Garfield County is a county in Montana, United States, on the Big Dry Creek plains south of the Missouri River breaks. It had a population of 1,173 at the 2020 census and covers 4,847 square miles (12,550 km2) — 4,675 square miles (12,110 km2) of land and 172 square miles (450 km2) of water — centred near 47°17′N 106°59′W, giving it a population density of roughly 0.25 people per square mile, among the lowest of any county outside Alaska.
Jordan is the county seat, and its postal code is 59337. Jordan is Garfield County’s only incorporated community — a town, not a city — and the rest of the county is made up of a handful of small unincorporated communities and rural locales. Garfield County observes Mountain time and was organized on February 7, 1919, carved out of Dawson and Fergus counties.
Towns & Villages in Garfield County
Garfield County has one incorporated town, Jordan, and a scatter of unincorporated communities and named rural locales along Big Dry Creek and its tributaries. Most of these places today are little more than a post office, a ranch cluster, or a road junction; several have no year-round population at all.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan | Town · seat | 356 | 59337 |
| Brusett | Unincorp. | — | 59318 |
| Cohagen | Unincorp. | — | 59322 |
| Sand Springs | Unincorp. | — | 59077 |
| Mosby | Unincorp. | — | 59058 |
| Chimney Crossing | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Van Norman | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hillside | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ross Hall | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Steve Forks | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Haxby | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Benzien | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Edwards | Unincorp. | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 59337 — Jordan (also serves most of the county interior)
- 59318 — Brusett
- 59322 — Cohagen
- 59077 — Sand Springs
- 59058 — Mosby
Places without their own post office — including Chimney Crossing, Van Norman, Hillside, Ross Hall, Steve Forks, Haxby, Benzien, and Edwards — are served by the nearest of these five ZIP codes.
Geography
Garfield County sits on the plains between the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers, drained by Big Dry Creek and its many forks. The northern part of the county drops into the badlands and coulees along Fort Peck Lake’s Hell Creek arm, a reservoir formed by the Missouri River; the rest is rolling shortgrass rangeland used almost entirely for cattle grazing and dryland grain. The county lies within the Hell Creek Formation, one of the most productive dinosaur fossil beds in North America.
Garfield County borders Phillips County to the northwest, Valley County to the north, McCone County to the northeast, Prairie County to the east, Custer County to the southeast, Rosebud County to the south, and Petroleum County to the west.
Demographics
Garfield County had 1,173 residents at the 2020 census, on 4,675 square miles of land — a density of about 0.25 people per square mile. Jordan, with 356 residents, is by far the county’s largest community; every other place in the county is an unincorporated rural locale. Census data for county median household income was not independently verified for this profile; Montana’s statewide median household income was $70,804 (2023 ACS), and sparsely populated agricultural counties like Garfield typically run below the state figure.
Economy & Local Life
Cattle ranching and dryland wheat and barley farming are the backbone of Garfield County’s economy, much as they have been since homestead-era settlement. Garfield County Public Schools and county government are among the largest year-round employers in Jordan. The Garfield County Museum in Jordan displays fossils recovered locally, including material from Tyrannosaurus rex specimens found in the Hell Creek Formation — the county is noted for having produced several of the world’s most complete T. rex skeletons. Hunting and fishing access around Fort Peck Lake’s Hell Creek arm also draws seasonal visitors.
History
Garfield County was organized on February 7, 1919, from parts of Dawson and Fergus counties, and named for President James A. Garfield. Homesteaders drawn by the Enlarged Homestead Act settled the Big Dry Creek country in the 1910s, but much of the land proved too dry for reliable farming and reverted to ranching within a generation. The county drew national attention in 1996, when an 81-day standoff between the anti-government Montana Freemen group and federal law enforcement took place on a ranch near Jordan.
Getting There
Montana Highways 200, 59, 22, and 24 cross Garfield County, meeting at Jordan.
- Miles City — about 100 miles southeast
- Glasgow — about 80 miles north
- Lewistown — about 100 miles southwest
- Billings — about 200 miles south
Jordan Airport, a small public-use airfield two miles northwest of town, serves general aviation. The nearest commercial airline service is at Billings Logan International Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Garfield County, Montana?
It is in northeastern Montana, on the plains south of Fort Peck Lake and the Missouri River, between the Phillips/Valley and McCone county lines to the north and Custer and Rosebud to the south.
What is the population of Garfield County?
1,173 people, according to the 2020 census.
How big is Garfield County?
4,847 square miles (12,550 km2) in total, making it one of Montana’s largest counties by land area and one of its least densely populated.
What is the county seat of Garfield County?
Jordan is the county seat and the county’s only incorporated town.
How many towns are in Garfield County?
Just one incorporated town, Jordan, plus a handful of small unincorporated communities including Brusett, Cohagen, Mosby, and Sand Springs.
What ZIP codes are in Garfield County?
59337 (Jordan), 59318 (Brusett), 59322 (Cohagen), 59077 (Sand Springs), and 59058 (Mosby).
Why is Garfield County known for dinosaur fossils?
The county lies within the Hell Creek Formation, where several of the world’s most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons have been excavated; specimens are displayed at the Garfield County Museum in Jordan.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Montana.