Deer Lodge is a county in Montana, United States, home to the state’s only consolidated city-county government. It had a population of 9,421 at the 2020 census and covers 741 square miles (1,920 km2), including 4.7 square miles of water, centred near 46°07′N 112°59′W.
Anaconda is the county seat, and since a 1976 vote the city and county have shared one government as Anaconda-Deer Lodge County; its postal code is 59711. The county has one incorporated city (Anaconda itself) and a handful of small unincorporated communities. It observes Mountain Time.
Towns & Villages in Deer Lodge County
Deer Lodge County has one incorporated city — Anaconda, which functions as the seat of the consolidated city-county — plus several small unincorporated places. There are no separate townships; the county government covers the whole area directly. Legend: CDP = census-designated place, Unincorp. = unincorporated community.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anaconda | City · seat | 9,181 | 59711 |
| Opportunity | CDP | 431 | 59711 |
| Warm Springs | CDP | 264 | 59756 |
| Galen | Unincorp. | — | 59827 |
| Georgetown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| West Valley | Unincorp. | — | 59711 |
Anaconda’s population above is the city figure at the 2020 census, within the county total of 9,421. Several other names circulate for the county — Crackerville, Fishtrap, Lost Creek, Mine Creek, Morel, Staton, Stuart and Stump Town among them — but they are old mining-camp or ranch-site names with no verifiable current population or ZIP, so they are omitted here rather than guessed at.
ZIP Codes
- 59711 — Anaconda (also serves Opportunity and West Valley)
- 59756 — Warm Springs
- 59827 — Galen
Georgetown and the smaller unincorporated sites share Anaconda’s 59711 ZIP for mail purposes.
Geography
Deer Lodge County sits in southwestern Montana on the west side of the Continental Divide, in the upper Clark Fork River valley between the Flint Creek Range and the Anaconda Range. The Clark Fork rises in the county and flows northwest toward Missoula; much of the high ground is national forest land. It borders Powell County to the north, Granite County to the northwest, Jefferson County to the east, Silver Bow County to the southeast, Beaverhead County to the south, and Ravalli County to the west.
Demographics
Deer Lodge County had 9,421 residents at the 2020 census. Anaconda is by far the largest community, with Opportunity and Warm Springs as the next-largest unincorporated places. Montana’s 2023 median household income is $70,804; Deer Lodge County, built on a legacy mining-town economy, has historically run below the state figure. Population density works out to roughly 12.8 people per square mile of land.
Economy & Local Life
The Anaconda Copper Mining Company built the city of Anaconda around a massive copper smelter starting in the 1880s, and the industry defined the county’s economy for a century; the smelter’s 585-foot brick stack, now a state park, still dominates the skyline. Since the smelter closed in 1980, environmental remediation of the Anaconda Smelter NPL Superfund site, tourism around the Jack Nicklaus-designed Old Works Golf Course (built on reclaimed smelter land), and local government and healthcare jobs anchor the local economy.
History
Deer Lodge County was created in 1865 as one of Montana’s original nine counties, taking its name from a warm mineral spring the Salish and other tribes called “the deer’s lodge.” Copper baron Marcus Daly founded Anaconda in 1883 to house workers for his smelter, and the city narrowly lost an 1894 vote to become Montana’s state capital to Helena. In 1976 voters approved merging the city and county into a single consolidated government, effective January 1, 1977 — still Montana’s only such arrangement.
Getting There
Interstate 90 crosses the northeastern edge of the county, with Montana Highways 1, 48 and 273 providing the main local connections.
- Butte — 25 miles southeast
- Missoula — 65 miles northwest
- Helena — 75 miles northeast
- Deer Lodge (city, Powell County) — 20 miles north
The nearest commercial airport is Bert Mooney Airport in Butte.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Deer Lodge County, Montana?
It is in southwestern Montana, in the upper Clark Fork valley between the Flint Creek and Anaconda mountain ranges.
What is the population of Deer Lodge County?
9,421 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Deer Lodge County?
741 square miles (1,920 km2), including 4.7 square miles of water.
What is the county seat of Deer Lodge County?
Anaconda, which shares a single consolidated government with the county.
How many towns are in Deer Lodge County?
One incorporated city, Anaconda, plus a few small unincorporated places such as Opportunity, Warm Springs and Galen.
What ZIP codes are in Deer Lodge County?
Mainly 59711 (Anaconda), plus 59756 (Warm Springs) and 59827 (Galen).
Why is it called Deer Lodge County?
It takes its name from a warm mineral spring long used by the Salish and neighboring tribes, known as “the deer’s lodge.”
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Montana.