Whitefish, Montana


Whitefish is a city in Flathead County, Montana, United States. The population was 6,357 at the 2010 census. It is home to a ski resort on Big Mountain called Whitefish Mountain Resort.

History

The Great Northern Railway was built through what is now Whitefish in 1904, which sparked development of the town. The area was originally known as Stumptown due to the abundant amount of timber that had to be cleared to build the town and railroad and because tree stumps were left in the streets throughout downtown. Early residents of the town worked for the railroad and nearby logging industries. By the late 1940s, with the successful construction of a ski resort on Big Mountain the tourism sector was becoming increasingly important. The community was named for its location near Whitefish Lake.
In 2006, over 68,000 passengers embarked and disembarked through the historic Whitefish Depot, a stop on Amtrak's Empire Builder line, with some percentage of those being headed to the ski resort on Big Mountain.

Geography

Whitefish is located at , at an altitude of 3,028 feet. The town is located on the western side of the continental divide, near Glacier National Park.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which, is land and is water.
Whitefish Lake is a natural lake with maximum length and width and is at its deepest. The Whitefish River bisects the town of Whitefish as it courses south by southeast to briefly join the Stillwater River before its flows enter the Flathead River.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Whitefish has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters.

Demographics

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,032 people, 2,229 households, and 1,203 families living in the city. The population density was 1,138.5 people per square mile. There were 2,652 housing units at an average density of 600.0 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 95.97% White, 0.14% African American, 1.11% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.72% from other races, and 1.43% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.93% of the population.
There were 2,229 households out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.2% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.0% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the city, the population was spread out with 21.6% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,038, and the median income for a family was $41,009. Males had a median income of $36,298 versus $19,583 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,098. About 13.8% of families and 18.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.9% of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 6,357 people, 2,982 households, and 1,562 families living in the city. The population density was. There were 4,086 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 95.8% White, 0.5% African American, 0.8% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.8% of the population.
There were 2,982 households of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 47.6% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.77.
The median age in the city was 40.1 years. 19.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 30.2% were from 25 to 44; 28.9% were from 45 to 64; and 14.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.3% male and 49.7% female.

Arts and culture

Annual cultural events

Huckleberry Days Arts Festival is an annual arts festival featuring 100 artists and food vendors. The event includes a huckleberry dessert bake-off contest.
The Taste of Whitefish is an annual event that has been held for more than twenty-five years. The event features over twenty-five restaurants, caterers and beverage companies offering samples of their specialties.
The World Indoor Golf Championship has been held in Whitefish for over sixteen years and is a 9-hole "miniature golf" tournament in downtown Whitefish.
The Whitefish Winter Carnival is an annual winter festival celebrating winter topics with a parade, "penguin plunge" into Whitefish Lake, and snow sculptures. It is held the first weekend in February each year. The Whitefish Winter Carnival is one of Flathead Valley's most popular events.

Museums and other points of interest

The government system of Whitefish consists of a city council with six councilmembers and a mayor and city manager. As of March 2020, the current mayor is John Muhlfeld and the current city manager is Dana Smith.

Education

Whitefish is served by the Whitefish School District. Schools in the district include Muldown Elementary School, Whitefish Middle School. Whitefish High School and Whitefish Independent High School. Whitefish School District offers students K-12 a wide range of academic supplements, for example, online Virtual High School and dual credit opportunity through Flathead Valley Community College.
Whitefish High School is home to numerous state championship teams; the most recent is the girls cross country team. They have won four consecutive titles. Other state athletic accomplishments have been made in football, girls and boys golf, volleyball, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls track and field, girls softball, boys and girls tennis, speech and debate.

Media

Whitefish is part of the Missoula media market, which covers a seven-county area of northwestern Montana. The city's main newspaper is The Whitefish Pilot, while the Flathead Beacon, a regional newspaper for the Flathead Valley based in Kalispell, publishes Whitefish Area News. Three radio stations are licensed to Whitefish, all owned by Bee Broadcasting, Inc.: KJJR 880 AM, KSAM 1240 AM, and KWOL-FM 105.1.

Transportation

and MT 40 run through Whitefish. Commercial airline service is available at Glacier Park International Airport along U.S. Route 2.

Train station

The city has a train station that is served by Amtrak's Chicago-Portland/Seattle Empire Builder, as well as intercity buses to Kalispell and Missoula. The station is Amtrak's busiest in Montana. The Whitefish Amtrak station is owned by Stumptown Historical Society, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

Notable people