Editing Richland County, Montana

{{Short description|County in Montana, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Richland County
 | state                = Montana
 | seal                 = 
 | founded date         = May 27
 | founded year         = 1914<ref name="RoM">{{Cite book |last=Greenfield |first=Chas. |url=https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=xSYmAQAAIAAJ&pg=GBS.PA174&hl=en |title=Resources of Montana |date=1920 |publisher=Montana. Dept. of Agriculture, Labor, and Industry |edition=1920 |page=174 |access-date=September 1, 2023}}</ref>
 | seat wl              = Sidney
 | largest city wl      = Sidney
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 2103
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 2084
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 19
 | area percentage      = 0.9
 | population_as_of     = 2020
 | population_total     = 11491
 | pop_est_as_of        = 2022
 | population_est       = 11237 {{decrease}}
 | population_density_sq_mi = auto
 | web                  = www.richland.org
 | ex image             = Richland county courthouse.jpg
 | ex image cap         = Richland County Courthouse in Sidney
 | district             = 2nd
 | time zone            = Mountain
 | footnotes            = 
* Montana county number 27
}}

'''Richland County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Montana]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 11,491.<ref name="QF">{{Cite web |title=State & County QuickFacts |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/richlandcountymontana/PST045222 |access-date=April 5, 2023 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> Its [[county seat]] is [[Sidney, Montana|Sidney]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Find a County |url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 |access-date=June 7, 2011 |publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref>

Richland County was created by the [[Montana Legislature]] in 1914 from part of [[Dawson County, Montana|Dawson County]]. An early proposed name for the county was Gate, but Richland was decided upon instead as a way to entice new settlers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Montana Place Names Companion |url=http://mtplacenames.org/ |access-date=May 9, 2011 |website=Montana Place Names From Alzada to Zortman |publisher=Montana Historical Society Research Center}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|2103|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|2084|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|19|sqmi}} (0.9%) is water.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 22, 2012 |title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_30.txt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141205145322/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_30.txt |archive-date=December 5, 2014 |access-date=November 29, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>

===Major highways===
* [[Image:MT-16.svg|20px]] [[Montana Highway 16]]
* [[Image:MT-23.svg|20px]] [[Montana Highway 23]]
* [[Image:MT-200.svg|20px]] [[Montana Highway 200]]

===Adjacent counties===
{{div col}}
* [[Roosevelt County, Montana|Roosevelt County]] – north
* [[Williams County, North Dakota]] – northeast
* [[McKenzie County, North Dakota]] – east
* [[Wibaux County, Montana|Wibaux County]] - south
* [[Dawson County, Montana|Dawson County]] – southwest
* [[McCone County, Montana|McCone County]] - west
{{div col end}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1920= 8989
|1930= 9633
|1940= 10209
|1950= 10366
|1960= 10504
|1970= 9837
|1980= 12243
|1990= 10716
|2000= 9667
|2010= 9746
|2020= 11491
|estyear=2022
|estimate=11237
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2022">{{Cite web |title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html |access-date=April 5, 2023 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Decennial Census |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |access-date=November 29, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref><br/>1790–1960,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Historical Census Browser |url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu |access-date=November 29, 2014 |publisher=University of Virginia Library}}</ref> 1900–1990,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/mt190090.txt |access-date=November 29, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref><br/>1990–2000,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |access-date=November 29, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> 2010–2020<ref name="QF" />
}}

===2020 census===
As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], there were 11,491 people living in the county.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]], there were 9,746 people, 4,167 households, and 2,698 families in the county. The population density was {{convert|4.7|PD/sqmi}}. There were 4,550 housing units at an average density of {{convert|2.2|/sqmi}}. The racial makeup of the county was 95.0% white, 1.7% American Indian, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% black or African American, 0.8% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 37.8% were [[German Americans|German]], 23.1% were [[Norwegian Americans|Norwegian]], 13.0% were [[Irish Americans|Irish]], 8.7% were [[American ancestry|American]], and 6.5% were [[English Americans|English]].

Of the 4,167 households, 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.3% were non-families, and 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 41.3 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $52,516 and the median income for a family was $60,236. Males had a median income of $44,788 versus $23,135 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,888. About 10.2% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 16.6% of those under age 18 and 14.4% of those age 65 or over.

==Economy==
Although most of the surface land of the county is devoted to ranching, [[oil exploration]] and production became important elements of the county's economy beginning with the discovery in 2000 of [[Elm Coulee Oil Field]], part of the [[Bakken formation]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Browning, Gil |title=Montana’s Vast Untapped Oil Reserves |url=http://www.mtpioneer.com/archive-July-oil-reserves.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140223232801/http://www.mtpioneer.com/archive-July-oil-reserves.htm |archive-date=February 23, 2014 |access-date=February 10, 2014}}</ref>

==Politics==
Richland County voters have been reliably Republican, opting only one time for the Democratic Party candidate in national elections since 1948 (as of 2020).
{{PresHead|place=Richland County, Montana|whig=no|source1=<ref>{{Cite web |last=Leip |first=David |title=US Presidential Elections |url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS |access-date=April 3, 2018 |website=uselectionatlas.org}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP/Whig vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|4,387|778|144|Montana}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|4,800|875|123|Montana}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|3,908|671|292|Montana}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|3,510|1,002|136|Montana}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|3,184|1,203|129|Montana}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|3,110|1,120|78|Montana}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|2,858|1,018|157|Montana}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|2,021|1,614|933|Montana}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|1,760|1,440|1,548|Montana}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|2,628|1,824|94|Montana}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|3,847|1,382|52|Montana}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|3,348|1,252|438|Montana}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|2,189|1,961|113|Montana}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|2,645|1,438|217|Montana}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|2,381|1,399|236|Montana}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|1,784|2,320|27|Montana}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|2,395|1,863|11|Montana}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|2,366|1,884|0|Montana}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|2,506|1,196|23|Montana}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|1,332|1,673|85|Montana}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|1,347|1,777|37|Montana}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|1,497|2,095|53|Montana}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|1,066|2,516|95|Montana}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|1,216|1,768|132|Montana}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|1,648|917|29|Montana}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|926|238|690|Montana}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|1,759|744|184|Montana}}
{{PresFoot|1916|Democratic|1,223|1,947|180|Montana}}

==Communities==
===City===
* [[Sidney, Montana|Sidney]] (county seat)

===Town===
* [[Fairview, Montana|Fairview]]

===Census-designated places===
* [[Crane, Montana|Crane]]
* [[Fox Lake, Montana|Fox Lake]]
* [[Savage, Montana|Savage]]

===Other unincorporated places===
{{div col}}
* Andes<ref>[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Andes,+MT+59218/@47.9555729,-104.5575991,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x53239d2b9d9a143d:0xe7ff222d2d81d387!8m2!3d47.9555738!4d-104.5488443 ''Andes MT''  Google Maps (accessed January 5, 2019)]</ref>
* Enid<ref>[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Enid,+MT+59259/@47.6955707,-104.7884406,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x53249ca46632d963:0x13bd40358a66ece0!2sRichland+County,+MT!3b1!8m2!3d47.9200496!4d-104.8017491!3m4!1s0x53249c1a076d5801:0xe2268e436fbe1fc3!8m2!3d47.695552!4d-104.7797012 ''Enid MT''  Google Maps (accessed January 5, 2019)]</ref>
* [[Lambert, Montana|Lambert]]
* [[Ludington, Montana|Ludington]]
* [[Girard, Montana|Girard]] 
* Nohly<ref>[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Nohly,+MT+59221/@47.9955747,-104.1006353,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x5323f2148344de0b:0x8ccac17223af985b!8m2!3d47.9955755!4d-104.0918805 ''Nohly MT''  Google Maps (accessed January 5, 2019)]</ref>
* Ridgelawn<ref>[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ridgelawn,+MT+59221/@47.7758502,-104.0927184,11.75z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x532474c866ebc189:0x33e05eaa5594a962!8m2!3d47.7919621!4d-104.0863229 ''Ridgelawn MT''  Google Maps (accessed January 5, 2019)]</ref>
* Sioux Pass<ref>[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sioux+Pass,+MT+59221/@47.9225173,-104.3345339,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x53238f15df4ba021:0xea21c64e244abed8!8m2!3d47.9225182!4d-104.3257791 ''Sioux Pass MT''  Google Maps (accessed January 5, 2019)]</ref>
{{div col end}}

==See also==
* [[List of lakes in Richland County, Montana]]
* [[List of mountains in Richland County, Montana]]
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Montana#Richland County|National Register of Historic Places listings in Richland County MT]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.richland.org/ Official site]

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Richland County, Montana
|North     = [[Roosevelt County, Montana|Roosevelt County]]
|Northeast = [[Williams County, North Dakota]]
|East      = [[McKenzie County, North Dakota]]
|South     = [[Wibaux County, Montana|Wibaux County]]
|Southwest = [[Dawson County, Montana|Dawson County]]
|West      = [[McCone County, Montana|McCone County]]
}}

{{Richland County, Montana}}
{{Montana}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|47.79|-104.56|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-MT_source:UScensus1990}}

[[Category:Richland County, Montana| ]]
[[Category:1914 establishments in Montana]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1914]]