West Yellowstone is a town in Gallatin County, Montana, United States, adjacent to Yellowstone National Park. The population was 1,272 at the 2020 census. West Yellowstone is served by Yellowstone Airport. It is part of the Bozeman, MT Micropolitan Statistical Area.
West Yellowstone offers lodging, gift shops, and other services to travelers visiting nearby Yellowstone National Park.
History
Founded in June 1908 when the Oregon Short Line Railroad was completed, the town's name changed several times until West Yellowstone was settled upon in 1920. Train service to West Yellowstone ended in 1960. The town was incorporated in 1966.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land.
Climate
At above sea level and nearly halfway between the equator and the North Pole, West Yellowstone experiences a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dfc), with cold — sometimes bitterly cold — winters and brief but generally warm summers. West Yellowstone is snow-covered from the beginning of November until the beginning of May. At the peak of the snowpack, which typically occurs in early March, there is 3.5 – 4 feet of snow on the ground. In 2007–2008, West Yellowstone had snow on the ground from late October until mid May, with 4.5 feet of snow by late March. During the summer, the average low is , and the average high is . During the coldest month, January, the average low is , and the average high is .
West Yellowstone holds the all-time lowest recorded temperature for any residential community in the contiguous United States at , although a lower temperature was once recorded at Rogers Pass, Montana, at .