Fergus County, Montana

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 , of which is land and (0.2%) is water. When established in 1886, Fergus County, Montana Territory, was a massive, undivided entity of 7,524 square miles. The county was centered around Lewistown, with 209 townships in a rapidly developing, expansive agricultural and mining region, prior to later divisions into Musselshell (part 1911), Judith Basin (part 1920), Golden Valley (4 October 1920 part from Musselshell), and Petroleum (1925) counties. To organize and administer old Fergus County, districts were created. These districts, rather than the townships, were used to enumerate the population in the 1900 Federal Census.

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

20px U.S. Highway 87
20px U.S. Highway 191
20px Montana Highway 3
20px Montana Highway 80
20px Montana Highway 81
20px 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

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 11,446. Of the residents, 20.7% were under the age of 18 and 26.3% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 47.5 years. For every 100 females there were 102.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.6 males. 52.6% of residents lived in urban areas and 47.4% lived in rural areas.

The racial makeup of the county was 93.2% White, 0.2% Black or African American, 1.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, 0.5% from some other race, and 4.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.0% of the population.

There were 5,032 households in the county, of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 23.9% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.|source2=

Communities

City

Lewistown (county seat)

Towns

Denton
Grass Range
Moore
Winifred

Unincorporated communities

Amherst
Buffalo
Christina
Eddies Corner
Fergus
Forest Grove
Garneill
Giltedge
Hanover
Heath
Hoosac
Maiden
Moore
Piper
Roy
Straw
Valentine
Ware

Former communities

Moulton

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.