| County: | Flathead County |
| State: | Montana |
| Seal: | Flathead County mt seal.jpg |
| Founded Year: | 1893 |
| Seat Wl: | Kalispell |
| Largest City Wl: | Kalispell |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 5256 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 5088 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 169 |
| Area Percentage: | 3.2 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 104357 |
| Pop Est As Of: | 2022 |
| Population Est: | 111814 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | auto |
| Time Zone: | Mountain |
| Web: | flathead.mt.gov |
| Ex Image: | Flathead County Courthouse July 2020.jpg |
| Ex Image Cap: | Flathead County Courthouse in Kalispell |
| District: | 1st |
| Footnotes: |
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Flathead County is a county located in the U.S. state of Montana. At the 2020 census, its population was 104,357,[1] making it the state's fourth most populous county. Its county seat is Kalispell.[2] Its numerical designation (used in the issuance of license plates) is 7. Its northern border is on the state's north border, making it contiguous with the Canada–US border, facing British Columbia.
Flathead County comprises the Kalispell, Montana Micropolitan Statistical Area, with neighboring Lake County following soon after.
Flathead County was founded in 1893. Some sources cite the supposed practice of the Salish tribe flattening infants' heads as the origin of the name Flathead,[3] but there is no record of Salish Indians ever having that appearance.
The county includes much of Flathead Lake, the Flathead Valley, and the Flathead River. These natural treasures were created by glacial activity which ended approximately 10,000 years ago. The Flathead Valley is the southern extension of a prominent valley called the Rockey Mountain Trench, which runs from the Yukon Territory in Canada as far south as Flathead Lake. The Trench in northwestern Montana was created by subsidence along a major extensional fault, which continues today. After the valley formed, glaciers flowing down the Trench from British Columbia, and into it from the surrounding mountain ranges left a flat valley floor and dammed the Flathead River drainage to create Flathead Lake. Several tribes have long used the Flathead Lake, and the Bitterroot Salish, Kootenai, and Pend d'Oreilles tribes are represented on the Flathead Reservation. The western part of Glacier National Park is located in the county.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (3.2%) is water.[4] It is the third-largest county in Montana by land area and second-largest by total area.
Wildlife includes bobcats, black bears, coyotes, deer, elk, grizzly bears, lynx, mountain lions, and wolves.[5]
As of the 2020 census, there were 104,357 people living in the county.
As of the 2010 census, there were 90,928 people, 37,504 households, and 24,817 families living in the county. The population density was . There were 46,963 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 95.5% white, 1.1% American Indian, 0.6% Asian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.4% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 28.1% were German, 15.0% were English, 14.8% were Irish, 9.3% were Norwegian, and 4.6% were American.
Of the 37,504 households, 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.8% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.8% were non-families, and 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.40, and the average family size was 2.91. The median age was 41.2 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $44,998, and the median income for a family was $53,940. Males had a median income of $39,767 versus $28,026 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,721. About 8.4% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.8% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.
Along with Yellowstone County (home to Billings), Flathead County is one of Montana's more populous counties that leans heavily Republican. It has last voted Democratic in 1964, and has voted over 60% Republican in every presidential election since 1996 save 2008.
High school districts include:[6]
Elementary school districts include:[6]
Flathead Valley Community College is a tertiary institution.
Miami Herald columnist Dave Barry frequently cites the police blotter of the Flathead Beacon in Flathead County as a source of humorous material. It is written in a spare, surrealist style by local man Micah Drew, following the pattern set by earlier writers Christie Burns and Justin Franz.