Formed May 27, 1914 (37th county)
Richland County (11,493), Sidney (6,346)
The tan brick courthouse was built in 1928 with Beaux Arts style. It is situated on a square surrounded by Main Street, 3rd Avenue, 2nd Street, and 2nd Avenue. Montana State Highway 200 is one block to the east of the site. The building designer was J. G. Link. A Law and Justice Center was added in 2010. The county was organized on May 27, 1914 as the 37th county with Sidney as the only county seat. The county’s name was an attempt by settlers to attract additional settlers. Sidney is named for Walter Sidney, son of one of the original settlers. Richland County was the birthplace for 1 Montana Governor, Donald G. Nutter.
Richland 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.) Two District Court Judges serve Richland, Dawson, McCone, Prairie, and Wibaux counties and a court clerk serves Richland County (judicial.) Richland County is on the eastern border with North Dakota. The Missouri River forms its northern border. Billings, Montana is southwest of the county. The county center is 40.6 miles Northwest of Sidney nearer Lambert. The county is surrounded clockwise by Roosevelt County and North Dakota, and Wibaux, Dawson, and McCone counties.
The area of the county is 2084 square miles. It is 32 out of 56 in the state. It ranks 18 out of 56 in population in the state. It has a density of 5.5 persons per square mile making it 15 out of 56 in the state. Richland County has 63.0% of its population in its incorporated areas. There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county. Richland County is shaped like a pistol pointing south. Sidney is near the eastern border of the county. Sidney is the county seat and the largest city. It is 55.2% of the county population.
Fairview
Sidney
