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Musselshell County, Montana facts for kids

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Musselshell County
The Musselshell County Courthouse in Roundup
The Musselshell County Courthouse in Roundup
Map of Montana highlighting Musselshell County
Location within the U.S. state of Montana
Map of the United States highlighting Montana
Montana's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Montana
Founded February 2, 1911
Seat Roundup
Largest city Roundup
Area
 • Total 1,871 sq mi (4,850 km2)
 • Land 1,868 sq mi (4,840 km2)
 • Water 2.8 sq mi (7 km2)  0.1%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 4,730
 • Estimate 
(2022)
5,197 Increase
 • Density 2.528/sq mi (0.9761/km2)
Time zone UTC−7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district 2nd
  • Montana county number 23

Musselshell County is a county located in south-central Montana. In 2020, about 4,730 people lived there. Its main town, or county seat, is Roundup.

History of Musselshell County

Musselshell County was created on February 2, 1911. It was formed by Montana Governor Edwin L. Norris. The land for the new county came from parts of Fergus, Yellowstone, and Meagher counties.

The county was named after the Musselshell River. This river flows through the county from southwest to northeast. The Lewis and Clark Expedition named the river in 1805. They found many freshwater mussels along its banks.

In 1915, a western part of Musselshell County was used to create Golden Valley County. This change gave Musselshell County the borders it has today.

The northwestern part of the county has rolling grasslands. These lands gently slope southeast towards the Musselshell River. In the southeast, you can find the forested Bull Mountains. The county has many natural resources. These include coal, oil found underground, and timber from its forests.

Geography of Musselshell County

Musselshell County covers a total area of about 1,864 square miles (4,828 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 1,861 square miles (4,820 square kilometers), is land. A small part, about 2.75 square miles (7.1 square kilometers), is water.

Main Roads in Musselshell County

  • US 12.svg U.S. Highway 12
  • US 87.svg U.S. Highway 87

Neighboring Counties

Protected Natural Areas

People of Musselshell County

Historical population
Census Pop.
1920 12,030
1930 7,242 −39.8%
1940 5,717 −21.1%
1950 5,408 −5.4%
1960 4,888 −9.6%
1970 3,734 −23.6%
1980 4,428 18.6%
1990 4,106 −7.3%
2000 4,497 9.5%
2010 4,538 0.9%
2020 4,730 4.2%
2022 (est.) 5,197 14.5%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790–1960, 1900–1990,
1990–2000, 2010–2020

Population in 2020

According to the 2020 United States census, there were 4,730 people living in Musselshell County.

Population in 2010

In 2010, there were 4,538 people in the county. These people lived in 2,046 homes (households), and 1,276 of these were families. On average, about 2.4 people lived in each square mile.

Most people in the county were white (96.1%). Other groups included American Indian (1.3%), Black or African American (0.2%), and Asian (0.2%). About 2.6% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino background.

Many people had German (28.1%), English (16.5%), Irish (16.1%), or Norwegian (7.6%) roots. The average age of people in the county was about 49.1 years old.

The average income for a household was $37,033 per year. For families, the average income was $47,860 per year. About 17.8% of all people and 14.1% of families lived below the poverty line. This included 28.6% of those under 18 years old.

Towns and Communities

City

  • Roundup (This is the county seat, the main town where the county government is located.)

Town

Other Communities

These are smaller places that are not officially cities or towns:

  • Delphia
  • Elso
  • Klein
  • Queens Point

Census-Designated Places

These are areas identified by the census for statistical purposes:

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Musselshell para niños

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