Plains ( Salish: ncc̓kʷi) is a town in Sanders County,

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

, United States. The population was 1,106 at the 2020 census. It was founded as ''Horse Plains'' and sometimes called ''Wild Horse Plains'', as the local Native Americans would winter their horses here to feed on the grasses in the valley. The name was later shortened to Plains when the US Postal Service established a presence in 1905. The town was established in 1883 as a

Northern Pacific Railroad The Northern Pacific Railway was an important American transcontinental railroad that operated across the northern tier of the Western United States, from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest between 1864 and 1970. It was approved and chartered b ...

station.

Geography

Plains is located at (47.458504, −114.885024). The town straddles the

Clark Fork River The Clark Fork, or the Clark Fork of the Columbia River, is a river in the U.S. states of Montana and Idaho, approximately long. It is named after William Clark of the 1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition. The largest river by volume in Montana, it ...

with the fairgrounds on one shore and the town proper on the other. 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 town has a total area of , all land.

Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Plains has a

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 ...

, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

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 1,048 people, 502 households, and 256 families residing in the town. 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 593 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 94.7%

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 ...

, 2.0% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 2.5% 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 2.4% of the population. There were 502 households, of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 49.0% were non-families. Of all households 43.8% were made up of individuals, and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.99 and the average family size was 2.78. The median age in the town was 47.2 years. Of residents 21.1% were under the age of 18; 6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.8% were from 25 to 44; 28.2% were from 45 to 64; and 24% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,126 people, 472 households, and 297 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 532 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 95.91%

, 0.09%

, 1.24% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.36% from other races, and 2.04% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.93% of the population. There were 472 households, out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% were

living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. Of all households 32.4% were made up of individuals, and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.88. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 22.1% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 22.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males. The median income for a household in the town was $26,331, and the median income for a family was $30,893. Males had a median income of $26,875 versus $16,058 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 town was $13,010. About 16.7% of families and 20.3% 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 28.4% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.

Infrastructure

Plains Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located northwest of town.

Education

Plains Public Schools educates students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Plains High School, a Class C school, serves local teenagers. They are known as the Horsemen/Trotters. Its students can participate in sports and extracurricular activities. There are also numerous community youth organizations and clubs including soccer, baseball, softball, drama, and art. Plains Public Library serves the area.

Churches

* Assembly of God * Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints * Clarkfork Baptist Church is an Independent Baptist Church. The pastor is Kim Ray Earhart; established in 1993. * First Lutheran Church (ELCA) is located within the town limits. * Harvest Community Church. The pastor is Todd Brouillette and the associate pastor is Jeff Burrows. * Plains Alliance Church * Plains Bible Chapel * Plains United Methodist Church * St. James Catholic Church

Media

The '' Sanders County Ledger'' is a local newspaper along with the '' Clark Fork Valley Press''. Both are printed weekly and also available online. The radio station KPLG is licensed in Plains.

References

{{authority control Towns in Sanders County, Montana