Kalispell (, Montana Salish: Ql̓ispé, Kutenai language: Kqayaqawakⱡuʔnam) is a city in Montana and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Flathead County, Montana Flathead County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Montana. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 104,357, making it the state's fourth most populous county. Its county seat is Kalispell ...

, United States. The 2020 census put Kalispell's population at 24,558. Among cities in Montana, it is the 8th largest by area, 7th most populous, and 8th fastest growing from 2010 to 2020. In Montana's northwest region, it is the largest city and the commercial center of the Kalispell Micropolitan Statistical Area. The name Kalispell is a Salish word meaning "flat land above the lake".

History

Early founding

The first European settler to explore the Flathead Valley was likely surveyor

Peter Fidler Peter Fidler (16 August 1769 – 17 December 1822) was a British surveyor, map-maker, fur trader and explorer who had a long career in the employ of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) in what later became Canada. He was born in Bolsover, Derbyshir ...

of the Hudson's Bay Company in the 18th century. From 1870, permanent settlement and the introduction of livestock brought permanent changes, as did the near-eradication of local bison populations. In 1884, a short-lived town called Ashley was founded where Kalispell is today. Three years later nearby Demersville was founded. Demersville quickly grew to be the largest town in the area, but when the Great Northern Railroad bypassed the town it was abandoned just as quickly, with people moving the short distance to the new town of Kalispell.

Railroad expansion and incorporation

As the Great Northern Railroad built its continent-spanning railroad line in the 19th century, a need for a Divisional point in the Flathead Valley was identified. Using his own capital, Charles Edward Conrad, a businessman and banker from Fort Benton, Montana, formed the Kalispell Townsite Company with three other men, all from Great Northern board of directors. The town took its name from the local native tribe, adding an extra "L" for good measure. "Kalispell" is a Salish word meaning "flat land above the lake". The townsite was quickly

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Survey System, Public Lands Surveys to ...

ted, and lots began selling by the spring of 1891. Kalispell was officially incorporated as a city in 1892, and Conrad built a large

mansion A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word ''manse'' originally defined a property l ...

there in 1895. Since that time, the city has continued to grow in population, reaching 19,927 in 2010. This growth persisted despite the railroad being rerouted from its original route over Haskell Pass, via Kalispell and Marion, Montana, to a more circuitous but flatter route via Whitefish and Eureka already in 1904.

Growth and formation of county seat

Kalispell Main Street Historic District sign on Main St

As the largest city in northwest Montana, Kalispell serves as the county seat and commercial center of Flathead County. The city is considered a secondary trade center with a trade area of approximately 130,000. The city is home to Logan Health Medical Center, which has a 150-bed hospital facility. The railroad history through Kalispell ended in 2018 when the city purchased and tore up the long abandoned track through the city. The city of Kalispell removed the remaining downtown trackage, relocating the railroad to ''Glacier Rail Park'', a new industrial park just north of town and abandoning of the original route. Nestled in the Flathead valley, Kalispell is from Glacier National Park and from Hungry Horse Dam. Skiers have access to Whitefish Mountain Resort on Big Mountain and Blacktail Mountain Ski Area, each away.

Flathead Lake Flathead Lake (, ) is a large natural lake in northwest Montana, United States. The lake is a remnant of the ancient, massive glacial dammed lake, Glacial Lake Missoula, Lake Missoula, of the era of the last interglacial. Flathead Lake is a nat ...

, the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi river, is away. Buffalo Hill Golf Club, designed by Robert Muir Graves, serves golfers in the region. The tribal schools nearby offer classes in the Kalispel–Spokane–Flathead language, a language nest, and intensive language training for adults. There is a Salish language school and training center in nearby Arlee, Montana.

Legal assault on homeless population

In 2023, Kalispell became nationally known for its violent actions against the

homeless Homelessness, also known as houselessness or being unhoused or unsheltered, is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and functional housing. It includes living on the streets, moving between temporary accommodation with family or friends, liv ...

population in the town. The city government had previously begun passing ordinances in 2022 that punished anyone that helped homeless people in Kalispell, such as giving out food, supplies, or money. They also shut off water and electricity in the local park so it couldn't be utilized by homeless in the area. The county commissioners also released an open letter calling on residents to actively unite against the homeless, which resulted in groups of younger people violently assaulting homeless in the town. The ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' published an article in January 2024 about the homeless population of Kalispell, noting that many were residents who had recently undergone financial trouble that led to them losing their homes, such as having a divorce. The city council revoked the permit of the town's homeless shelter in September 2024, forcing the closure of its

warming center A warming center (also a heat bank or warm bank) is a short-term emergency shelter that operates when temperatures or a combination of precipitation, wind chill, wind and temperature become dangerously inclement. Their paramount purpose is the p ...

in October 2024, putting much of the homeless population at risk of death during winter months as noted by the shelter's director. The shelter filed a lawsuit that same month against the city, arguing that the city council had failed to present any violation of local law or ordinances by the shelter that would support the revocation of the permit. The federal judge overseeing the court case approved a

preliminary injunction An injunction is an equitable remedy in the form of a special court order compelling a party to do or refrain from doing certain acts. It was developed by the English courts of equity but its origins go back to Roman law and the equitable reme ...

in November 2024 that allowed the warming center to remain open for the duration of the case.

Geography and climate

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has an area of , of which is land and is water. Kalispell is north of

, the largest natural freshwater lake in the western U.S. by surface area. The city has a

warm-summer humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Dfb''), with long, cold, and moderately snowy winters, hot and dry summers, and short springs and autumns. Snow usually occurs from late October/early November to March.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 19,927 people, 8,638 households, and 4,944 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was . There were 9,379 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.2%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.2%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 1.3% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.6% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 2.9% of the population. Of the 8,638 households, 30.8% had children under the age of 18, 40.4% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female family head with no husband present, 4.8% had a male family head with no wife present, and 42.8% were not classified as family units. 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% were individuals 65 years old or older. The average household size was 2.26, and the average family size was 2.94. The median age in the city was 34.5 years. A total of 25.1% of residents were under 18; 9.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.2% were between the ages of 25 and 44; 22.7% were between the ages 45 and 64, and 14.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.3% male and 52.7% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 14,223 people, 6,142 households, and 3,494 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 6,532 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.84% White, 0.28% African American, 1.22% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.04%

, 0.39% from other races, and 1.66% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.55% of the population. 21.7% were of German, 12.0% Irish, 11.3% Norwegian, 10.7% English and 6.6% United States or American ancestry. There were 6,142 households, out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.0% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.1% were non-families. 36.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.209, and the average family size was 2.92. In the city, the population's age distribution shows 24.0% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $28,567, and the median income for a family was $36,554. Males had a median income of $29,431 versus $20,122 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $16,224. About 10.1% of families and 15.9% 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 17.1% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Top employers

According to the City's 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019, the top employers in the city are: Kalispell is home to the headquarters of the Montana Rifle Company. , one of Montana's last mint farms, growing

peppermint Peppermint (''Mentha'' × ''piperita'') is a Hybrid (biology), hybrid species of Mentha, mint, a cross between Mentha aquatica, watermint and spearmint. Indigenous to Europe and the Middle East, the plant is now widely spread and cultivated in m ...

and

spearmint Spearmint (''Mentha spicata''), also known as garden mint, common mint, lamb mint and mackerel mint, is native to Europe and southern temperate Asia, extending from Ireland in the west to southern China in the east. It is naturalized in many othe ...

, is near Kalispell.

Education

Kalispell Public Schools has two components: Kalispell Elementary School District and Flathead High School District. Whitefish Public Schools has two components: Whitefish Elementary School District and Whitefish High School District. Most of Kalispell is in Kalispell Elementary School District, while a portion is in West Valley Elementary School District, and a very small piece is in Whitefish Elementary School District. Almost all of Kalispell is in Flathead High School District, while a small piece is in Whitefish High School District. There are two high schools in Kalispell (both of the Flathead district), Flathead High School and Glacier High School.

Flathead Valley Community College Flathead Valley Community College (FVCC) is a Public college, public community college in Kalispell, Montana. History The college was founded in 1967. It is one of three two-year institutions in the state that are outside the control of the Un ...

is a tertiary institution. Kalispell has a

public library A public library is a library, most often a lending 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 servic ...

, a branch of the Flathead County Library.

Transportation

Kalispell is at the intersection of U.S. Routes 2 and 93. Commercial air service is offered at Glacier Park International Airport, approximately northeast of Kalispell off U.S. Route 2 between Kalispell and Columbia Falls. Kalispell City Airport, in the southern part of the city, offers general aviation service.

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

's ''

Empire Builder The ''Empire Builder'' is a daily long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak between Chicago and either Seattle or Portland via two sections west of Spokane. Introduced in 1929, it was the flagship passenger train of the Great North ...

'' service between Chicago and either

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...

, or

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

, is available in Whitefish, approximately north. Eagle Transit, an agency of Flathead County, offers local transit service within and connecting Kalispell, Columbia Falls and Whitefish, as well as paratransit demand-responsive service.

Media

Kalispell is one of Montana's largest media markets. It is the state's second-largest over-the-air radio market, after Billings. ;AM radio * KGEZ 600 *

KERR Kerr may refer to: People *Kerr (surname) *Kerr (given name) Places ;United States *Kerr Township, Champaign County, Illinois *Kerr, Montana, A US census-designated place *Kerr, Ohio, an unincorporated community *Kerr County, Texas Kerr Co ...

750 * KJJR 880 *

KOFI Kofi is an Akan people, Akan masculine given name among the Akan people (such as the Bono people, Bono, Akyem, Akwamu, Ashanti people, Ashanti and Fante people, Fante) in Ghana that is given to a boy born on Friday. Traditionally in Ghana, a child ...

1180 * KHNK 1240 * KQDE 1340 ;FM radio * KLKM 88.7 * KUKL-FM 90.1 * KFLF 91.3 * KQRK 92.3 * KBCK 95.9 * KALS 97.1 * KBBZ 98.5 * KKMT 99.7 * KIBG 100.7 * KXZI-LP 101.9 * KANB-LP 102.3 * KRVO 103.1 * KZMN 103.9 * KWOL-FM 105.1 * KDBR 106.3 ;Television * KCFW-TV 9 (

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

) * KAJJ-CD 18 ( CBS) * KTMF-LD 42 ( ABC, with Fox/

MyNetworkTV MyNetworkTV (stylized as mynetworkTV; unofficially abbreviated MNT or MNTV) is an American commercial broadcast television syndication service and former television network owned by Fox Corporation, operated by its Fox Television Stations ...

on DT2) * KUKL-TV 46 (

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

) ;Newspapers * ''

Daily Inter Lake The ''Daily Inter Lake'' is a daily newspaper based in Kalispell, Montana, the seat of Flathead County. It was founded in the former town of Demersville, Montana, in 1889 by a local couple, Clayton and Emma Ingalls, before moving to the new c ...

'', printed daily and online * '' Flathead Beacon'', online only *''Montana Senior News'', printed in Kalispell, distributed statewide

Notable people

* Ruth Anderson, composer * James E. Atwater, retired chemist and geophysicist * Chuck Baldwin, Constitution Party presidential candidate *

Brad Bird Philip Bradley Bird (born September 24, 1957) is an American filmmaker, animator, and voice actor. He has had a career spanning over four decades in both animation and Live action, live-action. Bird was born in Montana and grew up in Oregon. He ...

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

-winning director of animated films and television programs * Asta Bowen, author * Robert Bray, film and television actor * Jaime Clarke, novelist and editor * John Corapi, a former Catholic priest and speaker * Shane Bitney Crone, activist, filmmaker, writer, speaker for LGBT rights * William Cumming, 20th-century artist and founder of Northwest School * Rick Dennison,

offensive coordinator An offensive coordinator (OC) is a Coach (sport), coach responsible for a gridiron football team's offense (American football), offense. Generally, the offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator represent the second ...

of NFL's

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...

* John Edward Erickson, governor of Montana * George Everett, American accountant, real estate broker, and politician * John Fuller, politician * Frank Garner, former chief of police, security consultant, and politician *

Lily Gladstone Lily Gladstone (born August 2, 1986) is an American actress. Raised on the Blackfeet Reservation, Gladstone is of Piegan Blackfeet, Nez Perce, and European heritage. She earned critical acclaim for portraying Mollie Kyle, an Osage woman who sur ...

, actress * Flip Gordon, professional wrestler * Robin Lee Graham, circumnavigated the world at age 16 * Frank Hagel, painter and sculptor * Tanner Hall, professional skier, Winter X-Games gold medalist in Slope-Style, Big Air and half-pipe * T. J. Hileman, photographer of Glacier National Park * Lex Hilliard, NFL player,

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...

fullback * Dorothy M. Johnson, noted author of Western fiction * Tim Koleto, Olympic figure skater * Brad Ludden, professional kayaker * Sam McCullum, former NFL player * Dylan McFarland, former

offensive lineman * Braxton Mitchell, politician * Andrew J. Moonen, former employee of Blackwater USA accused of murder in Iraq * Mary Oppen, activist, photographer, wife of George Oppen * Brock Osweiler, quarterback for

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...

, and

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...

* Daniel Parker, sculptor and painter * Charlotte Pendragon, magician/entertainer *

Eugene H. Peterson Eugene Hoiland Peterson (November 6, 1932 – October 22, 2018) was an American Presbyterian minister, scholar, theologian, author, and poet. He wrote over 30 books, including the Gold Medallion Book Award–winner ''The Message (Bible), The ...

, author of The Message, a contemporary rendition of the

Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...

* Shadi Petosky, author and television producer * Ace Powell, painter and sculptor * Margaret Qualley, actress * Keith Regier, educator, businessman and politician * Matt Regier, businessman and politician * Mike Reilly, NFL quarterback, CFL quarterback,

BC Lions The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions compete in the West Division (CFL), West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and play their home games at BC Place. The Lions playe ...

, Edmonton Eskimos * Stewart Rhodes * Alice Ritzman, former

LPGA The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is an American organization for female golfers. The organization is headquartered at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida, and is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly ...

golf professional *

Monsignor Monsignor (; ) is a form of address or title for certain members of the clergy in the Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" can be abbreviated as Mons.... or Msgr. In some ...

Alexander King Sample, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Portland, Oregon * Robert Burns Smith, governor of Montana * Thatcher Szalay, former

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...

offensive lineman * Melanie Rae Thon, award-winning author * Misty Upham (1982–2014), actress * The von Trapps, singers * Randy Weaver, survivalist, involved in Ruby Ridge standoff *

Michelle Williams Michelle Williams or Michele Williams may refer to: * Michelle Ann Williams (born circa 1965), American public health scholar * Michelle Williams (singer) (born 1979), American singer, previously a member of Destiny's Child * Michelle Williams (actr ...

, actress

In popular culture

'' Heaven's Gate'' (1980), an American western epic, was filmed in and around Kalispell.Maddrey, Joseph (2016). ''The Quick, the Dead and the Revived: The Many Lives of the Western Film''. McFarland. Page 184. .

References

External links

* *
Kalispell Chamber of Commerce

Kalispell Downtown Association
{{Authority control 1892 establishments in Montana Cities in Flathead County, Montana Cities in Montana County seats in Montana Populated places established in 1892