Columbia Falls, Montana
Columbia Falls is a city of 5,615 people in Flathead County, Montana.
Why visit Columbia Falls
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails, 13 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Columbia Falls Farmer's Market, Flathead River Bridge, Soldiers' Home Historic District and Meadow Lake Golf Club.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 16°F, and about 54 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Columbia Falls
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Columbia Falls
Columbia Falls is a city along the Flathead River in Flathead County, Montana, United States. The population was 5,308 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Columbia Falls, Montana (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks3
Flathead River Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Historic road bridge in Columbia Falls, Montana, United States
Soldiers' Home Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Historic district in Montana, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes13
Tien's Place
Restaurant · Chinese
329 9th Street West, Columbia Falls
Domino's
Fast food · Pizza
734 9th Street West, Columbia Falls
Mo-Th 10:30-24:00; Fr-Sa 10:30-01:00; Su 10:30-24:00
1 more on the map.
History
The area that would become the city of Columbia Falls was first settled in 1891, in anticipation of the arrival of the Great Northern Railway. On April 26, 1909, the city of Columbia Falls was officially incorporated.
The first residents requested the name "Columbia" for the U.S. Post Office, but the element "Falls" was ultimately tacked onto the name in order to avoid any confusion with the already-named Columbus, Montana.
Outside the town, and downstream of the power-generating Hungry Horse Dam, the Anaconda Aluminum Co Columbia Falls Reduction Plant, an aluminum production plant was constructed in the mid-1950s.
The Montana Veterans Home in Columbia Falls has served veterans since 1896. Its current housing facility was opened by Montana Governor Forrest H. Anderson at an official dedication ceremony in 1970. An E. M. Viquesney statue of a World War I doughboy was moved to the front of the Veterans' Home in 1972. The statue "originally stood in Kalispell in the Main Street median in front of the Flathead County Courthouse."
From the History section of Columbia Falls, Montana on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay3
Churches and places of worship2
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries10
Healthcare1
Map of Columbia Falls
39 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°F | 16°F | 1.4 in | 13.9 in |
| Feb | 36°F | 18°F | 1.0 in | 8.4 in |
| Mar | 45°F | 24°F | 1.1 in | 5.4 in |
| Apr | 55°F | 30°F | 1.3 in | 1.2 in |
| May | 65°F | 38°F | 1.8 in | 0.2 in |
| Jun | 71°F | 44°F | 2.8 in | 0.3 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 48°F | 1.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 46°F | 0.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 70°F | 38°F | 1.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 54°F | 29°F | 1.4 in | 1.1 in |
| Nov | 39°F | 24°F | 1.4 in | 8.0 in |
| Dec | 31°F | 17°F | 1.5 in | 15.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Kalispell Glacier Ap Hcn 72779 (6 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Flathead County has had 11 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2026-04-07: Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds (Straight-Line Winds)
- 2022-06-16: Severe Storm And Flooding (Flood)
- 2020-03-31: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2011-06-17: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2005-09-13: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Glacier Park International Airport (FCA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 5 miles away.
- Hungry Horse 6 mi east, about 9 min by car
- Helena Flats 7 mi south, about 11 min by car
- Whitefish 8 mi northwest, about 14 min by car
- Martin City 8 mi east, about 12 min by car
- Coram 8 mi northeast, about 13 min by car
- Evergreen 10 mi south, about 17 min by car
- Kalispell 12 mi southwest, about 20 min by car
- Batavia 17 mi southwest, about 27 min by car
- Forest Hill Village 18 mi south, about 29 min by car
- Bigfork 21 mi south, about 34 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Espresso Hut, 9th Street West, Columbia Falls, MT, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Espresso Hut, 9th Street West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51533179263, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Espresso Hut, 9th Street West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51532136817, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Espresso Hut, 9th Street West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51533860965, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Glacier Gateway Elementary School, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51533660349, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Glacier Gateway Elementary School, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51532941066, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Glacier Gateway Elementary School, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51532941731, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Glacier Gateway Elementary School, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Glacier Gateway Elementary School, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51533189733, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Glacier Gateway Elementary School, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51533664494, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Glacier Gateway Elementary School, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51533663849, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Old Church, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Old Church, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51533870240, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Old Church, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51533665034, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Old Church, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51533869595, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Old Church, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51533661724, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Old Church, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51532143057, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Old St. Richard’s Catholic Church, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51533191248, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Glacier Gateway Elementary School, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51533665664, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Old Church, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51533865790, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Glacier Gateway Elementary School, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51533190803, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Old St. Richard’s Catholic Church, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51532946601, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Glacier Gateway Elementary School, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51533184003, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Glacier Gateway Elementary School, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51533864680, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Glacier Gateway Elementary School, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51533864050, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Old St. Richard’s Catholic Church, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51533191533, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Glacier Gateway Elementary School, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51533873090, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Old St. Richard’s Catholic Church, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Old St. Richard’s Catholic Church, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51533192798, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Old St. Richard’s Catholic Church, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51532949771, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Old St. Richard’s Catholic Church, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51533194368, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Old St. Richard’s Catholic Church, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51533182373, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Old St. Richard’s Catholic Church, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51533863160, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Old St. Richard’s Catholic Church, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51533874800, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Old St. Richard’s Catholic Church, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51533669539, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Old St. Richard’s Catholic Church, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51533195073, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Old St. Richard’s Catholic Church, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51532151507, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Old St. Richard’s Catholic Church, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51533181728, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Historical Marker, Old St. Richard’s Catholic Church, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Glacier Gateway Elementary School, 4th Avenue West, Columbia Falls, MT - 51533196978, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
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