Valley County, Montana

Valley County, Montana
Valley County is a county in the U.S. state of Montana. Valley County was created in 1893 with area partitioned from Dawson County. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,578. Its county seat is Glasgow. 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 , of which is land and (2.7%) is water. 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.
Rail
Amtrak Empire Builder (Glasgow station)
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
Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge (part)
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
2020 census
As of the census of 2020, there were 7,578 people.
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 7,369 people, 3,198 households, and 1,997 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 4,879 housing units at an average density of . 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).
Communities
City
Glasgow (county seat)
Towns
Fort Peck
Nashua
Opheim
Census-designated places
Frazer
Hinsdale
St. Marie
Unincorporated communities
Baylor
Glentana
Larslan
Lustre
Miles Crossing
Oswego
Park Grove
Richland
Roanwood
Tampico
Vandalia
Whately
Wheeler
Ghost towns
Beaverton
Genevieve
Thoeny
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
External links
Official site
Glasgow Area Chamber of Commerce
Montana counties on the Missouri River
1893 establishments in Montana
Populated places established in 1893