West Kootenai 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, such ...

(CDP) in Lincoln County,

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 Columbi ...

, United States. The population was 365 at the 2010 census.

Boarding School

The West Kootenai was the location for an all-boys

boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exten ...

due to its remote location. It is now closed.

Geography

West Kootenai is in northern Lincoln County, Montana on the west side of

Lake Koocanusa Lake Koocanusa () is a reservoir in British Columbia (Canada) and Montana (United States) formed by the damming of the Kootenai River by the Libby Dam in 1972. The Dam was formally dedicated by President Gerald Ford on August 24, 1975. The lake ...

, a large reservoir on the

Kootenai River The Kootenay or Kootenai river is a major river in the Northwest Plateau, in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, and northern Montana and Idaho in the United States. It is one of the uppermost major tributaries of the Columbia River, the l ...

. The community is within the

Kootenai National Forest The Kootenai National Forest is a national forest located in the far northwestern section of Montana and the northeasternmost lands in the Idaho panhandle in the United States, along the Canada–US border. Of the administered by the forest, le ...

. The northern boundary of the CDP is the

Canada–United States border The border between Canada and the United States is the longest international border in the world. The terrestrial boundary (including boundaries in the Great Lakes, Atlantic, and Pacific coasts) is long. The land border has two sections: Can ...

, with the

Regional District of East Kootenay The Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) is a regional district in the Canadian province of British Columbia, Canada. In the 2016 census, the population was 60,439. Its area is . The regional district offices are in Cranbrook, the larges ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, to the north. There is no border crossing through West Kootenai; road access is from the south via West Kootenai Road. The city of

Eureka, Montana Eureka (Kutenai language: ʔa·knuk̓inʔis) is a town in Lincoln County, Montana, United States, south of the Canada–US border. The population was 1,380 at the 2020 census. The town's mayor is LeeAnn Schermerhorn. Geography Eureka is locat ...

, to the southeast

as the crow flies __NOTOC__ The expression ''as the crow flies'' is an idiom for the most direct path between two points, rather similar to "in a beeline". This meaning is attested from the early 19th century, and appeared in Charles Dickens's 1838 novel '' Oliv ...

, is distant by road. According to the

U.S. 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. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the West Kootenai CDP has a total area of , of which are land and , or 0.46%, are water.

Demographics

Lakes

There are a few named lakes in the West Kootenai. Along West Kootenai Road is Tooley Lake and further down is Alkali Lake accessed via dirt road.

References

Census-designated places in Lincoln County, Montana Census-designated places in Montana {{LincolnCountyMT-geo-stub

Boarding School

Geography

Demographics

Lakes

See also

References