Cascade County, Montana

Cascade County, Montana
County
Cascade County Courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Montana
Coordinates: 47°19′N 111°21′W / 47.31°N 111.35°W / 47.31; -111.35
Country United States
State Montana
Founded1887
Named afterGreat Falls of the Missouri River
SeatGreat Falls
Largest cityGreat Falls
Area
 • Total
2,711 sq mi (7,020 km2)
 • Land2,698 sq mi (6,990 km2)
 • Water13 sq mi (34 km2)  0.5%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
84,414
 • Estimate 
(2024)
84,523
 • Density31.29/sq mi (12.08/km2)
Time zoneUTC−7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district2nd
Websitewww.cascadecountymt.gov
  • Montana county number 02

Cascade County (cascade means waterfall in French) is a county located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 84,414,[1] making it the fifth-most populous county in Montana. Its county seat is Great Falls.[2]

Cascade County comprises the Great Falls, MT Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Early history

Cascade County was historically uninhabited throughout most of prehistory, with no permanent settlements aside from the occasional Salish hunting party.[3] In roughly 1600, the Blackfeet pushed the Salish out, establishing the first permanent settlements in the area.[3] Despite being claimed by France, the area remained unexplored by European settlers until the United States acquired the region in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase.

At the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Cascade County was the territory of the Blackfeet.[4] The county was named for the falls on the Missouri River,[5] and Lewis and Clark are believed to have first discovered the area on June 13, 1805.[6] Despite this, the area remained uninhabited by Americans until later in the century.

Founding

After changing hands between several territories throughout the decades, Cascade County finally was placed under the jurisdiction of the Montana Territory on May 28, 1864.[3] In 1887, territorial representative T.E. Collins proposed the creation of Cascade County from several surrounding counties including Lewis and Clark, Meagher, and Chouteau, and his bill was signed. Two years later, Montana was granted full statehood.[7]

In 1880, entrepreneur Paris Gibson explored the area and was impressed with the possibility to harness the hydroelectric potential of the massive waterfalls in order to power and sustain a large industrial city.[8] He returned in 1883, establishing Great Falls at the bank of the river.[9] By 1887, the city had over 1000 residents, and the arrival of the Great Northern Railway cemented the city's position.[9]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,711 square miles (7,020 km2), of which 2,698 square miles (6,990 km2) is land and 13 square miles (34 km2) (0.5%) is water.[10] The Missouri River and the Sun River flow through the county, and meet at the city of Great Falls. A portion of the Adel Mountains Volcanic Field is in the county's southwest corner. The Rocky Mountains are in the western part of the county, with the Little Belt and Highwood Mountains in the southeast.

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18908,755—
190025,777194.4%
191028,83311.9%
192038,83634.7%
193041,1465.9%
194041,1990.1%
195053,02728.7%
196073,41838.5%
197081,80411.4%
198080,696−1.4%
199077,691−3.7%
200080,3573.4%
201081,3271.2%
202084,4143.8%
2024 (est.)84,523[11]0.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[12]
1790–1960,[13] 1900–1990,[14]
1990–2000,[15] 2010–2020[1]

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 84,414. Of the residents, 22.3% were under the age of 18 and 19.1% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 38.9 years. For every 100 females there were 101.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.6 males. 79.5% of residents lived in urban areas and 20.5% lived in rural areas.[16][17][18]

The racial makeup of the county was 83.2% White, 1.4% Black or African American, 4.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% Asian, 1.3% from some other race, and 8.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 4.8% of the population.[18]

There were 35,011 households in the county, of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 26.2% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[17]

There were 38,937 housing units, of which 10.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 64.7% were owner-occupied and 35.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.7%.[17]

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, 81,327 people, 33,809 households, and 21,403 families in the county. The population density was 30.1 inhabitants per square mile (11.6/km2). There were 37,276 housing units at an average density of 13.8 per square mile (5.3/km2). The county's racial makeup was 89.2% white, 4.3% American Indian, 1.2% black or African American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.6% other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 28.5% were German, 17.1% were Irish, 12.3% were English, 10.3% were Norwegian, and 4.5% were American.

Of the 33,809 households, 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 36.7% were non-families, and 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age was 38.9 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,389, and the median income for a family was $53,540. Males had a median income of $37,904 versus $27,944 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,963. About 10.9% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.4% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Government

Cascade County is represented in the United States Senate by Republicans Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy. It is represented in the United States House of Representatives as part of Montana's 2nd congressional district by Republican Troy Downing. At the state level, Cascade County is represented in the Montana House of Representatives as part of house districts 19 through 26, represented by 7 Republicans and 1 Democrat. It is represented in the Montana Senate as part of senate districts 10 through 13, represented by 4 Republicans. Cascade County has an elected county commission and several elected county offices.

County Commissioners

Office[19] Name Party
  Commissioner, District 1 Joe Briggs Republican
  Commissioner, District 2 James Larson Republican
  Commissioner, District 3 Eric Hinebauch Republican

County Officials

Office[19] Name Party
  County Attorney Josh Racki Republican[20]
  Clerk of Court/Jury Commissioner Tina Henry Republican
  Treasurer Diana Heikkila Republican
  Sheriff Jessie Slaughter Republican
  Clerk & Recorder Sandra Merchant Republican

Politics

Like Lewis & Clark County to the west, Cascade County leans Republican but has voted for Democrats four times since Lyndon Johnson's landslide in 1964, usually during national landslides. Since 2012, however, the county has shifted steadily to the right, in 2024 giving Donald Trump the highest Republican margin of the vote in state history. This is in contrast to several of its fellow large counties, which tend to swing between candidates election to election.

At the state level, Cascade County often acts as a bellwether county. It has been friendlier to Democrats - Senator Max Baucus carried the county in all of his elections, and Governors Brian Schweitzer and Steve Bullock carried it in all four elections in 2004–2016. Since at least 1984, no Democrat has won in Montana without winning Cascade County,[21] however, Republicans have occasionally won statewide without carrying the county. Cascade County frequently votes alongside Montana's larger counties in social issues, having voted to legalize abortion and recreational marijuana. In recent years, however, Republicans have made massive gains locally, sweeping Cascade County in the state legislature and flipping the county commission and several county offices in 2022, and the county is now fully Republican at the local level after further party switches.[20][22]

Cascade's shift, uncommon among larger counties in the state, was largely attributed to Republican gains among union workers and concerns from local fossil fuel industry workers, who believed that Democrats were abandoning them as the national party has shifted to the left on energy policy and gun policy. The fossil fuel industry is especially important in Cascade County, and the growth of the county has come mainly from rural conservative voters moving to the area as opposed to more left-wing voters moving into other parts of Montana from Democratic-leaning states.[22]

United States presidential election results for Cascade County, Montana[23][24]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
№  % №  % №  %
1892 1,295 45.22% 1,184 41.34% 385 13.44%
1896 953 24.51% 2,920 75.10% 15 0.39%
1900 1,997 42.96% 2,564 55.16% 87 1.87%
1904 2,405 55.34% 1,385 31.87% 556 12.79%
1908 1,935 44.86% 1,888 43.77% 490 11.36%
1912 1,079 23.72% 1,633 35.90% 1,837 40.38%
1916 3,253 30.57% 6,612 62.14% 776 7.29%
1920 6,808 58.83% 3,938 34.03% 826 7.14%
1924 5,081 43.41% 2,220 18.96% 4,405 37.63%
1928 8,183 55.08% 6,540 44.02% 133 0.90%
1932 5,800 34.48% 10,047 59.72% 976 5.80%
1936 4,077 22.92% 13,325 74.91% 387 2.18%
1940 6,443 31.70% 13,637 67.10% 244 1.20%
1944 6,372 36.54% 10,924 62.65% 141 0.81%
1948 6,830 34.47% 12,082 60.97% 905 4.57%
1952 12,176 52.09% 11,051 47.28% 146 0.62%
1956 12,455 52.88% 11,098 47.12% 0 0.00%
1960 11,928 45.72% 14,117 54.11% 45 0.17%
1964 8,986 33.64% 17,609 65.92% 119 0.45%
1968 11,588 43.23% 13,507 50.39% 1,708 6.37%
1972 16,159 52.40% 12,899 41.83% 1,778 5.77%
1976 15,289 50.11% 14,678 48.11% 544 1.78%
1980 17,664 54.80% 11,105 34.45% 3,465 10.75%
1984 19,846 57.52% 14,252 41.30% 407 1.18%
1988 15,946 49.64% 15,718 48.93% 460 1.43%
1992 12,494 34.16% 14,719 40.24% 9,365 25.60%
1996 14,291 40.82% 15,707 44.87% 5,008 14.31%
2000 18,164 54.52% 13,137 39.43% 2,016 6.05%
2004 19,028 56.87% 13,701 40.95% 730 2.18%
2008 16,857 47.62% 17,664 49.90% 875 2.47%
2012 18,345 53.06% 15,232 44.05% 999 2.89%
2016 19,632 56.79% 12,175 35.22% 2,764 8.00%
2020 23,315 58.46% 15,456 38.75% 1,114 2.79%
2024 22,419 59.65% 14,021 37.31% 1,143 3.04%

Economy

Malmstrom Air Force Base is a driving force in the regional economy.[25] In 2009, Benefis, Great Falls Clinic, National Electronics Warranty and Walmart were the largest private employers.[25]

Education

The Apollos University, the University of Great Falls, and the MSU College of Technology—Great Falls are all located in Great Falls.

K-12 education

Public school districts include:[26]

Secondary:

Elementary:

  • Belt Elementary School District
  • Centerville Elementary School District
  • Cascade Elementary School District
  • Great Falls Elementary School District
  • Sun River Valley Elementary School District
  • Ulm Elementary School District
  • Vaughn Elementary School District

There is also a state-operated school, Montana School for the Deaf & Blind.

Communities

City

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Several motion pictures have been filmed in Great Falls. Many have filmed in Cascade County and Great Falls, and a few in Cascade County (outside the Great Falls city limits). Those films shot in the county and outside Great Falls city limits include:

See also

References

Notes
  1. ^ Shot in Cascade County and in the city of Great Falls, the film's finale was filmed on Interstate 15 about 15 miles (24 km) north of Craig.[41]
  2. ^ The U.S.-Canada border crossing scene was filmed at Hardy Bridge.[43]
  3. ^ Filming occurred at various places around Great Falls,[45] including Giant Springs State Park on the immediate outskirts of the city.[46]
  4. ^ A cabin near Monarch, Montana, was used in one critical filming location.[47]
Citations
  1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ a b c Malone, Michael P.; Roeder, Richard B.; and Lang, William L. Montana: A History of Two Centuries. 2d rev. ed. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2003. ISBN 0-295-97129-0
  4. ^ Merrill, Andrea; Judy Jacobson (1997). Montana almanac. Helena MT: Falcon Publishing. ISBN 1-56044-493-2.
  5. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 70.
  6. ^ Ambrose, Stephen. Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996. ISBN 0-684-82697-6; Gilman, Carolyn. Lewis and Clark: Across the Divide. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books, 2003. ISBN 1-58834-099-6; Lavender, David. The Way to the Western Sea: Lewis and Clark Across the Continent. New York: Harpercollins, 1988. ISBN 0-06-015982-0
  7. ^ "Quick Facts | Cascade County, MT". www.cascadecountymt.gov. Retrieved October 23, 2025.
  8. ^ "Great Falls, Montana". In Encyclopedia of the Great Plains. David J. Wishart, ed. Lincoln, Neb.: University of Nebraska Press, 2004. ISBN 0-8032-4787-7
  9. ^ a b Roeder, Richard B. "Paris Gibson and the Building of Great Falls". Montana: Magazine of Western History. 42:4 (Autumn 1992).
  10. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved November 27, 2014.
  11. ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  12. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 27, 2014.
  13. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved November 27, 2014.
  14. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 27, 2014.
  15. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved November 27, 2014.
  16. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved 2025-12-07.
  17. ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 2025-12-07.
  18. ^ a b "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 2025-12-07.
  19. ^ a b "Your Elected Officials | Cascade County, MT". www.cascadecountymt.gov. Retrieved October 23, 2025.
  20. ^ a b "Cascade County Attorney announces party switch". KRTV NEWS Great Falls. August 28, 2025. Retrieved October 23, 2025.
  21. ^ "Montana Election Results". Archived from the original on June 2, 2006.
  22. ^ a b Dennison, Mike (May 4, 2023). "Electric City's political pivot". Montana Free Press. Retrieved October 23, 2025.
  23. ^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  24. ^ The leading "other" candidate, Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, received 999 votes, while Socialist candidate Eugene Debs received 838 votes.
  25. ^ a b Montana Dept. of Labor and Industry (September 2010). "Demographic & Economic Information for Cascade County" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 6, 2011. Retrieved July 23, 2011.
  26. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Cascade County, MT" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 21, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2022. - Text list
  27. ^ Adel, Cascade County MT Google Maps (accessed January 1, 2019)
  28. ^ Armington, Cascade County MT Google Maps (accessed January 1, 2019)
  29. ^ Armington Junction, Cascade County MT Google Maps (accessed January 1, 2019)
  30. ^ Ashuelot, Cascade County MT Google Maps (accessed January 1, 2019)
  31. ^ Dearborn, Cascade County MT Google Maps (accessed September 4, 2019)
  32. ^ Eden, Cascade County MT Google Maps (accessed January 1, 2019)
  33. ^ Emerson Junction, Cascade County MT Google Maps (accessed January 1, 2019)
  34. ^ Gordon, Cascade County MT Google Maps (accessed January 1, 2019)
  35. ^ Millegan, Cascade County MT Google Maps (accessed January 1, 2019)
  36. ^ Number Seven, Cascade County MT Google Maps (accessed January 1, 2019)
  37. ^ Salem, Cascade County MT Google Maps (accessed January 1, 2019)
  38. ^ Sheffels, Cascade County MT Google Maps (accessed January 1, 2019)
  39. ^ Portage, Cascade County MT Google Maps (accessed January 1, 2019)
  40. ^ a b "Montana's best and worst all-time films". Great Falls Tribune. November 6, 2014. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  41. ^ "Film Crew to Remain in Montana". The Montana Standard. September 20, 1973. p. 19. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  42. ^ Jones, Robert F. (April 23, 1984). "Robert Duvall". People. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  43. ^ a b Barth 1991, p. 85.
  44. ^ Sherman, David (February 27, 2015). "Leonard Nimoy: on the set of "Holy Matrimony" in Great Falls in 1993". KRTV3.com. Archived from the original on December 13, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  45. ^ a b c Inbody, Kristen (December 29, 2016). "'Shot in Montana': Big Sky Cinema is scope of new book". USA Today. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  46. ^ a b Gaiser, Heidi (March 3, 2007). "Family Men". The Daily Inter Lake. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  47. ^ a b Skornogoski, Kim (June 13, 2006). "Getting One's Life Experience On Film No Easy Task For Great Falls' Brumbaugh". Great Falls Tribune. p. M1.
  48. ^ Douglas, Patrick (March 28, 2008). "Montana-made film debuts in Great Falls". Great Falls Tribune. p. A1.
  49. ^ McCarthy, Todd (January 20, 2018). "'Wildlife': Film Review | Sundance 2018". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 9, 2021.

Bibliography

  • Barth, Jack (1991). Roadside Hollywood: The Movie Lover's State-By-State Guide to Film Locations, Celebrity Hangouts, Celluloid Tourist Attractions, and More. Chicago: Contemporary Books. ISBN 9780809243266.

47°19′N 111°21′W / 47.31°N 111.35°W / 47.31; -111.35

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