Townsend, Montana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Townsend
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Mainstreet, Townsend
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| Motto(s):
First City on the Missouri & Valley of Adventure
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Location of Townsend, Montana
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| Country | United States |
| State | Montana |
| County | Broadwater |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-City Council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.53 sq mi (3.97 km2) |
| • Land | 1.53 sq mi (3.97 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,842 ft (1,171 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,787 |
| • Density | 1,167.21/sq mi (450.55/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
59644
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| Area code(s) | 406 |
| FIPS code | 30-74575 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2412089 |
Townsend is a city in Montana, United States. It is the main city and county seat of Broadwater County. In 2020, about 1,787 people lived there.
Contents
History of Townsend
The famous explorers Lewis and Clark traveled through this area in 1805. However, the first white settlers, including people looking for land and Civil War veterans searching for gold, arrived later in the 1860s.
In 1883, a train station was built in Townsend. Businesses started to grow, helping the gold mining in the area. The town was named by railroad officials to honor Susan Townsend. She was the wife of Charles Barstow Wright, who was the president of the Northern Pacific Railway.
Several places in Townsend are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites.
- St. Joseph's Catholic Mission Church is the oldest Catholic church building in Montana. It is now a museum.
- The State Bank of Townsend opened in 1899 and is still a bank today.
- Valley Masonic Lodge No. 21 started in 1875 just north of town. It moved into Townsend in 1884.
Townsend's Geography
Townsend is about 3,800 feet (1,158 meters) above sea level. It is about 35 miles (56 km) from Helena, which is Montana's state capital. It is also 35 miles (56 km) from where three rivers meet: the Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin rivers. These rivers form the start of the Missouri River.
Townsend is known as "the first city on the Missouri River." It is located near the southern end of Canyon Ferry Lake. This lake is part of the Missouri River and is a popular spot for fun activities. It is also Montana's third-largest body of water.
The town is inside the Helena National Forest. Near Townsend, you can find Eagle Guard Station. This is the oldest log building used by the Forest Service in the area.
Next to the town is the Stone Hill Springs Prehistoric District. This area has many old archaeological sites from Native people. These sites existed long before Europeans came to America. The district covers over 2,000 acres (809 hectares) of untouched land.
An 8-mile (13 km) part of the Crow Creek Water Ditch is also on the National Register of Historic Places. This old system was used to bring water for gold mining.
The city covers a total area of about 1.59 square miles (4.12 square km). Most of this area is land, with a very small amount of water.
Population and People
Townsend has seen its population change over the years. Here's how many people have lived there during different census counts:
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 245 | — | |
| 1900 | 446 | 82.0% | |
| 1910 | 759 | 70.2% | |
| 1920 | 897 | 18.2% | |
| 1930 | 735 | −18.1% | |
| 1940 | 1,309 | 78.1% | |
| 1950 | 1,316 | 0.5% | |
| 1960 | 1,528 | 16.1% | |
| 1970 | 1,371 | −10.3% | |
| 1980 | 1,587 | 15.8% | |
| 1990 | 1,635 | 3.0% | |
| 2000 | 1,867 | 14.2% | |
| 2010 | 1,878 | 0.6% | |
| 2020 | 1,787 | −4.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 Census Information
In 2010, there were 1,878 people living in Townsend. They lived in 822 households, and 495 of these were families. The city had about 1,188 people per square mile (458 people per square km). There were 888 homes, with about 562 homes per square mile (217 homes per square km).
Most of the people in Townsend were White (95.5%). There were also Native American (1.5%), Asian (0.3%), and African American (0.2%) residents. About 2.8% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
About 25.8% of households had children under 18 living with them. Many households (47.9%) were married couples. The average household had 2.22 people, and the average family had 2.85 people.
The average age in the city was 45.7 years old. About 22% of residents were under 18. About 22.8% were 65 years or older. The population was almost evenly split between males (51.1%) and females (48.9%).
Townsend's Climate
Townsend has a semi-arid climate. This means it has cold, dry winters. Summers are hot and get more rain.
| Climate data for Townsend, Montana (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1948–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 64 (18) |
72 (22) |
77 (25) |
88 (31) |
94 (34) |
100 (38) |
101 (38) |
105 (41) |
99 (37) |
89 (32) |
75 (24) |
69 (21) |
105 (41) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 33.9 (1.1) |
38.7 (3.7) |
49.4 (9.7) |
58.2 (14.6) |
67.0 (19.4) |
74.1 (23.4) |
83.4 (28.6) |
82.6 (28.1) |
72.7 (22.6) |
58.5 (14.7) |
43.7 (6.5) |
33.8 (1.0) |
58.0 (14.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 23.8 (−4.6) |
27.6 (−2.4) |
36.5 (2.5) |
44.6 (7.0) |
53.2 (11.8) |
60.4 (15.8) |
67.5 (19.7) |
66.2 (19.0) |
57.2 (14.0) |
45.2 (7.3) |
33.0 (0.6) |
24.0 (−4.4) |
44.9 (7.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 13.7 (−10.2) |
16.5 (−8.6) |
23.5 (−4.7) |
31.0 (−0.6) |
39.4 (4.1) |
46.8 (8.2) |
51.7 (10.9) |
49.7 (9.8) |
41.6 (5.3) |
31.9 (−0.1) |
22.2 (−5.4) |
14.2 (−9.9) |
31.8 (−0.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −39 (−39) |
−38 (−39) |
−37 (−38) |
0 (−18) |
13 (−11) |
19 (−7) |
34 (1) |
25 (−4) |
12 (−11) |
−11 (−24) |
−29 (−34) |
−37 (−38) |
−39 (−39) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.28 (7.1) |
0.28 (7.1) |
0.42 (11) |
0.85 (22) |
1.78 (45) |
2.51 (64) |
1.21 (31) |
1.10 (28) |
0.78 (20) |
0.65 (17) |
0.39 (9.9) |
0.30 (7.6) |
10.55 (268) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 4.4 (11) |
3.2 (8.1) |
4.0 (10) |
2.3 (5.8) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.4 (3.6) |
3.9 (9.9) |
4.4 (11) |
23.7 (60) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 4.7 | 4.8 | 5.3 | 7.5 | 10.8 | 12.3 | 8.6 | 7.6 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 82.8 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 4.8 | 3.8 | 3.3 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 3.3 | 4.7 | 22.5 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Education in Townsend
Townsend has its own school district called Townsend K-12 Schools. This district teaches students from kindergarten all the way through 12th grade. For the 2021-2022 school year, 667 students went to school here. The mascot for Broadwater High School is the Bulldogs.
The Broadwater Community Library is also located in Townsend.
Media in Townsend
Two FM radio stations broadcast from Townsend.
- KDGZ-LP is run by the school district.
- KIMO is owned by the Montana Radio Company and plays country music.
Townsend's Infrastructure
- U.S. Route 287 is a major road that runs north to south near the town.
- U.S. Route 12 is another main road that goes east to west.
- Townsend Airport is a public airport. It is located 2 miles (3.2 km) east of the town.
Famous People from Townsend
- Ben Clopton - a talented cartoon artist.
- Patrick Duffy - an actor famous for playing Bobby Ewing in the TV show Dallas. He was also in Step By Step. Patrick Duffy was born in Townsend.
- Esther Reed - born in Townsend.
See also
In Spanish: Townsend (Montana) para niños
