The city was named by local rancher Mansfield Daniels, after whom Daniels County is named, for his friend Major Charles Richardson Anderson Scobey, a cattleman from the Glendive area who served as a Montana Territory legislator and an Indian agent at Fort Peck and Poplar.

[7] "During the height of the homestead boom in the 1910s," according to historical marker author Skanks Beaverton, "Scobey was the largest primary shipping point of grain in the world.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.76 square miles (1.97 km2), all land.

[9] Scobey experiences a semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk) with long, cold, dry winters and short, hot, wetter summers.

There were 600 housing units at an average density of 789.5 per square mile (304.8/km2).

41.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

39.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

[16] Scobey Public Schools provides education for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Two radio stations are licensed out of Scobey: KCGM,[20] offering country music, and KNPS,[21] a religious channel.