Kalispell is a town in Montana, near Glacier National Park. The name of the town means "flat land above the lake" in Salish, a Native American language. The population is about 23,000 (2016).
Kalispell is the largest city in the Flathead Valley. The Flathead Valley is a unique area of Montana created by the forces of glacier processes. The valley is a testament to the wonders nature can create.
Today, the Flathead Valley offers a variety of recreational activities including skiing (considering world class Whitefish Mountain Resort is nearby), fishing, camping, water sports, climbing and old fashioned exploring. The city of Kalispell is full of shopping and restaurants and is also just north of Flathead Lake, which is the USA's largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi.
The Kalispell City Airport 📍 is a city-owned airport for public general aviation use. The airport is southeast of the city center along US Hwy 93.
For commercial flights, the nearest airport to Kalispell, Whitefish and Glacier National Park is:
Glacier Park International Airport (IATA: FCA), 48.3077°, -114.2528°. The nearest U.S. commercial airport to Calgary and Edmonton, served by:
Horizon Air as Alaska Airlines (Seattle); Seasonally from Portland
Allegiant (Las Vegas; seasonally from Los Angeles and Oakland)
Delta and Skywest dba Delta Connection (Minneapolis-St Paul and Salt Lake City)<br>Gojet and Skywest dba United Express (Denver)
There is no public transportation from the airport into town. Alternatives are rental car, taxi or ride sharing.
You can take either Exit 96 on I-90 near Missoula and head north on U.S. 93, or take Exit 364 on I-15 at Shelby and head west past Glacier National Park. U.S. 2 continues west through the mountains into northern Idaho and eventually reaches Spokane from the north, while U.S. 93 heads northwest into British Columbia, eventually reaching Cranbrook.
See also: Rail travel in the United States
The nearest Amtrak Station 📍 is in Whitefish, north of Kalispell along Hwy 93. The train station is at 500 Depot St in the north side of downtown Whitefish. It is only served by: - Amtrak Empire Builder which runs once daily (towards each direction) between Spokane & Chicago via Glacier National Park (West Glacier stop) in one direction and Libby in the opposite direction. The westbound train splits in Spokane with one half continuing towards Seattle and the other towards Portland while the eastbound train joins in Spokane for the onward trip to Chicago.
Walk, drive, bike, or take the Mountain Climber to get around. The city isn't too large, so you shouldn't get lost.
North Kalispell is the shopping area of the city. Stores include most of the nationwide chains.
For those who prefer the more traditional shopping mall, the Kalispell Center Mall is at 20 North Main Street. Anchored by JCPenney, it also includes a Red Lion Hotel.
Roads outside of town are mostly two-lane and winding. Naturally, use extra caution when snowing. It is advisable to turn on lights during the day in any rain. This gives better visibility of your vehicle to oncoming traffic.
2nd-order administrative division
Primary administrative division