County in Montana
| Fergus County | |
|---|---|
| County | |
 Fergus County Courthouse in Lewistown | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Montana | |
 Montana's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 47°16′N 109°13′W / 47.26°N 109.22°W / 47.26; -109.22 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Montana |
| Founded | 1885 |
| Named for | James Fergus |
| Seat | Lewistown |
| Largest city | Lewistown |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4,350 sq mi (11,300 km) |
| • Land | 4,340 sq mi (11,200 km) |
| • Water | 11 sq mi (30 km) 0.2% |
| Population | |
| • Total | 11,446 |
| • Estimate | 11,663  |
| • Density | 2.6/sq mi (1.0/km) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | www |
| |
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), of which 4,340 square miles (11,200 km) is land and 11 square miles (28 km) (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
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890 | 3,514 | — | |
| 1900 | 6,937 | 97.4% | |
| 1910 | 17,385 | 150.6% | |
| 1920 | 28,344 | 63.0% | |
| 1930 | 16,531 | −41.7% | |
| 1940 | 14,040 | −15.1% | |
| 1950 | 14,015 | −0.2% | |
| 1960 | 14,018 | 0.0% | |
| 1970 | 12,611 | −10.0% | |
| 1980 | 13,076 | 3.7% | |
| 1990 | 12,083 | −7.6% | |
| 2000 | 11,893 | −1.6% | |
| 2010 | 11,586 | −2.6% | |
| 2020 | 11,446 | −1.2% | |
| 2022 (est.) | 11,663 | 1.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020 | |||
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). There were 5,836 housing units at an average density of 1.3 per square mile (0.50/km). 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.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
Unincorporated communities
- Amherst
- Buffalo
- Christina
- Eddies Corner
- Fergus
- Forest Grove
- Garneill
- Giltedge
- Hanover
- Heath
- Hoosac
- Maiden
- Moore
- Piper
- Roy
- Straw
- Valentine
- Ware
Former communities
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.
See also
- List of lakes in Fergus County, Montana
- List of mountains in Fergus County, Montana
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Fergus County, Montana
References
- ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- "Fergus County - Home". www.co.fergus.mt.us. Archived from the original on June 23, 2018. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
- Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 125.
- "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
- "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
- "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on May 30, 2019. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
- "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 28, 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 28, 2014.
- Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
- The leading "other" candidate, Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, received 1,104 votes, while Socialist candidate Eugene Debs received 421 votes.
- Eddies Corner, Fergus County MT Google Maps (accessed January 1, 2019)
- Giltedge, Fergus County MT Google Maps (accessed January 1, 2019)
- Hanover, Fergus County MT Google Maps (accessed January 1, 2019)
- Maiden, Fergus County MT Google Maps (accessed January 1, 2019)
- Moore, Fergus County MT Google Maps (accessed January 1, 2019)
- Piper, Fergus County MT Google Maps (accessed January 1, 2019)
- Roy, Fergus County MT Google Maps (accessed January 1, 2019)
- Straw, Fergus County MT Google Maps (accessed January 1, 2019)
- Valentine, Fergus County MT Google Maps (accessed January 1, 2019)
- Ware, Fergus County MT Google Maps (accessed January 1, 2019)
- "Montana Governor Roy Elmer Ayers". National Governors Association. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
- "RIDDICK, Carl Wood, (1872–1960)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
| Places adjacent to Fergus County, Montana | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Fergus County, Montana
| Municipalities and communities of Fergus County, Montana, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| County seat: Lewistown | ||
| City |  | |
| Towns | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
47°16′N 109°13′W / 47.26°N 109.22°W / 47.26; -109.22
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