[5] Dawson County is located in the extreme eastern portion of Montana, about fifteen to twenty miles west of the Dakota line.

In the upper bench lands, artesian well irrigation has received considerable attention.

The largest Triceratops skull ever found was discovered in 1992 and excavated in 2003 in Dawson County, Montana, in the famous Hell Creek Formation.

[citation needed] As of the 2010 census, there were 8,966 people, 3,749 households, and 2,429 families living in the county.

Dawson County is known for its dryland grain, coal mines and gas and oil wells.

[16] Lying in the heart of the western third of the Fort Union region, Dawson County is plentifully supplied with lignite coal.

In the early 20th century, the county was known for pure-bred stock raising, dairying, and the production of hogs and poultry.

While there is some broken land around the Sheep Bluffs, in the northwestern part of the county, and east of the Yellowstone, smooth prairies and rolling land predominated in the county, making conditions excellent for farming purposes.

The dark sandy loam soil, with a heavy clay subsoil, was a big producer.

The principal crops in the early years of the 20th century were barley, oats and wheat.