Polson (

Montana Salish The Salish or Séliš language , also known as Kalispel–Pend d'oreille, Kalispel–Spokane–Flathead, or Montana Salish to distinguish it from other Salishan languages, is a Salishan language spoken (as of 2005) by about 64 elders of the Fla ...

: nčmqnétkʷ, Kutenai: kwataqnuk) is a city in Lake 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, on the southern shore of

Flathead Lake Flathead Lake ( fla, člq̓etkʷ, label= Salish, kut, yawuʔnik̓ ʔa·kuq̓nuk) is a large natural lake in northwest Montana. The lake is a remnant of the ancient, massive glacial dammed lake, Lake Missoula of the era of the last interglacia ...

. It is also on the

Flathead Indian Reservation The Flathead Indian Reservation, located in western Montana on the Flathead River, is home to the Bitterroot Salish, Kootenai, and Pend d'Oreilles tribes – also known as the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation. Th ...

. The population was 5,148 at the 2020 census. It is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

of Lake County. In 1898 the city was named after pioneer rancher David Polson. It was incorporated in 1910.

Geography

Polson is located at (47.688089, -114.156766).

U.S. Route 93 U.S. Route 93 (US 93) is a major north–south numbered highway in the western United States. The southern terminus is at US 60 in Wickenburg, Arizona. The northern terminus is at the Canadian border north of Eureka in Lincoln Cou ...

passes through town. Pablo National Wildlife Refuge is just to the south. 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 th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Demographics

2010 census

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 inc ...

of 2010, there were 4,488 people, 1,991 households, and 1,150 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 2,506 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 74.7%

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 ...

, 0.2%

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 ...

, 15.7% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 8.0% 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 for ...

or Latino of any race were 3.4% of the population. There were 1,991 households, of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.6% were

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

living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.2% were non-families. 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.86. The median age in the city was 40 years. 24.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.4% were from 25 to 44; 24.5% were from 45 to 64; and 19.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.9% male and 53.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 4,041 people, 1,739 households, and 1,052 families living in the city. The

was 1,490.9 people per square mile (575.7/km). There were 1,977 housing units at an average density of 729.4 per square mile (281.7/km). The racial makeup of the city was 78.25%

, 0.15%

, 16.11% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.07%

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 ...

, 0.45% from other races, and 4.50% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.25% of the population. There were 1,739 households, out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.7% were

living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 34.0% of all households 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 2.25 and the average family size was 2.86. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.6% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 86.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $21,870, and the median income for a family was $30,833. Males had a median income of $21,113 versus $19,210 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 city was $13,777. About 16.0% of families and 19.8% 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 27.5% of those under age 18 and 12.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Polson uses a city commission consisting of six commissioners and the city mayor. As of February 2020, the current mayor of Polson is Paul Briney.

Climate

Polson has a

continental climate Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in the middle latitudes (40 to 55 north), within large landmasses where prevailing winds blow overland bringing so ...

( Köppen ''Dfb''). However, its proximity to Flathead Lake, the largest natural freshwater body of water in the western United States, moderates its weather, meaning its winters are less cold and its summers generally less hot than adjacent areas of the same continental type.

Infrastructure

A hydro-electric concrete gravity-arch dam,

Kerr Dam The Seli’š Ksanka Qlispe’ Dam previously known as the Kerr Dam is a concrete gravity-arch dam located at river mile 72 of the Flathead River (116 river kilometer). Built in 1938, it raises the level and increases the size of Flathead Lake nea ...

, was built in 1938 in Polson at river mile 72 of 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 ...

. Since 2015, the dam is officially known as the Seli’š Ksanka Qlispe’ Dam and is operated by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

Polson Airport Polson Airport is a public use airport in Lake County, Montana, United States. It is located one nautical mile (2 km) west of the central business district of Polson, a city on the southern shore of Flathead Lake. The airport is own ...

is a public use airport located one mile west of town.

Education

Polson School District educates students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Polson High School's team name is the Pirates. North Lake County Public Library is located in Polson.

Media

Newspapers

* '' Flathead Beacon'' * ''Lake County Leader'' * ''Valley Journal''

AM radio

* ''KERR'' * KGEZ * KJJR * KOFI * KQJZ-AM

FM radio

* KALS * KANB-LP *

KBBZ KBBZ (98.5 FM, "B98.5") is a commercial radio station in Kalispell, Montana, broadcasting to the Kalispell-Flathead Valley, Montana, area. KBBZ airs a classic rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented roc ...

* KDBR *

KHNK KHNK (95.9 FM Broadcasting, FM, (Outlaw Country) is a commercial radio station in Columbia Falls, Montana, broadcasting to the Kalispell, Montana, Kalispell-Flathead Valley, Montana, area. KHNK airs a country music format. It is owned by Bee Broa ...

* KIBG The Big 100 * KKMT Star 99 * KQJZ-FM'' * KQRK Power 92 * KRVO *

KUKL-FM Montana Public Radio is a network of public radio stations serving the U.S. state of Montana, primarily the western part of the state. The network is currently owned by the University of Montana, and its studios are located on the university camp ...

* KWOL-FM * KXZI-LP * KZMN

Television

Digital stations: * KCFW (

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

), Channel 9 * KEXI-LD ( Montana PBS, Channel 35 * K26DD-D ( TBN), Channel 26 * KAJJ-CD ( CBS), Channel 39 * KEXI-LD ( Montana PBS, Channel 35 * KTMF-LD ( ABC), Channel 36 KPAX Missoula, Montana * K11HO Channel 11 Polson KTMF Missoula, Montana * K14LT-D Channel 14 Polson KECI Missoula, Montana * K16GJ]http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?call=K16GJ Channel 16 Polson

Gallery

File:CloudsAndLakeInMontana.jpg, Some clouds over

in Polson Montana File:Polson3.JPG, KwaTuqNuk resort in Polson File:Polson4.JPG, Polson, southern end of Flathead Lake

References

External links

* *
Photos of Polson
{{authority control Cities in Lake County, Montana County seats in Montana Cities in Montana