St. Mary River Bridge & Siphon, Spanning St. Mary River
Babb’s story
121 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper and 2 maps from 1901 on.
- 1905Babb is settled
BabbMT
A town of 223, settled in 1905.
Lee Creek Snowshoe Cabin · Photo: National Park Service inventory · Public domain
Population
223
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$188K
Census ACS
Median age
32.3
years
Land area
10 sq mi
Is Babb a good place to live?
Babb’s midsummer high is 76°F, below both Montana’s towns (85°F) and U.S. towns (85°F). No town among the 43 in Montana we compare has a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Babb. Babb has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
223 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby attractions
All 8 attractions →Saint Mary Lake and 5 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Babb. Close and well known come first.
15 mi LakeSaint Mary Lake
22 mi MountainTriple Divide Peak
22 mi Park & preserveWaterton-Glacier International Peace Park5 mi National ParkGlacier National Park3.1M visitors a year
18 mi MuseumLogan Pass Visitor Center
10 mi MuseumSaint Mary Visitor Center, Entrance Station and Checking StationsSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Saint Mary Lake: Ken Thomas (talk · contribs), Public domain · Triple Divide Peak: Eggbones, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park: Jesse Allen, NASA Earth Observatory, using data obtained courtesy of the Univers, Public domain · Logan Pass Visitor Center: Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Saint Mary Visitor Center, Entrance Station and Checking Stations: National Park Service inventory, Public domain
Getting set up
Moving to Babb: who provides what
Babb is unincorporated, so Glacier County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerNorthWestern Energy14.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPiegan Border Station water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesGlacier CountyGlacier County provides services here
SchoolsBrowning Elementary School DistrictBrowning High School District2 districts serve Babb; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteIn personMontana has no online registration; you can register in person up to and including Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereGlacier County Election AdministratorGlacier County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2024
ZIP code5941159411 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Babb.
Schools
The schools Babb’s kids attend
Its one school is below. The public schools here belong to the Browning Elementary District.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Babb SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 14 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
76°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–33°
Spring27–49°
Summer44–72°
Fall30–52°
Sep 5
typical first frost
Jun 12
typical last frost
+2.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
76°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Babb stands out in Montana and nationally: a larger share of its adults smoke cigarettes
Babb: 20% of adults report frequent physical distress, where Montana’s towns sit at 14% and U.S. towns at 14%. For adults here, the share who sleep under 7 hours is 40%. Only 3 of the 42 Montana towns we compare have a higher share of adults who get no exercise outside work than Babb. CDC measures, 32 in all: Babb beats Montana on 1 and trails on 20.
| Babb | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 14% | 14% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 12% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 18% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Montana
1 better11 too close to call20 worse
| What stands out | Babb | MT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.1% | 9.3% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 28.9% | 11.7% |
P H S Indian Hospital at Browning - Blackfeet
20.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: moderate risk in Babb, mostly cold waves
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in nearly three fifths of U.S. communities. One declared disaster, in 2011, has brought federal aid to Babb households. 41% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from cold waves, followed by inland flooding at 35%.
59risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingAvalanches
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Outdoors
0% of Babb is conserved land
8.7 miles of trail. Babb’s trail density is 0.9 miles per square mile.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 6,071 acres
8.7 mi
of trails · 0.9 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Babb
16pages on Babb
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Babb; the nearest are
Blackfeet Community CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Browning30.7 mi$3,610 tuitionFlathead Valley Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Kalispell60.7 mi$4,912 in-state tuitionSalish Kootenai CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Pablo94.1 mi$4,311 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Babb residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Montana.
About Babb
Place in Montana, United States
Babb is an unincorporated farming and ranching community in Glacier County, Montana, United States, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. The community experiences a large influx of tourists in the summer months as it is the gateway to the Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Babb as a census-designated place (CDP). As of the 2020 census, Babb had a population of 130. Community infrastructure includes one school (Babb Elementary School), a U.S. Post Office, a fire station that houses the Babb/St. Mary Volunteer Fire Department, Thronson's General Store and Motel, several restaurants, two churches, and a gas station.…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1905
- Area
- 9.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 4,524 ft
- ZIP code
- 59411
Questions about Babb
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Babb, MT a good place to live?
Babb has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.