Location of Plains, Montana
|• Total||0.60 sq mi (1.55 km2)|
|• Land||0.60 sq mi (1.55 km2)|
|• Water||0 sq mi (0 km2)|
|Elevation||2,477 ft (755 m)|
|• Estimate (2012)||1,074|
|• Density||1,746.7/sq mi (674.4/km2)|
|Time zone||Mountain (MST) (UTC-7)|
|• Summer (DST)||MDT (UTC-6)|
|GNIS feature ID||0788983|
Plains (Salish: ncc̓kʷi) is a town in Sanders County, Montana, United States. The population was 1,048 at the 2010 census. It was originally founded as Horse Plains and sometimes called Wild Horse Plains, as the local Indians would winter their horses here to feed on the grasses in the valley. The name was later shortened to Plains when the US Postal Service established a presence in 1905.
Plains is located at  The town straddles the Clark Fork River with the fairgrounds on one shore and the town proper on the other.(47.458504, -114.885024).
This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Plains has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,048 people, 502 households, and 256 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,746.7 inhabitants per square mile (674.4/km2). There were 593 housing units at an average density of 988.3 per square mile (381.6/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 94.7% White, 0.2% African American, 2.0% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.4% of the population.
There were 502 households of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.1% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 49.0% were non-families. 43.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.99 and the average family size was 2.78.
The median age in the town was 47.2 years. 21.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.8% were from 25 to 44; 28.2% were from 45 to 64; and 24% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,126 people, 472 households, and 297 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,005.3 people per square mile (776.3/km²). There were 532 housing units at an average density of 947.4 per square mile (366.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.91% White, 0.09% African American, 1.24% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.36% from other races, and 2.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.93% of the population.
There were 472 households out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 22.1% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 22.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $26,331, and the median income for a family was $30,893. Males had a median income of $26,875 versus $16,058 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,010. About 16.7% of families and 20.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.4% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.
Plains High School, a Class B school, serves local teenagers. Its students can participate in any of fourteen sports and extracurricular activities.
- First Lutheran Church (ELCA) is located within the town limits. The pastor is Rev. Grant Applehans.
- St. James Catholic Church
- Clarkfork Baptist Church is an Independent Baptist Church. The Pastor is Kim Ray Earhart Established in 1993.
- Assembly of God
- Church of Jesus Christ of LDS
- Plains Alliance Church
- Plains United Methodist Church
- Plains Bible Chapel
- Wayne Baker, selected in the third round of the 1975 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, played for the Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders before being cut by coach John Madden.
- "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-12-18.
- "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-12-18.
- "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-06-03.
- Tachini, Pete; Louie Adams, Sophie Mays, Mary Lucy Parker, Johnny Arlee, Frances Vanderburg, Lucy Vanderburg, Diana Christopher-Cote (1998). nyoʻnuntn q̓éymin, Flathead Nation Salish dictionary. Pablo, Montana: Bilingual Education Department, Salish Kootenai College. p. 104.
- "Plains/Paradise history". Plains Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
- "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- Climate Summary for Plains, Montana
- "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- Seattle Seahawks Spirit of 76 Page