Dillon is the county seat and major trading area for over 13,000 people in Beaverhead and western Madison counties.  It is the headquarters of the Beaverhead-Deer Lodge National Forest, the Dillon Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management, the University of Montana Western and the national franchise office of Great Harvest Bread Company.

Several major highways, including I-15, join at Dillon, forming a natural shopping area.

Dillon also forms the center of Montana’s largest cattle and hay producing areas, and is one of Montana’s top agricultural centers.

With a total population of 9,000 in Beaverhead County, and nearly 6,000 in Madison County, the area provides an effective buying income of over $150 million annually.

Agriculture, minerals, timber, education, retail sales, national franchising, recreation, tourism, and government form the major industries of the area.