Liberty County is a county in Montana, United States, on the state’s northern border with Canada. It had a population of 1,959 at the 2020 census and covers 1,447 square miles (3,750 km2) centred near 48°33′N 111°02′W.
Chester is the county seat and its postal code is 59522. The county has one incorporated town, several census-designated places, three Hutterite colonies and a handful of unincorporated communities. Liberty County observes Mountain Time.
Towns & Villages in Liberty County
Liberty County has one incorporated town — Chester, the seat — plus census-designated places, Hutterite colonies and smaller unincorporated places. “CDP” below means census-designated place (recognised by the Census Bureau but not self-governing); “Unincorp.” means an unincorporated place with no formal municipal status.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chester | City · seat | 847 | 59522 |
| Joplin | CDP | — | 59531 |
| Whitlash | CDP | — | 59545 |
| Lothair | Unincorp. | — | 59461 |
| Tiber | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Eagle Creek Colony | CDP | — | — |
| Riverview Colony | CDP | — | — |
| Sage Creek Colony | CDP | — | — |
| Buelow | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Old Banks Place | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tiber Dam Camp | Unincorp. | — | — |
Eagle Creek Colony, Riverview Colony and Sage Creek Colony are Hutterite agricultural communities, common across this stretch of Montana’s Hi-Line. Tiber and Tiber Dam Camp sit at the southwestern end of the county near the reservoir; neither has its own ZIP code and mail is routed through Chester or Loma in neighbouring Chouteau County.
ZIP Codes
- 59522 — Chester (also serves Buelow, Hill and Old Banks Place)
- 59531 — Joplin
- 59545 — Whitlash
- 59461 — Lothair
Tiber and Tiber Dam Camp have no dedicated ZIP code of their own.
Geography
Liberty County sits on the Hi-Line, the strip of north-central Montana that runs along U.S. Highway 2 and the Great Northern rail line just south of the Canadian border. The land is rolling dryland-farming prairie in the north and east, giving way to the Marias River breaks and the Tiber Dam reservoir (Lake Elwell) in the southwest corner, a popular boating and walleye-fishing destination. Of the county’s 1,447 square miles, 1,430 square miles are land and 17 square miles are water.
Liberty County borders Toole County to the west, Pondera County to the southwest, Chouteau County to the south and Hill County to the east. To the north, the county line is the international border with Alberta, Canada.
Demographics
Liberty County had 1,959 residents at the 2020 census, spread almost entirely across rural land — the Census Bureau classes the county as 100% rural. Chester, with 847 residents, is by far the largest community; Joplin is the second-largest named place. Density works out to roughly 1.4 people per square mile of land, among the lowest in the state. A county-specific median household income figure was not independently verified for this profile; statewide, Montana’s median household income is $70,804.
Economy & Local Life
Liberty County’s economy is built on dryland wheat farming and cattle ranching, part of Montana’s “Golden Triangle” grain belt. Chester serves as the county’s trade centre, with Liberty County Public Schools as a major local employer. Lake Elwell, formed by Tiber Dam, draws anglers and boaters from across the Hi-Line each summer and is the county’s main recreational draw.
History
Liberty County was organised on February 11, 1920, after a 1919 vote to split the territory off from Hill and Chouteau counties. It was one of several new Montana counties carved out during the state’s early-20th-century county-splitting boom, when homesteaders pushed for courthouses closer to home than the older, larger counties could offer.
Getting There
U.S. Highway 2, the Hi-Line highway, runs east–west through Chester and follows the BNSF Railway’s former Great Northern main line. Montana Highway 223 runs south from Chester to Tiber Dam.
- Havre — about 35 miles east
- Shelby — about 40 miles west
- Cut Bank — about 50 miles west
- Great Falls — about 95 miles south
The nearest commercial airport is Great Falls International Airport, roughly 95 miles south of Chester.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Liberty County, Montana?
It is in north-central Montana, on U.S. Highway 2 along the Canadian border, between Hill County to the east and Toole County to the west.
What is the population of Liberty County?
Liberty County had a population of 1,959 at the 2020 census.
How big is Liberty County?
The county covers 1,447 square miles (3,750 km2), of which 1,430 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Liberty County?
Chester is the county seat.
How many towns and communities are in Liberty County?
The county has one incorporated town, Chester, plus census-designated places, three Hutterite colonies and several smaller unincorporated places — 12 named communities in total.
What ZIP codes are in Liberty County?
59522 (Chester), 59531 (Joplin), 59545 (Whitlash) and 59461 (Lothair).
What is Tiber Dam?
Tiber Dam impounds the Marias River in the southwestern corner of Liberty County, forming Lake Elwell, a reservoir known locally for walleye fishing and boating.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Montana.