Lewis and Clark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 70,973.[1] Its county seat is Helena,[2] the state capital. The numerical designation for Lewis and Clark County (used in the issuance of the state's license plates) is 5. The county was established on June 2, 1865, as one of the nine original counties of the Territory of Montana named Edgerton County in honor of Sidney Edgerton, first Governor of the Territory of Montana, and was renamed Lewis and Clark County on March 1, 1868, in honor of explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.[3][4]
Lewis and Clark County | |
|---|---|
 The "Sleeping Giant" formation north of Helena | |
 Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Montana | |
 Montana's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 47°07′N 112°23′W / 47.11°N 112.38°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Montana |
| Founded | June 2, 1865 |
| Named for | Meriwether Lewis and William Clark |
| Seat | Helena |
| Largest city | Helena |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3,498 sq mi (9,060 km2) |
| • Land | 3,459 sq mi (8,960 km2) |
| • Water | 39 sq mi (100 km2) 1.1% |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 70,973 |
| • Estimate (2022) | 73,832  |
| • Density | 20/sq mi (7.8/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | www |
| |
Lewis and Clark County is part of the Helena, Montana Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
editAccording to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,498 square miles (9,060 km2), of which 3,459 square miles (8,960 km2) is land and 39 square miles (100 km2) (1.1%) is water.[5]
Major highways
edit
Adjacent counties
edit- Teton County - north
- Cascade County - east
- Meagher County - east
- Broadwater County - southeast
- Jefferson County - south
- Powell County - west
- Flathead County - northwest
National protected areas
edit- Flathead National Forest (part)
- Helena National Forest (part)
- Lewis and Clark National Forest (part)
- Lolo National Forest (part)
- Rocky Mountain Front Conservation Area (part)
Demographics
edit| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 5,040 | — | |
| 1880 | 6,521 | 29.4% | |
| 1890 | 19,145 | 193.6% | |
| 1900 | 19,171 | 0.1% | |
| 1910 | 21,853 | 14.0% | |
| 1920 | 18,660 | −14.6% | |
| 1930 | 18,224 | −2.3% | |
| 1940 | 22,131 | 21.4% | |
| 1950 | 24,540 | 10.9% | |
| 1960 | 28,006 | 14.1% | |
| 1970 | 33,281 | 18.8% | |
| 1980 | 43,039 | 29.3% | |
| 1990 | 47,495 | 10.4% | |
| 2000 | 55,716 | 17.3% | |
| 2010 | 63,395 | 13.8% | |
| 2020 | 70,973 | 12.0% | |
| 2022 (est.) | 73,832 | [6] | 4.0% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790–1960,[8] 1900–1990,[9] 1990–2000,[10] 2010–2020[1] | |||
2020 census
editAs of the 2020 census, there were 70,973 people living in the county.[citation needed]
2010 census
editAs of the 2010 census, there were 63,395 people, 26,694 households, and 16,705 families in the county. The population density was 18.3 inhabitants per square mile (7.1/km2). There were 30,180 housing units at an average density of 8.7 per square mile (3.4/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.0% white, 2.1% American Indian, 0.6% Asian, 0.3% black or African American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.5% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 29.2% were German, 19.3% were Irish, 15.0% were English, 8.9% were Norwegian, and 5.1% were American.
Of the 26,694 households, 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.4% were non-families, and 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.87. The median age was 40.9 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $50,238 and the median income for a family was $65,573. Males had a median income of $44,476 versus $34,893 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,894. About 5.8% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.2% of those under age 18 and 4.1% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
editLewis and Clark County leans slightly Republican, but it has voted for Democratic candidates three times since 1964. Bill Clinton won by nearly seven percentage points in 1992, but Bob Dole won by 130 votes in 1996. Barack Obama carried the county in 2008 but lost it to Mitt Romney in 2012.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 21,409 | 50.64% | 19,743 | 46.70% | 1,121 | 2.65% |
| 2016 | 16,895 | 47.87% | 14,478 | 41.02% | 3,923 | 11.11% |
| 2012 | 16,803 | 50.43% | 15,620 | 46.88% | 895 | 2.69% |
| 2008 | 14,966 | 45.31% | 17,114 | 51.82% | 949 | 2.87% |
| 2004 | 16,494 | 55.27% | 12,717 | 42.61% | 632 | 2.12% |
| 2000 | 15,091 | 55.34% | 9,982 | 36.61% | 2,196 | 8.05% |
| 1996 | 11,665 | 43.94% | 11,535 | 43.45% | 3,347 | 12.61% |
| 1992 | 9,351 | 35.72% | 11,117 | 42.47% | 5,711 | 21.82% |
| 1988 | 10,946 | 46.91% | 11,932 | 51.14% | 456 | 1.95% |
| 1984 | 13,569 | 59.97% | 8,768 | 38.75% | 289 | 1.28% |
| 1980 | 12,128 | 57.18% | 6,815 | 32.13% | 2,269 | 10.70% |
| 1976 | 10,155 | 54.84% | 8,118 | 43.84% | 244 | 1.32% |
| 1972 | 10,719 | 61.90% | 6,081 | 35.12% | 516 | 2.98% |
| 1968 | 7,979 | 56.53% | 5,379 | 38.11% | 757 | 5.36% |
| 1964 | 6,155 | 44.97% | 7,506 | 54.84% | 26 | 0.19% |
| 1960 | 7,260 | 54.65% | 6,008 | 45.22% | 17 | 0.13% |
| 1956 | 7,959 | 64.41% | 4,397 | 35.59% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 7,663 | 62.58% | 4,563 | 37.26% | 20 | 0.16% |
| 1948 | 5,174 | 50.85% | 4,745 | 46.63% | 257 | 2.53% |
| 1944 | 4,482 | 48.41% | 4,737 | 51.17% | 39 | 0.42% |
| 1940 | 4,762 | 44.58% | 5,814 | 54.42% | 107 | 1.00% |
| 1936 | 2,951 | 33.82% | 5,614 | 64.34% | 160 | 1.83% |
| 1932 | 3,671 | 42.71% | 4,714 | 54.84% | 211 | 2.45% |
| 1928 | 4,441 | 57.35% | 3,278 | 42.33% | 25 | 0.32% |
| 1924 | 3,433 | 49.93% | 1,869 | 27.19% | 1,573 | 22.88% |
| 1920 | 4,348 | 62.90% | 2,413 | 34.91% | 152 | 2.20% |
| 1916 | 3,423 | 42.99% | 4,337 | 54.47% | 202 | 2.54% |
| 1912 | 1,062 | 24.50% | 1,505 | 34.72% | 1,768 | 40.78% |
| 1908 | 2,033 | 45.89% | 2,062 | 46.55% | 335 | 7.56% |
| 1904 | 2,505 | 54.60% | 1,543 | 33.63% | 540 | 11.77% |
| 1900 | 2,043 | 42.03% | 2,763 | 56.84% | 55 | 1.13% |
| 1896 | 1,057 | 21.07% | 3,939 | 78.53% | 20 | 0.40% |
| 1892 | 2,014 | 38.14% | 2,093 | 39.64% | 1,173 | 22.22% |
Communities
editCities
edit- Helena (county seat)
- East Helena
Census-designated places
editOther unincorporated communities
editEducation
editSchool districts include:
K-12 (Unified):[29]
High school:[29]
Elementary school:[29]
Notable people
edit- Seth Bullock, sheriff of Lewis and Clark County, later sheriff of Deadwood, South Dakota.
- Ted Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber, lived in a cabin in Lincoln from 1971 to 1996, during which time he conducted his infamous bombing campaign.
- Mike McGrath, Chief Justice of the Montana Supreme Court, former Montana Attorney General, former County Attorney of Lewis and Clark County.
- Johnny Miljus, major league baseball pitcher, retired to Fort Harrison in Lewis and Clark County.
- W. A. Boyle, president of the UMW, was born in Bald Butte, approximately two miles southwest of Marysville.
- Brian Knight, Major League Baseball umpire
- The governor of Montana, whose official residence is in the state capital of Helena.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "Montana Place Names Companion". Montana Place Names From Alzada to Zortman. Montana Historical Society Research Center. Retrieved December 1, 2014.
- ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 185.
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
- ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
- ^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
- ^ The leading "other" candidate, Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, received 1,375 votes, while Socialist candidate Eugene Debs received 391 votes and Write-in candidate Eugene Chafin received 2 votes.
- ^ Austin MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
- ^ Bald Butte MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
- ^ Birdseye MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
- ^ Canyon Ferry MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
- ^ Dearborn, Lewis & Clark County MT Google Maps (accessed September 4, 2019)
- ^ Fort Harrison Army Air Park MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
- ^ Four Range MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
- ^ Frontier Town MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
- ^ Gearing MT (accessed January 2, 2019)
- ^ La Chapelle Place MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
- ^ Nelson MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
- ^ Silver City MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
- ^ Stoner Place MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
- ^ Weed MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
- ^ Wilborn MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
- ^ Winston MT Google Maps (accessed January 2, 2019)
- ^ a b c "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Lewis and Clark County, MT" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved March 13, 2024. - Text list