Chouteau

Formed February 2, 1865 (3^rd county)

Chouteau County (5,896), Fort Benton (1,456)

The Chouteau County Queen Anne courthouse was built in 1884.  The courthouse is at the intersection of Franklin and 13^th streets.  Thirteenth Street is Montana State Highway 80 in this part of town.  Kees and Fisk are the architects.  The building has been enlarged.  The county was established on February 2, 1865 with Fort Benton as the only county seat.  It is one of the 3^rd county.  It is named for fur trader Pierre Chouteau, Jr.  He is also the namesake for the county seat of Teton County.  Fort Benton is named for the local fort which was named for Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton. 

Chouteau County government consists of a sheriff, an administrator, an attorney, a collector, a coroner, an assessor and a clerk (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  One District Court Judge serves Chouteau, Hill, and Liberty counties and a court clerk serves Chouteau County (judicial.)  Chouteau County is in the northern part of the state.  Great Falls, Montana is directly southwest of the county.  The Missouri River flows through the county.  The county center is 8.7 miles Northeast of Fort Benton nearer Loma.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Hill, Blaine, Fergus, Judith Basin, Cascade, Teton, Pondera, and Liberty counties. 

The area of the county is 3973 square miles.  It is 10 out of 56 in the state.  It ranks 34 out of 56 in population in the state.  It has a density of 1.5 persons per square mile making it 41 out of 56 in the state.  Chouteau County has 38.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 87 goes northeast to southwest in the county from Hill County to Cascade County.  The county’s shape could be described as a pistol facing west.  Fort Benton is in the western third of the county.  Fort Benton is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 24.7% of the county population.  The county is pronounced SHOE-TOE.