Hobson is a city in

Judith Basin County Judith Basin County is a county in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,023. Its county seat is the town of Stanford. History Judith Basin County was formed of area taken from western Fergus and eastern Casc ...

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

, United States. The population was 179 at the 2020 census. As the freight-wagon crossing of the

Judith River The Judith River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately 124 mi (200 km) long, running through central Montana in the United States. It rises in the Little Belt Mountains and flows northeast past Utica and Hobson. It is ...

between Fort Benton and the

Musselshell River The Musselshell River is a tributary of the Missouri River, long from its origins at the confluence of its North and South Forks near Martinsdale, Montana to its mouth on the Missouri River. It is located east of the Continental divide entirel ...

country, this community was once known as the “Gateway to the Judith Basin.” In 1881 the post office opened under the name Philbrook. In 1908, however, the Great Northern Railway’s Billings and Northern branch line established another town 4 miles west. After some dispute the railroad decided on the town name Hobson, after the owner of the new townsite.

Geography

Hobson is located off of

U.S. Route 87 U.S. Highway 87 (US 87) is a north–south United States highway (though it is signed east–west in New Mexico) that runs for from northern Montana to southern Texas, making it the longest north–south road to not have a "1" in ...

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Climate

The Köppen Climate system classifies the weather as

semi-arid A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a aridity, dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below Evapotranspiration#Potential evapotranspiration, potential evapotranspiration, but not as l ...

, abbreviated as ''BSk''.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 215 people, 98 households, and 63 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 123 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.1%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

and 1.9% Native American.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.5% of the population. There were 98 households, of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.7% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.70. The median age in the city was 48.4 years. 21.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.4% were from 25 to 44; 27.9% were from 45 to 64; and 25.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.5% male and 53.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 244 people, 108 households, and 77 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 128 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.18%

and 0.82% Native American.

or Latino of any race were 0.41% of the population. There were 108 households, out of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.3% were

living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.71. In the city the population was spread out, with 24.6% under the age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 24, 19.3% from 25 to 44, 34.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,179, and the median income for a family was $35,139. Males had a median income of $21,750 versus $13,750 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $15,002. About 19.2% of families and 20.7% 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 ...

, including 33.8% of those under the age of eighteen and 13.5% of those 65 or over.

In popular culture

Several scenes of the 1974 released movie, ''

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot ''Thunderbolt and Lightfoot'' is a 1974 American crime comedy film written and directed by Michael Cimino in his directorial debut, and starring Clint Eastwood, Jeff Bridges, George Kennedy and Geoffrey Lewis. The film follows John "Thunderbol ...

'' starring

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western (genre), Western TV series ''Rawhide (TV series), Rawhide'', Eastwood rose to international fame with his role as the "Ma ...

and

Jeff Bridges Jeffrey Leon Bridges (born December 4, 1949) is an American actor. He is known for his Leading actor, leading man roles in film and television. In a career spanning over seven decades, he has received List of awards and nominations received by ...

were filmed in Hobson, Montana. These scenes were shot in the summer of 1973 in the ''St. John's Lutheran Church'', the adjacent wheat field and in the ''Black Bull Bar & Steakhouse''.

Education

Hobson Public School educates students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Hobson is part of the Tri-City sports coop with

Moore Moore may refer to: Language * Mooré language, spoken in West Africa People * Moore (surname) ** List of people with surname Moore * Moore Crosthwaite (1907–1989), a British diplomat and ambassador * Moore Disney (1765–1846), a senior ...

and

Judith Gap Judith Gap is a city in Wheatland County, Montana, United States. The population was 110 at the 2020 census. History The railway station here was initially named "Ubet", after A. R. Barrows' nearby stage stop settlement Ubet, Montana. Jud ...

. Hobson High School is a Class C school (less than 108 students) which helps determine athletic competitions.

Media

The ''Judith Basin Press'' is the local newspaper. It is published weekly.

References

{{authority control Cities in Judith Basin County, Montana Cities in Montana