Fort Benton · National Register of Historic Places
Fort Benton’s story
159 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1883.
8 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1867Fort Benton is settled
Fort BentonMT
A town of 1,416, settled in 1867. 2.5 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Montana town.
Photo: J.B. Chandler · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,416
2025 Census estimate · −2.7% since 2020
Typical home
$284K
+7.6% in a year
Household income
$67K
median
Median age
42.7
years
Jobs based here
540
Balanced
Is Fort Benton a good place to live?
The best of Fort Benton’s subject grades are an A+ for schools and civic life and an A for walkability; the weakest is a D for hazard risk. 44% of working residents work locally in Fort Benton, where Montana’s towns sit at 39% and U.S. towns at 8%. Among 26 Montana towns, just 1 have a lower property crime rate than Fort Benton. Fort Benton’s trail density is 2.5 miles per square mile, above both the Montana town median (0.6) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Only 6 of Montana’s 95 towns score higher on the outdoors. Fort Benton has 8 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Fort Benton and Grand Union Hotel. Fort Benton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Fort Benton stand out
Where Fort Benton beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Fort Benton24.4
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical MT town9.7
Civic lifeA+
2.5 times the nonprofits per person
than the typical Montana town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Fort Benton Elem schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Benton School | PK–6 | 162 |
| Fort Benton 7-8 | 7–8 | 44 |
| Fort Benton High School | 9–12 | 112 |
SchoolsA+
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
Small town
1,416 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Fort Benton grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Montana), ordered by how far Fort Benton is from typical.
SchoolsA+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.1 of 20; 0.5% of households have no car; 10.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitAOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →HealthMissouri River Medical Center 1 miles awayB+Open →Jobs & income$67K median household income; 540 jobs based hereC+Open →Cost of livingC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors18% conserved landA+Open →History5 notable people born hereB+Open →Civic life24.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 42.7; 30% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Fort Benton: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Fort Benton, and how to reach them.
PowerNorthWestern Energy14.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Fort Benton water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpFort Benton Recycles Drop-OffIn townOpenStreetMap
SchoolsFort Benton Elementary School DistrictFort Benton High School District2 districts serve Fort Benton; 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 hereChouteau County Election AdministratorChouteau County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jan 2025
ZIP code5944259442 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 Fort Benton.
SchoolsA+
Fort Benton’s schools rank ahead of 98% of Montana districts
Its public schools are run by the Fort Benton Elementary District. Its three schools are below.
98%of MT districts it outscoresA+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Benton SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 162 | A+ |
| Fort Benton High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 112 | A− |
| Fort Benton 7-8Top results in townGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 44 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MT on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade C+
The typical home in Fort Benton is valued at about $284K
The typical Fort Benton home is worth about $284,000, up 7.6% in a year, 39% below the Montana typical home. Fort Benton’s median rent is $736 a month.
$284KZillow home value
| Fort Benton | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 80% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $736 a month | $1,000 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Fort Benton$284K
Montana$467K
+7.6%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Inland flooding leads a very high hazard risk in Fort Benton
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 80% of U.S. communities.
80risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesAvalanches
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
Older than Montana overall
People 65 and older are 32% of residents (20% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 11% of residents (22% statewide). 26% of Fort Benton residents are under 18. Fort Benton has lost 2.7% of its people since 2020, down to 1,416 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
42.7median age · MT 40.4
| Fort Benton | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 26% | 22% | 22% |
| Median age | 42.7 years | 38.9 years | 40.5 years |
Fort BentonMontanaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
19%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school38%
Some college22%
Associate’s7%
Bachelor’s22%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.9 points. Across Montana, 49.3% of residents are women.
| Fort Benton | MT | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 16.5% | 11% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.3% | 10% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0.5% | 9% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.3% | 12.9% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15% | 12.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6.2% | 11.1% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.2% | 13% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 18.5% | 12.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 13.6% | 7.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.6% | 5.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 37.9% | 27.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.6% | 22.4% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.7% | 9.6% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.8% | 23.2% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.4% | 12% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,400, single groups can be off by several points
18.3%conserved
18.3%
conserved · 268 of 1,464 acres
5.8 mi
of trails · 2.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Old Fort Park | 0.1 mi | 10 |
| 2. Sunset Park | — | 10 |
| 3. Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HealthB+
Fort Benton ranks healthier than 67% of the country’s towns
Fort Benton beats the Montana average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 15% of adults report frequent mental distress in Fort Benton. Only 1 of the 42 Montana towns we compare have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Fort Benton.
67%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Fort Benton | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 72% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 20% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 25% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Montana
5 better22 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Fort Benton | MT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.1% | 6.5% |
| Fewer adults without reliable transportation | 5.9% | 7.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.8% | 9.3% |
Missouri River Medical Center
1 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
In Fort Benton, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Fort Benton has cold, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 87°, January nights drop to 10° and about 38 inches of snow falls in a winter.
38″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter12–36°
Spring31–58°
Summer51–83°
Fall31–60°
Sep 22
typical first frost
May 15
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
A job hub: Fort Benton has 1.2 jobs for every working resident and draws in 339 commuters
The average trip to work in Fort Benton is 14 minutes. Among 43 Montana towns, just 2 have a lower share of residents below the poverty line than Fort Benton. The top destinations are Great Falls (12%), Billings (3%) and Bozeman (2%).
44%work in town
| Fort Benton | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 3% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $67,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Fort Benton44%
Great Falls12%
Billings3%
Bozeman2%
Helena2%
18 mi
median commute distance
540
jobs based in Fort Benton
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 87% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Safety
Crime reported in Fort Benton
Fort Benton's reported crime rate is well below Montana's. 7 violent crimes were reported in 2022.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Fort Benton4.6
Montana4.3
U.S.4
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Fort Benton3.3
Montana19.8
U.S.20
7
violent crimes reported in 2022
5
property crimes reported in 2022
FBI crime data, 2022 · crimes reported to police
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Fort Benton
20pages on Fort Benton
The big questions
SchoolsA+Beat 98% of MT districts · 3 schoolsSafety4.6 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2022)HealthB+Better than MT on 5 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingC+$284K typical home · up 7.6% in a yearWork & commuteC+$67K median household income · 540 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 80% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Fort Benton; the nearest are
University of ProvidenceUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Great Falls36.9 mi$30,448 tuitionGreat Falls College Montana State UniversityCommunity college · Public · Great Falls37.1 mi$4,028 in-state tuitionStone Child CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Box Elder48.3 mi$3,610 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Fort Benton residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Montana.
Landmarks
8 places in Fort Benton on the National Register of Historic Places.
Famous people from Fort Benton
5 notable people were born in Fort Benton.
About Fort Benton
City in Montana, United States
Fort Benton is a city in and the county seat of Chouteau County, Montana, United States. Established in 1846, Fort Benton is the oldest continuously occupied settlement in Montana. Fort Benton was the most upstream navigable port on the Mississippi River System, and is considered "the world’s innermost port". The city's waterfront area, the most important aspect of its 19th century growth, was designated the Fort Benton Historic District, a National Historic Landmark, in 1961. The population was 1,449 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,621 ft
- ZIP code
- 59442
- Area code
- 406
Questions about Fort Benton
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Fort Benton, MT a good place to live?
2.5 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Montana town.
Is Fort Benton, MT expensive?
That is 4.9 years of the area's median household income ($58,218 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
What is Fort Benton, MT known for?
5 notable people were born here, including Denise Curry and Roy Carrington Kirtland.