The Lee M. Ford House is a historic house in Great Falls, Montana. It was designed in the Prairie School and American Craftsman styles by architect H. N. Black, and built by C. O. Jarl in 1908. Ford was the son of Robert S.

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25 on the National Register · 1 National Historic Landmark · #10 in MTHistoric places →

Know Great Falls

The town at a glance, and the guide to how things work

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About Great Falls

City and county seat in Montana, US

1883Established

60,442Population

23.4 sq miArea

3,330 ftElevation

Great Falls is the third most populous city in the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Cascade County. The population was 60,442 according to the 2020 census. The city covers an area of 22.9 square miles (59 km2) and is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County. The Great Falls MSA's population was 84,414 according to the 2020 census. A cultural, commercial and financial center in the central part of the state, Great Falls is located just east of the Rocky Mountains and is bisected by the Missouri River. It is 180 miles (290 km) from the eastern entrance to Glacier National Park in northern Montana, and 26…

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Great Falls ranks

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#14Cheapest rent in MT #15Shortest commute in MT #17Most walkable in MT All MT rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code59401, 59403, 59404

Area code406

Living in Great Falls

Housing in Great Falls

$340K▲ 3% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Great Falls home is worth about $340,000, up 3% in a year, 28% below the Montana typical home.

A seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market48

Sold in May65

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Great Falls

Safety Grade D

Great Falls reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 94% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Great Falls 6.3

Montana 4.2

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Great Falls 36.4

Montana 14.7

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Work & commute in Great Falls

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69% of Great Falls’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Helena (4%), Billings (2%) and Missoula (2%). Half commute less than 3 miles.

Helena

Billings

Missoula

Bozeman

69%Work in townlive and work in Great Falls 3 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 28,671Jobs based herebalanced

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Great Falls →

Health in Great Falls

C⁺

Health Grade C+

Healthier than 44% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates, and 64% of towns with similar incomes.

Compared with Montana

10worse than MT

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 22 are too close to call.

Conditions 4▼ 8 close Habits 2▼ 2 close Care all close Mind 2▼ 3 close Everyday needs 2▼ 2 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

14%More adults facing food insecurityMT 11.7% · worse 24.1%More adults who get no exerciseMT 20.6% · worse 7.6%More adults facing a utility shut-offMT 6.5% · worse

Care nearby

Benefis HospitalsGreat Falls · 1.9 mi · ER

Community Health Care Center @ CchdGreat Falls · 0.1 mi · sliding-scale fees

2 hospitals · 1 health center in Great Falls →

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalNo shortage

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Great Falls · CMS · HRSAHealth in Great Falls →

Natural hazards in Great Falls

Moderate

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 48% of U.S. communities.

🥶 Cold waves🌊 Inland flooding❄️ Winter weather

53Does Great Falls flood?paid flood claims since 1978 1Disasters that paid out herefederal disaster sent FEMA money to Great Falls MapGreat Falls vs. its neighborsnearby towns shaded by rating

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Great Falls →

Climate in Great Falls

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Great Falls has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 66 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

36° / 14°Winter

56° / 30°Spring

81° / 49°Summer

58° / 32°Fall

How much snow does Great Falls get?About 66 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Sep 24, with the last in spring around May 19.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+1.4° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Great Falls →

Schools in Great Falls

All Great Falls schools →

School Grade B

The public schools Great Falls’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 55% of Montana’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.

#19Best public schoolsof 40 in MT

DistrictGreat Falls ElemSchools24

Meadow Lark School A+Elementary · Grades PK–6 · 527 students Riverview School AElementary · Grades PK–6 · 445 students Giant Springs Elementary C+Elementary · Grades PK–6 · 431 students West Elementary C-Elementary · Grades PK–6 · 421 students Sacajawea School B+Elementary · Grades PK–6 · 405 students Sunnyside School BElementary · Grades PK–6 · 396 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within MT. Ratings are from neighbors.

Colleges in Great Falls

Colleges →

of Great Falls’s residents are enrolled in college. Great Falls College Montana State University has about 809 students on campus, and 1 more college is in town.

OpenHow hard to get in?admission rate $12,468What does it cost?net price a year 34%Do students finish?graduation rate

College Scorecard · IPEDSColleges in Great Falls →