Why visit Whitefish
Townapedia lists 11 museums and landmarks, 23 parks and trails, 33 places to eat, 13 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include O'Shaughnessy Center, Lockridge Medical Clinic, Ray E. Taylor House and Les Mason State Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 81°F; January lows average 16°F, and about 63 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Whitefish
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Whitefish
Whitefish (Salish: epɫx̣ʷy̓u, "has whitefish") is a city in Flathead County, Montana, United States. According to the 2020 United States census, the city had a population of 7,751.
From the Wikipedia article Whitefish, Montana (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks11
Lockridge Medical Clinic
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Clinic in Whitefish, Montana
Ray E. Taylor House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic house in Montana, United States
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Whitefish station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
Railway station in Whitefish, the United States of America
Stumptown Historical Society Museum
Museum · 1.7 mi
Dec-Apr: Tu-Sa 11:00-15:00; May-Nov: Tu-Sa 10:00-16:00
Parks, trails and playgrounds23
11 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes33
Fleur Bake Shop
Bakery · 1.8 mi
Fleur Bake Shop 669 Spokane Avenue, Suite B Whitefish, Montana Located next to Lakestream Fly Shop
669 Suite B Spokane Ave, Whitefish
Th-Mo 07:00-15:00
Blackstar Brewery & Restaurant
Brewery and winery · 1.8 mi
2 Central Avenue, Whitefish
Mo-Su 12:00-20:00
Central Ave Bakery
Bakery · Bakery · 2.0 mi
237 Central Avenue, Whitefish
07:30-15:00
21 more on the map.
History
Archaeological records indicate that native American tribes shared hunting grounds in the area, most notably the Kutenai, the Pend d'Oreilles, and the Bitterroot Salish. The Kootenai lived in the area for more than 14,000 years, inhabiting the mountainous terrain west of the Continental Divide, and traveled east of the divide for occasional buffalo hunts. Though trappers, traders, and waves of westward immigrants passed through the area during the second half of the century, and a group of Métis (mixed race descendants of fur traders, trappers and Native Americans) lived around the site of Whitefish (later largely moving south to the Flathead Indian Reservation), the first permanent settler is identified as John Morton who built a cabin on the shore of Whitefish Lake, just west of the mouth of the Whitefish River. Morton was joined by the local logging industry forefathers—including the Baker and Hutchinson brothers—in the early 1890s. Logging crews "boomed-up" their logs behind a dam built at the river mouth by the Boston & Montana Commercial Company, which, when opened, created a rush of water that helped float the logs down the river to Kalispell.
From the History section of Whitefish, Montana on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay13
Churches and places of worship8
First Presbyterian Church of Whitefish
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Shopping24
Whitefish Pottery & Stillwater Gallery
Shop · 2.0 mi
240 Central Avenue, Whitefish
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries8
Healthcare3
Map of Whitefish
128 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°F | 16°F | 1.8 in | 16.5 in |
| Feb | 34°F | 16°F | 1.3 in | 7.0 in |
| Mar | 43°F | 23°F | 1.3 in | 8.0 in |
| Apr | 53°F | 30°F | 1.6 in | 1.6 in |
| May | 64°F | 39°F | 2.0 in | 0.1 in |
| Jun | 70°F | 45°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 81°F | 50°F | 1.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 80°F | 48°F | 0.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 69°F | 40°F | 1.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 53°F | 31°F | 1.4 in | 0.4 in |
| Nov | 38°F | 24°F | 1.7 in | 8.3 in |
| Dec | 29°F | 18°F | 2.1 in | 21.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Whitefish (2 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, 10 miles away.
- Columbia Falls 8 mi southeast, about 14 min by car
- Helena Flats 12 mi southeast, about 19 min by car
- Hungry Horse 13 mi east, about 22 min by car
- Kalispell 15 mi south, about 25 min by car
- Evergreen 15 mi south, about 24 min by car
- Bigfork 28 mi southeast, about 45 min by car
- Lakeside 29 mi south, about 47 min by car
- Eureka 44 mi northwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Polson 53 mi south, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Libby 56 mi west, 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
- Downtown-whitefish-2006, WikiCapa at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- Whitefish, Montana Independence Day Fireworks Presentation - panoramio, dr-scott, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Eastbound Empire Builder-Whitefish Montana - panoramio, Loco Steve, CC BY 3.0
- BNSF eastbound manifest rolls into Whitefish Yard, December 2012, Roy Luck, CC BY 2.0
- Great Northern Engine In Whitefish, User:akampfer, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Whitefish theater company (51266655181), Craig Talbert, CC BY 2.0
- BNSF Train at Whitefish, Montana Amtrak Station (28653031324), Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
- First Presbyterian Church, Central Avenue and 3rd Street, Whitefish, MT - 51636428668, Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- First Presbyterian Church, Central Avenue and 3rd Street, Whitefish, MT - 51636435028, Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- First Presbyterian Church, Central Avenue and 3rd Street, Whitefish, MT - 51636864664, Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- First Presbyterian Church, Central Avenue and 3rd Street, Whitefish, MT - 51637071440, Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- First Presbyterian Church, Central Avenue and 3rd Street, Whitefish, MT, Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- First Presbyterian Church, Central Avenue and 3rd Street, Whitefish, MT - 51636434603, Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- First Presbyterian Church, Central Avenue and 3rd Street, Whitefish, MT - 51635389372, Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- First Presbyterian Church, Central Avenue and 3rd Street, Whitefish, MT - 51636864784, Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- First Presbyterian Church, Central Avenue and 3rd Street, Whitefish, MT - 51637071170, Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- First Presbyterian Church, Central Avenue and 3rd Street, Whitefish, MT - 51636218006, Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- First Presbyterian Church, Central Avenue and 3rd Street, Whitefish, MT - 51637069675, Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- First Presbyterian Church, Central Avenue and 3rd Street, Whitefish, MT - 51636217351, Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- First Presbyterian Church, Central Avenue and 3rd Street, Whitefish, MT - 51636433078, Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- First Presbyterian Church, Central Avenue and 3rd Street, Whitefish, MT - 51635388127, Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- First Presbyterian Church, Central Avenue and 3rd Street, Whitefish, MT - 51635388402, Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- First Presbyterian Church, Central Avenue and 3rd Street, Whitefish, MT - 51636217301, Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Historical Marker, First Presbyterian Church, Central Avenue and 3rd Street, Whitefish, MT, Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- First Presbyterian Church, Central Avenue and 3rd Street, Whitefish, MT - 51636212906, Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- First Presbyterian Church, Central Avenue and 3rd Street, Whitefish, MT - 51636433623, Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- First Presbyterian Church, Central Avenue and 3rd Street, Whitefish, MT - 51636433678, Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- First Presbyterian Church of Whitefish, Marc Roston, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Whitefish River January 2, 2019, Schmiebel, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Whitefish Depot, Elkman, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lockridge Medical Clinic (former), October 2011, User:Jaydec, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Boat Docks in the Snow - panoramio, dr-scott, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bernard Runyan watch recovered at wreck, Marcus T. V. Stassinopolus, CC0
- Great Northen Shuttle Bus, User:akampfer, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Les Mason (51268167018), Craig Talbert, CC BY 2.0
- Church Windows Donated by Japanese Railway Employees (52507476825), GlacierNPS, Public domain
- Untitled shoot-004, Marc Roston, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Untitled shoot-003, Marc Roston, CC BY-SA 3.0
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