Chinook, Montana
Chinook | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Location of Chinook, Montana | |
| Coordinates: 48°35′N 109°14′W / 48.583°N 109.233°WCoordinates: 48°35′N 109°14′W / 48.583°N 109.233°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Montana |
| County | Blaine |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.52 sq mi (1.35 km2) |
| • Land | 0.52 sq mi (1.35 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,428 ft (740 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 1,185 |
| • Density | 2,278.85/sq mi (877.78/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP codes | 59523, 59535 |
| Area code(s) | 406 |
| FIPS code | 30-14575 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0769848 |
| Website | cityofchinook |
Chinook is a city in and the county seat of Blaine County, Montana, United States.[3] The population was 1,185 at the 2020 census.[2] Points of interest are the Bear Paw Battlefield Museum located in the small town's center and the Bear Paw Battlefield, located twenty miles south of Chinook.
Name[]
The city is named for the Chinook wind, a warm wind on eastern side of the Rocky Mountains.[4] Its Gros Ventre name is ʔaasíccóóútaanʔɔ, meaning 'thinker town'. It is said to be named after Thinker, a half-Assiniboine, half-white man and general store manager whose English name was Thomas O'Hanlon.[5] O'Hanlon founded the town in 1871.[6]
Geography[]
Chinook is located at 48°35′N 109°14′W / 48.583°N 109.233°W (48.5894, -109.2321).[7] U.S. Route 2 cuts through town. The Milk River flows south of town.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.51 square miles (1.32 km2), all land.[8]
Demographics[]
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 780 | — | |
| 1920 | 1,217 | 56.0% | |
| 1930 | 1,320 | 8.5% | |
| 1940 | 2,051 | 55.4% | |
| 1950 | 2,307 | 12.5% | |
| 1960 | 2,326 | 0.8% | |
| 1970 | 1,813 | −22.1% | |
| 1980 | 1,660 | −8.4% | |
| 1990 | 1,512 | −8.9% | |
| 2000 | 1,386 | −8.3% | |
| 2010 | 1,203 | −13.2% | |
| 2020 | 1,185 | −1.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9][2] | |||
2010 census[]
As of the census[10] of 2010, there were 1,203 people, 599 households, and 313 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,358.8 inhabitants per square mile (910.7/km2). There were 697 housing units at an average density of 1,366.7 per square mile (527.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 88.4% White, 9.3% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.2% of the population.
There were 599 households, of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.9% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 47.7% were non-families. 43.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.01 and the average family size was 2.79.
The median age in the city was 46.7 years. 21.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.4% were from 25 to 44; 29.1% were from 45 to 64; and 23.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.9% male and 51.1% female.
2000 census[]
As of the census[11] of 2000, there were 1,386 people, 657 households, and 375 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,693.2 people per square mile (1,049.3/km2). There were 732 housing units at an average density of 1,422.4 per square mile (554.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 91.34% White, 0.36% African American, 6.35% "Native American", 0.07% Asian, 0.29% from other races, and 1.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.58% of the population.
There were 657 households, out of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.9% were non-families. 39.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.6% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 23.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,461, and the median income for a family was $35,577. Males had a median income of $26,667 versus $20,179 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,038. About 12.1% of families and 17.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.8% of those under age 18 and 20.1% of those age 65 or over.
Climate[]
Chinook experiences a semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk) with long, cold, dry winters and hot, wetter summers.
| Climate data for Chinook, Montana | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 67 (19) |
75 (24) |
82 (28) |
92 (33) |
96 (36) |
104 (40) |
105 (41) |
109 (43) |
104 (40) |
90 (32) |
79 (26) |
66 (19) |
109 (43) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 25.9 (−3.4) |
33.4 (0.8) |
45.1 (7.3) |
58.9 (14.9) |
69.1 (20.6) |
77.8 (25.4) |
84.0 (28.9) |
83.7 (28.7) |
72.1 (22.3) |
59.2 (15.1) |
40.3 (4.6) |
29.7 (−1.3) |
56.6 (13.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 12.7 (−10.7) |
19.8 (−6.8) |
30.9 (−0.6) |
44.4 (6.9) |
55.0 (12.8) |
63.9 (17.7) |
68.6 (20.3) |
67.6 (19.8) |
55.4 (13.0) |
43.2 (6.2) |
26.9 (−2.8) |
16.7 (−8.5) |
42.1 (5.6) |
| Average low °F (°C) | −0.5 (−18.1) |
6.2 (−14.3) |
16.7 (−8.5) |
29.9 (−1.2) |
40.8 (4.9) |
49.9 (9.9) |
53.1 (11.7) |
51.4 (10.8) |
38.6 (3.7) |
27.2 (−2.7) |
13.4 (−10.3) |
3.7 (−15.7) |
27.5 (−2.5) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −50 (−46) |
−44 (−42) |
−36 (−38) |
−10 (−23) |
11 (−12) |
28 (−2) |
36 (2) |
29 (−2) |
13 (−11) |
−24 (−31) |
−38 (−39) |
−50 (−46) |
−50 (−46) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.54 (14) |
0.32 (8.1) |
0.56 (14) |
0.99 (25) |
2.29 (58) |
2.29 (58) |
1.66 (42) |
1.34 (34) |
1.43 (36) |
0.66 (17) |
0.47 (12) |
0.51 (13) |
13.06 (331.1) |
| Source 1: NOAA (normals, 1971–2000) [12] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: The Weather Channel (Records) [13] | |||||||||||||
Infrastructure[]
is located 1 mile west of Chinook.
Chinook High School Sugarbeeters[]
Chinook High School experienced national notoriety when a USA today contest was held to discover the nation's oddest mascot. Chinook's mascot, the Sugarbeeter, finished third in the voting and has since been the topic of multiple articles.
Chinook has been home to the Sugarbeeters ever since the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company, which had a factory in the town, helped purchase the jerseys for the boys' basketball team in 1929. Ever since the team made their debut in the jerseys, which presented a Sugarbeet logo on the front, the nickname has been fully adopted.[14]
Education[]
Chinook Public Schools serves students from kindergarten to 12th grade.[15] Chinook High School is a Class C school (less than 108 students) which helps determine athletic competitions.[16]
Chinook is home to the Blaine County Library.[17]
Notable people[]
- Elliott Blackstone, sergeant of the San Francisco Police Department and longtime advocate for LGBT rights.
- Chet Blaylock, former member of the Montana State Senate, taught at a school in the city.
- U.S. Grant Sharp, Jr., former United States Navy four star admiral and Commander in Chief of the United States Pacific Fleet.
References[]
- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
- ^ a b c "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2015-05-09. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ "Chinook Area Chamber of Commerce". Retrieved 2020-03-19.
Our town's name comes from an Indian word meaning "warm wind," and it is this wind, melting the snow in January and February, that makes it possible for cattle to reach the rich grasses and survive.
- ^ Cowell, A.; Taylor, A.; Brockie, T. (2016). "Gros Ventre ethnogeography and place names: A diachronic perspective". Anthropological Linguistics. 58 (2): 132–170. doi:10.1353/anl.2016.0025. S2CID 151520012.
- ^ "Chinook". Montana Place Names Companion. Montana Historical Society. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2012-01-25. Retrieved 2012-12-18.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-12-18.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Climatography of the United States NO.81" (PDF). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2014. Retrieved January 15, 2011.
- ^ "Monthly Averages for Chinook, MT". The Weather Channel. Retrieved January 15, 2011.
- ^ "Why is Chinook known for sugar beets? Here's a history lesson". Great Falls Tribune. Retrieved 2018-04-04.
- ^ "Chinook Public Schools". Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- ^ "Member Schools". Montana High School Association. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
- ^ "Blaine County Library". Retrieved 12 April 2021.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chinook, Montana. |
Municipalities and communities of Blaine County, Montana, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Other community | ||
| Indian reservations | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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- Cities in Blaine County, Montana
- County seats in Montana
- Chinook Jargon place names
- Cities in Montana