Broadwater County, Montana
| Broadwater County, Montana | |
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The Broadwater County Courthouse in Townsend
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 Location in the U.S. state of Montana |
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 Montana's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1897 |
| Named for | Charles Arthur Broadwater |
| Seat | Townsend |
| Largest city | Townsend |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,239 sq mi (3,209 km2) |
| • Land | 1,193 sq mi (3,090 km2) |
| • Water | 46 sq mi (119 km2), 3.7% |
| Population (est.) | |
| • (2015) | 5,689 |
| • Density | 4.7/sq mi (2/km²) |
| Congressional district | At-large |
| Time zone | Mountain: UTC-7/-6 |
| Website | www |
Broadwater County is a county in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 5,612. Its county seat is Townsend. The county was named for Charles Arthur Broadwater, a noted Montana railroad, real estate, and banking magnate.
The Lewis and Clark Expedition travelled through what is now Broadwater County as they traced the Missouri River. Gold was discovered in the Big Belt Mountains in 1864 which brought several mining towns. In 1881 the Northern Pacific Railway with a stop in what is now Townsend.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,239 square miles (3,210 km2), of which 1,193 square miles (3,090 km2) is land and 46 square miles (120 km2) (3.7%) is water.
The boundaries of the county are roughly formed by the Big Belt Mountains to the east and north, the Elkhorn Mountains to the west, and the Horseshoe Hills to the south.
Broadwater County is perhaps best known as the home of Canyon Ferry Lake, the third largest body of water in Montana. The lake provides essential irrigation to local farms, and serves as a recreation destination for the region. Visitors seek out Canyon Ferry for its excellent fishing, boating, swimming, camping, and wildlife viewing opportunities.
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,385 people, 1,752 households, and 1,270 families residing in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile (1/km²). There were 2,002 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.04% White, 0.27% Black or African American, 1.16% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.34% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. 1.32% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 25.5% were of German, 14.5% English, 12.9% Irish, 9.9% Norwegian and 6.3% French ancestry. 98.0% spoke English and 1.3% German as their first language.
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