Blaine County, Montana facts for kids
Blaine County is a place in Montana, a state in the United States. In 2020, about 7,044 people lived there. The main town and "county seat" (where the county government is) is Chinook. The county was named after James G. Blaine, who was an important government official called the United States Secretary of State. Blaine County is located on the northern border of Montana, right next to Saskatchewan, a province in Canada.
Contents
History
Blaine County was created in 1912. It was formed from parts of a larger area called Chouteau County. At the same time, Phillips County and Hill County were also formed.
Geography
Blaine County covers a total area of about 4,239 square miles. Most of this area, about 4,228 square miles, is land. Only a small part, about 11 square miles, is water.
A large part of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation is found in the southeastern area of the county.
Important natural features in Blaine County include the Milk River, the Bears Paw Mountains, and the Little Rocky Mountains.
Neighboring Areas
Blaine County shares borders with several other counties and areas:
- Hill County to the west
- Chouteau County to the southwest
- Fergus County to the south
- Phillips County to the east
- Rural Municipality (RM) of Reno No. 51, Saskatchewan, Canada to the northwest
- RM of Frontier No. 19, Saskatchewan, Canada to the north
- RM of Lone Tree No. 18, Saskatchewan, Canada to the northeast
Protected Natural Areas
Some special protected areas are partly located in Blaine County:
- Black Coulee National Wildlife Refuge
- Nez Perce National Historical Park (a part of it)
- Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument (a part of it)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 9,057 | — | |
| 1930 | 9,006 | −0.6% | |
| 1940 | 9,566 | 6.2% | |
| 1950 | 8,516 | −11.0% | |
| 1960 | 8,091 | −5.0% | |
| 1970 | 6,727 | −16.9% | |
| 1980 | 6,999 | 4.0% | |
| 1990 | 6,728 | −3.9% | |
| 2000 | 7,009 | 4.2% | |
| 2010 | 6,491 | −7.4% | |
| 2020 | 7,044 | 8.5% | |
| 2022 (est.) | 6,936 | 6.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960, 1900–1990, 1990–2000, 2010–2020 |
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In 2020, the census showed that 7,044 people lived in Blaine County.
Economy
The main way people make a living in Blaine County is through farming and ranching. On the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, the main employers are the Gros Ventre and Assiniboine tribes.
Education
Aaniiih Nakoda College (which used to be called Fort Belknap College) is located on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. There are also public high schools in the county, including Harlem High School in Harlem, Chinook High School in Chinook, and Turner High School in Turner.
Communities
Cities
Census-designated places
These are areas that are like towns but are not officially incorporated as cities:
- Fort Belknap Agency
- Hartland Colony
- Hays
- Hogeland
- Lodge Pole
- North Harlem Colony
- Turner
- Turner Colony
- Zurich
Unincorporated communities
These are smaller communities that are not officially part of a city or census-designated place:
- Cleveland
- Lloyd
- Lohman
- North Fork
- Rattlesnake
- Savoy
Images for kids
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The Blaine County Courthouse in Chinook
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Blaine (Montana) para niños