Frenchtown, Montana
Frenchtown is a community of 1,927 people in Missoula County, Montana.
Why visit Frenchtown
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 3 parks and trails and 3 places to eat in and around town.
Highlights include Frenchtown Pond State Park and King Ranch Golf Course.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 19°F, and about 43 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Frenchtown
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Frenchtown
Frenchtown is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is part of the Missoula metropolitan area. The population was 1,958 as of the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Frenchtown, Montana (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks1
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Restaurants and cafes3
Clark Fork River Coffee Company
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.2 mi
16780 Beckwith Street, Frenchtown
Bennies
Bar and pub · 1.1 mi
Bar with Dancing and Games
17001 Beckwith Street, Frenchtown
Churches and places of worship4
Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.3 mi
16680 Main Street, Frenchtown
History
Early settlers gave the location a generic name based on the ethnicity or language of the original settlers, namely French Canadians.
The settlement was cofounded around 1858 by two French Canadians moving inland with their Métis families to escape turmoil further west that followed the arrival of the American federal authorities. Jean-Baptiste Ducharme left Puget Sound during the Indian Wars (1855-1856) abandoning his land claim as his Muck Creek neighbors were arrested under martial law. Louis Brown (anglicized name) left the Colville Valley turmoil a few years later with his Pend d'Oreille wife and their daughters. Meanwhile the Kalispel Indian Community had moved upriver to a new locale accompanied by Jesuit priest Father Hoecken, who relocated the Saint-Ignatius mission northeast of the future Frenchtown.
A post office called Frenchtown was first established in 1868.
From the History section of Frenchtown, Montana on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Map of Frenchtown
19 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33°F | 19°F | 0.9 in | 9.0 in |
| Feb | 38°F | 22°F | 0.9 in | 10.5 in |
| Mar | 49°F | 28°F | 0.9 in | 4.9 in |
| Apr | 57°F | 34°F | 1.4 in | 1.2 in |
| May | 67°F | 42°F | 1.8 in | 0.2 in |
| Jun | 74°F | 48°F | 2.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 54°F | 0.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 52°F | 0.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 73°F | 45°F | 1.0 in | 0.1 in |
| Oct | 56°F | 34°F | 1.2 in | 1.3 in |
| Nov | 41°F | 25°F | 1.2 in | 5.0 in |
| Dec | 32°F | 19°F | 1.1 in | 10.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Missoula 6 Nw Wfo (10 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
Missoula County has had 16 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2026-04-07: Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds (Straight-Line Winds)
- 2024-08-23: Straight-Line Winds (Straight-Line Winds)
- 2020-03-31: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-10-31: Flooding (Flood)
- 2017-09-09: Rice Ridge Fire (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Missoula International Airport (MSO) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 11 miles away.
- Wye 7 mi southeast, about 12 min by car
- Evaro 11 mi east, about 17 min by car
- Alberton 11 mi west, about 18 min by car
- Arlee 12 mi northeast, about 20 min by car
- Missoula 15 mi southeast, about 24 min by car
- Orchard Homes 15 mi southeast, about 23 min by car
- East Missoula 17 mi southeast, about 28 min by car
- Lolo 19 mi south, about 30 min by car
- Bonner-West Riverside 20 mi southeast, about 32 min by car
- Corvallis 50 mi south, about 1 h 15 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
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Frenchtown Montana near F, Djembayz, CC BY-SA 3.0
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