Phillips County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the U.S. state of

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 Columb ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,217. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

. Before February 5, 1915, Phillips County was part of Blaine County, and before 1912 both were part of

Chouteau County Chouteau County is a county located in the North-Central region of the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,895. Its county seat is Fort Benton. The county was established in 1865 as one of the original nine cou ...

. It was named for rancher and state senator Benjamin D. Phillips. Its northern boundary is the

Canada–United States border The border between Canada and the United States is the longest international border in the world. The terrestrial boundary (including boundaries in the Great Lakes, Atlantic, and Pacific coasts) is long. The land border has two sections: ...

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 ...

. The Missouri River defines its southern boundary.

Geography

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 th ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.4%) is water. It is the second-largest county in Montana by land area and third-largest by total area.

Adjacent counties and rural municipalities

* Blaine County - west * Fergus County - southwest * Petroleum County - south * Garfield County - southeast * Valley County - east * Rural Municipality (RM) of Lone Tree No. 18, Saskatchewan (SK) - north * RM of Val Marie No. 17, SK - north * RM of Mankota No. 45, SK - northeast

National protected areas

Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) located in the north-central region of the U.S. state of Montana. The refuge is northeast of Malta, Montana in the Milk River Valley and is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildl ...

Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge The Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge (abbreviated as the CMR NWR) is a National Wildlife Refuge in the U.S. state of Montana on the Missouri River. The refuge surrounds Fort Peck Reservoir and is in size.U.S. Fish and Wildlife Servi ...

(part) *

Hewitt Lake National Wildlife Refuge Hewitt Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge in the northern region of the U.S. state of Montana. This refuge is a part of the Bowdoin Wetland Management District (WMD), and is unstaffed. The refuge is partly owned by the U. ...

UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge is a protected area that is located in central Montana, United States. The refuge, located at the extreme southernmost tip of Phillips County, is managed and bordered on three sides by the Charles M. Russell Nat ...

Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument The Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument is a national monument in the western United States, protecting the Missouri Breaks of north central Montana. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), it is a series of badland areas char ...

(part)

Demographics

2000 census

As of the

2000 United States census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 c ...

, there were 4,601 people, 1,848 households, and 1,241 families in the county. 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 RosenberPopu ...

was <1/km² (<1/sq mi). There were 2,502 housing units at an average density of <1/km² (<1/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 89.44%

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 ...

, 0.15%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 7.61% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.37% from other races, and 2.09% from two or more races. 1.15% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...

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. 25.3% were of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 19.0%

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

, 7.6%

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

and 6.5%

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

ancestry. 97.0% spoke

and 2.5%

as their first language. There were 1,848 households, out of which 31.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.20% were married couples living together, 6.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.80% were non-families. 29.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.03. The county population contained 27.30% under the age of 18, 5.50% from 18 to 24, 24.50% from 25 to 44, 25.10% from 45 to 64, and 17.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 100.40 males. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there were 95.60 men. The median income for a household in the county was $28,702, and the median income for a family was $37,529. Males had a median income of $25,132 versus $20,274 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 county was $15,058. About 13.80% of families and 18.30% 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 23.10% of those under age 18 and 12.10% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

2010 United States census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servi ...

, there were 4,253 people, 1,819 households, and 1,159 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 2,335 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 87.0% white, 8.3% American Indian, 0.2% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 4.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.9% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 26.2% were

, 24.3% were

, 13.4% were

, 10.1% were American, and 9.0% were

. Of the 1,819 households, 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 36.3% were non-families, and 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age was 46.8 years. The median income for a household in the county was $36,453 and the median income for a family was $55,362. Males had a median income of $41,826 versus $26,417 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,227. About 11.4% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the

, including 17.1% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

From its creation until 1964, voters of Phillips County were fairly balanced; they selected Democratic Party candidates in 58% of national elections. After 1964 the Republican presidential candidate has garnered the county's vote in every election.

Communities

City

(county seat)

Towns

* Dodson * Saco

Census-designated places

* East Malta Colony * Landusky * Loring Colony * Sleeping Buffalo *

Whitewater Whitewater forms in a rapid context, in particular, when a river's gradient changes enough to generate so much turbulence that air is trapped within the water. This forms an unstable current that froths, making the water appear opaque and ...

* Zortman

Other unincorporated communities

* Bowdoin * Caldwell * Cole * Content * Cree Crossing * Jordan Crossing * Loring * Morgan * Tattnall *

Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

''Wagner MT'' Google Maps (accessed January 4, 2019)
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References

External links

Phillips County Sheriff's Office