Sanders County is a county in Montana, United States, along the Clark Fork River in the northwest corner of the state. It had a population of 12,400 at the 2020 census and covers 2,790 square miles (7,200 km2) centred near 47°40′N 115°08′W.
Thompson Falls is the county seat, and its postal code is 59873. The county has one incorporated city, two incorporated towns, and a scattering of unincorporated communities and census-designated places, all in the Mountain time zone. Montana has no civil townships, so places here are organized directly under the county.
Towns & Villages in Sanders County
Sanders County has three incorporated municipalities — Thompson Falls (the seat), Plains, and Hot Springs — plus a set of unincorporated communities and census-designated places (CDPs) scattered along the Clark Fork valley and its tributaries. CDP = a Census Bureau-defined populated place with no local government; Unincorp. = a named place with no CDP boundary.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thompson Falls | City · seat | 1,336 | 59873 |
| Plains | Town | 1,106 | 59859 |
| Hot Springs | Town | 557 | 59845 |
| Noxon | CDP | — | 59853 |
| Trout Creek | CDP | — | 59874 |
| Paradise | CDP | — | 59856 |
| Camas | CDP | — | — |
| Camas Prairie | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Heron | CDP | — | 59844 |
| Lonepine | CDP | — | 59848 |
| Sčilíp (Dixon) | CDP | — | 59831 |
| Belknap | CDP | — | — |
| Perma | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Niarada | Unincorp. | — | — |
| White Pine | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Agency | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Old Agency | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Weeksville | Unincorp. | — | — |
Sčilíp is the Séliš-Ql̓ispé (Salish) name that the community formerly known as Dixon officially adopted in 2023; both names refer to the same place on the Flathead Indian Reservation boundary along the Flathead River.
ZIP Codes
- 59873 — Thompson Falls (also serves the surrounding Clark Fork valley)
- 59859 — Plains
- 59845 — Hot Springs
- 59853 — Noxon
- 59874 — Trout Creek (also serves the Huckleberry Capital of Montana events)
- 59844 — Heron
- 59831 — Sčilíp (Dixon)
- 59856 — Paradise (PO Box only delivery)
- 59848 — Lonepine
Smaller unincorporated places such as Belknap, Camas, Perma, Niarada and Agency use the ZIP code of their nearest post office town rather than one of their own.
Geography
Sanders County sits in the mountainous northwest corner of Montana, where the Clark Fork River cuts a broad valley between the Cabinet Mountains to the north and the Bitterroot Mountains to the south. Mixed coniferous forest — ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, larch — covers most of the county, and the Flathead Indian Reservation extends into its eastern edge around Perma, Camas and Dixon. Of the county’s 2,790 square miles, 29 square miles (1.1 percent) is water, chiefly the Clark Fork and Noxon Rapids and Cabinet Gorge reservoirs.
Sanders County borders Lincoln County to the north, Flathead County to the northeast, Lake County to the east, Missoula County to the southeast, and Mineral County to the south. To the west and northwest, across the state line, lie Bonner and Shoshone Counties, Idaho.
Demographics
Sanders County had 12,400 residents at the 2020 census, giving a density of about 4.5 people per square mile — among the least densely populated counties in western Montana. Thompson Falls (1,336) and Plains (1,106) are the two largest communities, together holding less than a fifth of the county’s population; most residents live outside any incorporated place. Household income here runs well below the Montana median of $70,804, reflecting the county’s rural, resource-based economy.
Economy & Local Life
Timber, ranching and small-scale tourism anchor the local economy. Sanders County is part of Montana’s historic lumber belt, and hydroelectric power is a major employer: the Noxon Rapids and Cabinet Gorge dams on the Clark Fork River, operated by Avista, sit within or on the county’s border. Thompson Falls itself grew up around a dam and hydro plant on the river. Plains hosts the county’s largest annual gathering, the Sanders County Fair and Rodeo, and Trout Creek promotes itself as the “Huckleberry Capital of Montana” with an annual huckleberry festival each August.
History
Sanders County was created in 1905, carved out of Missoula County, and named for Wilbur Fiske Sanders, a Montana territorial pioneer, vigilante-era prosecutor and one of the state’s first two U.S. senators. The Flathead Indian Reservation, home to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, predates the county and still covers its eastern communities. Thompson Falls was named for early trader and explorer David Thompson, who built a trading post near the falls in 1809.
Getting There
Montana Highway 200 runs the length of the county along the Clark Fork River, linking Thompson Falls, Plains, Trout Creek and Noxon; Montana Highway 28 branches north from Plains toward Hot Springs and Camas.
- Missoula — 65 miles southeast
- Kalispell — 70 miles northeast
- Coeur d’Alene, Idaho — 80 miles west
- Sandpoint, Idaho — 55 miles west
The nearest commercial airport is Missoula International Airport (MSO), about 65 miles from Thompson Falls.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Sanders County?
It is in the northwest corner of Montana, along the Clark Fork River between Missoula and the Idaho border.
What is the population of Sanders County?
12,400 at the 2020 census.
How big is Sanders County?
2,790 square miles (7,200 km2), of which 29 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Sanders County?
Thompson Falls is the county seat.
How many towns are in Sanders County?
Three incorporated places — Thompson Falls, Plains and Hot Springs — plus about a dozen unincorporated communities and census-designated places.
What ZIP codes are in Sanders County?
Nine, including 59873 (Thompson Falls), 59859 (Plains) and 59845 (Hot Springs).
Why was Dixon renamed Sčilíp?
The community on the Flathead Indian Reservation officially adopted its Séliš-Ql̓ispé (Salish) name, Sčilíp, in 2023.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Montana.