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Gallatin County is a
county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
located in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...
. With its
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
in Bozeman, it is the second-most populous county in Montana, with a population of 118,960 in the 2020 Census. The county's prominent geographical features are the Bridger mountains in the north, and the Gallatin mountains and
Gallatin River The Gallatin River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately 120 mi (193 km) long, in the U.S. states of Wyoming and Montana. It is one of three rivers, along with the Jefferson and Madison, that converge near Three Fork ...
in the south, named by
Meriwether Lewis Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 – October 11, 1809) was an American explorer, soldier, politician, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery, with ...
in 1805 for
Albert Gallatin Abraham Alfonse Albert Gallatin (January 29, 1761 – August 12, 1849) was a Genevan-American politician, diplomat, ethnologist, and linguist. Often described as "America's Swiss Founding Father", he was a leading figure in the early years ...
, the United States Treasury Secretary who formulated the
Lewis and Clark Expedition The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gro ...
. At the southern end of the county, West Yellowstone's entrance into
Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with small portions extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U ...
accounts for around half of all park visitors. Big Sky Resort, one of the largest ski resorts in the United States, lies in Gallatin and neighboring Madison counties, midway between Bozeman and West Yellowstone.


History

During the territorial era, a small patch of land known as "
Lost Dakota Lost Dakota was a small, uninhabited portion of land that was left over after the division and organization of the large former Dakota Territory into new territories in the late 19th century, which was overlooked by the federal government for yea ...
" existed as a remote exclave of
Dakota Territory The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of ...
until it was transferred to Gallatin County,
Montana Territory The Territory of Montana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 26, 1864, until November 8, 1889, when it was admitted as the 41st state in the Union as the state of Montana. Original boundaries ...
, in 1873.


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.1%) is water. The county attained its present boundaries in 1978, when the former Yellowstone National Park (part)
county-equivalent In the United States, a county or county equivalent is an administrative subdivision of a state or territory, typically with defined geographic boundaries and some level of governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 states, whil ...
was dissolved and apportioned between Gallatin County and Park County. Gallatin County received of land area and of water area, whereas Park County received of land area and of water area. The geographies transferred are known now as Census Tract 14 in Gallatin County, and as Census Tract 6 in Park County.


Major highways

*
Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...
* U.S. Highway 20 * U.S. Highway 191 * U.S. Highway 287 * Montana Highway 2 * Montana Highway 64 * Montana Highway 84 * Montana Highway 85 * Montana Highway 86 * Montana Secondary Highway 205


Transit

*
Jefferson Lines Jefferson Lines (JL or JLI) is a regional intercity bus company operating in 14 states in the Midwest and the West of the United States. History The company is operated by Jefferson Partners L.P., located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Jefferson P ...


Adjacent counties

* Madison County - west * Jefferson County - northwest * Broadwater County - north * Meagher County - northeast * Park County - east *
Park County, Wyoming Park County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Wyoming. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 29,624. The county seat is Cody, Wyoming, Cody. Park County is a major tourism destination. The county has ove ...
- southeast *
Teton County, Wyoming Teton County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Wyoming. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 23,331. Its county seat is Jackson, Wyoming, Jackson. Its west boundary line is also the Wyoming state bounda ...
- southeast * Fremont County, Idaho - southwest


National protected areas

* Gallatin National Forest (part) *
Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with small portions extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U ...
(part)


Demographics


2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 118,960 people and 46,990 households living in the county. The population density was . There were 52,835 housing units in the county at an average density of . The racial make of the county was 89.0% White, 1.2% Asian, 0.9% American Indian, 0.4% Black of African American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.8% from other races, and 6.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic of Latino origin made up 5.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 25.4% were German, 14.8% were Irish, 12.4% were English, 8.8% were Norwegian, 4.6% were Italian, 4.0% were French, 3.5% were Scottish, 2.2% were Polish and 0.3% were Subsaharan African. Of the 46,990 households, 48.2% were a Married-couple family household, 23.9% were a "Male householder, no spouse present, family household", and 20.4% were a "Female householder, no spouse present, family household". The averager family size was 2.96 in the county. The median age was 33.1 years old, compared with 40.1 in Montana. The median income for a household in the county was $75,418 in the county, significantly higher than the $57,153 median household income in all of Montana. 11.9% of the population was below the poverty line, including 6.9% of those under 18 and 6.5% of those over 65.


2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 89,513 people, 36,550 households, and 21,263 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 42,289 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 95.1% White, 1.1% Asian, 0.9% American Indian, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.7% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 32.2% were
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
, 18.1% were Irish, 14.7% were English, 9.4% were Norwegian, and 3.5% were American. Of the 36,550 households, 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 41.8% were non-families, and 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age was 32.5 years. The median income for a household in the county was $50,136 and the median income for a family was $65,029. Males had a median income of $42,245 versus $31,349 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,423. About 7.4% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 12.5% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.


Government and politics

Gallatin County has traditionally favored Republican presidential candidates, often by large margins. Recent changes to Gallatin County's demographics (including migration from Democratic-leaning areas, and younger voters adopting more liberal political positions) have made the County more competitive. Gallatin County is home to the flagship campus of
Montana State University Montana State University (MSU) is a public land-grant research university in Bozeman, Montana, United States. It enrolls more students than any other college or university in the state. MSU offers baccalaureate degrees in 60 fields, master's d ...
, which contributes to its Democratic lean. Democratic candidates
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
and
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...
narrowly won Gallatin County in 2008 and 2016 respectively, with Republican
Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 ...
winning in 2012. 2020 Democratic candidate
Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
won Gallatin County by the largest margin for a Democrat since
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...
's victory in
1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, events related to World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January *Janu ...
. Democrat
Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...
won the county in 2024.


Communities


Cities

*
Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...
* Bozeman (county seat) * Three Forks


Towns

*
Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
* West Yellowstone


Census-designated places

*
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
(formerly Amsterdam-Churchill) * Big Sky * Bridger * Churchill (formerly Amsterdam-Churchill) *
Four Corners Four Corners is a region of the Southwestern United States consisting of the southwestern corner of Colorado, southeastern corner of Utah, northeastern corner of Arizona, and northwestern corner of New Mexico. Most of the Four Corners regio ...
* Gallatin Gateway * Gallatin River Ranch * Hebgen Lake Estates * King Arthur Park * Logan * Ponderosa Pines * Sedan * Springhill * Willow Creek


Unincorporated communities

*
Hillman Hillman was a British automobile marque created by the Hillman-Coatalen Company, founded in 1907, renamed the Hillman Motor Car Company in 1910. The company was based in Ryton-on-Dunsmore, near Coventry, England. Before 1907 the company had ...
* Maudlow


Education

Unified (K-12) districts include:
Text list
/ref> * Big Sky School K-12 * West Yellowstone K-12 The Belgrade elementary and high school districts are both a part of Belgrade Public Schools. The Bozeman elementary and high school districts are both a part of Bozeman Public Schools. The Manhattan elementary and high school districts are both a part of Manhattan Public Schools. The Three Forks elementary and high school districts are both a part of Three Forks Public Schools. The Willow Creek elementary and high school districts are both a part of Willow Creek Public Schools. High school districts include: * Belgrade High School District * Bozeman High School District * Manhattan High School District * Three Forks High School District * Willow Creek High School District Elementary school districts include: * Amsterdam Elementary School District * Anderson Elementary School District * Belgrade Elementary School District * Bozeman Elementary School District * Cottonwood Elementary School District * Gallatin Gateway Elementary School District * LaMotte Elementary School District * Malmborg Elementary School District * Manhattan School * Monforton Elementary School District * Pass Creek Elementary School District * Shields Valley Elementary School District * Springhill Elementary School District * Three Forks Elementary School District * Willow Creek Elementary School District


Notable people

* Zales Ecton, a
U.S. Senator The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...
from Montana, lived in Gallatin County. * Stan Jones lives and works in Gallatin County.


See also

* List of lakes in Gallatin County, Montana * List of mountains in Gallatin County, Montana * National Register of Historic Places listings in Gallatin County, Montana *
Lost Dakota Lost Dakota was a small, uninhabited portion of land that was left over after the division and organization of the large former Dakota Territory into new territories in the late 19th century, which was overlooked by the federal government for yea ...


References


External links


Gallatin County, MT Official Website

Gallatin County Emergency Management
{{Coord, 45.56, -111.17, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-MT_source:UScensus1990 1865 establishments in Montana Territory Populated places established in 1865