Glendive is a city in and the county seat of Dawson County, Montana, United States, and home to Dawson Community College. Glendive was established by the Northern Pacific Railway during the building of the railroad line. The town of Glendive is an agricultural and ranching hub of eastern Montana sited between the Yellowstone River and the Badlands. Makoshika State Park is located just east of Glendive.
The population was 4,873 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 4,760 in 2024. Gore killed 105 bears, 2000 buffalos and 1600 elk and deer over 11 months. There was a steamboat landing for trade to Fort Buford and the Upper Missouri River.
At the height of the Montana gold rush- fed cattle boom in 1884, 12,000 cattle arrived per week to stock the open range. Moving the oil out of the area was difficult and expensive though; the boom ended by 1954 and only a small reserve existed locally.
21st century
The community has been impacted in the 2000s by the North Dakota oil boom which spurred a modest increase in the population.
On January 17, 2015, Glendive was the site of a major oil spill from a pipeline which contaminated drinking water. The Poplar pipeline by Bridger Pipeline, LLC, of Casper, Wyoming which crosses the Yellowstone River 6.5 miles North of Glendive had spilled 30,000 gallons Bakken crude oil, which were found as far as Crane, Montana about 60 river miles downstream. It stayed on shorelines until after the spring thaw in April 2015. It contaminated fish and impacted migrating birds. In 2022, Bridger paid $2,000,000 for restoration.
On October 24, 2023, a fire destroyed the Jordan Inn and the Rose Theater, both located in the Merrill Avenue Historic District. The Inn was a complete loss.
Geography
The elevation of the city is . Interstate 94 passes through town with access from exits 210, 211, 213, and 215. Montana Highway 16 begins in West Glendive. The Yellowstone River cuts through town.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.69%) is water.
Demographics
thumb|left|Bell Street, about 1913