Whitefish

Whitefish (Salish: epxyu, "has whitefish") is a town in Flathead County, Montana, United States. According to the 2020 United States Census, there were 7,751 people in the town. The town is located on the western side of the continental divide, near Glacier National Park. In 2006, over 68,000 passengers embarked and disembarked through the historic Whitefish Depot, a stop on Amtrak's Empire Builder line. Whitefish Lake is a 5.2 square miles (13 km²) natural lake with maximum length 5.8 miles (9.3 km) and width 1.4 miles (2.3km) 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. Large seasonal temperature differences typify this climatic region, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. The historic district of the town is a neighborhood called "The Avenues". This neighborhood is bordered by East 2nd Street to the north, Kalispell Avenue to the west, East 7th Street toThe south, and Pine Avenue toThe east. It is next to downtown, with many of its houses on the historic registry. In the city, there are 2,652 households, and 1,203 families living in the city. The population of the city was 5,032 in 2000.

History

The town of Whitefish, Montana was founded in 1905. 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. In 1937, the Whitefish Lake Ski Club obtained a special permit from the U.S. Forest Service enabling them to build cabins and trails in the Hell Roaring Creek region. The town started a curfew siren in 1919 that they called the "ding-dong ordinance". The historic siren was restored to the new city hall. 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 headed to the ski resort on Big Mountain. The Kootenai, the Pend dOreille, and the Bitterroot Salish 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. The Great Northern Railway was built through what is now Whitefish in 1904, which sparked the development of the town. After World War II, businessmen Ed Schenck and George Prentice began efforts to develop a full-fledged ski resort with local people donating labor, preparing the slopes, even giving up free time to help push through an all-weather mountain road. On December 14, 1947, a thousand townsfolk stood on the newly christened ski resort's slopes to watch the brand new T-Bar lift bring their community vision to life.

Geography

The town is located on the western side of the continental divide, near Glacier National Park. Whitefish Lake is a 5.2 square miles (13 km²) natural lake with maximum length 5.8 miles (9.3 km) and width 1.4 miles (2.3km) 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. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Whitefish has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. Large seasonal temperature differences typify this climatic region, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. The town's historic district is a neighborhood called "The Avenues" It is next to downtown, with many of its houses on the historic registry. It is bordered by East 2nd Street to the north, Kalispell Avenue to the west, East 7th St to the south, and Pine Avenueto the east. The city has a population of 3,000, making it one of the smallest towns in the U.S. to have more than 1,000 people living in the Whitefish area. The population of the town is 2,500, with the majority of its residents living in or near the town's downtown area. It has an estimated population of 4,000; it is the largest town in Montana.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,032 people, 2,229 households, and 1,203 families living in the city. There were 4,086 housing units at an average density of 635.5 per square mile (245.4/km²) The racial makeup of the city was 95.97% White, 0.14% African American, 1.11% Native American,0.58% Asian and 0.06% Pacific Islander. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.93% of the population. The median income for a household in theCity was $33,038, and the medianincome for a family was $41,009. 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% ofThose age 65 or over. The home value was 364,500 dollars, the average annual salary was 52,500, and 54.5% had a college degree, higher than the national average. The city's median age was 40.1 years, with 21.6% under 18, 8. 6% from 18 to 24, 32. 9% from 25 to 44, 22. 5% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% 65. years of age or older. The gender makeup was 50.3% male and 49.7%. The city had a population of 6,357 as of the Census of 2010, and there were 2,982 households.

Arts, culture and sports

Whitefish is known for its extensive system of protected trails and forests designed to purify the town's water. The town has been labeled as a "model of resistance" against hate and racism. The Taste of Whitefish is an annual event that has been held for more than twenty-five years. Under the Big Sky Music Festival explores the breadth and legacy of America, with both traditional and contemporary takes on America's rich musical traditions. The World Indoor Golf Championship is a 9-hole "miniature golf" tournament in downtown Whitefish. The Glacier Challenge is a six-leg, multi-sport relay covering 50 miles of Montana. It takes place in the first week of October in conjunction with the Oktoberfest celebration. It includes a 50-kilometer ultra-marathon and a 1/2 marathon, a 10-kilometers, and a 5- kilometer race. The 50 miles race consists of an 8-mile run, kayak, road bike, mountain bike, canoe, and 3.1- mile run. There are also food vendors, activities for children, and music. There is also a "penguin plunge" into Whitefish Lake, and snow sculptures. The annual Whitefish Trail Hootenanny occurs to celebrate and support the public land and trails that ring the town. It is a favorite throughout the Northwest and maintains a long tradition of high-quality arts and fine crafts. All of the art is handmade. The event includes live music and local culinary specialties to raise funds to protect public land.

Government and politics

Whitefish's government system consists of a city council with six council members and a mayor and city manager. As of March 2020, the mayor was John Muhlfeld and the current city manager is Dana Smith. Whitefish has a population of about 1,000 people. The city's population is expected to grow to 2,000 by the end of the year. The mayor's salary is $50,000 a year, the city's city manager's is $30,000, and Whitefish's mayor is $25,000. The current city council is made up of six members, with the mayor being one of them. The council has a total of eight members, including the mayor and the city manager, and the mayor is up for re-election in March 2020.

Education

The Whitefish School District serves Whitefish. Schools in the district include Muldown Elementary School, Whitefish Middle School. Whitefish High School and Whitefish Independent High School. The 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. The Whitefish Community Library is a public library in the town. The school district 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's and girls’ track and field, girls” softball, boys” tennis, speech, and debate. The high school is known as the Bulldogs and is located in Whitefish, Montana. It is located on the shores of the Whitefish River, which is a tributary of the North Cascades. The town has a population of about 2,000. It has been home to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers since the 1950s. It was the site of the World War II Battle of the Bulge, which ended in the opening of the Great Lakes Navy base. The U.N. Peace Corps has been based in the area since the 1960s and has a mission to promote peace and stability in the region. It also has a chapter of the United Nations, which was established in 1968.

Infrastructure

The Kalispell Regional Medical Center is the county's largest hospital. North Valley Hospital is a private nonprofit general medicine and surgical Critical Access Hospital. U.S. Route 93 and MT 40 run through Whitefish. Commercial airline service is available at Glacier Park International Airport. The Whitefish Amtrak station is served by Amtrak's ChicagoPortland/Seattle Empire Builder, as well as intercity buses. The station is Amtrak's busiest in Montana and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. It is owned by the Stumptown Historical Society and is listed in the National Park Service's National Park System Register of Parks and Reserves. It was built in 1872 and is located on the site of the former Whitefish Post Office. It has been converted into a hotel and conference center. It also serves as the home of the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce and the Montana Museum of History and Art. The museum is located in the town of Whitefish and is open to the public on weekdays and weekends. It opened in 1882. It's located on a former post office site and is now home to the Montana State Museum of Art and History. The Montana State Highway Department operates a bus service between the town and Missoula. It runs along U.S. Route 2 and MT 93. The town is also home to a number of non-profit organizations, including the Montana School for the Arts and Sciences and Montana State University of Medicine and Science. The state's largest employer is Montana State College of Medicine.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Whitefish, Flathead County, Montana = 86.8. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 34. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 60. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Whitefish = 3.2 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 7,751 individuals with a median age of 39.6 age the population grows by 6.13% in Whitefish, Flathead County, Montana population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,109.50 residents per square mile of area (428.40/km²). There are average 2.2 people per household in the 2,370 households with an average household income of $45,451 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 9.30% of the available work force and has dropped -0.87% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 28.96%. The number of physicians in Whitefish per 100,000 population = 255.6.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Whitefish = 21.9 inches and the annual snowfall = 72.7 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 127. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 151. 81 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 15.7 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 71, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Whitefish, Flathead County, Montana which are owned by the occupant = 47.74%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 32 years with median home cost = $212,260 and home appreciation of -4.32%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $10.98 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $5,167 per student. There are 13.6 students for each teacher in the school, 432 students for each Librarian and 288 students for each Counselor. 7.15% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 26.81% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 12.00% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).