Formed January 1, 1912 (30th county)
Blaine County (7,042), Chinook (1,183)
The brown brick courthouse was constructed in 1914 at Ohio and 4th streets. United States Highway 2 is three blocks to the north of the courthouse. George H. Shanley provided the Classical Revival designs. The building was enlarged in 1980. Blaine County was created on January 1, 1912 as the 30th county with Chinook as the only county seat. It is named for United States Secretary of State James G. Blaine. The county seat name is Native American for “warm wind.”
Blaine County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners. One District Court Judge serves Blaine, Phillips, and Valley counties. The county is on the northern border with Canada. The Missouri River forms its southern border. Billings, Montana is south and Great Falls, Montana is southwest of the county. The county center is 20.5 miles East-Southeast of Chinook nearer Harlem. The county is surrounded clockwise by Canada and Phillips, Fergus, Chouteau, and Hill counties.
The area of the county is 4226 square miles. It is 9 out of 56 in the state. It ranks 29 out of 56 in population in the state. It has a density of 1.7 persons per square mile making it 38 out of 56 in the state. Blaine County has 27.8% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 2 crosses the county east to west from Phillips County to Hill County. The county is shaped like the State of Montana standing on its head. Chinook is located in the northwest quarter of the county. Chinook is the county seat and the largest city. It is 16.8% of the county population. The county seat is pronounced SHI-NOOK.
Chinook
Harlem
