right|thumb|Aerial view of Cascade County and [[Sun River]]

Cascade County (cascade means waterfall in French) is a county located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 84,414, making it the fifth-most populous county in Montana. Its county seat is Great Falls.

Cascade County comprises the Great Falls, MT Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Early history

Cascade County was historically uninhabited throughout most of prehistory, with no permanent settlements aside from the occasional Salish hunting party. In roughly 1600, the Blackfeet pushed the Salish out, establishing the first permanent settlements in the area. The county was named for the falls on the Missouri River, and Lewis and Clark are believed to have first discovered the area on June 13, 1805. Despite this, the area remained uninhabited by Americans until later in the century.

Founding

After changing hands between several territories throughout the decades, Cascade County finally was placed under the jurisdiction of the Montana Territory on May 28, 1864.

In 1880, entrepreneur Paris Gibson explored the area and was impressed with the possibility to harness the hydroelectric potential of the massive waterfalls in order to power and sustain a large industrial city. He returned in 1883, establishing Great Falls at the bank of the river. By 1887, the city had over 1000 residents, and the arrival of the Great Northern Railway cemented the city's position. The Missouri River and the Sun River flow through the county, and meet at the city of Great Falls. A portion of the Adel Mountains Volcanic Field is in the county's southwest corner. The Rocky Mountains are in the western part of the county, with the Little Belt and Highwood Mountains in the southeast.

Adjacent counties

  • Teton County - northwest
  • Chouteau County - northeast
  • Judith Basin County - east
  • Meagher County - south
  • Lewis and Clark County - west

National protected areas

  • Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge
  • Lewis and Clark National Forest (part)

Demographics

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Economy

Malmstrom Air Force Base is a driving force in the regional economy. In 2009, Benefis, Great Falls Clinic, National Electronics Warranty and Walmart were the largest private employers.

Secondary:

  • Belt High School District
  • Cascade High School District
  • Great Falls High School District
  • Simms High School District
  • Centerville High School District

Elementary:

  • Belt Elementary School District
  • Centerville Elementary School District
  • Cascade Elementary School District
  • Great Falls Elementary School District
  • Sun River Valley Elementary School District
  • Ulm Elementary School District
  • Vaughn Elementary School District

There is also a state-operated school, Montana School for the Deaf & Blind.

Communities

City

  • Great Falls (county seat)

Towns

  • Belt
  • Cascade
  • Neihart

Census-designated places

  • Big Stone Colony
  • Black Eagle
  • Cascade Colony
  • Centerville
  • Fair Haven Colony
  • Fort Shaw
  • Gibson Flats
  • Hardy
  • Malmstrom AFB
  • Monarch
  • Pleasant Valley Colony
  • Riceville
  • Sand Coulee
  • Simms
  • Stockett
  • Sun Prairie
  • Sun River
  • Tracy
  • Ulm
  • Vaughn

Unincorporated communities

  • Adel
  • Armington
  • Armington Junction
  • Ashuelot
  • Dearborn (partially within Lewis & Clark County)
  • Eden
  • Emerson Junction
  • Gordon
  • Millegan
  • Number Seven
  • Salem
  • Sheffels
  • Portage

Several motion pictures have been filmed in Great Falls. Many have filmed in Cascade County and Great Falls, and a few in Cascade County (outside the Great Falls city limits). Those films shot in the county and outside Great Falls city limits include:

  • Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
  • The Stone Boy (1984)
  • The Untouchables (1987)
  • Holy Matrimony (1994)
  • The Slaughter Rule (2002)
  • Northfork (2003)