The secondary highway system is a lower-level classification of state highway maintained by the

Montana Department of Transportation The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) is a governmental agency in the U.S. state of Montana, responsible for numerous programs related to the construction, maintenance, and monitoring of Montana's transportation infrastructure and operati ...

(MDT) in the US state of

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

. Secondary highways first appeared on the state highway map in 1960, even though the secondary system was established in 1942. With very few exceptions, notably MT 287 and the former MT 789, Montana state highways numbered 201 and higher are secondary highways. Montana Secondary Highway 486 in Columbia Falls, MT

Montana Secondary Highway 486 in Columbia Falls, MT

The highway markers for Montana's secondary highways are distinctive in that the route number appears in black on a white downward-pointing

arrowhead An arrowhead or point is the usually sharpened and hardened tip of an arrow, which contributes a majority of the projectile mass and is responsible for impacting and penetrating a target, as well as to fulfill some special purposes such as sign ...

. Early markers were white numbers on black arrowheads with the word Montana in the flat top of the inverted arrowhead and Secondary appearing below the route number on the shields. __NOTOC__

List of highways

Secondary Highway 206

Secondary Highway 206 (S-206) is a secondary state highway in

Flathead County, Montana 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 ...

connecting Montana Highway 35 (MT 35) east of

Evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...

to U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) east of Columbia Falls. S-206 begins at the junction with MT 35 and runs almost due north to its terminus with US 2 east of Columbia Falls, providing a rural bypass for traffic headed to Glacier National Park, Kalispell, Bigfork and Polson. S-206 passes through mostly rural landscape, and wildlife crossings should be expected at all times as animals search for food and water. Today's S-206 was part of the original 1926 US 2 corridor from Kalispell to Columbia Falls (along with MT 35 from the S-206 southern terminus to Evergreen). This two-lane paved road was initially built in 1934 and last improved in 2011 as listed in the state road log. The S-206 designation has existed since at least 1960 when S-206 was LaSalle Road, an four-lane highway that connected US 2 in Evergreen to MT 40 west of Columbia Falls and provides access to

Glacier Park International Airport Glacier Park International Airport is in Flathead County, Montana, United States, six miles northeast of Kalispell. The airport is owned and operated by the Flathead Municipal Airport Authority, a public agency created by the county in 1974. T ...

. It was route swapped from LaSalle Road in 1983 (as seen in the 1985 state map), and the former routing is now part of US 2 from junction P-52 (MT 35) to junction N-38 (MT 40).

Secondary Highway 232

Secondary Highway 232 (S-232) is a long secondary state highway in eastern Hill County connecting Havre and the

Canadian border Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

. S-232 begins in the

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), 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 count ...

(CDP) of Havre North, at Havre city limits, and travels north to S-233 at . S-232 turns northwest where it terminates the Wild Horse Border Crossing at the Canadian border, continuing north as Alberta Highway 41 towards

Medicine Hat Medicine Hat is a city in southeast Alberta, Canada. It is located along the South Saskatchewan River. It is approximately east of Lethbridge and southeast of Calgary. This city and the adjacent Town of Redcliff to the northwest are with ...

. S-232 is a combined urban and secondary route, with Corridor C000232 comprises 7th Avenue and 5th Street North within Havre, connecting S-232 with U.S. Highway 2 (US 2).

Secondary Highway 317

Secondary Highway 317 (S-317) is a secondary state highway in

, connecting Kalispell and

. S-317 begins at the "Four Corners" junction with Cemetery Road to the west and U.S. Highway 93 (US 93) and Lower Valley Road south of the city limits of Kalispell. It proceeds north on Willow Glen Drive, then north and east on Conrad Drive along the Stillwater River, and north on Shady Lane to its terminus at State Highway 35 (MT 35). It is a de facto southeast bypass of downtown Kalispell for traffic headed to Evergreen and places such as Glacier National Park and Bigfork. S-317 passes through mostly rural landscape outside the Kalispell city limits, and wildlife crossings should be expected at all times as animals go to the river for water and search for food. S-317 is a paved two-lane highway entirely within the Kalispell urban area. As such, it is signed as a secondary route (corridor C000317) but listed as an urban route (U-6734) in the road log.

Secondary Highway 323

Intersection of US 212 and SH-323 in Alzada, Montana

Secondary Highway 323 (S‑323) is a secondary state highway in eastern Carter County, Montana, that connects Alzada and Ekalaka. S‑323 begins at the U.S. Route 212 (US 212) in the

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

of Alzada near the

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the s ...

state line. S‑323 travels north from Alzada through eastern Carter County. Secondary Highway 277 (Hammond Road) is intersected at and Secondary Highway 328 (Tie Creek Road) at . S‑323 enters and leaves the

Custer National Forest Custer National Forest is located primarily in the south central part of the U.S. state of Montana but also has separate sections in northwestern South Dakota. With a total area of , the forest comprises over 10 separate sections. While in the wes ...

between and , respectively. At S‑323 reaches its northern terminus at the southern terminus of

Montana Highway 7 Montana Highway 7 (MT 7) is an state highway located in the eastern Montana extending south to north from Ekalaka to Wibaux. Route description Montana Highway 7 begins its southern end at the northern terminus of Montana Secondary Highw ...

in Ekalaka. S‑323 is a paved two-lane highway its entire length.

Secondary Highway 326

Secondary Highway 326 (S-326) is a secondary state highway in the extreme south part of

Carter County, Montana Carter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,415, making it the seventh-least populous county in Montana. The county seat is Ekalaka. History Carter County was named for Thomas ...

. S-326 begins at

Wyoming Highway 112 Wyoming Highway 112 (WYO 112) is a state highway in north-central Crook County, Wyoming that runs from Hulett to the Montana-Wyoming State Line. Route description Wyoming Highway 112 begins its south end at Wyoming Highway 24 in Hulett. From ...

(WYO 112) at the

–

state line. Located here is a historical marker for Camp Devin. The highway then travels north to end at US Route 212 (US 212) in Alzada.

Secondary Highway 391

Secondary Highway 391 (S-391) is a secondary state highway in the southern half of

Powder River County, Montana Powder River County is a county in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,694. Its county seat is Broadus. History Powder River County's area was probably first entered by Europeans when French trappers worked ...

, although it is a non-paved gravel road. S-391 begins at the

–

state line in Powder River County. The gravel highway then travels north to an end at US Route 212 (US 212) in Broadus.

Secondary Highway 419

Secondary Highway 419 (S-419) is a secondary state highway between Montana Highway 78 to the Stillwater Mining Company near Nye. The ''David Thatcher Memorial Highway'' is an highway that begins at the intersection of MT 78 and MT 419 south of Absarokee and runs through Fishtail and Nye. It was named in honor of World War II veteran and Montana native Sergeant David Thatcher, who enlisted in the

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...

in December 1940. Thatcher was one of the

Doolittle Raiders The Doolittle Raid, also known as the Tokyo Raid, was an air raid on 18 April 1942 by the United States on the Japanese capital Tokyo City, Tokyo and other places on Honshu during World War II. It was the first American air operation to stri ...

and a recipient of the Silver Star. On March 20, 2019, Governor Steve Bullock signed into law Montana Senate Bill 175, which named the section of highway.

Secondary Highway 424

Secondary Highway 424 (S-424), also known as Three Mile Drive and Farm to Market Road, is a secondary state highway in

, connecting northwestern Kalispell to U.S. Route 93 (US 93) west of Whitefish. S-424 begins at the junction of North Meridian Road and Three Mile Drive in Kalispell, just south of US 93 and just north of US 2. It follows Three Mile Drive west past the Kalispell Middle School to an interchange with the new US 93 Alternate before curving north and west as Farm to Market Road (subsuming sections of Springcreek Road and Four Mile Drive). S-424 proceeds mostly north from here, passing the West Valley Elementary School at the intersection with S-548, entering a forested area, going north on Lodgepole Road and then going east and north on Twin Bridges Road to its northern terminus at US 93 west of Whitefish, near Spencer Lake. S-424 passes through mostly rural and forest landscape between Kalispell and Whitefish and wildlife crossings should be expected at all times as animals search for food and water. S-424 is a paved two-lane road throughout. In the state road log, S-424 is a combined urban and secondary route, but is only currently signed outside the Kalispell city limits. Corridor C000424 comprises U-6706 (Three Mile Drive/Farm to Market Road) and S-424. Farm to Market Road can be seen on the 1935 map as an all-weather gravel road. The 1960 map was the first to use the S-424 route designation, where state highways were shown with square shields and the new numbered state roads (the secondary highways) were shown with oval shields. Some map products still show the original S-424 routing, which continued on Farm to Market Road to the west terminus of, and including the entirety of, Twin Bridges Road. This routing provided access to Tally Lake Road and various U.S. Forest Service sites therein. The section of Farm to Market between Tally Lake and Twin Bridges Roads, even though paved, is much narrower and has more sudden curves than is preferred for modern driving. This prompted the route shift to Lodgepole Road between Farm to Market and Twin Bridges Roads. Lodgepole Road is a much wider county road built in 1956, and improved to paved state highway standards in 2003 expressly for this purpose. Farm to Market Road continues north, providing access to the Twin Lakes area before intersecting with US 93 north of milepost 139.

Secondary Highway 486

Secondary Highway 486 (S-486), also known as the North Fork Flathead Road (NFFR), is a secondary state highway in Flathead County, Montana, that connects the city of Columbia Falls with the Glacier National Park at Camas Road. S-486 begins at the junction with U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) in Columbia Falls. It follows Nucleus Avenue north through downtown, turning northeast at Railroad Street (the truck route used by logging trucks coming from the north). It spends the next winding its way through the

Flathead National Forest The Flathead National Forest is a national forest in the western part of the U.S. state of Montana. The forest lies primarily in Flathead County, south of Glacier National Park. The forest covers of which about is designated wilderness. It i ...

until it reaches its officially signed terminus at Camas Road, which leads to the western entrance of Glacier National Park. The highway passes through mostly forest landscape north of Columbia Falls, and wildlife crossings should be expected at all times as animals search for food and water. S-486 is a two-lane road paved for the first and mostly gravel the rest of the way. It is listed in the state road log as a combined urban and secondary route. Corridor C000486 comprises U-2501 (Nucleus Avenue/Railroad Street/North Fork Road) and S-486. The oldest section remaining in the current road was constructed by Flathead County in 1945, and the road has been signed as a state secondary highway since at least 1971. Even though NFFR runs north from Columbia Falls to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, the S-486 designation (and the state funding that goes with it) currently stops at Camas Road. Flathead County is responsible for maintaining the gravel portion of S-486 and all construction and maintenance on the rest of the road that parallels the

North Fork Flathead River The North Fork Flathead River (Ktunaxa: ''kqaskanmituk'' ) is a Calculated by adding Canada and US numbers given in and river flowing through British Columbia, Canada, south into the U.S. state of Montana. It is one of the three primary forks of ...

to Polebridge (the northwestern entrance to Glacier National Park) and on to the Canadian border. In August 2010, Flathead County and

completed a study of the NFFR to evaluate corridor issues for the road such as dust pollution that carries into Glacier National Park. Because the NFFR is also Forest Highway 61, additional federal funding could be tapped for any reconstruction projects. With pending bridge replacement on US 2 near

Hungry Horse Hungry Horse is a chain of 284 pub restaurants in England, Wales and Scotland which is owned by Greene King Brewery. It was first established in 1995 and promotes itself as offering low cost meals for families and groups. Work began on a new ...

scheduled for 2017, Columbia Falls city officials and residents are once again calling for paving the NFFR to Camas Road, at minimum, to give Glacier National Park visitors an alternate route to detour around the construction.

Secondary Highway 487

Secondary Highway 487 (S-487), also known as Big Mountain Road, is a secondary state highway in

connecting the city of Whitefish to the

Whitefish Mountain Resort Whitefish Mountain Resort is a ski resort in the western United States, located at Big Mountain in northwestern Montana. It is west of Glacier National Park in the Flathead National Forest, from the town of Whitefish, west of Columbia Fa ...

at Big Mountain. S-487 begins at the junction with U.S. Highway 93 (US 93, 2nd Street) in Whitefish. It follows Baker Avenue, turning into Wisconsin Avenue when it crosses the

BNSF BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that ...

railroad tracks west of the historic

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...

station. S-487 turns west on Lakeshore Drive, before turning north onto Big Mountain Road and winding its way up to the

at Big Mountain. S-487 passes through mostly rural and forest landscape north of Whitefish, and wildlife crossings should be expected at all times as animals search for food and water. S-487 is a paved two-lane road throughout, and is listed in the state road log as a combined urban and secondary route. Corridor C000487 comprises U-12001 (Baker Avenue/Wisconsin Avenue/Lakeshore Drive/Big Mountain Road) and S-487. Big Mountain Road was created in 1947 when the ski resort was established, and has been signed as a state secondary route since at least 1963.

Secondary Highway 503

Secondary Highway 503 (S-503) is a secondary state highway in Flathead County serving Foys Lake and Foys Canyon residents southwest of Kalispell. S-503 begins at the junction with U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) and Meridian Road. It follows Meridian Road south to the southwest corner of the city limits of Kalispell. It meets the new US 93 Alternate at a roundabout, and proceeds west and southward on Foys Lake Road along Foys Lake and providing access to the Lone Pine State Park before heading southeast into Foys Canyon. S-503 turns north and emerges from the canyon at Rocky Cliff Drive and continues northward as Airport Road to its second roundabout with US 93 Alternate and passes the Kalispell city airport before reaching its terminus at US 93 and 13th Street East. S-503 passes through mostly rural landscape outside the Kalispell city limits, and wildlife crossings should be expected at all times as animals search for food and water. S-503 is now a paved two-lane road throughout, with the former gravel segment through Foys Canyon finally being reconstructed to paved state highway standards in 2002 to reduce dust pollution in the valley. In the state road log, S-503 is a combined urban and secondary route, but is only currently signed outside the Kalispell city limits. Corridor C000503 comprises U-6713 (Meridian Road), S-503, and U-6730 (Airport Road).

Secondary Highway 508

Secondary Highway 508 (S-508) is a

secondary highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks. In some areas of the United States, it is used as an equivalent term to controlled-access ...

in far northwestern

. It begins at a junction with State Highway 37 (MT 37) and heads north-northeast to the town of Yaak where it ends at S-567. It is also known as Yaak River Road, and is located completely within Lincoln County.

Secondary Highway 537

Secondary Highway 537 (S-537) is a

in northeast

. It begins at a junction with

U.S. Highway 2 U.S. Route 2 or U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) is an east–west U.S. Highway spanning across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected by various roadways in southern Canada. Unlike some routes, whi ...

(US 2) and heads north out of the town of Hinsdale where it turns into Hinsdale North Road as it heads towards the Canadian Border. It is located completely within Valley County.

Secondary Highway 548

Secondary Highway 548 (S-548), also known as West Reserve Drive and Old Reserve Drive, is a secondary state highway in

connecting S-424 across the northern rural areas of Kalispell to U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) in

. S-548 begins at the junction with S-424 and McMannamy Draw. It proceeds east as Old Reserve Drive across rolling and flat terrain. It reaches Stillwater Road and passes Glacier High School before meeting the new US 93 Alternate and joining it for its last half mile (0.8 km) to US 93. Now under its original name, West Reserve Drive, S-548 proceeds east across the Stillwater River, intersects with Whitefish Stage Road, descends a hill, and crosses the Whitefish River before reaching its terminus at US 2 in Evergreen. S-548 passes through mostly rural landscape outside the Kalispell city limits, and wildlife crossings should be expected at all times as animals search for food and water. Prior to the realignment caused by the US 93 Alt. construction, S-548 was known throughout as West Reserve Drive, based on Evergreen's east/west divider at LaSalle Road (today's US 2). S-548 is a paved two-lane road throughout, except for the four-lane segment where it is overlaid on US 93 Alt. and across US 93 east to Hutton Ranch Road. In the state road log, S-548 is a combined urban and secondary route. Corridor C000548 comprises S-548 and U-6737 (West Reserve Drive/Old Reserve Drive/Reserve Place). Past US 2, East Reserve Drive (urban route U-6708) extends another to Helena Flats Road (U-6712) before coming totally under county construction, funding, and maintenance. East Reserve and Helena Flats provide a ''de facto'' rural bypass from north Evergreen, connecting the terminus of S-548 east and south to

Montana Highway 35 Montana Highway 35 (MT 35) is an approximately state highway in the west of the US state of Montana. It begins at U.S. Highway 93 in Polson in the Flathead Indian Reservation and ends at U.S. Highway 2 in Evergreen, the eastern portion of the ...

(MT 35).

References

{{Reflist S Secondary