Bigfork is a

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) in Flathead 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 Columb ...

, 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 ...

. 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 Salish () may refer to: * Salish peoples, a group of First Nations/Native Americans ** Coast Salish peoples, several First Nations/Native American groups in the coastal regions of the Pacific Northwest ** Interior Salish peoples, several First Nat ...

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 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 Flathead River ( fla, label= Salish, člq̓etkʷ ntx̣ʷetkʷ, , kut, kananmituk), in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Montana, originates in the Canadian Rockies to the north of Glacier National Park and flows southwest into Fla ...

, 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 is to the northwest, via

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 ...

, 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. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, 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/km²). There were 962 housing units at an average density of 167.3 per square mile (64.6/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.33%

White White is the 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 reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 0.35%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 1.06% Native American, 0.35%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 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 O ...

, 0.07% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, 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 forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

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 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 t ...

, 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 is home to the Vikings and Valkyries. Bigfork has a public library, 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 The Bob Marshall Wilderness Area is a congressionally-designated wilderness area located in Western Montana region of the United States. It is named after Bob Marshall (1901–1939), an early forester in the federal government, conservationist, a ...

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 Jack Bushnell Hanna (born January 2, 1947) is a retired American zookeeper and a former director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. "Jungle Jack" was director of the zoo from 1978 to 1992, and is viewed as largely responsible for elevat ...

, zookeeper *

Lon Hinkle Lon Hinkle (born July 17, 1949) is an American professional golfer who has played on both the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. Hinkle was born in Flint, Michigan. He attended Santana High School in Santee, California, graduating in 1967. He then ...

, professional golfer *

Bill Lindsay William Hamilton Lindsay (born May 17, 1971) is an American former professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Quebec Nordiques, Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames, San Jose Sharks, Montreal Canadiens and t ...

, former NHL forward *

Maury Povich Maurice Richard Povich (born January 17, 1939) is an American retired television personality, best known for hosting the tabloid talk show '' Maury'' which aired from 1991 to 2022. Povich began his career as a radio reporter, initially at WWD ...

, TV personality, publisher of Flathead Beacon *

J. K. Simmons Jonathan Kimble Simmons (born January 9, 1955) is an American actor, considered one of the most prolific and well-established character actors of his generation. He has appeared in over 200 films and television roles since his debut in 1986. He i ...

, actor, worked at the Bigfork Summer Playhouse"J.K. Simmons". '' Late Night with Seth Meyers''. S6:E72. March 1, 2018.

References

External links

''Bigfork Eagle Newspaper''

Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Census-designated places in Flathead County, Montana