Flathead Valley Area Information

The Flathead Valley weather averages a high of 30 in January with a low of 15. Our average snow fall is 74 inches and a depth of 12 inches. During our summer months, such as in July, you’ll find our daytime temperatures in the high 80s with nighttime lows in the 50s. Our average precipitation is 22 inches.

Kalispell

Kalispell is the largest city in the Flathead Valley and is the retail and business hub of Northwest Montana and was named the most beautiful city in Montana by Expedia’s View Finder in March 2017.  Located seven miles northwest of Flathead Lake and 31 miles southwest of Glacier National Park, serves as the center point to some of Northwest Montana’s best recreational opportunities.

There are more than 10,000 square miles of parks and national forests scattered throughout Northern Montana’s Rocky Mountains. Situated just south of the town of Whitefish, Kalispell is bordered on the west by the Kootenai National Forest and on the east by the Flathead National Forest. Both are known for their glacier-carved mountains and inviting beauty.

Established in the early 1890s as a result of railway expansion, Kalispell enjoyed a moderate growth throughout the 1900s, serving as the commercial center for much of the county. Since 2000 however, the city has more than doubled in size.

Located at the northwest tip of the state, Kalispell is intersected by US 2 and US 93 and lies 7 miles from Glacier International Airport, the region’s major airfield. Interstate 90 is the city’s closest interstate and is approximately 100 miles south of the city.

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Whitefish

Whitefish lies at the north end of the Flathead Valley in Northwest Montana along the shores of Whitefish Lake. It is just minutes from one of Montana’s largest ski resorts, Whitefish Mountain Resort. It’s about 25 miles west of Glacier National Park and just 50 short miles south of the Canadian border.

Whitefish was named by Money magazine as one of the best 10 places to vacation in North America.

Elevation of the valley floor is only 3,000 feet and the top of the Big Mountain summit is 6,817 feet. Whitefish Lake is seven miles long and 232 feet deep. There are 15+ miles of shoreline on Whitefish Lake.

Whitefish Mountain Resort is a ski and summer resort offering winter (skiing, snowboarding, tubing) and summer (mountain biking, hiking on the Danny On trail system) vacation packages.

Whitefish began as a fur trading center in the late 1800’s. It later flourished with the logging industry and the Great Northern Railway.

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Columbia Falls

Columbia Falls, Montana, best known as the southwestern gateway to Glacier National Park, sits at an elevation of 3,092 feet. Located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, on the western edge of the Continental Divide, the city is a recreationist’s paradise.

Situated near the three forks of the Flathead rivers, the city affords excellent access to fly fishing and river rafting.

Columbia Falls lies less than a half-hour’s drive east of Kalispell and approximately two hours south of the Canada-U.S. border, at the junction of Highway 2 and Highway 40.

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Bigfork

Bigfork quite aptly calls itself the Village by the Bay, as it is sheltered in a bay on Flathead Lake, right where the Swan River joins the Lake. It has great Flathead Valley views of mountain ranges that drop off dramatically into the Lake’s edges.

Bigfork is known as a leading arts community in Montana, and its population is quickly growing. In summer, the number swells still more with visitors who have come to enjoy its art galleries, live theatre, sidewalk cafes, and restaurants.

Bigfork retains a genteel, village atmosphere closer to the Lake. Here, there are no shopping malls or franchise businesses, rather unique food establishments and galleries.

The performing arts scene is alive with year-round activity. Residents and visitor alike enjoy indoor and outdoor performances at the 400-seat Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts, and Sliter Memorial Park.

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