Chouteau County, Montana

Chouteau County, Montana
Chouteau County is a county located in the North-Central region of the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,895. Its county seat is Fort Benton. The county was established in 1865 as one of the original nine counties of Montana, and named in 1882 after Pierre Chouteau Jr., a fur trader who established a trading post that became Fort Benton, which was once an important port on the Missouri River.
Chouteau County is home to the Chippewa-Cree tribe on the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation. It contains part of the Lewis and Clark National Forest.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.6%) is water.
Chouteau County was once the largest county in the Montana Territory and the second largest in the United States, with an area of in the early 20th century. However, some parts of the county were over 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 prairie. The Bear Paw Mountains rise in the eastern section and the Little Rockies and the Highwood ranges are in the southern portion. Major rivers include the Teton River, Marias River, Missouri River and the Arrow River.
Adjacent counties
Liberty County – north
Hill County – north
Blaine County – east
Fergus County – southeast
Judith Basin County – south
Cascade County – south
Teton County – west
Pondera County – northwest
Major highway
U.S. Route 87
National protected areas
Lewis and Clark National Forest (part)
Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument (part)
Politics
Demographics
Census-designated places
The United States Census Bureau, for population data analyses of unorganized rural areas, the following Census-designated places, or CDPs, in addition to the organized communities listed elsewhere in this article.
Boneau
Carter
Floweree
Highwood
Loma
Parker School
Rocky Boy West
Square Butte
Sunnybrook Colony
Twin Hills Colony
2020 census
As of the census of 2020, there were 5,895 people.
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 5,813 people, 2,294 households, and 1,560 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 2,879 housing units at an average density of . 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% were German, 13.0% were Irish, 11.2% were English, 9.8% were Norwegian, and 2.0% were American.
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 the poverty line, including 33.6% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Chouteau County is the state's largest winter wheat producer. It is located in the heart of the "Golden Triangle", which produces about 45% of Montana's annual wheat crop.
Communities
City
Fort Benton (county seat)
Towns
Big Sandy
Geraldine
Unincorporated communities
Big Sag
Coal Banks Landing
Lippard
Montague
Shepherd Crossing
Shonkin
Stranahan
Virgelle
Warrick
Woods Crossing
See also
List of lakes in Chouteau County, Montana
List of mountains in Chouteau County, Montana
National Register of Historic Places listings in Chouteau County, Montana
References
External links
Montana counties on the Missouri River
1865 establishments in Montana Territory
Populated places established in 1865