| Official Name: | Hungry Horse, Montana |
| Settlement Type: | Census-designated place |
| Mapsize: | 250px |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Montana |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Flathead |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 3.94 |
| Area Land Km2: | 3.71 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.23 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 1.52 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 1.43 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.09 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 828 |
| Population Density Km2: | 222.99 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 577.41 |
| Timezone: | Mountain (MST) |
| Utc Offset: | -7 |
| Timezone Dst: | MDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -6 |
| Elevation Ft: | 3097 |
| Coordinates: | 48.3847°N -114.0647°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 59919 |
| Area Code: | 406 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 30-38125 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 0785162 |
Hungry Horse is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Flathead County, Montana, United States. The population was 828 at the 2020 census. The ZIP code for Hungry Horse is 59919.
The town sprang up during the construction of Hungry Horse Dam when the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation placed more than one hundred prefabricated buildings at the site to house workers.[2] In 1948, Flathead County commissioners changed the name of the newly formed "Damtown" to Hungry Horse.[3] The name comes from a local legend about two horses, Tex and Jerry, that escaped and almost starved to death in deep snow along the South Fork of the Flathead River.[4]
Hungry Horse is located in central Flathead County at 48.3847°N -114.0647°W (48.384609, -114.064849),[5] at the confluence of the Flathead River and its South Fork. Bad Rock Canyon lies less than one mile to the west of Hungry Horse.
U.S. Route 2 passes through Hungry Horse, leading northeast 10miles to West Glacier and southwest to Kalispell. West Side Road leads southeast from town up the South Fork valley 4miles to Hungry Horse Dam and its reservoir.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the Hungry Horse CDP has a total area of 3.8km2, of which 3.7km2 is land and 0.1km2, or 3.61%, is water.[6]
As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 934 people, 346 households, and 237 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 506sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 404 housing units at an average density of 218.9sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.86% White, 2.14% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.43% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 2.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.71% of the population.
There were 346 households, out of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.20.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 30.3% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.6 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $26,550, and the median income for a family was $28,523. Males had a median income of $30,197 versus $16,607 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $10,530. About 18.1% of families and 29.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.3% of those under age 18 and 19.8% of those age 65 or over.
In 2010, the census reported 826 people.[8]