Chouteau County, Montana | |
|---|---|
 Chouteau County Courthouse in Fort Benton | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMontana | |
 Montana's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:47°53′N110°26′W / 47.88°N 110.44°W /47.88; -110.44 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Montana |
| Founded | 1865 |
| Named after | Pierre Chouteau Jr. |
| Seat | Fort Benton |
| Largest city | Fort Benton |
| Area | |
• Total | 3,997 sq mi (10,350 km2) |
| • Land | 3,972 sq mi (10,290 km2) |
| • Water | 24 sq mi (62 km2) 0.6% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 5,895 |
• Estimate (2024) | 5,880 |
| • Density | 1.484/sq mi (0.5730/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | co |
| |
Chouteau County is acounty located in the North-Central region of theU.S. state ofMontana. As of the2020 census, the population was 5,895.[1] Itscounty seat isFort Benton.[2] The county was established in 1865 as one of the original nine counties of Montana, and named in 1882 afterPierre Chouteau Jr., a fur trader who established a trading post that became Fort Benton, which was once an important port on theMissouri River.
Chouteau County is home to theChippewa-Cree tribe on theRocky Boy Indian Reservation. It contains part of theLewis and Clark National Forest.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,997 square miles (10,350 km2), of which 3,972 square miles (10,290 km2) is land and 24 square miles (62 km2) (0.6%) is water.[3]
Chouteau County was once the largest county in theMontana Territory and the second largest in the United States, with an area of 15,439 square miles (39,990 km2) in the early 20th century. However, some parts of the county were over 250 miles (400 km) from Fort Benton, and in 1893, the first of several divisions began with the creation of Teton County, the western portion of Chouteau County. Chouteau County lost half of its population from 1910 to 1930.
The land is mostly rollingprairie, hence the high density of wheat farming. However, there is notable topography, namely some of Montana's forested island ranges. TheBear Paw Mountains rise in the northeast and theLittle Rockies and theHighwood Ranges are in the southeast. Major rivers include theTeton River,Marias River,Missouri River andArrow Creek.
Choteau County is heavily Republican, like many other rural Montana counties. The entirety of the county votes majority Republican except for the portion of the Rocky Boy's Reservation in the northeast, which is strongly Democratic. In no election since 1964 has a Democratic presidential candidate carried the county.[4]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1904 | 1,517 | 70.62% | 568 | 26.44% | 63 | 2.93% |
| 1908 | 1,220 | 54.73% | 893 | 40.06% | 116 | 5.20% |
| 1912 | 561 | 41.43% | 402 | 29.69% | 391 | 28.88% |
| 1916 | 1,486 | 33.62% | 2,738 | 61.95% | 196 | 4.43% |
| 1920 | 2,646 | 60.86% | 1,436 | 33.03% | 266 | 6.12% |
| 1924 | 1,347 | 46.15% | 706 | 24.19% | 866 | 29.67% |
| 1928 | 1,837 | 59.14% | 1,232 | 39.67% | 37 | 1.19% |
| 1932 | 1,232 | 35.43% | 2,093 | 60.20% | 152 | 4.37% |
| 1936 | 878 | 24.01% | 2,734 | 74.76% | 45 | 1.23% |
| 1940 | 1,235 | 35.54% | 2,213 | 63.68% | 27 | 0.78% |
| 1944 | 1,220 | 38.69% | 1,906 | 60.45% | 27 | 0.86% |
| 1948 | 1,181 | 37.64% | 1,832 | 58.38% | 125 | 3.98% |
| 1952 | 2,098 | 59.35% | 1,423 | 40.25% | 14 | 0.40% |
| 1956 | 1,721 | 48.96% | 1,794 | 51.04% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 1,672 | 49.34% | 1,708 | 50.40% | 9 | 0.27% |
| 1964 | 1,444 | 44.08% | 1,827 | 55.77% | 5 | 0.15% |
| 1968 | 1,695 | 53.66% | 1,216 | 38.49% | 248 | 7.85% |
| 1972 | 2,027 | 59.64% | 1,149 | 33.80% | 223 | 6.56% |
| 1976 | 1,814 | 52.35% | 1,568 | 45.25% | 83 | 2.40% |
| 1980 | 2,448 | 68.32% | 853 | 23.81% | 282 | 7.87% |
| 1984 | 2,425 | 72.17% | 896 | 26.67% | 39 | 1.16% |
| 1988 | 1,980 | 61.51% | 1,166 | 36.22% | 73 | 2.27% |
| 1992 | 1,380 | 42.65% | 959 | 29.64% | 897 | 27.72% |
| 1996 | 1,660 | 52.58% | 1,039 | 32.91% | 458 | 14.51% |
| 2000 | 2,039 | 70.68% | 686 | 23.78% | 160 | 5.55% |
| 2004 | 1,913 | 65.49% | 946 | 32.39% | 62 | 2.12% |
| 2008 | 1,634 | 57.11% | 1,122 | 39.22% | 105 | 3.67% |
| 2012 | 1,758 | 62.32% | 978 | 34.67% | 85 | 3.01% |
| 2016 | 1,679 | 64.50% | 732 | 28.12% | 192 | 7.38% |
| 2020 | 1,891 | 63.78% | 991 | 33.42% | 83 | 2.80% |
| 2024 | 1,885 | 64.25% | 940 | 32.04% | 109 | 3.72% |
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 517 | — | |
| 1880 | 3,068 | 493.4% | |
| 1890 | 4,741 | 54.5% | |
| 1900 | 10,966 | 131.3% | |
| 1910 | 17,191 | 56.8% | |
| 1920 | 11,051 | −35.7% | |
| 1930 | 8,635 | −21.9% | |
| 1940 | 7,316 | −15.3% | |
| 1950 | 6,974 | −4.7% | |
| 1960 | 7,348 | 5.4% | |
| 1970 | 6,473 | −11.9% | |
| 1980 | 6,092 | −5.9% | |
| 1990 | 5,452 | −10.5% | |
| 2000 | 5,970 | 9.5% | |
| 2010 | 5,813 | −2.6% | |
| 2020 | 5,895 | 1.4% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 5,880 | [6] | −0.3% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790–1960[8] 1900–1990[9] 1990–2000[10] 2010–2020[1] | |||
TheUnited States Census Bureau, for population data analyses of unorganized rural areas, the followingCensus-designated places, or CDPs, in addition to the organized communities listed elsewhere in this article.
As of the2020 census, there were 5,895 people living in the county.[citation needed]
As of the2010 census, there were 5,813 people, 2,294 households, and 1,560 families living in the county. The population density was 1.5 inhabitants per square mile (0.58/km2). There were 2,879 housing units at an average density of 0.7 units per square mile (0.27 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 75.8% white, 21.8% American Indian, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.1% black or African American, 0.3% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.6% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 27.6% wereGerman, 13.0% wereIrish, 11.2% wereEnglish, 9.8% wereNorwegian, and 2.0% wereAmerican.
Of the 2,294 households, 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.0% were non-families, and 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.04. The median age was 41.5 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $41,064 and the median income for a family was $50,201. Males had a median income of $33,866 versus $25,077 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,202. About 14.8% of families and 21.0% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 33.6% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.
Chouteau County is the state's largestwinter wheat producer.[11] It is located in the heart of the "Golden Triangle", which produces about 45% of Montana's annual wheat crop.[12]
Places adjacent to Chouteau County, Montana | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofChouteau County, Montana,United States | ||
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| City |  | |
| Towns | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Indian reservations | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
