White Sulphur Springs, Montana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
White Sulphur Springs
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Highway 12 looking west toward the Big Belt Mountains
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| Nickname(s):
Sulphurville
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Location in Meagher County and the state of Montana
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| Country | United States |
| State | Montana |
| County | Meagher |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.99 sq mi (2.57 km2) |
| • Land | 0.99 sq mi (2.57 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 5,059 ft (1,542 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 955 |
| • Density | 964.65/sq mi (372.28/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
59645
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| Area code(s) | 406 |
| FIPS code | 30-80050 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2412256 |
White Sulphur Springs is a city in Montana, United States. It is the main town of Meagher County. In 2020, about 955 people lived there.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
White Sulphur Springs was first named "Brewers Springs." It was named after James Scott Brewer. He claimed the natural thermal springs in 1866. The town's name was changed in 1876.
Exploring the Geography
White Sulphur Springs is located in the middle of Meagher County. Two major roads, U.S. Route 12 and U.S. Route 89, meet here. They run through the city as Main Street and 3rd Avenue.
U.S. Route 12 goes east about 57 miles to Harlowton. It also goes southwest about 42 miles to Townsend. U.S. Route 89 heads north about 40 miles to Neihart. It goes south about 71 miles to Livingston.
The city covers about 0.99 square miles of land. Hot Springs Creek starts in the center of town. A local hotel offers places to soak in the warm, mineral-rich hot springs. The North Fork Smith River flows through the northwest part of town. The Smith River eventually flows into the Missouri River.
The Castle Mountains are located southeast of the city. Newlan Creek Reservoir is about 13 miles north by road. It sits at the base of the Little Belt Mountains. Lake Sutherlin is about 10 miles northeast along U.S. Route 12. These lakes are great for water activities. People enjoy fishing for trout, burbot, and kokanee salmon there.
White Sulphur Springs is also a starting point for the Kings Hill Scenic Byway. This is a 71-mile drive. It goes through the Little Belt Mountains in the Lewis and Clark National Forest.
Weather and Climate
| Climate data for White Sulphur Springs, Montana, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1894–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 60 (16) |
78 (26) |
85 (29) |
89 (32) |
96 (36) |
98 (37) |
103 (39) |
100 (38) |
96 (36) |
87 (31) |
70 (21) |
63 (17) |
103 (39) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 49.8 (9.9) |
50.9 (10.5) |
60.7 (15.9) |
71.1 (21.7) |
78.7 (25.9) |
86.1 (30.1) |
91.8 (33.2) |
91.8 (33.2) |
86.6 (30.3) |
75.8 (24.3) |
60.9 (16.1) |
49.4 (9.7) |
93.6 (34.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 33.4 (0.8) |
34.6 (1.4) |
44.6 (7.0) |
52.9 (11.6) |
62.7 (17.1) |
71.3 (21.8) |
81.6 (27.6) |
81.4 (27.4) |
70.6 (21.4) |
56.3 (13.5) |
41.7 (5.4) |
32.6 (0.3) |
55.3 (12.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 23.4 (−4.8) |
23.7 (−4.6) |
32.7 (0.4) |
39.7 (4.3) |
48.7 (9.3) |
56.7 (13.7) |
64.8 (18.2) |
64.0 (17.8) |
54.7 (12.6) |
42.8 (6.0) |
31.1 (−0.5) |
23.0 (−5.0) |
42.1 (5.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 13.4 (−10.3) |
12.9 (−10.6) |
20.8 (−6.2) |
26.6 (−3.0) |
34.7 (1.5) |
42.1 (5.6) |
48.1 (8.9) |
46.5 (8.1) |
38.7 (3.7) |
29.3 (−1.5) |
20.4 (−6.4) |
13.4 (−10.3) |
28.9 (−1.7) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −12.5 (−24.7) |
−9.7 (−23.2) |
1.2 (−17.1) |
13.3 (−10.4) |
23.7 (−4.6) |
33.0 (0.6) |
39.7 (4.3) |
36.7 (2.6) |
27.1 (−2.7) |
11.2 (−11.6) |
−1.2 (−18.4) |
−9.4 (−23.0) |
−22.3 (−30.2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −42 (−41) |
−43 (−42) |
−33 (−36) |
−7 (−22) |
8 (−13) |
22 (−6) |
28 (−2) |
23 (−5) |
12 (−11) |
−23 (−31) |
−39 (−39) |
−46 (−43) |
−46 (−43) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.51 (13) |
0.34 (8.6) |
0.71 (18) |
1.44 (37) |
2.08 (53) |
2.52 (64) |
1.36 (35) |
1.21 (31) |
1.04 (26) |
0.86 (22) |
0.44 (11) |
0.53 (13) |
13.04 (331.6) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 7.9 (20) |
6.6 (17) |
10.1 (26) |
3.9 (9.9) |
1.1 (2.8) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.2 (3.0) |
3.4 (8.6) |
4.4 (11) |
7.5 (19) |
46.1 (117.3) |
| Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) | 5.4 (14) |
4.1 (10) |
4.8 (12) |
2.6 (6.6) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.6 (1.5) |
1.5 (3.8) |
3.6 (9.1) |
5.0 (13) |
8.3 (21) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 4.9 | 3.9 | 5.7 | 8.1 | 10.7 | 12.2 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 6.6 | 6.9 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 84.5 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 4.2 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 2.7 | 4.2 | 20.8 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service (snow/snow days/snow depth 1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 417 | — | |
| 1920 | 629 | 50.8% | |
| 1930 | 553 | −12.1% | |
| 1940 | 818 | 47.9% | |
| 1950 | 929 | 13.6% | |
| 1960 | 898 | −3.3% | |
| 1970 | 1,200 | 33.6% | |
| 1980 | 1,302 | 8.5% | |
| 1990 | 963 | −26.0% | |
| 2000 | 984 | 2.2% | |
| 2010 | 939 | −4.6% | |
| 2020 | 955 | 1.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 Population Count
In 2010, there were 939 people living in White Sulphur Springs. These people lived in 433 homes. About 255 of these were family homes. The city had about 929.7 people per square mile. There were 563 housing units in total.
Most of the people in the city were White (97.2%). A small number were from other groups. This included African American (0.1%), Native American (0.3%), and Asian (0.4%). About 1.7% of people were from two or more races. About 1.4% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
In the homes, 22.2% had children under 18 years old. Almost half (49.4%) were married couples. About 7.9% of homes had a female head of household with no husband. Only 1.6% had a male head of household with no wife. About 41.1% of homes were not families.
Many homes (37.4%) had only one person. About 19.6% of homes had one person aged 65 or older. The average home had 2.13 people. The average family had 2.75 people.
The average age of people in the city was 51.2 years. About 19% of residents were under 18. About 5.1% were between 18 and 24. Around 18% were 25 to 44 years old. A large group (31.4%) was 45 to 64 years old. About 26.3% of people were 65 or older. The city had almost an equal number of males (49.8%) and females (50.2%).
Arts and Culture
White Sulphur Springs offers interesting places to visit.
- The Castle Museum and Carriage House is a mansion and a museum. You can tour the Victorian-style mansion. It is filled with items from that time period. The carriage house was built in the 1990s. It shows off old carriages, sleds, and a stagecoach.
- The Charles M. Bair Family Museum is about 35 miles away. It was once the home of Charles M. Bair. He was one of the biggest sheep ranchers in the U.S. in the early 1900s. The large 11,000 square foot home is full of family treasures. The museum also has 7,300 square feet of art galleries.
- The Meagher County City Library serves the local area.
- The Red Ants Pants Music Festival happens every year. It is held on the last weekend of July. Famous musicians like Merle Haggard, Lucinda Williams, and Brandi Carlile have performed there.
Learning and Education
The White Sulphur Springs Schools teach students from kindergarten through 12th grade. The sports teams at White Sulphur Springs High School are called the Hornets.
News and Media
The Meagher County News has been sharing local news weekly since 1934. The Meagher County Chronicle is an online news source for the area. The public radio station KUMS is also based in White Sulphur Springs.
City Connections and Travel
U.S. Route 89 and U.S. Route 12 enter the town from the east. They then exit through the south.
The White Sulphur Springs Airport is open to the public. It is located about 3 miles south of the town.
Famous People from White Sulphur Springs
Some notable people have connections to White Sulphur Springs:
- Dirk Benedict, an actor
- Sarah Calhoun, an entrepreneur and founder of Red Ants Pants workwear
- Ivan Doig, a novelist who was born in the city
- Emmanuel Taylor Gordon, a singer and performer from the Harlem Renaissance
See also
In Spanish: White Sulphur Springs (Montana) para niños
