Editing Seeley Lake, Montana

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Seeley Lake, Montana
|settlement_type          = [[Census-designated place]]
|image_skyline            = Seeley Lake Montana 20130716 04.JPG
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = 
|image_map                = Missoula_County_Montana_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Seeley_Lake_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 
|map_caption              = Location in Missoula County and the state of Montana
<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Montana]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Montana|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Missoula County, Montana|Missoula]]
<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|established_title        = 
|established_date         =
<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2023">{{cite web |title=2023 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Montana |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2023_Gazetteer/2023_gaz_place_30.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |accessdate=June 6, 2024}}</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 34.00
|area_land_km2            = 31.75
|area_water_km2           = 2.25
|area_total_sq_mi         = 13.13
|area_land_sq_mi          = 12.26
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.87
<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = <ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=&g=1600000US3067150&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P1| title=P1. Race – Seeley Lake CDP, Montana: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| access-date=June 6, 2024}}</ref>
|population_total         = 1682
|population_density_km2   = 52.97
|population_density_sq_mi = 137.21
<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[Mountain Time Zone|Mountain (MST)]]
|utc_offset               = -7
|timezone_DST             = MDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -6
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 4127
|coordinates              = {{coord|47|09|45|N|113|28|31|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
<!-- Area/postal codes and others -->
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 59868
|area_code                = [[Area code 406|406]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 30-67150
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2409304<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2409304}}</ref>
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
}}

[[File:Seeley Lake Historical Society 20130716 01.JPG|thumb|Seeley Lake Historical Society]]

'''Seeley Lake''' is an [[unincorporated community]] and [[census-designated place]] (CDP) in [[Missoula County, Montana|Missoula County]], [[Montana]], United States. It is part of the [[Missoula metropolitan area]]. The town sits beside the {{convert|1030|acre|adj=on}} [[Seeley Lake (lake)|Seeley Lake]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://myfwp.mt.gov/fishMT/waterbody/41808|title=FISHMT :: Waterbody Details|website=myfwp.mt.gov|access-date=2018-10-02}}</ref> The population was 1,682 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].

==History==
The community of Seeley Lake is named for Jasper B. Seely, who built a cabin on what was in 1881 known as Clearwater Lake.<ref name="mhs">{{cite web |title=Seeley Lake|url=http://mtplacenames.org/ |website=Montana Place Names Companion |publisher=Montana Historical Society |access-date=9 April 2021}}</ref> Seely served as the first ranger on the [[Lewis and Clark National Forest|Lewis and Clarke Forest Reserve]]. The first road to Seeley Lake came in 1895.

==Geography==
Seeley Lake is in northeastern Missoula County and is bordered to the north by [[Powell County, Montana|Powell County]]. The southern half of [[Seeley Lake (lake)|Seeley Lake]], the water body, is in the northwest part of the census-designated place. The Clearwater River forms the southwest edge of the community, flowing out of the lake and running south toward the [[Blackfoot River (Montana)|Blackfoot River]], part of the watershed of the [[Clark Fork River]].

[[Montana Highway 83]] passes through the community, leading south {{convert|14|mi}} to [[Montana Highway 200]] at Clearwater Junction and north {{convert|74|mi}} to [[Bigfork, Montana|Bigfork]]. The city of [[Missoula, Montana|Missoula]] is {{convert|52|mi}} to the southwest via highways 83 and 200.

According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the Seeley Lake CDP has a total area of {{convert|13.1|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|12.3|sqmi|km2}} are land and {{convert|0.9|sqmi|km2|1}}, or 6.63%, are water.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2023"/>

===Climate===
According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Seeley Lake has a [[warm-summer humid continental climate]], abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Seeley Lake was {{convert|102|F|C|1}} on July 7, 2007, while the coldest temperature recorded was {{convert|-53|F|C|1}} on January 7, 1937.<ref name = NOWData />

{{Weather box
|location = Seeley Lake, Montana, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1936–present
|single line = Yes
|collapsed = Yes

|Jan record high F = 55
|Feb record high F = 62
|Mar record high F = 73
|Apr record high F = 86
|May record high F = 93
|Jun record high F = 98
|Jul record high F = 102
|Aug record high F = 101
|Sep record high F = 96
|Oct record high F = 86
|Nov record high F = 66
|Dec record high F = 61

|Jan avg record high F = 44.5
|Feb avg record high F = 49.8
|Mar avg record high F = 59.3
|Apr avg record high F = 69.4
|May avg record high F = 80.4
|Jun avg record high F = 87.1
|Jul avg record high F = 93.6
|Aug avg record high F = 93.4
|Sep avg record high F = 88.3
|Oct avg record high F = 75.3
|Nov avg record high F = 54.5
|Dec avg record high F = 43.1
|year avg record high F = 95.2

|Jan high F = 32.0
|Feb high F = 36.5
|Mar high F = 45.1
|Apr high F = 53.6
|May high F = 64.5
|Jun high F = 72.2
|Jul high F = 83.2
|Aug high F = 82.9
|Sep high F = 72.8
|Oct high F = 56.0
|Nov high F = 39.6
|Dec high F = 30.6
|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 22.0
|Feb mean F = 24.7
|Mar mean F = 32.5
|Apr mean F = 40.2
|May mean F = 49.4
|Jun mean F = 56.4
|Jul mean F = 63.7
|Aug mean F = 62.8
|Sep mean F = 54.6
|Oct mean F = 42.4
|Nov mean F = 30.5
|Dec mean F = 21.8
|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 12.1
|Feb low F = 12.8
|Mar low F = 19.9
|Apr low F = 26.8
|May low F = 34.2
|Jun low F = 40.5
|Jul low F = 44.3
|Aug low F = 42.6
|Sep low F = 36.5
|Oct low F = 28.7
|Nov low F = 21.3
|Dec low F = 13.0
|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = -18.2
|Feb avg record low F = -14.9
|Mar avg record low F = -0.5
|Apr avg record low F = 15.3
|May avg record low F = 23.1
|Jun avg record low F = 30.3
|Jul avg record low F = 35.3
|Aug avg record low F = 33.3
|Sep avg record low F = 26.1
|Oct avg record low F = 13.3
|Nov avg record low F = 1.6
|Dec avg record low F = -10.4
|year avg record low F = -27.1

|Jan record low F = -53
|Feb record low F = -45
|Mar record low F = -42
|Apr record low F = -4
|May record low F = 13
|Jun record low F = 23
|Jul record low F = 28
|Aug record low F = 24
|Sep record low F = 15
|Oct record low F = -10
|Nov record low F = -31
|Dec record low F = -44

|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 2.63
|Feb precipitation inch = 1.92
|Mar precipitation inch = 1.44
|Apr precipitation inch = 1.37
|May precipitation inch = 1.88
|Jun precipitation inch = 2.31
|Jul precipitation inch = 1.07
|Aug precipitation inch = 0.96
|Sep precipitation inch = 1.19
|Oct precipitation inch = 1.96
|Nov precipitation inch = 2.52
|Dec precipitation inch = 2.35
|year precipitation inch = 21.60

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 15.8
|Feb precipitation days = 11.3
|Mar precipitation days = 11.9
|Apr precipitation days = 11.5
|May precipitation days = 11.7
|Jun precipitation days = 13.7
|Jul precipitation days = 7.0
|Aug precipitation days = 7.3
|Sep precipitation days = 8.9
|Oct precipitation days = 11.6
|Nov precipitation days = 13.6
|Dec precipitation days = 15.6

|Jan snow inch = 30.4
|Feb snow inch = 18.5
|Mar snow inch = 15.2
|Apr snow inch = 4.5
|May snow inch = 0.7
|Jun snow inch = 0.4
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.0
|Oct snow inch = 2.3
|Nov snow inch = 18.0
|Dec snow inch = 28.9
|year snow inch =

|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 13.8
|Feb snow days = 9.6
|Mar snow days = 7.9
|Apr snow days = 3.5
|May snow days = 0.5
|Jun snow days = 0.1
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 1.3
|Nov snow days = 8.5
|Dec snow days = 14.0

|Jan snow depth inch = 24.0
|Feb snow depth inch = 26.0
|Mar snow depth inch = 23.3
|Apr snow depth inch = 7.9
|May snow depth inch = 0.0
|Jun snow depth inch = 0.0
|Jul snow depth inch = 0.0
|Aug snow depth inch = 0.0
|Sep snow depth inch = 0.0
|Oct snow depth inch = 1.3
|Nov snow depth inch = 7.1
|Dec snow depth inch = 15.7
|year snow depth inch = 29.1

|source 1 = NOAA<ref name = NOAA>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00247448&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Seeley Lake RS, MT
|access-date = February 21, 2023
}}
</ref>
|source 2 = National Weather Service<ref name = NOWData>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=mso
|publisher = National Weather Service
|title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Missoula
|access-date = February 21, 2023
}}
</ref>
}}

==Aftermath of Rice Ridge Fire==
In late summer 2017, Seeley Lake suffered an extended period of hazardous air quality as a result of the [[Rice Ridge Fire]], prompting local officials to urge all residents to evacuate their homes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/montana/articles/2017-08-10/health-officials-recommend-evacuations-due-to-wildfire-smoke|title=Residents of Smoke-Choked Montana Town Advised to Leave|last=Volz|first=Matt|date=2017-08-10|website=U.S. News & World Report - AP|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170926041831/https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/montana/articles/2017-08-10/health-officials-recommend-evacuations-due-to-wildfire-smoke|archive-date=2017-09-26|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Super Scooper|Scooper aircraft]] were used to fetch water from Seeley Lake to fight the fire.<ref>{{Citation|last=Randy Teague|title=Scoop Planes Fire Bombers 2 Seeley Lake, Mont. 8-1-2017|date=2017-08-04|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ_fQ13q3hk| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/YZ_fQ13q3hk| archive-date=2021-12-11 | url-status=live|access-date=2017-09-25}}{{cbignore}}</ref> A followup study will measure the health impacts of the smoke.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/researchers-launch-study-to-learn-effects-of-wildfire-smoke/article_aea73c30-feb2-51bc-b115-843f00035a0d.html|title=Researchers launch study to learn effects of wildfire smoke|last=Associated Press|date=2017-09-22|work=[[Missoulian]]|access-date=2017-09-25|language=en}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|2000= 1436
|2010= 1659
|2020= 1682
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2016}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2010, there were 1,659 people, 589 households, and 411 families residing in the CDP. The population density was {{convert|131.9|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 938 housing units at an average density of {{convert|86.2|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.94% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.07% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 1.46% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.21% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.49% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.84% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.46% of the population.

There were 589 households, out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 25.3% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 113.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112.1 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $35,101, and the median income for a family was $38,188. Males had a median income of $30,000 versus $18,269 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the CDP was $18,825. About 7.0% of families and 10.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

== Education ==
The community is in the [[Seeley Lake Elementary School District]] and the [[Missoula High School District]].<ref name=MissoulaCoSDMap2020>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st30_mt/schooldistrict_maps/c30063_missoula/DC20SD_C30063.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Missoula County, MT|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=2024-03-13}}</ref>

[[Seeley-Swan High School]] provides education for 9th through 12th grade.<ref>{{cite web |title=Seeley-Swan High School |url=https://www.mcpsmt.org/Page/15 |publisher=Seeley-Swan High School |access-date=20 April 2021}}</ref> Their mascot is the Blackhawks.<ref>{{cite web |title=Member Schools |url=https://www.mhsa.org/memberschools |publisher=Montana High School Association |access-date=19 April 2021}}</ref>

The Missoula Public Library has a branch location in Seeley Lake.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hours & Locations |url=https://www.missoulapubliclibrary.org/home/about/hours-locations/ |publisher=Missoula Public Library |access-date=13 April 2021}}</ref>

== Media ==
The ''[[Seeley-Swan Pathfinder]]'' is the newspaper for Seeley Lake.<ref>{{cite web |title=News |url=https://www.seeleylake.com/ |publisher=Seeley-Swan Pathfinder |access-date=31 August 2023}}</ref> It is published weekly.

==See also==
*[[Camp Paxson Boy Scout Camp]]
*[[Larch ball]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Seeley Lake, Montana}}
* [http://www.seeleylakechamber.com/ Seeley Lake Chamber of Commerce]

{{Missoula County, Montana}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Census-designated places in Missoula County, Montana]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in Montana]]