Hill County is a county located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,309. Its county seat is Havre. It lies along the United States border with Canada, abutting Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Part of its territory is within the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation, which is held by the federally recognized Chippewa-Cree Tribe.
History
The first European-American settlement in the future county area was Fort Assinniboine, garrisoned by the United States Army in 1879. Fifteen of the original 104 structures from the fort are still standing. A portion of the fort was ceded for use as the Indian reservation, which was established in 1916.
The county is named after James J. Hill, president of the Great Northern Railway Company, which built the rail line across Montana as part of the Transcontinental Railroad to the Pacific coast.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.6%) is water.
Hill County is on the "Hi-Line" in north-central Montana. It borders Blaine County to the east, Liberty County to the west, and Canada to the north. Hill County contains Beaver Creek Park, the nation's largest county park.
Adjacent counties and rural municipalities
- Liberty County - west
- Chouteau County - south
- Blaine County - east
- County of Forty Mile No. 8, Alberta - northwest
- Cypress County, Alberta - north
- Rural Municipality of Reno No. 51, Saskatchewan - northeast
Major highways
- 20px U.S. Route 2
- 20px U.S. Route 87
National protected areas
- Creedman Coulee National Wildlife Refuge
- Lake Thibadeau National Wildlife Refuge