Cardwell, Montana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cardwell, Montana
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Location of Cardwell, Montana
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| Country | United States |
| State | Montana |
| County | Jefferson |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.16 sq mi (5.58 km2) |
| • Land | 2.15 sq mi (5.56 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2) |
| Elevation | 4,285 ft (1,306 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 62 |
| • Density | 28.88/sq mi (11.15/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
59721
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| Area code(s) | 406 |
| FIPS code | 30-12400 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0780936 |
Cardwell is a small community in Jefferson County, Montana, United States. It's called a census-designated place (CDP) because it's a settled area that the government counts for population, but it's not officially a city or town. In 2020, 62 people lived there. Cardwell is part of the larger Helena area.
The town got its name from Edward Cardwell, who was a rancher and a state senator in the area.
Contents
Geography of Cardwell
Cardwell covers about 5.9 square kilometers (2.3 square miles) of land. Only a tiny part, about 0.1 square kilometers, is water.
The Jefferson River flows along the southern edge of Cardwell. This river also marks the border with Madison County. Cardwell is right where the Jefferson Canyon begins. This part of the river has fewer trees and less wildlife compared to other sections.
Nearby Attractions
About 8 kilometers (5 miles) east of Cardwell are the Lewis and Clark Caverns. These amazing caves offer tours during the summer months. They are also home to special bats called Townsend's big-eared bats. Years ago, a group called the Civilian Conservation Corps used Cardwell as their base camp while they were developing the caverns into a state park.
Cardwell's Climate
Cardwell has a semi-arid climate. This means it's generally dry but not a desert. It gets some rain, but not a lot.
| Climate data for Cardwell, Montana | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 36.3 (2.4) |
43.2 (6.2) |
48.6 (9.2) |
57.6 (14.2) |
67.5 (19.7) |
77.2 (25.1) |
84.7 (29.3) |
82.9 (28.3) |
72.3 (22.4) |
60.4 (15.8) |
44.2 (6.8) |
36.7 (2.6) |
59.3 (15.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 22.6 (−5.2) |
29.5 (−1.4) |
34.0 (1.1) |
42.3 (5.7) |
51.6 (10.9) |
60.1 (15.6) |
66.2 (19.0) |
64.2 (17.9) |
53.6 (12.0) |
43.5 (6.4) |
33.4 (0.8) |
26.1 (−3.3) |
43.9 (6.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 13.3 (−10.4) |
17.2 (−8.2) |
21.9 (−5.6) |
27.9 (−2.3) |
35.8 (2.1) |
43.2 (6.2) |
46.4 (8.0) |
44.2 (6.8) |
35.2 (1.8) |
27.9 (−2.3) |
19.9 (−6.7) |
14.4 (−9.8) |
28.9 (−1.7) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.4 (10) |
0.3 (7) |
0.5 (13) |
0.9 (23) |
1.6 (40) |
1.7 (44) |
1.3 (32) |
1.5 (37) |
1.5 (37) |
1.1 (28) |
0.4 (11) |
0.3 (8) |
11.5 (290) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 6.9 (17.5) |
2.5 (6.3) |
4.8 (12.2) |
2.2 (5.6) |
0.3 (0.8) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.4 (1.0) |
1.1 (2.8) |
2.1 (5.3) |
3.4 (8.6) |
23.7 (60.1) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0) | 5 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 77 |
| Mean daily daylight hours | 9.7 | 10.9 | 12.5 | 14.1 | 15.6 | 16.3 | 15.9 | 14.6 | 13 | 11.4 | 10 | 9.3 | 12.8 |
| Source: Weatherbase | |||||||||||||
Population Changes
The number of people living in Cardwell has slowly grown over the years.
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2000 | 40 | — | |
| 2010 | 50 | 25.0% | |
| 2020 | 62 | 24.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2000, there were 40 people living in Cardwell. By 2020, the population had increased to 62 people.
Education in Cardwell
Younger students in Cardwell, from kindergarten to 8th grade, go to Cardwell School. In 2022, this school had 6 teachers and 34 students.
For high school, students in grades 9-12 attend Whitehall High School. In 2022, this high school had 8 teachers and 130 students.
Local Media
Cardwell has its own radio station, KEAC-LP, which broadcasts on 106.1 MHz. It's part of the Jefferson County Radio network. This station plays classic country music and shares important local messages, like emergency alerts.
Transportation and Services
Interstate 90, a major highway, runs along the northern edge of Cardwell. You can get onto I-90 from Exit 256. This highway leads east about 52 miles (84 km) to Bozeman and west about 33 miles (53 km) to Butte.
Montana Highway 2 also runs near I-90 on the north side of town.
The closest airport is Bert Mooney Airport in Butte. Butte is also where you'll find the nearest hospitals and medical care.
Famous Person from Cardwell
A well-known American newscaster named Chet Huntley was born in Cardwell in 1911.
See also
In Spanish: Cardwell (Montana) para niños
