Thompson Falls, Montana
Thompson Falls is a city of 1,500 people in Sanders County, Montana, founded in 1910.
Why visit Thompson Falls
Townapedia lists 21 museums and landmarks, 6 parks and trails, 4 places to eat and 1 place to stay in and around town.
Highlights include Ainsworth House and Bedard House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 24°F.
Weather in Thompson Falls
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Thompson Falls
Thompson Falls is a city in and the county seat of Sanders County, Montana. The population was 1,336 at the time of the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Thompson Falls, Montana (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks21
Ainsworth House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
House in Thompson Falls, Montana
Bedard House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
House in Thompson Falls, Montana
Gem Saloon
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Thompson Falls, Montana, US Historic Place
Grandchamp House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic house in Montana, United States
Griffen House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic house in Thompson Falls, Montana, United States
House at 112 Park Street
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic house in Montana, United States
House at 916 Preston Avenue
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Building in Thompson Falls, United States of America
Hoyt House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic house in Thompson Falls, Montana, United States
IOOF Lodge
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Fraternal hall in Thompson Falls, United States of America
Norby House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
House in Thompson Falls, Montana
Preston House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic house in Thompson Falls, Montana, United States
Sanders County Jail
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
County jail in Thompson Falls, Montana
9 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds6
Restaurants and cafes4
Big Eddy's Deck Bar & Casino
Bar and pub · 0.5 mi
219 West Main Street, Thompson Falls
11:00-23:00
Where to stay1
History
Thompson Falls was named after British explorer, geographer and fur trader David Thompson, who founded a North West Company fur trading post called Saleesh House in 1809. The community is located next to natural waterfalls on the Clark Fork river.
The settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute in 1846, ended joint occupancy with Britain and established the border with British North America and made the region firmly American. The arrival of the railroad in 1881 brought activity to the area. Two years later, when the gold rush hit nearby Cœur d'Alene, the town grew to accommodate the men going over the Murray Trail to the mines. In 1885 John Russell bought 40 acres (160,000 m2) and plotted the town site.
The Thompson Falls Dam, in operation since 1915, was constructed atop the original falls.
From the History section of Thompson Falls, Montana on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship10
Schools, colleges and libraries7
Thompson Falls High School
School · 1.0 mi
206 Haley Avenue, Thompson Falls
Map of Thompson Falls
49 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°F | 24°F | 2.3 in | 2.5 in |
| Feb | 40°F | 25°F | 1.9 in | 0.6 in |
| Mar | 49°F | 29°F | 2.0 in | 1.2 in |
| Apr | 58°F | 34°F | 1.6 in | 0.3 in |
| May | 68°F | 41°F | 2.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 74°F | 48°F | 2.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 53°F | 0.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 52°F | 0.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 75°F | 44°F | 1.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 58°F | 36°F | 2.2 in | 0.7 in |
| Nov | 41°F | 29°F | 2.6 in | 2.5 in |
| Dec | 33°F | 24°F | 2.3 in | 7.5 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Thompson Falls Ph (1 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
Sanders County has had 12 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2026-04-07: Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds (Straight-Line Winds)
- 2025-12-19: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2023-08-19: River Road East Fire (Fire)
- 2020-03-31: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2017-09-10: Highway 200 Fire Complex (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Thompson Falls Airport (THM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 3 miles away.
- Plains 23 mi southeast, about 38 min by car
- Mullan 23 mi southwest, about 37 min by car
- St. Regis 23 mi southeast, about 37 min by car
- Wallace 28 mi west, about 46 min by car
- Silverton 30 mi west, about 48 min by car
- Osburn 31 mi west, about 50 min by car
- Hot Springs 31 mi east, about 51 min by car
- Superior 35 mi southeast, about 56 min by car
- Kellogg 37 mi west, about 1 h by car
- Libby 55 mi north, about 1 h 30 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
- Griffen House NRHP 86002779 Sanders County, MT, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Thompson Falls Hydroelectric Dam HD NRHP 86002756 Sanders County, MT, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- THOMPSON FALLS HYDROELECTRIC DAM H.D.; SANDERS COUNTY, JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- HOYT HOUSE, THOMPSON FALLS, SANDERS COUNTY, JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- GEM SALOON; THOMPSON FALLS, SANDERS COUNTY, JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- IOOF LODGE, THOMPSON FALLS, SANDERS COUNTY, MONTANA, JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- PRESTON HOUSE, THOMPSON FALLS, SANDERS COUNTY, MONTANA, JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- WARD HOTEL, THOMPSON FALLS, SANDERS COUNTY, JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- GRANDCHAMP HOUSE; THOMPSON FALLS, SANDERS COUNTY, JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- SANDERS COUNTY JAIL, THOMPSON FALLS, SANDERS COUNTY, MONTANA, JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bedard House NRHP 86002783 Sanders County, MT, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Rinard House NRHP 86002782 Sanders County, MT, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Northern Pacific Warehouse NRHP 86002785 Sanders County, MT, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Thayer House NRHP 86002781 Sanders County, MT, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tourist Hotel2 NRHP 86002765 Sanders County, MT, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tourist Hotel NRHP 86002765 Sanders County, MT, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Weber's Store NRHP 86002763 Sanders County, MT, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- House At 112 Park Street NRHP 86002778 Sanders County, MT, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- House At 916 Preston Avenue2 NRHP 86002777 Sanders County, MT, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- House At 916 Preston Avenue NRHP 86002777 Sanders County, MT, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Norby House (site) NRHP 86002775 Sanders County, MT, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ainsworth House NRHP 86002771 Sanders County, MT, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ainsworth House2 NRHP 86002771 Sanders County, MT, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
_NRHP_86002775_Sanders_County,_MT.jpg){kind=link}
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