Flathead

Formed March 2, 1893 (17^th county)

Flathead County (104,349), Kalispell (24,579)

The pleasant brick and stone Chateauesque courthouse is on a square at Main Street between 8^th and 9^th streets.  Main Street is United States Highway 93 passing through the town.  The facility was built in 1905.  Charles F. Bell and John N. Kent provided the designs.  A Justice Center was built in 1985.  Flathead County originated on March 2, 1893 as the 17^th county with Kalispell as the only county seat.  The county is named for the Native American tribe.  The county seat name is Native American for “flat land above the lake.” 

Flathead County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Four District Court Judges serve Flathead County.  The county is in northwest Montana on the border with Canada.  The Continental Divide travels its entire eastern border.  Missoula, Montana is south and Great Falls, Montana is east of the county.  The county center is 19.6 miles North-Northeast of Kalispell nearer Columbia Falls.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Canada and Glacier, Pondera, Teton, Lewis and Clark, Powell, Missoula, Lake, Sanders, and Lincoln counties. 

The area of the county is 5099 square miles.  It is 3 out of 56 in the state.  It ranks 4 out of 56 in population in the state.  It has a density of 20.5 persons per square mile making it 8 out of 56 in the state.  Flathead County has 36.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 2 crosses east to west in the county from Glacier County to Lincoln County.  United States Highway 93 goes northwest to south from Lincoln County to Lake County.  The county looks like a baby stroller.  Kalispell is located in the southwest quarter of the county.  Kalispell is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 23.6% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced KAL-I-SPEL.  This county is in the Kalispell Micropolitan Statistical Area.