Beaverhead County, Montana
Montana’s largest county by land area is Beaverhead County, a place of rugged beauty and wide-open spaces. The county stretches across the southwestern corner of the state, bordering Idaho.
It gets its name from Beaverhead Rock, a distinctive landmark used by Native Americans and Lewis and Clark. Dillon is the county seat and sits along I-15. Ranching is king here, with cattle far outnumbering people.
The county’s landscape is diverse, ranging from sagebrush plains to snow-capped peaks. Visitors flock to Beaverhead for world-class fly fishing on the Big Hole River. You’ll also find ghost towns like Bannack, Montana’s first territorial capital. Despite its enormous size, the county has a small population, giving it a frontier feel that’s becoming rare these days.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| County Name | Beaverhead County |
| County Seat | Dillon |
| Etymology | Named after the Beaverhead Rock, a landmark shaped like a beaver’s head in the county |
| Cities, Towns, and Communities | Dillon, Lima, Wisdom, Jackson, Polaris |
| Interstates and Highways | I-15, MT 43, MT 41 |
| FIPS Code | 30-001 |
| Total Area (Land and Water) | 5,572 square miles (Land: 5,542 sq mi, Water: 30 sq mi) |
| Adjacent Counties (and Direction) | Ravalli County (Northwest), Deer Lodge County (North), Silver Bow County (North), Madison County (East), Fremont County, Idaho (Southeast), Clark County, Idaho (South), Lemhi County, Idaho (West) |
| Time Zone | Mountain Time Zone (MT) |
| State | Montana |
| Coordinates | 45.2166° N, 112.6343° W |
| Major Landmarks | Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, Bannack State Park, Clark Canyon Reservoir |
| Population | Approximately 9,800 |
