Judith Basin County has a beautiful expanse of island mountain ranges, with a sea of grass and wheat between. The farmer, recreationist and sportsman all are at home here.

     The county seat is Stanford, located on Highway 87 between Lewistown and Great Falls. The county population is 2,329, according to the 2000 Census, in an area covering 1,869,886 acres. The per capita income according to 1999 estimates was $18,428; with a median household income of $26,198 in 1997.

     The largest industry is retail trade, followed by services, construction, wholesale trade and manufacturing. Major employers in Judith Basin County include Hobson School; Stanford School; Basin State Bank; Hobson Insurance and K's IGA Supermarket in Stanford.

     Stanford has a small airport and there is a private air strip in Hobson. There is no commercial air service in the county, but it is available in Lewistown (45 miles to the southeast or Great Falls, 60 miles to the northwest). BNSF provides rail service.

     Utilities providers are Montana Power in urban areas and Fergus Electric in rural areas. Telecommunication providers include those for phone, long distance, Internet, DSL, wireless communication and cell phone. Postal carriers include USPS, UPS and Fed X.

     Central Montana Medical Center of Lewistown has a satellite clinic in Stanford. All services are available in Great Falls or Lewistown. Judith Basin County's Sheriff's Department has a staff of five, located in Stanford. Montana Highway Patrol also has a patrolman stationed there. Rural fire departments and ambulance services provide emergency services within the county.

     Stanford and Hobson have public swimming pools, as well as libraries. Hobson has a theatre for live performances. Other popular events include performances by the Judith Cultural Arts Society, the "What the Hay Contest" between Hobson, Utica and Windham, and the county fair in Stanford.

     The MSU Experimental Ag Station is located near Moccasin, and provides crop research for Montana farmers. The average rainfall in Judith Basin County is 24.58 inches; and the average snowfall is 15.21 inches. The length of the average growing season is 115 days; and the annual average temperature is 44.8 degrees Fahrenheit.