| Choteau, Montana | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Aerial view of Choteau | |
| Location of Choteau, Montana | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Montana |
| County | Teton |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.8 sq mi (4.6 km2) |
| • Land | 1.8 sq mi (4.6 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,819 ft (1,164 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 1,781 |
| • Density | 994.3/sq mi (383.9/km2) |
| Time zone | Mountain (MST) (UTC-7) |
| • Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) |
| ZIP code | 59422 |
| Area code(s) | 406 |
| FIPS code | 30-14650 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0800592 |
Choteau is a city in and the county seat of Teton County, Montana, United States.[1] It lies along U.S. Routes 89 and 287 (the latter terminating at the former in this city) about 20 miles (32 km) east of the Rocky Mountains, near Flathead National Forest, the Rocky Mountain Division of Lewis and Clark National Forest, and Glacier National Park. The population was 1,781 at the 2000 census. The Montana town is named for French fur-trapper and explorer Pierre Chouteau, Jr., who is also the namesake of Chouteau County, Montana (county seat: Fort Benton).
Contents |
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2), all land. The Teton River runs nearby, although for some distance upstream of Choteau it is dry during much of the year.
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 1,781 people, 807 households, and 464 families residing in the city. The population density was 994.3 people per square mile (383.9/km2). There were 897 housing units at an average density of 500.8 per square mile (193.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.94% White, 0.06% African American, 2.92% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.22% from other races, and 2.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.18% of the population.
There were 807 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.4% were non-families. 39.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 21.4% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 25.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there ware 86.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,708, and the median income for a family was $35,655. Males had a median income of $22,429 versus $17,098 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,999. About 12.7% of families and 17.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.2% of those under the age of 18 and 12.5% of those 65 and older.
Choteau's mayor is Jay Dunckel.
Choteau has made national news in the U.S. because it is the town nearest to a 2,700-acre (11 km2) ranch that David Letterman purchased in 1999 as a vacation home. Letterman has talked about the ranch on his late-night show and showed photos of a black bear invading the place in September 2003.
On his first show after the attacks of September 11, 2001, Letterman gave an impassioned monologue about New York City in the aftermath. He concluded the now-famous 7-minute speech by mentioning Choteau's rally to raise money for victims of the attacks, despite the long drought there.[3]
On March 19, 2009, Letterman married his girlfriend of 23 years at the Teton County Courthouse in Choteau.[4]
In 2008, school authorities in Choteau made national news headlines by canceling a speaking engagement by Nobel laureate climate researcher Steve Running, who was scheduled to speak to local high school students.[5]
Choteau experiences a semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk) with cold, dry winters and hot, wetter summers.
| Climate data for Choteau | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 75 (24) |
72 (22) |
82 (28) |
86 (30) |
92 (33) |
97 (36) |
105 (41) |
106 (41) |
96 (36) |
90 (32) |
80 (27) |
78 (26) |
106 (41) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 33.7 (0.9) |
39.2 (4.0) |
46.3 (7.9) |
56.0 (13.3) |
65.3 (18.5) |
73.7 (23.2) |
81.0 (27.2) |
80.9 (27.2) |
70.3 (21.3) |
59.4 (15.2) |
42.5 (5.8) |
35.7 (2.1) |
57.00 (13.89) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 23.5 (−4.7) |
28.3 (−2.1) |
35.1 (1.7) |
43.9 (6.6) |
52.8 (11.6) |
60.8 (16.0) |
66.4 (19.1) |
66.0 (18.9) |
56.5 (13.6) |
47.1 (8.4) |
33.1 (0.6) |
25.9 (−3.4) |
44.95 (7.19) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 13.2 (−10.4) |
17.4 (−8.1) |
23.8 (−4.6) |
31.7 (−0.2) |
40.2 (4.6) |
47.8 (8.8) |
51.7 (10.9) |
51.0 (10.6) |
42.7 (5.9) |
34.7 (1.5) |
23.6 (−4.7) |
16.1 (−8.8) |
32.83 (0.46) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −44 (−42) |
−50 (−46) |
−36 (−38) |
−16 (−27) |
8 (−13) |
28 (−2) |
28 (−2) |
29 (−2) |
−5 (−21) |
−15 (−26) |
−30 (−34) |
−43 (−42) |
−50 (−46) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) | 0.25 (6.4) |
0.19 (4.8) |
0.34 (8.6) |
0.72 (18.3) |
2.00 (50.8) |
2.15 (54.6) |
1.31 (33.3) |
1.38 (35.1) |
0.99 (25.1) |
0.52 (13.2) |
0.25 (6.4) |
0.22 (5.6) |
10.32 (262.1) |
| Source no. 1: NOAA (normals, 1971-2000) [6] | |||||||||||||
| Source no. 2: The Weather Channel (Records) [7] | |||||||||||||
Choteau is near one of the most important paleontology sites in the world, Egg Mountain.[8] The Old Trail Museum in Choteau is home to the Maiasaura type fossil, which is the Montana State Fossil. The 3-D display can be viewed during the summer operating season. Also showcased is the Egg Mountain find along with a commentary on the significance to the paleontology world.[9] [10]
Choteau Public Schools serves all grades of children in the community. Choteau High School received a 2009 Best High School Bronze Award recognition from US News and World Report for its excellence in education.[11]
The elementary school has 350 students in grades K-8 while the high school has 162 students in grades 9-12.[12]
|
||||||||||||||||||||