McCone County, Montana

McCone County is a county located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,729.^[1] Its county seat is Circle.^[2]

McCone County
County
Gladstone Hotel (Circle, Montana)
Location within the U.S. state of Montana
Montana's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 47°39′N 105°48′W
Country	United States
State	Montana
Founded	1919
Seat	Circle
Largest town	Circle
Area
• Total	2,683 sq mi (6,950 km2)
• Land	2,643 sq mi (6,850 km2)
• Water	40 sq mi (100 km2)  1.5%
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,729
• Estimate  (2024)	1,717
• Density	0.64/sq mi (0.25/km2)
Time zone	UTC−7 (Mountain)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district	2nd
Website	mcconecountymt.com
Montana county number 41

The county was created in 1919. It was named for State Senator George McCone,^[3] who had been one of the first county commissioners of Dawson County.^[4]

Geography

Typical McCone County landscape.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,683 square miles (6,950 km²), of which 2,643 square miles (6,850 km²) is land and 40 square miles (100 km²) (1.5%) is water.^[5]

Major highways

• Montana Highway 13
• Montana Highway 24
• Montana Highway 200

Adjacent counties

• Valley County - west
• Roosevelt County - north
• Richland County - northeast
• Dawson County - east
• Prairie County - south
• Garfield County - west

National protected area

• Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1920	4,747		—
1930	4,790		0.9%
1940	3,744		−21.8%
1950	3,258		−13.0%
1960	3,321		1.9%
1970	2,875		−13.4%
1980	2,702		−6.0%
1990	2,276		−15.8%
2000	1,977		−13.1%
2010	1,734		−12.3%
2020	1,729		−0.3%
2024 (est.)	1,717	[6]	−0.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790–1960,[8] 1900–1990,[9] 1990–2000,[10] 2010–2020[1]

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 1,729 people living in the county.^{[citation needed]}

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 1,734 people, 774 households, and 514 families living in the county. The population density was 0.7 inhabitants per square mile (0.27 inhabitants/km²), the 10th lowest in the United States. There were 1,008 housing units at an average density of 0.4 units per square mile (0.15 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.0% white, 0.4% American Indian, 0.1% black or African American, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 44.5% were German, 23.1% were Norwegian, 12.7% were American, 12.0% were Irish, and 8.8% were English.

Of the 774 households, 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.0% were married couples living together, 3.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.6% were non-families, and 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.77. The median age was 48.9 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $48,167 and the median income for a family was $56,406. Males had a median income of $33,185 versus $26,454 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,265. About 5.9% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.3% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Looking south on MT 13 toward Vida.

Town

• Circle (county seat)

Census-designated places

• Brockway
• Prairie Elk Colony
• Vida

Other unincorporated communities

• Nickwall^[11]
• Weldon^[12]

Politics

McCone county is a solid Republican county. In the 2004 Presidential Election McCone County gave 69.6% of its votes to President George W. Bush and 28.1% to Senator John Kerry. In the 2012 presidential election Governor Mitt Romney received 75.0% of the county's votes, while President Barack Obama only received 22.5% of the votes.

United States presidential election results for McCone County, Montana^[13]

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	931	86.04%	129	11.92%	22	2.03%
2020	956	84.75%	155	13.74%	17	1.51%
2016	862	78.72%	154	14.06%	79	7.21%
2012	745	75.03%	223	22.46%	25	2.52%
2008	726	66.54%	321	29.42%	44	4.03%
2004	791	69.57%	320	28.14%	26	2.29%
2000	827	72.42%	267	23.38%	48	4.20%
1996	615	48.96%	390	31.05%	251	19.98%
1992	528	39.00%	424	31.31%	402	29.69%
1988	814	58.18%	567	40.53%	18	1.29%
1984	1,015	67.80%	459	30.66%	23	1.54%
1980	1,000	67.98%	349	23.73%	122	8.29%
1976	730	48.70%	749	49.97%	20	1.33%
1972	854	58.29%	562	38.36%	49	3.34%
1968	733	52.17%	589	41.92%	83	5.91%
1964	615	40.81%	891	59.12%	1	0.07%
1960	743	49.04%	764	50.43%	8	0.53%
1956	752	45.83%	889	54.17%	0	0.00%
1952	900	56.32%	674	42.18%	24	1.50%
1948	518	37.78%	702	51.20%	151	11.01%
1944	526	39.85%	763	57.80%	31	2.35%
1940	529	35.24%	928	61.83%	44	2.93%
1936	332	19.09%	1,366	78.55%	41	2.36%
1932	456	26.34%	1,020	58.93%	255	14.73%
1928	946	61.87%	554	36.23%	29	1.90%
1924	494	38.18%	143	11.05%	657	50.77%
1920	1,177	62.01%	537	28.29%	184	9.69%

See also

• List of lakes in McCone County, Montana
• List of mountains in McCone County, Montana
• National Register of Historic Places listings in McCone County MT