Bigfork is a
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, su ...
(CDP) in
Flathead County
Flathead County is in the U.S. state of Montana. At the 2020 census, its population was 104,357, making it the state's fourth most populous county. Its county seat is Kalispell. Its numerical designation (used in the issuance of license plates) ...
,
Montana
Montana () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West List of regions of the United States#Census Bureau-designated regions and divisions, division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North ...
, United States. It is within Montana's
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...
. The population was 4,270 at the
2010 census,
up from 1,421 in 2000.
History
Some say the name "Bigfork" is derived from the
Salish name for the area. However Bigfork is a fork where two rivers, the Flathead River and the Swan River, flow in to the Flathead Lake. There are reports of a homestead and orchard immediately north of Bigfork as early as 1885. Everit L. Sliter set out 500 apple, cherry, plum, and pear trees in 1892 on Flathead Lake's east shore. He became the first postmaster in 1901.
In 1902, he platted the Bigfork townsite at the mouth of the
Swan River. The east shore has since become a major cherry-growing area.
Wayfarers State Park
Wayfarers State Park is a public recreation area overlooking Flathead Lake, one-half mile south of Bigfork, Montana. The state park hosts the annual Northern Rockies Paddlefest, which in 2013 attracted over 200 participants.
Flora and faun ...
lies just south of the community.
Geography
Bigfork is located in south-central Flathead County at (48.065214, -114.081700),
at the north end of
Flathead Lake. The western edge of the CDP is the
Flathead River, the primary inflow of the lake. The
Swan River flows into Flathead Lake from the east, entering the lake at the center of town. The CDP extends south to the
Lake County line; east to Mud Lake, Mud Creek, and the north-south part of the Swan River; and northwards to the roads north of Echo Lake.
Kalispell
Kalispell (, Montana Salish: Ql̓ispé, Kutenai language: kqayaqawakⱡuʔnam) is a city in, and the county seat of, Flathead County, Montana, United States. The 2020 census put Kalispell's population at 24,558. In Montana's northwest region, ...
is to the northwest, via
Montana Highway 35,
Montana Highway 82, and
U.S. Route 93. Highway 35 runs through the center of Bigfork and proceeds south along the eastern shore of Flathead Lake, rejoining US 93 at
Polson.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy
An economy is an area of th ...
, the Bigfork CDP has a total area of , of which is land and , or 16.25%, is water.
Demographics
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
of 2010, there were 4,270 people, 652 households, and 410 families residing in the CDP. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
was 247.1 people per square mile (95.4/km
2). There were 962 housing units at an average density of 167.3 per square mile (64.6/km
2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.33%
White
White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...
, 0.35%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
, 1.06%
Native American, 0.35%
Asian, 0.14%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Ocea ...
, 0.07% from
other races, and 0.70% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
or
Latino of any race were 1.48% of the population.
There were 652 households, out of which 18.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.4% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.0% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.59.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 16.8% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 18.2% from 25 to 44, 30.9% from 45 to 64, and 28.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $36,116, and the median income for a family was $50,288. Males had a median income of $36,313 versus $23,542 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the CDP was $20,314. About 7.6% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 10.0% of those under age 18 and 13.1% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Bigfork School District educates students from kindergarten to 12th grade.
Bigfork High School
Bigfork High School, part of Bigfork School District, is located in Bigfork, Montana
Bigfork is a census-designated place (CDP) in Flathead County, Montana, United States. It is within Montana's Rocky Mountains. The population was 4,270 at th ...
is home to the Vikings and Valkyries.
Bigfork has a
public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil service, civil servants.
There are ...
, a branch of the Flathead County Library.
Arts and culture
Located on a bay of
Flathead Lake, Bigfork boasts an array of tourist activities for every season. The town is home to a 27-hole golf course, art galleries, and live theatre. Visitors can rent boats or take a chartered tour of the lake. Nearby
Jewel Basin offers hiking.
Glacier National Park and the
Bob Marshall Wilderness are only a short drive away. Bigfork Summer Playhouse offers Broadway-caliber productions every summer. Bigfork is also home to the Bigfork Independent Film Festival (BIFF) which is held in the fall. BIFF is where Montana-made films are shown and Montana filmmakers are recognized and awarded.
Notable people
*
Dirk Benedict, actor, author, director
*
Jack Hanna, zookeeper
*
Lon Hinkle, professional golfer
*
Bill Lindsay, former NHL forward
*
Maury Povich, TV personality, publisher of Flathead Beacon
*
J. K. Simmons, actor, worked at the Bigfork Summer Playhouse
["J.K. Simmons". '']Late Night with Seth Meyers
''Late Night with Seth Meyers'' is an American late-night news and political satire talk show hosted by Seth Meyers on NBC. The show premiered on February 24, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. Airing weeknight ...
''. S6:E72. March 1, 2018.
See also
*
List of census-designated places in Montana
References
External links
''Bigfork Eagle Newspaper''Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control
Census-designated places in Flathead County, Montana