Park County, Montana

Park is a county in Montana, United States, in the south-central part of the state, bordering Yellowstone National Park. It had a population of 17,191 at the 2020 census and covers 2,813 square miles (7,290 km2) centred near 45°30′N 110°31′W.

Livingston is the county seat, and its postal code is 59047. The county has one city, one incorporated town, twelve census-designated places, roughly a dozen other unincorporated communities and one ghost town. Park County sits in the Mountain Time zone and carries FIPS code 30067.

Towns & Villages in Park County

Park County has just two incorporated places — the city of Livingston and the town of Clyde Park — alongside a dozen census-designated places (CDPs) clustered along US 89 south toward Yellowstone, plus a scatter of unincorporated rail sidings, ranch communities and one abandoned coal-mining ghost town. “Unincorp.” below marks places with no municipal government and no separately reported 2020 population.

Cooke City and Silver Gate sit side by side at the northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park and are usually addressed together, but the Census Bureau tracks them as two separate CDPs. Several plat-only subdivisions from the old county records — small trailer courts and homestead “additions” near Livingston and Wilsall — are not carried in this list because they have no independent population figures or current place status.

ZIP Codes

• 59047 — Livingston (also serves Pine Creek and Chico Hot Springs)
• 59018 — Clyde Park
• 59030 — Gardiner
• 59020 — Cooke City (also serves Silver Gate)
• 59027 — Emigrant
• 59065 — Pray
• 59086 — Wilsall
• 59082 — Springdale

Corwin Springs, Jardine and the smaller unincorporated communities use a Gardiner or Livingston mailing address rather than a ZIP of their own.

Geography

Park County spans the upper Yellowstone River valley, running from the high peaks of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness — including Granite Peak, Montana’s highest point at 12,807 feet — south to the northern boundary of Yellowstone National Park, then north across ranchland to the Crazy Mountains and the Shields River valley. The Yellowstone River enters the county at Gardiner and flows north through Livingston, a historic gateway and former Northern Pacific Railway division point.

The county borders Meagher County to the north, Sweet Grass County to the east, Stillwater County and Carbon County to the southeast and south, Park County, Wyoming along the Yellowstone National Park boundary to the south, and Gallatin County to the west.

Demographics

Park County had 17,191 residents at the 2020 census. Livingston, the county seat, is by far the largest community; Gardiner, at Yellowstone’s north entrance, is the second-largest population center. The county’s median household income runs below the Montana median of $70,804, reflecting a workforce weighted toward tourism, ranching and service jobs rather than higher-wage sectors. Population density is roughly 6 people per square mile, concentrated along the US 89 corridor and in Livingston.

Economy & Local Life

Tourism tied to Yellowstone National Park’s north entrance at Gardiner drives much of the county’s economy, alongside cattle and hay ranching in the Shields River and Paradise Valleys. Livingston’s economy centers on Yellowstone-gateway retail and services, fly-fishing outfitters along the Yellowstone River, and a growing arts and small-manufacturing base in the old railroad town’s historic downtown. Livingston HealthCare is the county’s main hospital and a significant local employer. The county fair and rodeo, held in Livingston each July, is the area’s biggest annual event.

History

The Montana Territorial Legislature created Park County on February 23, 1887, naming it for its proximity to Yellowstone National Park, established fifteen years earlier in 1872. Livingston grew up as a Northern Pacific Railway division point in the 1880s and became the principal rail gateway to Yellowstone. The ghost town of Aldridge, north of Gardiner, was a coal-mining camp that supplied the Northern Pacific’s coking coal until the mine closed in the early 1910s, after which the settlement was abandoned.

Getting There

Interstate 90 crosses the northern part of the county through Livingston, and US Highways 89, 191 and 212 connect it to Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding counties.

• Bozeman — 26 miles west
• Big Timber — 30 miles east
• White Sulphur Springs — 60 miles north
• Cody, Wyoming — 80 miles southeast

Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, in neighboring Gallatin County, is the nearest commercial airport, about 30 minutes’ drive from Livingston.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Park County, Montana?
It is in south-central Montana, bordering Yellowstone National Park, between Bozeman and Billings along Interstate 90.

What is the population of Park County?
17,191 people, per the 2020 census.

How big is Park County?
2,813 square miles (7,290 km2), including part of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness.

What is the county seat of Park County?
Livingston is the county seat.

How many towns are in Park County?
One city (Livingston), one incorporated town (Clyde Park), twelve census-designated places and about a dozen smaller unincorporated communities.

What ZIP codes are in Park County?
Livingston’s postal code is 59047; other ZIPs in the county include 59018 (Clyde Park), 59030 (Gardiner), 59020 (Cooke City), 59027 (Emigrant), 59065 (Pray), 59086 (Wilsall) and 59082 (Springdale).

What is Park County named after?
Its proximity to Yellowstone National Park, part of which lies within the county’s southern boundary.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Montana.