Deer Lodge County is a county in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,421. It forms a consolidated city-county government with its county seat of Anaconda. The county was established in 1865. It has had a city-county consolidated government since 1977. The original county included what are now Silver Bow County (separated in 1881), Deer Lodge County, Granite County (separated in 1893) and Powell County (separated in 1901). In 1976, the voters chose a consolidated city-county form of government in the general election, and the charter became effective January 1, 1977.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has an area of , of which is land and (0.6%) is water. It is the second-smallest county in Montana by area.
The county has a wealth of natural amenities, such as the Anaconda Mountain Range, Georgetown Lake, and the Mount Haggin wildlife management area (Montana's largest at 54,000 acres).
Major highways
- 20px Interstate 90
- 20px U.S. Highway 10 (Former)
- 20px Montana Highway 1
- 20px Montana Highway 43
- 20px Montana Highway 48
Adjacent counties
- Granite County - northwest
- Powell County - north
- Jefferson County - east
- Silver Bow County - southeast
- Beaverhead County - south
- Ravalli County - west
National protected areas
- Beaverhead National Forest (part)
- Deerlodge National Forest (part)