Westby is a town in Sheridan County,

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

, United States. The population was 167 at the 2020 census.

History

Westby was founded in 1910 as a town in what was then

Williams County, North Dakota Williams County is located on the western border of the U.S. state of North Dakota, next to Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,950. Its county seat is Williston. The Williston Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all o ...

(now in Divide County).

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

settlers came up with the name by combining the word ''west'', which noted the town's location in extreme western North Dakota, with the word ''by'',

for town. The town remained in North Dakota until 1914, when it was moved slightly across the border so as to be next to a newly built

branch line A branch line is a phrase used in railway terminology to denote a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line. Industrial spur An industri ...

of the

Soo Line Railroad The Soo Line Railroad is the primary United States railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway , one of seven U.S. Class I railroads, controlled through the Soo Line Corporation. Although it is named for the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sa ...

and in a state that permitted the sale of alcohol.

Geography

Westby is located at (48.869847, -104.051950). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the town has a total area of , all land. Westby is located on the state border with

North Dakota North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...

, and near the

international boundary Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders ca ...

with

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

Montana Highway 5 Montana Highway 5 (MT 5) is a state highway A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a s ...

passes through the town.

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system, Westby has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

, abbreviated "DFb" on climate maps.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 168 people, 82 households, and 49 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 114 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 95.8%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 2.4% Native American, and 1.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.8% of the population. There were 82 households, of which 19.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 3.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.2% were non-families. 36.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.67. The median age in the town was 48.3 years. 19% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.1% were from 25 to 44; 35.1% were from 45 to 64; and 22.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 52.4% male and 47.6% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 172 people, 88 households, and 52 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 121 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.26%

, 1.16% Native American, and 0.58% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.74% of the population. There were 88 households, out of which 14.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were

living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% were non-families. 35.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.95 and the average family size was 2.47. In the town, the population was spread out, with 15.1% under the age of 18, 2.9% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 34.3% from 45 to 64, and 25.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females there were 109.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $32,875, and the median income for a family was $44,583. Males had a median income of $35,625 versus $18,125 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $19,438. About 4.7% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including none of those under the age of eighteen and 20.0% of those 65 or over.

Education

Westby School District educates students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Westby High School's team name is Thunder.

References

External links

{{authority control Danish-American history Towns in Sheridan County, Montana