Event Details

Circle

Montana County Seat Challenge

Circle, Montana; McCone County

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Event Elevation: 2,438 feet

Circle is a town in and the county seat of McCone County, Montana, United States. The population was 591 at the 2020 census. The community was so named because a rancher there branded his cattle with the image of a circle. After arriving in 1905, the town's founder Peter Rorvik opened the post office and a general store. In 1909 homesteaders began moving to the area. Then in 1914 the Great Northern Railway built a new station. In 1951 oil was discovered southeast of Circle. This led to a temporary population spike. The 1960 census of 1,117 was the highest ever recorded for the town.

McCone County is a county located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,729. Its county seat is Circle. The county was created in 1919. It was named for State Senator George McCone, who had been one of the first county commissioners of Dawson County.