DiscoverMontana NewsWhy do Montana counties have such strange shapes?
Why do Montana counties have such strange shapes?

Why do Montana counties have such strange shapes?

Update: 2025-10-23
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This week on The Big Why, we’re exploring Montana’s 56 counties. A listener from Billings wants to know how they got their shapes. Finding the answer led MTPR's Austin Amestoy down a rabbit hole where he found a saga of boom and bust, backroom dealing and an unlikely folk hero.
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Why do Montana counties have such strange shapes?

Why do Montana counties have such strange shapes?

Austin Amestoy, Nick Mott