Ravalli

Formed March 3, 1893 (21^st county)

Ravalli County (44,172), Hamilton (4,692)                

The Modern brown concrete building was constructed in 1974 to replace a 1900 courthouse.  The structure is on Bedford and 2^nd streets.  United States Highway 93 passes two blocks east of the courthouse.  Howland and Associates are the designers.  Stevensville was the original county seat until 1898 when Hamilton assumed the role.  The county was formed on March 3, 1893 as the 21^st county.  Ravalli County is named for Jesuit Priest Anthony Ravalli.  The county seat is named for settler J. W. Hamilton. 

Ravalli 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 and a court clerk serve Ravalli County (judicial.)  The county is on the western border with Idaho.  The Continental Divide is its southern border.  Missoula, Montana is directly north of the county.  The county center is 4.1 miles Southeast of Hamilton.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Missoula, Granite, Deer Lodge, and Beaverhead counties and Idaho. 

The area of the county is 2394 square miles.  It is 26 out of 56 in the state.  It ranks 7 out of 56 in population in the state.  It has a density of 18.5 persons per square mile making it 9 out of 56 in the state.  Ravalli County has 18.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 93 travels north to south through the county from Missoula County to Idaho.  The county resembles a lazy capital letter J.  Hamilton is in the northern third of the county.  Hamilton is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 10.6% of the county population.  The county is pronounced RA-VAL-LEE.

Stevensville