| Montana Highway 83 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by MDT | ||||
| Length: | 91 mi (146 km) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end: | MT 200, at Clearwater Junction | |||
| North end: | MT 35, north of Bigfork | |||
| Location | ||||
| Counties: | Flathead, Lake, Missoula | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Highway 83 in the U.S. State of Montana is a route running northerly from an intersection with Montana Highway 200 at Clearwater Junction, about 40 miles (64 km) east of Missoula. The route extends some 91 miles (146 km), mostly through broad, forested valleys and along scenic lakeshores, before ending at an intersection with Montana Highway 35 about 3 miles (4.8 km) north of the town of Bigfork. The region is sparsely settled, with small communities economically dependent on a mixture of logging and tourism. The largest community along the route is Seeley Lake, about 15 miles (24 km) north of Clearwater Junction.
Before receiving its current designation, the southerly 84 miles (135 km) of Highway 83 were a part of Montana Secondary Highway 209, and the northernmost 7 miles (11 km) were designated as Secondary Highway 326. A small segment of Secondary 209 survives under its original designation, between Bigfork and a junction with the current Highway 83 near Ferndale. (The Secondary 326 designation was later reused on an unrelated highway in southeastern Carter County, Montana.)