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Population Statistics Richland County Population.............................................................9,667 Age Distribution
*information from http://http//ceic.commerce.state.mt.us Trade Area Analysis *Figures based on 1992 Census data, the latest available. Mileage
Climate
The county averages 13.5 inches of precipitation annually with a growing season of 140 days. Clear sunny skies dominate, whatever the season, with temperatures during July averaging 71 degrees Fahrenheit, and in January , 25 degrees Fahrenheit. ( A 49-year average from Eastern Montana Branch MSU Experiment Station) Incorporated Communities Sidney- County Seat Population:
4,774 • School
Enrollment: K-12: 1619 Major Employers: Sidney Sugars, Inc., Sidney Health Center, Sidney School District, County Government, Blue Rock Products Incorporated in 1911, Sidney is the second largest city in eastern Montana next to Miles City. It has 4 public schools - 2 elementary, 1 junior high and 1 high school - along with 1 private school and 17 churches. Highlights include the MonDak Heritage Center & Art Gallery, one of the best combined museum and art facilities in the state. Sidney also has a beautiful eighteen hole golf course and clubhouse, the only indoor hockey arena in Eastern Montana, an Olympic-size pool and the county fairgrounds as well as numerous municipal parks. A major retail center for Eastern Montana and Western North Dakota, Sidney sports a particularly strong women's apparel shopping district, a regional book store and a growing arts community. It's also home to one of the region's finest full-service medical facilities. Fairview Population:
709 • School
Enrollment K-12: 340 Major Employers: Fairview School District, MonKota fertilizer plant Fairview has the unique distinction of being a two-state community, with the town site straddling the Montana-North Dakota border. Highlights include a city park and pool with free campground and RV hookups. Fort Union Trading Post and Fort Buford are just 11 miles north of Fairview as is Snowden Bridge, one of the only vertical lift bridges left in the country. Other Major Communities Savage Population: approx. 200-250 • School Enrollment K-12: 175 Major Employers: Savage School District, Westmoreland Savage Inc. Coal Mine Savage was one of the many towns springing up along the new rails lines at the turn of the century, boosted by the work of the Lower Yellowstone Reclamation Project. Most residents are employed in agriculture or providing services to those who do. Just north of town is Westmoreland Savage Inc. Coal Mine and just down the roads lies Elk Island Recreation Area. 15 miles down Highway 16 lies Intake and the Lower Yellowstone Diversion dam, a prime paddlefishing site Lambert Population : Approx. 150 • School Enrollment K-12: 135 Major Employers: Lambert School District, Cenex Fertilizer Plant Originally an incorporated town, Lambert was devastated in the early 1920's by a series of costly fires, which ultimately led to its becoming unincorporated in 1928. Located in the western end of the county, Lambert boasts an excellent small town museum, and is located next door to the Fox Lake Wildlife Management area, an excellent waterfowl and general hunting spot.
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Well over 450 businesses are located in Sidney, the bulk of them
in the county seat of Sidney, with a retail trade area that exceeds a 75-mile
radius. The 6-county area principally encompassed by that radius (plus
Daniels County) totals 41,685 in population and 2,970 farms. (Those
figures do not include trade numbers from across the state border, another
sizable market for Richland County.) Sidney is ideally situated to serve
Northeastern Montana as well as residents of Western North Dakota.Products and services offered here include everything from
intricate craftwork, data processing, cabinet making, bottling, sugar
production, construction and coal mining. Businesses are found in all
areas from retail trade and small manufacturing to mining, oil & gas
development, outdoor recreation, and, of course, agriculture. The presence
of the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project, established in 1909, has provided
an important stability to Richland County's ag-dominated economy. The
county also has over 2.3 billion tons in known recoverable coal reserves.
The boom and bust cycle of oil and gas production also impacts the county's
economy, where Richland County remains a top producer in the state even in down
cycles.