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 | 2.25 sq mi (5.82 km2) |
| • Land | 2.24 sq mi (5.81 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.01 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,081 ft (939 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 5,308 |
| • Density | 2,366.47/sq mi (913.55/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
History
The area that would become the city of Columbia Falls was first settled in 1891, in anticipation of the arrival of the Great Northern Railway. On April 26, 1909, the city of Columbia Falls was officially incorporated.
The first residents requested the name "Columbia" for the U.S. Post Office, but the element "Falls" was ultimately tacked onto the name in order to avoid any confusion with the already-named Columbus, Montana.
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 in the Main Street median in front of the Flathead County Courthouse."
Geography
The City of Columbia Falls is located about a mile from the Flathead National Forest boundary, 15 miles from Kalispell and 17 miles from Glacier National Park.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.05 square miles (5.31 km2), all land.
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.
Arts and culture
Heritage Days is an annual celebration of the town's history and heritage. It occurs on the last weekend of July. Activities include Boogie to the Bank, Wildcat Endowment Auction, a parade and carnival, basketball tournament, a barn dance, car show, rodeo, and the running of wild horses through town on Highway 2.
Night of Lights Parade is an annual December holiday parade.
Columbia Falls has a public library, a branch of the Flathead County Library.
Columbia Falls Community Market is a farmers market held weekly every Thursday from 5pm - 8pm from the second Thursday in May until the last Thursday in September. The market offers live music, food trucks, local produce, locally brewed beer and a rock-climbing wall.
Parks and recreation
River's Edge Park has over 900 ft (270 m) of river frontage on Flathead River and occupies 28 acres (11 ha). The park has paved walking trails, open meadows, bathroom facilities and a family fly fishing pond.
Pinewood Park Aquatic Center is a public swimming facility located on 4th Ave West. The park also has a basketball court, children's play area, picnic tables and swings.
The city maintains several other small neighborhood parks, baseball fields, and a soccer field.
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 mascot is the Wildcats.
The area is served by the ImagineIF library, which also has branches in Bigfork, 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.
Media
Columbia Falls is served by Hungry Horse News. The city is also part of the Missoula media market, which covers a seven-county area of northwestern Montana.
KHNK 95.9 FM, (Outlaw Country) and KRVO 103.1 FM are commercial radio stations located in Columbia Falls, broadcasting to the Kalispell-Flathead Valley, Montana, area. KHNK airs a country music format and KRVO airs an adult alternative format.
Notable people
- Douglas Cordier, educator and politician
- Paul Grilley, yoga teacher
- Anthony Kurta, retired US Navy Admiral
- Braxton Mitchell, member of the Montana House of Representatives
- Matt Regier, politician and businessman
- Glenn Roush, politician
- Mel Ruder, Pulitzer Prize winner and publisher emeritus of The Hungry Horse News
- Gloria Jean Siebrecht, paleontologist
Points of interest
- St. Richard's Church. Built in 1891 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Soldier's Home Historic District. Built in 1895 the facility houses and provides subsistence to veterans and their spouses.
- Flathead River Bridge (also known as the Red Bridge)
See also
In Spanish: Columbia Falls (Montana) para niños
