Flathead County, Montana

{{Infobox U.S. county

| county = Flathead County

| state = Montana

| seal = Flathead County mt seal.jpg

| founded year = 1893

| founded date =

| seat wl = Kalispell

| largest city wl = Kalispell

| area_total_sq_mi = 5256

| area_land_sq_mi = 5088

| area_water_sq_mi = 169

| area percentage = 3.2

| population_as_of = 2020

| population_total = 104357

| pop_est_as_of = 2022

| population_est = 111814 {{increase}}

| population_density_sq_mi = auto

| time zone = Mountain

| web = flathead.mt.gov

| ex image = Flathead County Courthouse July 2020.jpg

| ex image cap = Flathead County Courthouse in Kalispell

| district = 1st

| named for = Flathead Indians

| footnotes =

Montana county number 07

}}

Flathead County is a county located in the U.S. state of Montana. At the 2020 census, its population was 104,357,{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/flatheadcountymontana/PST045222 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=April 5, 2023}} making it the state's fourth most populous county. Its county seat is Kalispell.{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|archive-date=May 31, 2011}} Its numerical designation (used in the issuance of license plates) is 7. Its northern border is on the state's north border, making it contiguous with the Canada–US border, facing British Columbia.

Flathead County comprises the Kalispell, Montana Micropolitan Statistical Area, with neighboring Lake County following soon after.

History

Flathead County was founded in 1893. Some sources cite the supposed practice of the Salish tribe flattening infants' heads as the origin of the name Flathead,{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ|title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States|publisher=Govt. Print. Off.|author=Gannett, Henry|year=1905|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n125 126]}} but there is no record of Salish Indians ever having that appearance.

Geography

The county includes much of Flathead Lake, the Flathead Valley, and the Flathead River. These natural treasures were created by glacial activity which ended approximately 10,000 years ago. The Flathead Valley is the southern extension of a prominent valley called the Rocky Mountain Trench, which runs from the Yukon Territory in Canada as far south as Flathead Lake. The Trench in northwestern Montana was created by subsidence along a major extensional fault, which continues today. After the valley formed, glaciers flowing down the Trench from British Columbia, and into it from the surrounding mountain ranges left a flat valley floor and dammed the Flathead River drainage to create Flathead Lake. Several tribes have long used the Flathead Lake, and the Bitterroot Salish, Kootenai, and Pend d'Oreilles tribes are represented on the Flathead Reservation. The western part of Glacier National Park is located in the county.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of {{convert|5256|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|5088|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|169|sqmi}} (3.2%) is water.{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_30.txt|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141205145322/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_30.txt|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 5, 2014|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=November 28, 2014|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files}} It is the third-largest county in Montana by land area and second-largest by total area.

=Ecology=

Wildlife includes bobcats, black bears, coyotes, deer, elk, grizzly bears, lynx, mountain lions, and wolves.{{Cite web|last=Long|first=Ben|date=March 6, 2020|title=Finding a Middle Ground on Wolves and Wolf Management|url=https://www.outdoorlife.com/story/hunting/finding-a-middle-ground-on-wolves-and-wolf-management/|access-date=August 4, 2021|website=Outdoor Life|language=en-US}}

=National protected areas=

Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail (part)
Flathead National Forest (part)
Glacier National Park (part)
Kootenai National Forest (part)
Lolo National Forest (part)
Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge

Demographics

{{US Census population

|1900= 9375

|1910= 14079

|1920= 21705

|1930= 19200

|1940= 24271

|1950= 31495

|1960= 32965

|1970= 39460

|1980= 51966

|1990= 59218

|2000= 74471

|2010= 90928

|2020= 104357

|estyear=2022

|estimate=111814

|estref={{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 5, 2023}}

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=November 28, 2014}}
1790–1960{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=November 28, 2014|archive-date=August 11, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120811110448/http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/|url-status=dead}} 1900–1990{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/mt190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=November 28, 2014}}
1990–2000{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=November 28, 2014}} 2010–2020

}}

=2020 census=

As of the 2020 census, there were 104,357 people living in the county.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

=2010 census=

File:N Fork.jpg

As of the 2010 census, there were 90,928 people, 37,504 households, and 24,817 families living in the county. The population density was {{convert|17.9|PD/sqmi}}. There were 46,963 housing units at an average density of {{convert|9.2|/sqmi}}. The racial makeup of the county was 95.5% white, 1.1% American Indian, 0.6% Asian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.4% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 28.1% were German, 15.0% were English, 14.8% were Irish, 9.3% were Norwegian, and 4.6% were American.

Of the 37,504 households, 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.8% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.8% were non-families, and 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.40, and the average family size was 2.91. The median age was 41.2 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $44,998, and the median income for a family was $53,940. Males had a median income of $39,767 versus $28,026 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,721. About 8.4% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.8% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Along with Yellowstone County (home to Billings), Flathead County is one of Montana's more populous counties that leans heavily Republican. It has last voted Democratic in 1964, and has voted over 60% Republican in every presidential election since 1996 save 2008.

{{PresHead|place=Flathead County, Montana|source1={{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Atlas of US Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=April 2, 2018}}|source2=The leading "other" candidate, Progressive Bob La Follette, received 2,537 votes, while the Workers Party candidate William Foster received 5 votes.}}

Infrastructure

Kalispell Regional Medical Center is the county's largest hospital.{{r |LAT 2020-10-24}}
North Valley Hospital is located in Whitefish
Flathead County Library System has 4 locations:
{{hlist|Bigfork|Columbia Falls|Kalispell|Marion}}
Whitefish Library is separate
Flathead County Solid Waste (Landfill) is located between Kalispell and Whitefish
There are 16 Fire Districts and 3 Fire Service Areas
There are 6 High Schools including private
There are 21 Public School Districts
Legislature
3 County Commissioner Districts
11 House Districts
7 Senate Districts

Communities

=Cities=

=Census-designated places=

=Other unincorporated communities=

=Adjacent counties=

Regional District of East Kootenay, British Columbia – north
Waterton Lakes National Park (Improvement District No. 4), Alberta – northeast
Glacier County – east
Pondera County – east
Teton County – east
Lewis and Clark County – southeast
Powell County – southeast
Missoula County – southeast
Lake County – south
Sanders County – southwest
Lincoln County – west

Education

High school districts include:{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st30_mt/schooldistrict_maps/c30029_flathead/DC20SD_C30029.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Flathead County, MT|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|page=3 (PDF p. 4/5)|access-date=March 13, 2024}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st30_mt/schooldistrict_maps/c30029_flathead/DC20SD_C30029_SD2MS.txt Text list]

Elementary school districts include:

Flathead Valley Community College is a tertiary institution.

Notable people

Joe Bereta, member of the sketch comedy duo Barats and Bereta based in Spokane, Washington. Currently co-hosts SourceFed on YouTube.
Phil Jackson, NBA coach and player
Dorothy M. Johnson, writer of Westerns
Maury Povich, talk show host known for his TV show Maury
Keith Regier, Montana state senator
Alice Ritzman, LPGA golf professional
Derek Skees, Montana state representative
Michelle Williams, actress

In popular culture

Miami Herald columnist Dave Barry frequently cites the police blotter of the Flathead Beacon in Flathead County as a source of humorous material. It is written in a spare, surrealist style by local man Micah Drew, following the pattern set by earlier writers Christie Burns and Justin Franz.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}

References

{{Reflist|refs=

{{Cite news|last=Read|first=Richard|date=October 24, 2020|title=Coronavirus bears down on a small Montana town|url=https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-10-24/whitefish-montana-coronavirus-outbreak|access-date=October 24, 2020|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}

}}

External links

[http://www.dailyinterlake.com The Daily Inter Lake]
[http://www.flatheadbeacon.com Flathead Beacon Newsletter Website]
[http://blogs.herald.com/.services/blog/6a00d83451587d69e200d83451587e69e2/search?filter.q=flathead+county References to Flathead County on Dave Barry's blog]

{{Geographic Location

|Centre = Flathead County, Montana

|North = Regional District of East Kootenay, British Columbia {{flagicon|Canada}}

|Northeast = Waterton Lakes National Park
(Improvement District No. 4), Alberta {{flagicon|Canada}}

|East = Glacier County
Pondera County
Teton County

|Southeast = Lewis and Clark County
Powell County
Missoula County

|South = Lake County

|Southwest = Sanders County

|West = Lincoln County

|Northwest =

}}

{{Coord|48.29|-114.02|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-MT_source:UScensus1990}}