Richland County is a county in Montana, United States, tucked into the state’s far northeastern corner along the North Dakota line. It had a population of 11,491 at the 2020 census and covers 2,103 square miles (5,447 km2), of which 2,084 square miles (5,398 km2) are land, centred near 47°47′N 104°34′W.
Sidney is the county seat, and its postal code is 59270. The county has one city, one town, three census-designated places, and several unincorporated communities. Richland County observes Mountain Time and does not use civil townships.
Towns & Villages in Richland County
Richland County has one incorporated city (Sidney, the seat), one incorporated town (Fairview), and three census-designated places (CDPs) that are unincorporated but tracked separately by the Census Bureau. The remaining communities are unincorporated, ranging from small rail sidings to former post-office settlements along the Yellowstone and Missouri river valleys.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sidney | City · seat | 6,346 | 59270 |
| Fairview | Town | — | 59221 |
| Crane | CDP | — | 59217 |
| Fox Lake | CDP | — | — |
| Savage | CDP | — | 59262 |
| Lambert | Unincorp. | — | 59243 |
| Ludington | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Girard | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Enid | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nohly | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sioux Pass | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ridgelawn | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Midway | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Burns | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wooley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Newlon Junction | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Andes | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hoffmanville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Piche | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Knife River | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Riverview | Unincorp. | — | — |
Sidney holds roughly 55% of the county’s population and is the only place with a full-service hospital and airport. Fairview straddles the Montana–North Dakota line, with most of the town on the Montana side and a small extension across the state border into Williams County, North Dakota.
ZIP Codes
- 59270 — Sidney
- 59221 — Fairview
- 59262 — Savage
- 59243 — Lambert
- 59217 — Crane
Smaller unincorporated communities such as Ludington, Girard, and Sioux Pass use the ZIP code of their nearest post office town and have no separate code of their own.
Geography
Richland County sits on the plains of northeastern Montana where the Yellowstone River joins the Missouri River near Nohly, in the county’s northeast corner. The terrain is a mix of irrigated river-bottom farmland along the Yellowstone and rolling, drier prairie away from the valley. Roosevelt County lies to the north, Williams County, North Dakota, and McKenzie County, North Dakota, border the county to the northeast and east, Wibaux and Dawson Counties lie to the south and southwest, and McCone County lies to the west.
Bordering counties: Roosevelt County (north), Williams County, North Dakota (northeast), McKenzie County, North Dakota (east), Dawson County (south), Wibaux County (southwest), and McCone County (west).
Demographics
Richland County had 11,491 residents at the 2020 census, a density of about 5.5 people per square mile. Sidney and Fairview are the county’s two largest communities by far, together holding a majority of the population. The county’s median household income runs below the Montana median of $70,804, reflecting the mix of agricultural and oilfield wages typical of eastern Montana. About 88% of residents identify as White and roughly 5% as Hispanic or Latino, with a median age of 38.4 years.
Economy & Local Life
Ranching and irrigated farming — sugar beets, wheat, barley, and hay — have anchored the county economy since settlement. Oil changed the picture after 2000, when the Elm Coulee Oil Field, one of the earliest major Bakken formation discoveries, was found within the county, bringing a lasting oilfield-services sector to Sidney. The sugar beet processing plant that had operated in Sidney since 1925 closed in April 2023, ending a century of local beet refining. Richland County Health System, based in Sidney, is one of the county’s largest employers alongside Bakken-related oilfield companies.
History
Richland County was created by the Montana Legislature in 1914 out of the eastern portion of Dawson County. An early proposal to name the new county “Gate” was dropped in favor of “Richland,” a name chosen to advertise the fertile Yellowstone River bottomland and attract settlers. Sidney was platted along the Yellowstone in the 1880s and grew into the county’s commercial center as irrigation projects opened the valley to sugar beet farming in the early 1900s. The discovery of the Elm Coulee Oil Field in 2000 brought the county’s most significant economic shift since irrigated agriculture arrived a century earlier.
Getting There
U.S. Route 200 and Montana Highway 16 are the main routes through the county, meeting at Sidney.
- Williston, North Dakota — 40 miles northeast
- Glendive, Montana — 45 miles southwest
- Watford City, North Dakota — 45 miles east
- Wolf Point, Montana — 65 miles north
Sidney–Richland Municipal Airport offers regional air service; the nearest larger commercial airport is Williston Basin International Airport in North Dakota.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Richland County, Montana?
It sits in the far northeastern corner of Montana, on the North Dakota border, where the Yellowstone River meets the Missouri.
What is the population of Richland County?
11,491 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Richland County?
2,103 square miles (5,447 km2), including 2,084 square miles of land.
What is the county seat of Richland County?
Sidney is the county seat.
How many towns are in Richland County?
One city (Sidney), one town (Fairview), and three census-designated places, plus about a dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Richland County?
59270 (Sidney), 59221 (Fairview), 59262 (Savage), 59243 (Lambert), and 59217 (Crane).
What is Richland County known for?
It was the site of the Elm Coulee Oil Field, an early and significant Bakken formation discovery made in 2000.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Montana.