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The Winston handbook

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

Winston has no town government of its own, so Broadwater County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Townsend K-12 Schools. Power in Winston comes from Vigilante Electric Coop, a cooperative utility rather than a private company.

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

I’m new in town

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

PowerVigilante Electric Coopcooperative utilityMore →
InternetWhich providers serve WinstonData pending · FCC map (D4)
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Winston’s trash rules yetMore →SchoolTownsend K-12 SchoolsWhich school depends on grade and addressMore →Register to voteIn personRules from vote.govMore →ZIP code59647Where people live, not P.O. boxesMore →
Home services

Power, water and internet

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

Electricity

Power comes from Vigilante Electric Coop

Vigilante Electric Coop (Vigilante Electric Coop, Inc), a cooperative utility, serves all of Winston.

Start or move service: www.vec.coop · (406) 683-2327

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

Internet

Which providers serve Winston

Data pending · D4

This card will list the home internet providers the FCC’s National Broadband Map shows in Winston, the share of addresses that can get 100/20 Mbps and the share with fiber, with the map’s “as of” date.

Source to come: FCC Broadband Data Collection.

Trash & recycling

We don’t have Winston’s trash rules yet

Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Winston.

Trash, recycling and bulk pickupNot on fileWinston 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.

Winston kids go to
PK–6Cecelia Hazelton Schoolin Townsend
7–8Townsend 7-8in Townsend
9–12Broadwater High Schoolin Townsend

Winston is in Townsend K-12 Schools.

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

Winston is unincorporated, so Broadwater County is the local government.

Local governmentBroadwater CountyWinston is a census-designated place: no town hall of its ownCensus
Who runs elections hereBroadwater County Election AdministratorElections here are run by Broadwater County (county election office). 515 Broadway St, Townsend, MT 59644-2397 · (406) 266-3405 · [email protected]FVAP, Jan 2025
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 Jan 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

ZIP codes & area codes

Winston is in ZIP code 59647

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

ZIPPost office nameShare of WinstonZIP’s residents in Winston
59647Winston, MT100%61%

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 roomBillings Clinic Broadwater12.4 miles awayGet a library cardBroadwater School and Community Library201 N Spruce St. · (406) 441-3461

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

Questions about living in Winston

Who provides electricity in Winston?

Vigilante Electric Coop (Vigilante Electric Coop, Inc), a cooperative utility.

What ZIP codes are in Winston?

59647. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.

What school district is Winston in?

Townsend K-12 Schools.

How do I register to vote in Winston?

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 Broadwater 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): pending.