Alberton, Montana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alberton, Montana
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Antique shop in Alberton
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Location in Mineral County and Montana
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| Country | United States |
| State | Montana |
| County | Mineral |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–Council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.57 sq mi (1.49 km2) |
| • Land | 0.55 sq mi (1.42 km2) |
| • Water | 0.03 sq mi (0.07 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,055 ft (931 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 452 |
| • Density | 826.33/sq mi (318.88/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
59820
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| Area code | 406 |
| FIPS code | 30-00700 |
| GNIS ID | 2412342 |
Alberton is a small town in Mineral County, Montana, United States. In 2020, about 452 people lived there. It's known for its history with the railroad and its beautiful natural surroundings.
Contents
History of Alberton
The town of Alberton got its name from Albert J. Earling. He was the president of a big railroad company called the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. A post office opened in Alberton in 1909.
A notable event happened on April 11, 1996. A train carrying a chemical called chlorine derailed near Alberton. About 350 people were hurt from breathing in the chlorine. Around 1,000 people from Alberton and a nearby town called Frenchtown had to leave their homes for safety. Interstate 90, a major highway, was closed for 19 days. This event was one of the largest chemical spills from a train in United States history.
Geography and Climate
Alberton is located in the eastern part of Mineral County. You can find it right off Interstate 90 at exit 75. The Clark Fork River forms the southern edge of the town. Across the river is Missoula County.
Interstate 90 goes east about 29 miles (47 km) to Missoula. It goes northwest the same distance to Superior, which is the main town of Mineral County.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Alberton covers about 0.57 square miles (1.49 square kilometers). A small part of this area, about 0.03 square miles (0.07 square kilometers), is water.
Alberton's Climate
Alberton has a cool-summer humid continental climate. This means it has warm summers and cold winters, with enough rain or snow throughout the year.
| Climate data for Alberton, Montana, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1958–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 59 (15) |
62 (17) |
80 (27) |
87 (31) |
93 (34) |
105 (41) |
105 (41) |
105 (41) |
100 (38) |
87 (31) |
71 (22) |
68 (20) |
105 (41) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 48.3 (9.1) |
51.7 (10.9) |
65.1 (18.4) |
77.1 (25.1) |
85.8 (29.9) |
93.1 (33.9) |
99.4 (37.4) |
98.5 (36.9) |
91.5 (33.1) |
77.4 (25.2) |
59.0 (15.0) |
47.5 (8.6) |
100.7 (38.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 34.6 (1.4) |
40.1 (4.5) |
48.9 (9.4) |
58.2 (14.6) |
67.6 (19.8) |
75.2 (24.0) |
86.8 (30.4) |
86.5 (30.3) |
75.7 (24.3) |
57.8 (14.3) |
41.0 (5.0) |
32.7 (0.4) |
58.8 (14.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 26.3 (−3.2) |
30.2 (−1.0) |
36.7 (2.6) |
44.2 (6.8) |
52.7 (11.5) |
59.7 (15.4) |
67.7 (19.8) |
66.8 (19.3) |
57.6 (14.2) |
44.1 (6.7) |
32.6 (0.3) |
25.7 (−3.5) |
45.4 (7.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 18.0 (−7.8) |
20.2 (−6.6) |
24.5 (−4.2) |
30.3 (−0.9) |
37.8 (3.2) |
44.2 (6.8) |
48.7 (9.3) |
47.2 (8.4) |
39.6 (4.2) |
30.4 (−0.9) |
24.1 (−4.4) |
18.8 (−7.3) |
32.0 (0.0) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −1.1 (−18.4) |
3.9 (−15.6) |
13.1 (−10.5) |
22.0 (−5.6) |
27.1 (−2.7) |
35.6 (2.0) |
40.4 (4.7) |
39.8 (4.3) |
30.4 (−0.9) |
17.5 (−8.1) |
10.6 (−11.9) |
0.5 (−17.5) |
−7.4 (−21.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −28 (−33) |
−22 (−30) |
−12 (−24) |
12 (−11) |
21 (−6) |
29 (−2) |
31 (−1) |
32 (0) |
21 (−6) |
−9 (−23) |
−12 (−24) |
−29 (−34) |
−29 (−34) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.45 (37) |
1.50 (38) |
1.70 (43) |
1.66 (42) |
2.04 (52) |
2.19 (56) |
0.88 (22) |
0.91 (23) |
1.07 (27) |
1.64 (42) |
2.02 (51) |
1.60 (41) |
18.66 (474) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 10.3 (26) |
11.1 (28) |
6.0 (15) |
1.4 (3.6) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
1.2 (3.0) |
6.4 (16) |
12.8 (33) |
49.4 (125.1) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 13.6 | 12.8 | 14.0 | 13.0 | 12.4 | 12.7 | 5.0 | 6.3 | 7.8 | 12.1 | 13.1 | 14.4 | 137.2 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 8.9 | 8.1 | 4.9 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 5.0 | 9.5 | 38.9 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service | |||||||||||||
People of Alberton (Demographics)
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 276 | — | |
| 1940 | 283 | 2.5% | |
| 1950 | 326 | 15.2% | |
| 1960 | 356 | 9.2% | |
| 1970 | 363 | 2.0% | |
| 1980 | 368 | 1.4% | |
| 1990 | 354 | −3.8% | |
| 2000 | 374 | 5.6% | |
| 2010 | 420 | 12.3% | |
| 2020 | 452 | 7.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Alberton in 2010
In 2010, the town had 420 people living in 190 households. About 113 of these were families. The population density was about 737 people per square mile (285 per square kilometer). There were 202 housing units in total.
Most of the people in Alberton were White (96.0%). A small number were African American (1.0%), Native American (0.7%), or from other backgrounds. About 1.9% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
- About 26.3% of households had children under 18.
- 46.3% were married couples living together.
- About 33.2% of all households were single individuals.
- 15.7% of households had someone aged 65 or older living alone.
The average age in Alberton was 43.3 years.
- 19% of residents were under 18.
- 7.7% were between 18 and 24.
- 25.8% were between 25 and 44.
- 30.1% were between 45 and 64.
- 17.6% were 65 or older.
The town had slightly more males (53.1%) than females (46.9%).
Education in Alberton
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The Alberton School started as a single wooden schoolhouse in the early 1900s. After a fire in 1916, a new brick building was built in 1920. This building is now the elementary school and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The current high school building is close to the elementary school. It has an interesting octagonal shape. Both buildings have two stories and are connected by an underground tunnel.
The school's mascot is the Panther. Students can play sports like football, volleyball, basketball (for boys and girls), and track and field. The school also joins with other local schools for wrestling, tennis, and golf. In 2010, the football team changed from playing eight-man to six-man football.
Alberton also has a branch of the Mineral County Public Library. There is also the Northwest Indian Bible School, which trains people in Bible studies.
Arts and Culture
Alberton celebrates its history with railroads every year during "Alberton's Railroad Day." This fun community event takes place on the third Saturday of July. In 2015, they celebrated its 30th anniversary!
Media
The local newspaper for Mineral County, including Alberton, is called the Mineral Independent. It comes out every week and also has an online version.
See also
In Spanish: Alberton (Montana) para niños
