Yellowstone National Park (part) was a former

county-equivalent In the United States, a county or county equivalent is an administrative subdivision of a state or territory, typically with defined geographic boundaries and some level of governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 states, whil ...

in southwestern

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 ...

, a state in the

northwestern United States The Northwestern United States, also known as the American Northwest or simply the Northwest, is an informal geographic region of the United States. The region consistently includes the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming ...

Geography

In 1872,

Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with small portions extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U ...

became the first national park in the United States and widely considered the first national park in the world. In 1887, the portion of Yellowstone National Park in Montana was excluded from the jurisdiction of Park County and Gallatin County. Thus, it became a non-county area. Its boundaries were the same as the Montana section of

, which is primarily within

Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...

. In 1929, the non-county area expanded to reflect Yellowstone's extended boundaries in Montana. In 1932, the non-county area expanded once again to include Yellowstone's annexation of the Game Ranch in what is now Park County. At its largest, the county-equivalent's total area was , with of land and of water. On November 7, 1978, voters in Park County and Gallatin County approved the area's dissolution into the two original counties. Gallatin County acquired of land area and of water area, whereas Park County acquired of land area and of water area.

Census data

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 ...

did not adjust for the county-equivalent's dissolution until 1997, 19 years after the reapportionment into two counties. The transferred areas were then designated by the Census Bureau as Census Tract 14 in Gallatin County, and Census Tract 6 in Park County.1400000US30067000600 United States Census Bureau.gov: Census Tract 14, Gallatin County; Census Tract 6, Park County, Montana
/ref> The designations did not change the area's status as part of Yellowstone National Park. In the 1990 census, the last one before the Census Bureau reapportionment, the county-equivalent had a population of 52 persons. In the 2000 census, the combined population of Tracts 6 and 14 had grown to 61 persons.

References

{{authority control Geography of Gallatin County, Montana Geography of Park County, Montana Yellowstone National Park 1978 disestablishments in Montana 1887 establishments in Montana Territory

Geography

Census data

See also

References