Musselshell

Formed February 2, 1911 (29^th county)

Musselshell County (4,732), Roundup (1,743)

A dark red brick Art Deco courthouse serves Musselshell County.  It was constructed in 1939.  It replaced a basic wooden courthouse built in 1913.  The current structure is on Main Street at 5^th Avenue.  Main Street is United States Highway 87.  J. G. Link is the architect.  The county was created on February 2, 1911 as the 29^th county with Roundup as the only county seat.  The county is named for the river.  Roundup was named for the local ranches’ roundups. 

Musselshell County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  One District Court Judge serves Musselshell, Golden Valley, Meagher, and Wheatland counties.  The county is in central Montana.  Billings, Montana is directly south of the county.  The county center is 16.6 miles Northeast of Roundup nearer Delphia.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Petroleum, Rosebud, Yellowstone, Golden Valley, and Fergus counties.  Musselshell County looks like a radar gun pointing east. 

The area of the county is 1867 square miles.  It is 36 out of 56 in the state.  It ranks 36 out of 56 in population in the state.  It has a density of 2.5 persons per square mile making it 31 out of 56 in the state.  Musselshell County has 39.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 12 crosses through the county east to west from Rosebud County to Golden Valley County.  United States Highway 87 goes north to south from Petroleum County to Yellowstone County.  Roundup is in the western quarter of the county.  Roundup is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 36.8% of the county population.