Silver Bow County, Montana
Butte dominates Silver Bow County, located in the heart of southwestern Montana. This isn’t your typical mountain town. It’s gritty, with a history as deep as the massive open-pit copper mine overlooking the city.
They call Butte “The Richest Hill on Earth” for a reason. Mining shaped everything here. The architecture blends grand Victorian mansions with no-nonsense workers’ cottages. The Berkeley Pit, once a major source of Butte’s wealth, now serves as a reminder of the environmental cost of progress.
But Silver Bow County continues to reinvent itself. Tech companies are moving in, while the nearby mountains offer world-class recreation. There’s a scrappy, never-say-die attitude that runs through the place. It’s not always pretty, but it’s always interesting.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| County Name | Silver Bow County |
| County Seat | Butte |
| Etymology | Named after a rock formation in the county that contained silver ore |
| Cities, Towns, and Communities | Butte, Walkerville, Ramsay |
| Interstates and Highways | I-15, I-90, MT 2 |
| FIPS Code | 30-093 |
| Total Area (Land and Water) | 719 square miles (Land: 718 sq mi, Water: 1 sq mi) |
| Adjacent Counties (and Direction) | Deer Lodge County (Northwest), Jefferson County (East), Madison County (South), Beaverhead County (Southwest) |
| Time Zone | Mountain Time Zone (MT) |
| State | Montana |
| Coordinates | 46.0128° N, 112.5348° W |
| Major Landmarks | Berkeley Pit, World Museum of Mining, Our Lady of the Rockies |
| Population | Approximately 35,000 |
