Wibaux County is a county in Montana, United States, on the North Dakota border along Interstate 94. It had a population of 937 at the 2020 census, making it Montana’s fourth-least-populous county, and covers 890 square miles (2,300 km2) centred near 46°58′N 104°15′W.
Wibaux is the county seat, and its postal code is 59353. The county has one incorporated town and a handful of unincorporated communities, sits in the Mountain time zone, and is Montana’s 52nd county by the state’s alphabetical FIPS numbering.
Towns & Villages in Wibaux County
Wibaux, the only incorporated town in the county, sits along Interstate 94 near the Montana–North Dakota line. The rest of the county is open ranchland dotted with a few small unincorporated places.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wibaux | City · seat | 462 | 59353 |
| Carlyle | Unincorp. | — | 59353 |
| Saint Phillip | Unincorp. | — | 59353 |
| Yates | Unincorp. | — | 59353 |
ZIP Codes
- 59353 — Wibaux (also serves Carlyle, Saint Phillip and Yates, which have no post office of their own)
Every address in Wibaux County is served by the single Wibaux post office; the county has no other ZIP code.
Geography
Wibaux County sits on the rolling shortgrass prairie of eastern Montana, cut by Beaver Creek and its tributaries as they drain toward the Yellowstone basin. Land is nearly all open range and dryland farm ground; water covers only 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) of the county’s total area. It borders Richland County to the north, McKenzie County, North Dakota, to the northeast, Golden Valley County, North Dakota, to the east, Fallon County to the south, Prairie County to the west and Dawson County to the northwest.
Demographics
Wibaux County had 937 residents at the 2020 census, down to an estimated 885 more recently, continuing a long decline from its early-20th-century ranching boom. Wibaux town, with 462 residents, and the unincorporated community of Carlyle are the county’s two largest population centers. Median household income in the county trails the Montana state figure of $70,804 (2023 ACS), reflecting an economy still centered on ranching rather than wage employment. Population density is under two people per square mile, among the lowest in the state.
Economy & Local Life
Cattle ranching and dryland wheat farming anchor the county economy, much as they have since French rancher Pierre Wibaux built one of the largest cattle operations in the Montana-Dakota borderlands in the 1880s. Wibaux County government and the local school district are the largest wage employers in the town of Wibaux itself, and Interstate 94 traffic supports a small number of fuel, motel and restaurant jobs. The Wibaux County Fair each summer is the county’s largest community gathering, drawing ranch families from across the sparsely populated county.
History
Wibaux County was created on August 17, 1914, from portions of Dawson, Fallon and Richland Counties. It is named for Pierre Wibaux (1858–1913), a French-born cattle rancher whose W-Bar Ranch operations straddled the Montana-Dakota border and who was a business associate of Theodore Roosevelt during Roosevelt’s own ranching years in the region. The town of Wibaux, originally platted under a different name, was renamed for him in 1895 and later became the county seat. Several of the town’s early buildings, including sites tied to the Wibaux ranching era, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Getting There
Interstate 94 runs the length of the county west to east, with Wibaux the easternmost Montana town on the route before it crosses into North Dakota. Montana Highway 7 runs south from Wibaux toward Ekalaka, and Montana Highway 261 runs north toward Sidney.
- Glendive, Montana — 30 miles west
- Sidney, Montana — 40 miles north
- Miles City, Montana — 60 miles southeast
- Baker, Montana — 75 miles south
The nearest commercial airport is Dawson Community Airport in Glendive, about 30 miles west. The nearest Amtrak service is the Empire Builder station in Wolf Point, roughly two hours north.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Wibaux County?
It is in far eastern Montana on the North Dakota border, along Interstate 94.
What is the Wibaux postcode?
59353, which covers the entire county.
What is the population of Wibaux County?
937 at the 2020 census, an estimated 885 more recently.
What is the county seat of Wibaux County?
Wibaux is the county seat and the only incorporated town in the county.
How big is Wibaux County?
890 square miles (2,300 km2), making it one of Montana’s smaller counties by land area.
Who is Wibaux County named for?
Pierre Wibaux, a French-born cattle rancher who built a major ranching operation in the area in the 1880s.
What counties border Wibaux County?
Richland and Dawson Counties in Montana, plus McKenzie and Golden Valley Counties in North Dakota to the north and east, and Fallon and Prairie Counties in Montana to the south and west.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Montana.