# Fergus County, Montana

Fergus County is a county in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,446. Its county seat is Lewistown. The county was founded in 1885 and named for James Fergus, a Montana politician who was instrumental in creating the county.

## Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 4,350 square miles (11,300 km$^2$), of which 4,340 square miles (11,200 km$^2$) is land and 11 square miles (28 km$^2$) (0.2%) is water.

### Adjacent counties

* Chouteau County – northwest
* Blaine County – north
* Phillips County – northeast
* Petroleum County – east
* Musselshell County – southeast
* Golden Valley County – south
* Wheatland County – southwest
* Judith Basin County – west

### Major highways

* U.S. Highway 87
* U.S. Highway 191
* Montana Highway 3
* Montana Highway 80
* Montana Highway 81
* Montana Highway 200

### National protected areas

* Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge (part)
* Lewis and Clark National Forest (part)
* Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument (part)

### Military Installations

* LGM-30 Minuteman silos D-01 thru D-11 of the 10th Missile Squadron, 341st Missile Wing, 20th Air Force, assigned to Malmstrom AFB, Montana

## Demographics
### 2020 census

As of the census, of 2020, there were 11,446 people living in the county.

### 2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 11,586 people, 5,099 households, and 3,202 families living in the county. The population density was 2.7 inhabitants per square mile (1.0/km$^2$). There were 5,836 housing units at an average density of 1.3 per square mile (0.50/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the county was 96.6% white, 1.2% American Indian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 30.8% were German, 15.9% were English, 14.7% were Norwegian, 12.8% were Irish, and 4.2% were American.
Of the 5,099 households, 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.2% were non-families, and 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.75. The median age was 47.8 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,607 and the median income for a family was $48,623. Males had a median income of $35,110 versus $21,225 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,295. About 12.5% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.2% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

## Politics

Since the 1964 election, the Republican candidate has been selected in every election.
United States presidential election results for Fergus County, Montana :
| Year | Republican | Republican | Democratic | Democratic | Third party(ies) | Third party(ies) |
| Year | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % |
| 2024 | 4,965 | 73.97% | 1,522 | 22.68% | 225 | 3.35% |
| 2020 | 4,869 | 74.83% | 1,496 | 22.99% | 142 | 2.18% |
| 2016 | 4,269 | 73.10% | 1,202 | 20.58% | 369 | 6.32% |
| 2012 | 4,257 | 70.12% | 1,640 | 27.01% | 174 | 2.87% |
| 2008 | 4,108 | 65.92% | 1,933 | 31.02% | 191 | 3.06% |
| 2004 | 4,425 | 72.22% | 1,582 | 25.82% | 120 | 1.96% |
| 2000 | 4,353 | 72.62% | 1,352 | 22.56% | 289 | 4.82% |
| 1996 | 3,671 | 59.27% | 1,866 | 30.13% | 657 | 10.61% |
| 1992 | 2,736 | 42.16% | 1,615 | 24.88% | 2,139 | 32.96% |
| 1988 | 3,948 | 64.55% | 2,052 | 33.55% | 116 | 1.90% |
| 1984 | 4,585 | 70.99% | 1,804 | 27.93% | 70 | 1.08% |
| 1980 | 4,455 | 65.02% | 1,840 | 26.85% | 557 | 8.13% |
| 1976 | 3,556 | 57.73% | 2,470 | 40.10% | 134 | 2.18% |
| 1972 | 4,082 | 67.48% | 1,652 | 27.31% | 315 | 5.21% |
| 1968 | 3,367 | 55.59% | 2,070 | 34.18% | 620 | 10.24% |
| 1964 | 2,980 | 47.35% | 3,300 | 52.44% | 13 | 0.21% |
| 1960 | 3,294 | 52.24% | 2,999 | 47.56% | 13 | 0.21% |
| 1956 | 3,771 | 57.77% | 2,757 | 42.23% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 4,402 | 65.79% | 2,271 | 33.94% | 18 | 0.27% |
| 1948 | 2,411 | 42.66% | 3,059 | 54.12% | 182 | 3.22% |
| 1944 | 2,229 | 41.11% | 3,164 | 58.35% | 29 | 0.53% |
| 1940 | 2,706 | 40.88% | 3,873 | 58.51% | 40 | 0.60% |
| 1936 | 1,821 | 27.00% | 4,675 | 69.31% | 249 | 3.69% |
| 1932 | 2,400 | 33.63% | 4,470 | 62.64% | 266 | 3.73% |
| 1928 | 4,109 | 60.09% | 2,667 | 39.00% | 62 | 0.91% |
| 1924 | 2,942 | 38.50% | 1,580 | 20.68% | 3,120 | 40.83% |
| 1920 | 5,858 | 60.22% | 3,371 | 34.66% | 498 | 5.12% |
| 1916 | 3,290 | 34.91% | 5,749 | 61.00% | 385 | 4.09% |
| 1912 | 745 | 20.34% | 1,393 | 38.03% | 1,525 | 41.63% |
| 1908 | 1,529 | 52.43% | 1,112 | 38.13% | 275 | 9.43% |
| 1904 | 1,599 | 63.23% | 780 | 30.84% | 150 | 5.93% |
| 1900 | 1,228 | 56.93% | 913 | 42.33% | 16 | 0.74% |
| 1896 | 725 | 46.41% | 834 | 53.39% | 3 | 0.19% |
| 1892 | 766 | 55.59% | 560 | 40.64% | 52 | 3.77% |

## Communities
### City

* Lewistown (county seat)

### Towns

* Denton
* Grass Range
* Moore
* Winifred

### Unincorporated communities

* Amherst
* Buffalo
* Christina
* Eddies Corner
* Fergus
* Forest Grove
* Garneill
* Giltedge
* Hanover
* Heath
* Hoosac
* Maiden
* Moore
* Piper
* Roy
* Straw
* Valentine
* Ware

## Former communities

Moulton

## Census-designated places

* Ayers Ranch Colony
* Brooks
* Coffee Creek
* Danvers
* Deerfield Colony
* Fords Creek Colony
* Hilger
* King Ranch Colony
* Lewistown Heights
* Roy
* Spring Creek Colony
* Warm Spring Creek

## Notable people

* Roy E. Ayers, member of the United States House of Representatives and 11th Governor of Montana; served as the attorney of the county from 1905 to 1909.
* Carl W. Riddick, House of Representatives from the Second District of Montana, served as County Assessor of Fergus County.