Sidney, Montana
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Sidney is a city in and the county seat of Richland County, Montana, United States,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> less than Template:Convert west of the North Dakota border. The population was 6,346 at the 2020 census,<ref name="2020 Census (City)">Template:Cite web</ref> and was estimated to be 6,031 in 2024.<ref name="USCensusEst2024"/> The city lies along the Yellowstone River. Sidney is approximately midway between Glendive, Montana and Williston, North Dakota.
History
Settlers began arriving in the area in the 1870s, and a post office was established in 1888.<ref name="mhs">Template:Cite web</ref> Six-year-old Sidney Walters and his parents were staying with Hiram Otis, the local justice of the peace, and Otis decided that Sidney was a good name for the town. The following year, Montana became a state and Sidney was incorporated in 1911.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Sidney was originally part of Dawson County, but became the county seat of Richland County at its inception in 1914.<ref name="RoM">Template:Cite book</ref>
Agriculture became an important part of the region after the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> was completed in 1909. A dam was built on the river south of Glendive, which diverted water from the river into a Template:Convert main canal, which runs north–south, parallel to the Yellowstone, irrigating land from Glendive north up to Fairview, where it drains into the Missouri River. This project irrigates Template:Convert and serves water to 450 farms, according to the manager of the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Districts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
During the Great Depression, Montana artist J. K. Ralston painted a Federal Arts Project mural at the Richland County Courthouse in Sidney.<ref name="bookofdays">Template:Cite book</ref>
The town received a boost in 1924 when the Holly Sugar Corporation opened up a sugar refinery in Sidney to process locally grown sugar beets.<ref name="mhs" />
The area experienced an oil boom and bust in the late 1970s and early 1980s, bringing an influx of people to the town for a short period of time. Around the start of the 21st century, the town experienced another surge in oil exploration activity.<ref name="oil boom">Template:Cite web</ref>
Geography
Sidney is located in the northeastern part of the state.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert (0.57%) is water.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2024"/>
Sidney is Template:Convert northeast of Billings, and Template:Convert south of Regina, Saskatchewan.
Climate
Sidney experiences a semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk) with long, cold, dry winters and hot, more humid summers.
Economy
Sidney's economy relies heavily on farming, ranching, and oil production; thus, the surrounding countryside is populated with farms, cattle ranches, and oil/gas extraction sites.
From 1925 to 2023, Sidney was home to a sugar beet factory, the largest employer in the city next to the Sidney Health Center<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Sidney Public Schools.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The sugar beet factory closed in April 2023.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Arts and culture
The town's museum, the MonDak Heritage Center,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> was founded in 1967. The museum houses artifacts and archives that detail the history of life in eastern Montana and western North Dakota since the first pioneers arrived in the late 19th century.
Sidney has a public library, the Sidney-Richland County Library.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Government
The town of Sidney has a Mayor and City Council. The City Council has 3 wards, each with 2 councilors.<ref name="CityCouncil"/> In 2023 the Mayor was Rick Norby.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Education
Sidney has four public schools; one K, 1st, and 2nd grade (Westside Elementary) elementary school, a 3rd, 4th and 5th grade (Central Elementary) Elementary school, a 6-8 Junior High School, and a 9-12 senior high school.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sidney High School's team name is the Eagles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
There are no institutions of higher education located within the city, but Williston State College in North Dakota is within commuting distance. MSU-Billings<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> offers courses through distance education, and Sidney High School has a variety of adult education classes each year.
Media
The city has two community newspapers, The Sidney Herald<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and The Roundup.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Radio
Infrastructure
The eastern end of Montana Highway 16 joins Highway 200 in Sidney.
The town is served by Sidney-Richland Municipal Airport, located one mile (1.6 km) west of the central business district.<ref name="FAA">Template:FAA-airport. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective April 5, 2012.</ref> It has scheduled passenger commuter airline flights through Cape Air.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Demographics
As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 2,602 estimated households in Sidney with an average of 2.38 persons per household. The city has a median household income of $62,992. Approximately 8.6% of the city's population lives at or below the poverty line. Sidney has an estimated 72.3% employment rate, with 18.9% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 96.0% holding a high school diploma.<ref name="QF">Template:Cite web</ref>
The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (95.9%), Spanish (2.4%), Indo-European (0.7%), Asian and Pacific Islander (1.0%), and Other (0.0%).
The median age in the city was 38.9 years.
| Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic) | Pop. 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref> | Pop. 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> | Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref> | % 2000 | % 2010 | Template:Partial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 4,511 | 4,815 | 5,256 | 94.49% | 92.76% | 82.82% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 5 | 2 | 43 | 0.10% | 0.04% | 0.68% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 88 | 91 | 116 | 1.84% | 1.75% | 1.83% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 15 | 20 | 96 | 0.31% | 0.39% | 1.51% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.06% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.36% |
| Mixed race or multiracial (NH) | 39 | 84 | 387 | 0.82% | 1.62% | 6.10% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 116 | 179 | 421 | 2.43% | 3.45% | 6.63% |
| Total | 4,774 | 5,191 | 6,346 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 6,346 people, 2,720 households, and 1,596 families residing in the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The population density was Template:Convert. There were 3,087 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the city was 85.57% White, 0.69% African American, 2.02% Native American, 1.51% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.89% from some other races and 8.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 6.63% of the population.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 5,191 people, 2,304 households, and 1,378 families residing in the city. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 2,467 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the city was 94.88% White, 0.06% African American, 1.83% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.67% from some other races and 2.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 3.45% of the population.
There were 2,304 households, of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.2% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.85.
The median age in the city was 39.3 years. 23.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.7% were from 25 to 44; 29% were from 45 to 64; and 14.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.6% male and 49.4% female.
2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 4,774 people, 2,006 households, and 1,271 families residing in the city. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 2,393 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the city was 95.81% White, 0.10% African American, 1.89% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 1.01% from some other races and 0.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.43% of the population.
There were 2,006 households, out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.7% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,109, and the median income for a family was $38,992. Males had a median income of $30,347 versus $18,517 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,911. About 8.5% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.1% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
- Clyde Lamb — gag cartoonist and syndicated comic strip artist, born in Sidney
- Roger A. Markle — director of the U.S. Bureau of Mines and executive of Quaker State and NERCO, born in Sidney<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Donald Nutter — former Governor of Montana (1961–62), grew up in Sidney
- Barry Petersen — Emmy Award-winning CBS News correspondent, graduated from Sidney High School in 1966<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Chuck Stevenson — race car driver, born in Sidney
References
External links
Template:Richland County, Montana Template:US state navigation box Template:Montana county seats Template:Authority control