Photo: Shadybradyj · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Hinsdale, MT: what to set up and who to call
The latest lead test reported by Hinsdale Water Department, which supplies Hinsdale, came in at 29.0 ppb (Jan 2025–Dec 2027), above the 15 ppb action level. Hinsdale has no town government of its own, so Valley County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Hinsdale Elementary School District.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Hinsdale, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Hinsdale.
Power comes from NorthWestern Energy
NorthWestern Energy (NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT)), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Hinsdale. 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.
Water comes from Hinsdale Water Department
Hinsdale Water Department supplies Hinsdale: about 90% of residents live in its service area. About 10% of homes are outside any mapped community water system, most likely on private wells, which EPA doesn’t regulate. It draws ground water and serves 250 people in all.
1 health-based violation reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a bacteria testing requirement (Revised Total Coliform Rule), beginning Nov 2025. 77% of the 15,074 systems serving 101–500 people had none. 1 older violation is still open, since 2025: a bacteria testing requirement (Revised Total Coliform Rule), per EPA’s records.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2025–Dec 2027, was 29.0 ppb, above the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s higher than 99% of similar systems’ latest results.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. MT0000250.
2 home internet providers serve Hinsdale
37% of 143 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 25% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nemont | DSL, Fiber | 100% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 61% | 300/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Hinsdale’s trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Hinsdale.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Hinsdale is in two districts that split the grades: Hinsdale Elementary School District and Hinsdale High 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.
No town hall: the county runs things
Hinsdale is unincorporated, so Valley County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Jun 2021; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Hinsdale is in ZIP code 59241
ZIP codes where Hinsdale residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Hinsdale | ZIP’s residents in Hinsdale |
|---|---|---|---|
| 59241 | Hinsdale, MT | 100% | 54% |
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Hinsdale
Who supplies Hinsdale’s drinking water, and has it had violations?
Hinsdale Water Department (EPA ID MT0000250). It reported 1 health-based violation to EPA in the five years to October 2026: a bacteria testing requirement (Revised Total Coliform Rule). 77% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 29.0 ppb (Jan 2025–Dec 2027), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Hinsdale?
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 Hinsdale?
Nemont, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Hinsdale?
59241. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Hinsdale in?
Hinsdale Elementary School District and Hinsdale High School District.
How do I register to vote in Hinsdale?
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 Valley County Election Administrator. Check your registration at prodvoterportal.mt.gov.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- 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.