Carbon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,473. Its county seat is Red Lodge.
Carbon County is part of the Billings, MT Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Carbon County was named for the rich coal deposits found in the area. It was organized on March 4, 1895, from portions of Park and Yellowstone counties.
Land from Park and Yellowstone counties was used to form Carbon County on March 4, 1895. More than sixty federally designated historic sites are located in the county, including Petroglyph Canyon, one of the state's most important rock art sites.
The first commercial oil well in the state was established in Elk Basin fields in 1915.
Geography
thumb|Bear's Tooth
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.6%) is water.
Granite Peak, the state's highest mountain, is found in Carbon County's Beartooth Mountains. The Beartooth Highway, one of the "most spectacular alpine highways", links Red Lodge to Cooke City. The Pryor Mountains are in the east of the county, along with the Big Horn River.
Major highways
- 20px U.S. Highway 212
- 20px U.S. Highway 310
- 20px Montana Highway 72
- 20px Montana Highway 78
Adjacent counties
- Park County - west
- Stillwater County - north
- Yellowstone County - northeast
- Big Horn County - east
- Big Horn County, Wyoming - southeast
- Park County, Wyoming - south
National protected areas
- Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area (part)
- Custer National Forest (part)
- Gallatin National Forest (part)
Politics
Carbon County has voted Republican in every presidential election since 1968.
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