Distinctly Montana Magazine

72 D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 4 - 2 5 article and photos by BRYAN SPELLMAN G E T T O K N O W G E T T O K N O W A C O U N T Y A C O U N T Y F L A T H E A D C O U N T Y F L A T H E A D C O U N T Y F LATHEAD COUNTY HAS SUCH DEPTH AND BREADTH, it's hard for me to imag- ine how I can do it justice in a 1,300-word essay. Let's start with the statistics. Created from the northern extent of Missoula County on February 6th, 1893, Flathead County was one of the first six counties created by the state of Montana not four years after the state was admitted to the Union. With a to- tal area of 5,099 square miles, it is the third largest county in Montana. Only Beaverhead and Phillips are larger. The 2023 US Census estimates that 113,679 people call it home. That number puts the county in fourth place after Yellowstone, Gallatin, and Missoula. The largest city and county seat is Kalispell, and the county number is 7. Two federal highways cross Flathead County intersecting in the center of Kalispell. US 2 runs from Everett, Washington to Houlton, Maine. In Kalispell it is known as Idaho Street and it crosses Main St., otherwise known as US 93. 93, in turn, runs from Wickenburg, Arizona to the Canadian border where it be- comes British Columbia 93, then Alberta 93 through Banff and Jasper National Parks. The Great Northern Railroad, building its way west, reached Kalispell in 1892, and built their depot at the north end of down- town. In 1904, the railroad moved its main line north to Whitefish, leaving Kalispell to be served by a spur line only. Today, much of the original track bed is part of a rails to trails system that runs from Kila in the west, through the center of Kalispell and contin- ues to Somers on Flathead Lake. A proposed extension would add a line along the old spur to Columbia Falls. The old depot now anchors a city park and houses the Chamber of Commerce. One mile south of the depot, the Flathead County Courthouse marks the southern end of Main Street—at least the historic southern end. One of two such courthouses in the state, Flat- head County's splits US 93 with northbound traffic passing the eastern end of the building and southbound traffic the western. The other such situation is in Choteau, where the Teton County courthouse splits US 89. With a 2020 population of 24,558, Kalispell is Montana's sev- enth largest city. It is a shopping hub for all of northwestern Montana and draws shoppers from Alberta and British Colum- bia as well. It is the largest of three cities in the county, the other two being Whitefish and Columbia Falls. In addition, the county is home to numerous unincorporat- ed "census designated places." The largest of these is Bigfork at the northeastern end of Flathead Lake. Bigfork has a thriv- ing arts community and is home to several art galleries and fine restaurants. Since 1960, the Bigfork Summer Playhouse has been presenting professional stage performances of major KALISPELL

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