Valley County, Montana
Valley County, Montana | |
|---|---|
Valley County Courthouse in Glasgow | |
Location within the U.S. state of Montana | |
| Coordinates: 48°22′N 106°40′W / 48.36°N 106.66°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Montana |
| Founded | 1893 |
| Seat | Glasgow |
| Largest city | Glasgow |
| Area | |
• Total | 5,062 sq mi (13,110 km2) |
| • Land | 4,926 sq mi (12,760 km2) |
| • Water | 136 sq mi (350 km2) 2.7% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 7,578 |
• Estimate (2024) | 7,434 |
| • Density | 1.538/sq mi (0.5940/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | www |
| |
Valley County is a county in the U.S. state of Montana. Valley County was created in 1893 with area partitioned from Dawson County.[1] As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,578.[2] Its county seat is Glasgow.[3] It is located on the Canada–United States border with Saskatchewan.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 5,062 square miles (13,110 km2), of which 4,926 square miles (12,760 km2) is land and 136 square miles (350 km2) (2.7%) is water.[4] It is Montana's fourth-largest county by total area.
Transportation
Major highways
- U.S. Highway 2
- Montana Highway 24
- Montana Highway 42
- Montana Highway 117
- Montana Secondary Highway 248
Bus
Glasgow and the greater Valley County region are served by a non-profit taxi/bus service called Valley Country Transit.[5]
Rail
Adjacent counties and rural municipalities
- Phillips County - west
- Garfield County - south
- McCone County - south
- Roosevelt County - east
- Daniels County - east
- Rural Municipality (RM) of Mankota No. 45, Saskatchewan (SK) - north
- RM of Waverley No. 44, SK - north
- RM of Old Post No. 43, SK - north
National protected area
Economy
Agriculture is the major economic activity of Valley County. The US Air Force operated Glasgow Air Force Base at St. Marie until 1976, which was a strong influence on the local economy until its closure.
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 4,355 | — | |
| 1910 | 13,630 | 213.0% | |
| 1920 | 11,542 | −15.3% | |
| 1930 | 11,181 | −3.1% | |
| 1940 | 15,181 | 35.8% | |
| 1950 | 11,353 | −25.2% | |
| 1960 | 17,080 | 50.4% | |
| 1970 | 11,471 | −32.8% | |
| 1980 | 10,250 | −10.6% | |
| 1990 | 8,239 | −19.6% | |
| 2000 | 7,675 | −6.8% | |
| 2010 | 7,369 | −4.0% | |
| 2020 | 7,578 | 2.8% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 7,434 | [6] | −1.9% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790–1960,[8] 1900–1990,[9] 1990–2000,[10] 2010–2020[2] | |||
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 7,578. Of the residents, 23.2% were under the age of 18 and 22.9% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 44.1 years. For every 100 females there were 105.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 104.5 males. 0.0% of residents lived in urban areas and 100.0% lived in rural areas.[11][12][13]
The racial makeup of the county was 84.3% White, 0.2% Black or African American, 9.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, 0.9% from some other race, and 5.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.3% of the population.[13]
There were 3,221 households in the county, of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 22.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[12]
There were 4,229 housing units, of which 23.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 72.0% were owner-occupied and 28.0% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 13.1%.[12]
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 7,369 people, 3,198 households, and 1,997 families living in the county. The population density was 1.5 inhabitants per square mile (0.58/km2). There were 4,879 housing units at an average density of 1.0 units per square mile (0.39/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 87.0% white, 9.8% American Indian, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.3% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 33.4% were German, 27.9% were Norwegian, 12.4% were Irish, 10.3% were English, and 6.8% were American.
Of the 3,198 households, 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.3% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.6% were non-families, and 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 46.4 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $42,050 and the median income for a family was $54,096. Males had a median income of $40,802 versus $30,272 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,305. About 5.7% of families and 10.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.0% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
Valley County voters vote reliably Republican in national elections. Since 1964, they have selected the Democratic Party candidate only once (1992, due to strong showing by third-party candidate Ross Perot, which split the Republican voters).
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| № | % | № | % | № | % | |
| 1904 | 742 | 67.70% | 335 | 30.57% | 19 | 1.73% |
| 1908 | 843 | 59.12% | 503 | 35.27% | 80 | 5.61% |
| 1912 | 668 | 25.84% | 696 | 26.92% | 1,221 | 47.23% |
| 1916 | 1,111 | 32.28% | 2,102 | 61.07% | 229 | 6.65% |
| 1920 | 2,096 | 62.89% | 895 | 26.85% | 342 | 10.26% |
| 1924 | 1,555 | 51.10% | 497 | 16.33% | 991 | 32.57% |
| 1928 | 2,330 | 63.85% | 1,294 | 35.46% | 25 | 0.69% |
| 1932 | 1,242 | 30.35% | 2,499 | 61.07% | 351 | 8.58% |
| 1936 | 996 | 14.11% | 5,862 | 83.07% | 199 | 2.82% |
| 1940 | 1,597 | 30.94% | 3,493 | 67.67% | 72 | 1.39% |
| 1944 | 1,341 | 37.44% | 2,196 | 61.31% | 45 | 1.26% |
| 1948 | 1,375 | 33.45% | 2,535 | 61.68% | 200 | 4.87% |
| 1952 | 2,462 | 53.28% | 2,130 | 46.09% | 29 | 0.63% |
| 1956 | 2,357 | 48.42% | 2,511 | 51.58% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 2,387 | 44.65% | 2,953 | 55.24% | 6 | 0.11% |
| 1964 | 2,077 | 40.53% | 3,032 | 59.16% | 16 | 0.31% |
| 1968 | 2,290 | 49.44% | 1,926 | 41.58% | 416 | 8.98% |
| 1972 | 3,210 | 60.02% | 1,973 | 36.89% | 165 | 3.09% |
| 1976 | 2,520 | 50.82% | 2,352 | 47.43% | 87 | 1.75% |
| 1980 | 3,242 | 62.47% | 1,567 | 30.19% | 381 | 7.34% |
| 1984 | 3,123 | 61.89% | 1,849 | 36.64% | 74 | 1.47% |
| 1988 | 2,467 | 52.42% | 2,163 | 45.96% | 76 | 1.61% |
| 1992 | 1,497 | 32.77% | 1,715 | 37.54% | 1,356 | 29.68% |
| 1996 | 1,838 | 43.69% | 1,674 | 39.79% | 695 | 16.52% |
| 2000 | 2,500 | 63.08% | 1,273 | 32.12% | 190 | 4.79% |
| 2004 | 2,476 | 61.62% | 1,431 | 35.61% | 111 | 2.76% |
| 2008 | 2,121 | 54.23% | 1,645 | 42.06% | 145 | 3.71% |
| 2012 | 2,337 | 60.56% | 1,385 | 35.89% | 137 | 3.55% |
| 2016 | 2,698 | 69.29% | 886 | 22.75% | 310 | 7.96% |
| 2020 | 3,135 | 73.57% | 1,030 | 24.17% | 96 | 2.25% |
| 2024 | 3,019 | 74.01% | 935 | 22.92% | 125 | 3.06% |
Communities
City
- Glasgow (county seat)
Towns
Census-designated places
Unincorporated communities
Ghost towns
Census Maps
See also
- Fort Peck Dam
- List of lakes in Valley County, Montana (A-L)
- List of lakes in Valley County, Montana (M-Z)
- List of mountains in Valley County, Montana
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Valley County, Montana
References
- ^ Stout, Tom (1921). Montana, its story and biography; a history of aboriginal and territorial Montana and three decades of statehood, under the editorial supervision of Tom Stout. Chicago IL: American Historical Society. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
- ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
- ^ "Valley County Transit". Glasgow, Montana: Valley County Transit. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
- ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
- ^ "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 30, 2014.
- ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved 2025-12-07.
- ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 2025-12-07.
- ^ a b "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 2025-12-07.
- ^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
- ^ Baylor MT Google Maps (accessed January 7, 2019)
- ^ Miles Crossing MT Google Maps (accessed January 7, 2019)
- ^ Park Grove MT Google Maps (accessed January 7, 2019)
- ^ Richland Post Office MT Google Maps (accessed January 7, 2019)
- ^ Roanwood MT Google Maps (accessed January 7, 2019)
- ^ Tampico MT Google Maps (accessed January 7, 2019)
- ^ Whately MT Google Maps (accessed January 7, 2019)
- ^ Wheeler MT Google Maps (accessed January 7, 2019)
- ^ Beaverton MT Google Maps (accessed January 7, 2019)
- ^ Thoeny MT Google Maps (accessed January 7, 2019)