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Townsend

A city of 1,967 people in Montana
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Now in Townsend

What’s happening this week

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What’s happening

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Weather

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Around town

The places and views that make it Townsend

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Outdoors in Townsend

Parks & trails →
Map of Townsend: conserved land, trails and the top places to walk
Conserved land13%131 of 975 acres
Trails0.9 mi0.6 mi per sq mi
Parks & preserves467 conserved acres per 1,000 residents

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

USA 017 NP1952
From Townsend’s story

USA 017 NP, 1952

Photo · Wikimedia Commons

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Know Townsend

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

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About Townsend

City in Montana, United States
1883Established
1,787Population
1.5 sq miArea
3,842 ftElevation

Townsend is a city in and the county seat of Broadwater County, Montana, United States. The population was 1,787 at the 2020 census.

Official town website ↗

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

Town numbers

ZIP code59644
Area code406
Living in Townsend

Housing in Townsend

$452K≈ same as a year ago Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Townsend home is worth about $452,000, about the same as a year ago, close to the Montana typical home.

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Work & commute in Townsend

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About one in 4 of Townsend’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Helena (16%), Bozeman (7%) and Wheatland (4%). Half commute less than 31 miles.

Helena
16%
Bozeman
7%
Wheatland
4%
Missoula
3%
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Townsend →

Health in Townsend

C+

Health Grade C+

Healthier than 41% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates.

Compared with Montana

2better than MT·10worse

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 20 are too close to call.

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

Care nearby

Billings Clinic BroadwaterTownsend · 0.2 mi · ER · rural critical access
Pureview Health CenterHelena · 29.7 mi · sliding-scale fees
Primary careShortage · county-wide
DentalNo shortage
Mental healthShortage · county-wide
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Townsend · CMS · HRSAHealth in Townsend →

Natural hazards in Townsend

78
High

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 78% of U.S. communities.

🏚️ Earthquakes🌊 Inland flooding🥶 Cold waves
FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Townsend →

Climate in Townsend

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Townsend has cold winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 24 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

35° / 14°Winter
57° / 31°Spring
81° / 49°Summer
59° / 32°Fall
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Townsend →

Schools in Townsend

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B

School Grade B

The public schools Townsend’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.

DistrictTownsend K-12 SchoolsSchools3

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.

Townsend’s library

Library details →
Broadwater School and Community Library201 N Spruce St. · part of Broadwater School and Community Library
Fine-freeE-books39 hrs a week
IMLS Public Libraries Survey · FY2024Broadwater School and Community Library →

Famous people from Townsend

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How things work in Townsend

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The coffee’s on

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01