43,000 and the median income for a family was $53,004. Males had a median income of $42,065 versus $27,629 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,908. About 9.6% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.5% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Agriculture and timber form the bulk of Ravalli County economic activity. Marcus Daly, one of three Butte copper kings, funded logging operations in the Bitterroot Valley. The lumber was necessary for the Butte copper operation. Recently, more of Ravalli County's economy stems from tourism. The valley borders the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness and offers a wide variety of wildlife, including some of the few remaining wolverine and wolf populations in the contiguous states. The Lost Trail Powder Mountain ski area is at Lost Trail Pass on the Idaho border on US-93.

Politics

Ravalli County voters have been reliably Republican, opting only one time for the Democratic Party candidate in national elections since 1940 (as of 2024).

United States presidential election results for Ravalli County, Montana [12]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
№ %№ %№ %
1904 1,08357.45%52327.75%27914.80%
1908 1,04548.09%85939.53%26912.38%
1912 31613.39%85836.36%1,18650.25%
1916 1,62342.40%1,96751.38%2386.22%
1920 2,11060.49%1,22435.09%1544.42%
1924 1,31137.79%56216.20%1,59646.01%
1928 2,55168.50%1,11229.86%611.64%
1932 1,71439.76%2,29253.17%3057.07%
1936 1,58033.39%2,85960.42%2936.19%
1940 2,48346.73%2,77352.19%571.07%
1944 2,34254.33%1,92644.68%431.00%
1948 2,35449.84%2,15945.71%2104.45%
1952 3,53766.37%1,75032.84%420.79%
1956 3,43761.40%2,16138.60%00.00%
1960 3,12156.46%2,38143.07%260.47%
1964 2,35041.50%3,30058.28%120.21%
1968 3,18353.25%2,08034.80%71411.95%
1972 4,61161.83%2,48033.25%3674.92%
1976 4,89456.29%3,50440.30%2963.40%
1980 7,26863.73%3,06326.86%1,0739.41%
1984 8,16167.15%3,82531.47%1681.38%
1988 7,41859.39%4,76338.13%3092.47%
1992 5,39235.90%4,64430.92%4,98333.18%
1996 8,13850.11%5,20032.02%2,90217.87%
2000 11,24165.21%4,45125.82%1,5468.97%
2004 13,27966.84%6,14430.93%4442.23%
2008 13,00258.83%8,40038.01%6993.16%
2012 14,30764.41%7,28532.80%6202.79%
2016 14,81065.66%6,22327.59%1,5236.75%
2020 19,11466.78%8,76330.62%7452.60%
2024 20,61768.66%8,48528.26%9253.08%

Communities

City

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Education

K-12 school districts include: [19]

High school districts include: [19]

Elementary school districts include: [19]

Notable person

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
  4. ↑ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  5. ↑ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
  8. ↑ "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 29, 2014.
  9. 1 2 "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 2025-12-07.
  10. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved 2025-12-07.
  11. 1 2 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 2025-12-07.
  12. ↑ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  13. ↑ Alta MT Google Maps (accessed January 5, 2019)
  14. ↑ Bell Crossing MT Google Maps (accessed January 5, 2019)
  15. ↑ Cinnibar Court MT Google Maps (accessed January 5, 2019)
  16. ↑ Como TM Google Maps (accessed January 5, 2019)
  17. ↑ Gorus MT Google Maps (accessed January 5, 2019)
  18. ↑ Medicine Hot Springs MT Google Maps (accessed January 5, 2019)
  19. 1 2 3 Geography Division. (Map). U.S. Census Bureau https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st30_mt/schooldistrict_maps/c30081_ravalli/DC20SD_C30081.pdf . Retrieved June 5, 2025.{{cite map}}: Missing or empty |title= (help) - Text list

46°05′N114°07′W / 46.08°N 114.12°W / 46.08; -114.12

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