Columbia Falls, Montana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Columbia Falls
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View of the Flathead River from River's Edge Park.
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Location of Columbia Falls, Montana
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Montana |
| County | Flathead |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.20 sq mi (5.70 km2) |
| • Land | 2.20 sq mi (5.69 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,087 ft (941 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 5,308 |
| • Density | 2,412.73/sq mi (932.86/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
59912
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| Area code(s) | 406 |
| FIPS code | 30-16600 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0806934 |
| Website | City website |
Columbia Falls is a city along the Flathead River in Flathead County, Montana, United States. The population was 5,308 at the 2020 census. Columbia Falls has been ranked as one of the best and safest places to live in Montana.
Contents
Geography
Columbia Falls is located at 48°22′13″N 114°11′20″W / 48.37028°N 114.18889°W (48.370379, -114.188943).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.05 square miles (5.31 km2), all of it land.
The town is known as nq̓eyɫkʷm in Salish.
History
The Montana Veterans Home in Columbia Falls has served veterans since 1896. Its current housing facility was opened by Montana Governor Forrest H. Anderson at an official dedication ceremony in 1970. An E. M. Viquesney statue of a World War I doughboy was moved to the front of the Veterans' Home in 1972. The statue "originally stood in Kalispell, Montana, in the Main Street median in front of the Flathead County Courthouse."
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 601 | — | |
| 1920 | 611 | 1.7% | |
| 1930 | 637 | 4.3% | |
| 1940 | 637 | 0.0% | |
| 1950 | 1,232 | 93.4% | |
| 1960 | 2,132 | 73.1% | |
| 1970 | 2,652 | 24.4% | |
| 1980 | 3,112 | 17.3% | |
| 1990 | 2,942 | −5.5% | |
| 2000 | 3,645 | 23.9% | |
| 2010 | 4,688 | 28.6% | |
| 2020 | 5,308 | 13.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 census
At the 2010 census there were 4,688 people, 1,863 households, and 1,215 families living in the city. The population density was 2,286.8 inhabitants per square mile (882.9/km2). There were 1,994 housing units at an average density of 972.7 per square mile (375.6/km2). The racial makup of the city was 94.4% White, 0.2% African American, 1.8% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.8%.
Of the 1,863 households 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.8% were non-families. 28.8% of households were one person and 11% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.02.
The median age was 35.6 years. 26% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.8% were from 25 to 44; 25.3% were from 45 to 64; and 13.2% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.1% male and 51.9% female.
Education
Schools in Columbia Falls School District Six include Columbia Falls High School, Columbia Falls Junior High School, Glacier Gateway Elementary School, and Ruder Elementary School. School District Six has a approximately 2,400 students. In 2019 voters approved a $37 million school bond which will fund a new Glacier Gateway Elementary School, a 25,000 square foot addition to the Ruder Elementary School, a security upgrade for the Junior High School and new multi-use sports fields.
Columbia Falls High School's team name is the Wildcats.
The ImagineIF library serves the area. It has branches in Bigfork, Columbia Falls, Kalispell, and Marion.
Transportation
U.S. Highway 2 runs through Columbia Falls. The North Fork Road (S-486) begins at the junction to U.S. Highway 2 in Columbia Falls and runs to the Canadian border.
Commercial airline service is offered at Glacier Park International Airport located approximately 8 miles south of Columbia Falls.
The Columbia Falls area is served by Amtrak's Chicago-Portland/Seattle Empire Builder, with stops located nearby in Whitefish and West Glacier.
Notable people
- Douglas Cordier, educator and politician
- Anthony Kurta, retired US Navy Admiral
- Paul Grilley, yoga teacher
- Glenn Roush, politician
- Braxton Mitchell, member of the Montana House of Representatives
- Mel Ruder, Pulitzer Prize winner and publisher emeritus of The Hungry Horse News
- Matt Regier, politician and businessman
Images for kids
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St. Richard's Church in Columbia Falls
See also
In Spanish: Columbia Falls (Montana) para niños
