Cut Bank offers amenities and varied housing in a rural region
Surrounded by vast stretches of farmland and oil fields, Cut Bank is an anchor of life in Glacier County. This northern Montana community of about 3,000 provides residents proximity to restaurants, retail, entertainment, schools and health care. Many of the area’s homes are higher in age, but they come with prices lower than some similarly sized communities in the region. “It’s kind of a remote area,” says Nan Wise, broker and owner at P3 & Associates, Inc. Real Estate Brokerage, with about 10 years of industry experience. “The biggest draw is the affordability of the area.”
Established homes in Cut Bank come in a mix of shapes and sizes
Most of Cut Bank’s homes were built from the 1910s to the 1970s. The area’s medley of bungalows, ranch- and colonial-style options come with floor plans ranging from 600 to more than 3,000 square feet. These houses’ condition can vary quite a bit, too. “I think currently a lot of them are fixer-uppers,” Wise says. “That’s predominantly the type of buyers we’re seeing. There are some that, though dated, they’re in really, really good condition.” Cut Bank’s homes sit on lots ranging from just over one-tenth to roughly one-fifth of an acre. Sale prices range from $60,000 to $300,000. Houses on the low end are under 1,000 square feet and may need work, while those on the high end are over 2,000 square feet.
Main Street is a magnet for commerce in the area
Cut Bank’s downtown area is located along Main Street. The thoroughfare has standbys like Big Sky Cafe, which dates to 1921. The cafe is a draw for its breakfast and its homemade pies. Latte Da is a small, locally owned coffee shop with a drive-through. Water to Wine Steakhouse & Terrace, just off Main Street, serves up ribeyes, sirloins, New York strips and finger steaks. The restaurant is attached to Pioneer Bar and TNT Casino.
Shops nearby include Marketplace on Main, where people can buy jewelry, clothing, art and more from local vendors. IT FITS sells a mix of men’s and women’s clothing items. Albertsons and Big Sky Foods are grocery options. Main Street’s Glacier Cinemas shows new movies and screens second-run films through its Wednesday-afternoon summer series for kids, with $1 tickets. Cut Bank also offers several houses of worship, many within a mile of Main Street. “It’s got a strong church community with quite a few different denominations,” Wise says.
Cut Bank schools offer small class sizes
Cut Bank School District 15 carries a C-plus grade on Niche. H.C. Davis Elementary gets a C rating and includes prekindergarten to third grade, while the C-plus-rated Anna Jeffries Elementary serves those in grades 4 and 5. Both elementary schools have 12-to-1 student-teacher ratios. The C-rated Cut Bank Middle features sports teams including football, boys and girls basketball, and track, and has a 14-to-1 student-teacher ratio. Cut Bank High maintains a B-minus grade, a 13-to-1 student-teacher ratio and hosts an annual student art show in May.
Playgrounds, hiking and golf are easily accessible
City Park provides locals with a space for outdoor time, along Main Street. The park includes a playground and picnic tables, and neighbors the Joe Meagher Memorial Civic Center, where there’s a cardio room and a gymnasium. Southwest Park offers a playground and a pool. The pool is open during the summer and hosts swimming lessons and water aerobics classes. The community’s Cut Bank Trails system encompasses multiple paths, including the popular, 2-mile Coulee Trail, accessible on the south side of town. Cut Bank Golf and Country Club is home to a nine-hole course open to the public. Glacier National Park, which stretches more than one million acres with over 700 miles of trails, is 55 miles west of Cut Bank. “Glacier is a destination for locals and tourists,” Wise says.
Lewis and Clark Festival and farmers market are summer staples
The Lewis and Clark Festival is one of Cut Bank’s annual fixtures. Held across three days in July, the festival dates back more than 40 years and includes a parade, a chili cook-off and a fun run. Cut Bank's Farmers Market, at City Park, attracts vendors with various local products on Wednesdays from June to September. Some of the items are sold by members of the Hutterite community. The Hutterites live a communal culture similar to the Amish, and there are multiple Hutterite colonies in the Cut Bank area. “They sell a lot of things at farmer markets,” Wise says. “They are very skilled carpenters. They’re great neighbors.”
Route 2 and an Amtrak railway cut through the community
Cut Bank’s Main Street forms part of U.S. Route 2, and drivers can use the roadway to travel to places like Glacier National Park and Shelby, a similarly sized locale located 24 miles away. Route 2 also connects to Interstate 15 for drives to the city of Great Falls, just over 100 miles away. Great Falls International Airport offers direct flights to six cities. An Amtrak station in downtown Cut Bank sees trains on the Empire Builder line twice daily. The area also has a free public bus service through Northern Transit Interlocal.
Written By
Wayne Epps Jr.
