Montana County Map with Cities and Towns [MT, US]

✅Montana County Map

Montana • County Map • Cities & Towns

Montana County Map with Cities and Towns (MT, USA)

Use this interactive Montana county map to explore all
56 counties, their county seats, and the key cities and small towns that shape life in Big Sky Country.

Ideal for trip planning, school projects, research, real estate, or simply understanding how Montana is organized on the map.

How Montana Is Organized on the Map

Montana covers a huge area in the northern Rocky Mountains and Great Plains. On this county map, you can clearly see how
the state is divided into 56 counties, each acting as a local government unit with its own seat, road network,
communities, and landscapes.

Key facts you can spot on the map

Total of 56 counties across the state.
Beaverhead County in the southwest is the largest county by area.
Silver Bow County is one of the smallest by land area but home to historic Butte.
Yellowstone County (seat: Billings) is the most populous county.
Petroleum County is the least populous, in central Montana.

Special county arrangements

Butte–Silver Bow is a consolidated city-county, shown as a single unit on the map.
Anaconda–Deer Lodge is another city-county, combining the former city of Anaconda with Deer Lodge County.
Some counties include portions of major national parks and reservations, which you can see where county borders intersect
park or reservation labels.

When you zoom out, you get a sense of the scale of Montana. Zooming in reveals how county lines follow rivers, mountain ranges,
and transportation corridors, especially along the interstates and the Yellowstone and Missouri river systems.

Montana’s Three Broad Regions on the County Map

Many geographers describe Montana using three broad regions that closely follow county boundaries:
the Western Mountains, the
Central Front, and the
Eastern Plains.

Western Mountains

Counties like Flathead, Lincoln, Lake, Missoula, Ravalli, Mineral and others are dominated by rugged mountains,
forests, and lakes. Here you’ll find Glacier National Park and the Bitterroot
and Flathead valleys.

Central Front

Running roughly from the Wyoming border through Gallatin, Park, Sweet Grass, Stillwater, Carbon and north
toward Cascade, this region is a transition zone where mountains meet plains and major highways follow river
valleys.

Eastern Plains

Counties such as Custer, Dawson, Roosevelt, Richland, Fallon, Carter and others form wide open plains
where ranching, dryland farming, and energy development are key industries.

Major Cities and Towns You’ll See on the Map

Montana is mostly rural, but its cities and towns are important hubs for services, jobs, and travel. On this map you can easily
locate the state’s main population centers and see which counties they anchor.

Billings – Largest city in Montana, along the Yellowstone River
in Yellowstone County.
Missoula – University city and cultural hub in
Missoula County.
Bozeman – Fast-growing tech and outdoor recreation center in
Gallatin County, gateway toward Yellowstone National Park.
Great Falls – Historic Missouri River city and seat of
Cascade County.

Helena – State capital, located in
Lewis and Clark County.
Kalispell – Seat of Flathead County, near
Glacier National Park and Flathead Lake.
Butte – Historic mining city in the consolidated
Butte–Silver Bow county.
Smaller towns – Places like Miles City, Havre, Sidney,
Whitefish, Livingston and dozens more appear as you zoom in.

The county map makes it easy to see how these cities relate to one another: which highways connect them, where river valleys
run, and how quickly the landscape shifts from mountains to prairie as you move across county lines.

Example: Counties, Seats, and Cities at a Glance

This sample table highlights a few key counties you will often look for when using a Montana county map with cities
and towns. Use it as a quick reference, then dive back into the interactive map for more detail.

County	County Seat	Region	Sample Cities / Towns	What to Notice on the Map
Yellowstone	Billings	Central Front	Billings, Laurel	Densest road network and largest population cluster along I-90 & Yellowstone River.
Gallatin	Bozeman	Central Front	Bozeman, Belgrade, Big Sky (area)	Highway corridors toward Yellowstone National Park and mountain valleys to the south.
Missoula	Missoula	Western Mountains	Missoula, Lolo	Mountain passes and river junctions visible where highways follow the Clark Fork River.
Flathead	Kalispell	Western Mountains	Kalispell, Whitefish	Close relationship between Flathead Lake, Glacier National Park, and tourism-oriented towns.
Cascade	Great Falls	Central Front	Great Falls	Strategic location along the Missouri River and major east-west road routes.
Beaverhead	Dillon	Western / Southwest	Dillon, Lima	Largest county by area with very low population density and long distances between towns.

Using the Map for Travel, Study, and Daily Life

Trip planning

Trace your route along I-90 or I-15 and see exactly which counties you pass through.
Locate entrances to Glacier or Yellowstone and the counties that host them.
Check nearby towns for gas, lodging, and services along long stretches of highway.

Education & research

Connect county names to historic mining, railroad, and ranching regions.
Study how population clusters around river valleys, interstates, and university towns.
Overlay demographic or economic data (from official state sources) with the county map.

Relocation & real estate

Compare counties by geography: mountains vs. plains vs. river valleys.
See commuting patterns between suburbs and regional centers like Billings or Missoula.
Understand school districts, health-care hubs, and regional job markets by county.

Business & logistics

Plan delivery routes by grouping towns within the same county or region.
Identify trade areas around key cities and county seats.
Align sales or service territories with well-known county boundaries.

Counties and National Parks on the Map

National parks play a big role in how people experience Montana. On the county map, you can see which counties share these
world-famous landscapes.

Glacier National Park lies along the northern border of western Montana,
primarily within Flathead and Glacier counties and surrounded by other mountain counties.
Yellowstone National Park (Montana portions) touches
Gallatin and Park counties in the south-central part of the state.
Tourism regions such as Glacier Country and Yellowstone Country are built out of multiple
counties, so the map helps you see how those marketing regions relate to official county lines.

If you are planning a visit, identify which county your lodging is in, then use the map to locate park entrances, scenic
highways, and nearby towns for supplies.

FAQ: Montana Counties, Cities, and Towns

How many counties are in Montana?

Montana has 56 counties. Two of them (Butte–Silver Bow and Anaconda–Deer Lodge) combine city and county
governments into a single unit, but they still appear as counties on official maps.

Which county has the largest land area?

Beaverhead County in southwest Montana is the largest by area. On the map it covers a wide section along the
Idaho border, but has relatively few towns compared with more urban counties.

Which county has the most people?

Yellowstone County, anchored by the city of Billings, is the most populous county in Montana. Its road and
rail network, as well as the Yellowstone River, are easy to spot when you zoom in on the map.

What is a county seat and why does it matter?

A county seat is the main administrative town or city for a county. It usually hosts the courthouse and key
government offices. On the map, county seats are often highlighted because they are important hubs for services, jobs, and
transportation.

References

For deeper research, official data, and downloadable GIS layers related to Montana counties, cities, and transportation,
consult these trusted sources: