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Charles and Gladys Pelton HouseCharles and Gladys Pelton House · Photo: 25or6to4 · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Fishtail handbook

Living in Fishtail, MT: what to set up and who to call

Fishtail has no town government of its own, so Stillwater County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Absarokee High School District. The ER is a drive from Fishtail: the closest is Stillwater Billings Clinic, 18.6 miles away.

Which school will my kid attend?How do I register to vote?ZIP codes
Fishtail has no town government. It’s a census-designated place in Stillwater County, so the county and regional agencies provide most services. This page answers what we can; the same answers appear on Fishtail’s town page under “Getting set up”.

I’m new in town

What to set up in Fishtail, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.

PowerNorthWestern Energyinvestor-owned utility · 14.4¢/kWhMore →Internet1 providers8% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsMore →Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Fishtail’s trash rules yetMore →SchoolAbsarokee High and Fishtail Elementary districtsWhich school depends on grade and addressMore →Register to voteIn personRules from vote.govMore →ZIP code59028Where people live, not P.O. boxesMore →
Home services

Power, water and internet

Who to call to start service at a new address in Fishtail.

Electricity

Power comes from NorthWestern Energy

NorthWestern Energy (NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT)), an investor-owned utility, serves 98.5% of Fishtail residents. Its homes paid an average of 14.4¢ per kWh in 2025, about $102 a month (its average across Montana, for customers on its standard service). Montana lets you buy power from another supplier; 0% of NorthWestern Energy’s home customers do, and NorthWestern Energy still delivers it.

Start or move service: northwesternenergy.com · (888) 467-2669

Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.

Internet

1 home internet providers serve Fishtail

8% of 55 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 8% can get fiber.

ProviderTechnologyAddressesFastest (Mbps)
NemontDSL, Fiber96%1,000/1,000

FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.

Trash & recycling

We don’t have Fishtail’s trash rules yet

Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Fishtail.

Trash, recycling and bulk pickupNot on fileFishtail has no town government of its own, so look for trash and recycling rules on the county’s site.
Schools

Where your child goes to school

Public school districts and the school path by grade.

Fishtail kids go to
PK–8Fishtail SchoolFishtail Elementary School District
9–12Absarokee High Schoolin Absarokee

Fishtail is in two districts that split the grades: Absarokee High School District and Fishtail Elementary School District.

Test scores and every school: see Schools →

U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.

Government & voting

No town hall: the county runs things

Fishtail is unincorporated, so Stillwater County is the local government.

Local governmentStillwater CountyFishtail is a census-designated place: no town hall of its ownCensus
Who runs elections hereStillwater County Election AdministratorElections here are run by Stillwater County (county election office). Box 149, Columbus, MT 59019-0149 · (406) 322-8000 · [email protected]FVAP, Jul 2019
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.govCheck your registration and polling placeprodvoterportal.mt.govThe state’s voter lookup

Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jul 2019; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

ZIP codes & area codes

Fishtail is in ZIP code 59028

ZIP codes where Fishtail residents live, with the share of the town in each.

ZIPPost office nameShare of FishtailZIP’s residents in Fishtail
59028Fishtail, MT100%16%

Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.

Everyday places

Getting around, the ER and the library

One line each; the subject pages have the rest.

Nearest emergency roomStillwater Billings Clinic18.6 miles awayGet a library cardStillwater County Library27 N 4th St. · (406) 322-5009

ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.

Questions about living in Fishtail

Who provides electricity in Fishtail?

NorthWestern Energy (NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT)), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 14.4¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).

What internet providers serve Fishtail?

Nemont (FCC, as of December 2025).

What ZIP codes are in Fishtail?

59028. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.

What school district is Fishtail in?

Absarokee High School District and Fishtail Elementary School District.

How do I register to vote in Fishtail?

Montana has no online registration; you can register in person up to and including Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before). Elections here are run by the Stillwater County Election Administrator. Check your registration at prodvoterportal.mt.gov.

Sources & dates

Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.

  • Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
  • Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
  • ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
  • Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
  • Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
  • Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
  • Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.