Cut Bank

Cut Bank is a small city in northwest Montana, near Glacier National Park. It has a population of about 3,000 and is the county seat of Glacier County.

Understand

Glacier County is home to about half of Glacier National Park, and most of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, though Cut Bank itself is not on the reservation. Once the "Oil Capital of Montana," oil production has diminished and Cut Bank is now a regional service center for Blackfeet Reservation and surrounding area, including the east approach to Glacier National Park. Cut Bank has gained national attention from time to time by sometimes reporting the coldest temperature in the 48 contiguous states. However, being in Montana's "Chinook Zone," it can also report rapid warming in mid-winter accompanied by strong Southwest winds.

Additional information is available from the Cut Bank Chamber of Commerce and from the Cut Bank Pioneer Press.

Get in

By plane

• Scheduled air service is available at Great Falls (GTF ^IATA) about 110 miles to the southeast; Lethbridge (YQL ^IATA) about 90 miles to the north; and at Kalispell (FCA ^IATA) about 130 miles to the west.
• 🌍 Cut Bank Municipal Airport (CTB  ^IATA). No scheduled air service, but its airport can handle most aircraft and is a National Weather Service (AWOS) reporting station.  

By train

Empire Builder, 1940s, Glacier National Park

Amtrak's, "Empire Builder" passenger train serves Cut Bank. Currently (2009) 10:45AM eastbound and 5:51PM westbound. Amtrak information: [phone], Amtrak has daily service between Chicago-Seattle/Portland via Cut Bank.

By car

Cut Bank is on US Highway 2 which runs east to west across Montana's northern tier. Highway 213 north from Cut Bank becomes Alberta 62 at the International border and leads to Magrath and eventually (via Hwy 5) Lethbridge. The major north-south highway in the area is Interstate 15. Exits for Cut Bank are 363 (23 miles east) and 379 (28 miles northeast).

By bus

Northern Transit Interlocal (NTI) Bus offers free bus service every Thursday to and from Great Falls and Shelby and service to Kalispell every Tuesday and Wednesday. Call to make arrangements. http://www.cutbankchamber.com/visit/gettinghere.html

Get around

There is no taxi service in Cut Bank. Rental cars are available at:

• Rent-A-Wreck (Ace Auto), 11 9th Ave SE, ☎ [phone]. 
• Bell Motor Company, 121 East Main St., toll-free: [phone]. 8AM - 5PM, year-round. [phone] 
• 🌍 Northern Ford, 120 W Main St., toll-free: [phone]. M-F 8AM-5PM Sat 9-noon. 

Rent-A-Wreck and the local dealerships do not feature unlimited mileage.

For visitors to the east side of Glacier National Park, Cut Bank offers the only car dealerships (and their associated services, such as repair and maintenance) immediately adjacent to the park. There are no dealerships in Browning or Shelby, and the next closest are in Conrad, Great Falls, or the Flathead Valley.

See

The talking penguin

• Glacier National Park, 45 minutes west.
• 27-foot tall talking penguin. The at the east end of Cut Bank, 
• Murals throughout the downtown area.
• Willie DeGroot Gymnasium. Seating 5500 people, Montana's largest high school gymnasium. 
• 🌍 Glacier County Museum. 

Do

• Cut Bank Golf and Country Club. Across the river from the city, 
• Glacier Cinema. Two screens. 
• Glacier Lanes, 34 South Central Ave, ☎ [phone]. Bowling. 

Buy

• J C Penney, 110 East Main St, ☎ [phone]. One of only 9 remaining full-service JC Penney stores in Montana. 
• Norman's Western Wear, 601 West Main (Northern Village Shopping Center), ☎ [phone]. 
• Albertson's Food and Drug, 501 West Main, ☎ [phone]. Open 6AM-11PM daily. 
• Osco Pharmacy, ☎ [phone]. 9AM-7PM Mon-Fri; 9AM-5PM Sat; 10AM-4PM Sun. 
• Drug Mart, 601 West Main (Northern Village Shopping Center), ☎ [phone]. 
• Connectronics / Radio Shack, 21 West Main St, ☎ [phone]. 
• Ben Franklin / Hardware Hank, 601 West Main (Northern Village Shopping Center), ☎ [phone]. 

Eat

• Adam's Point Drive Inn, 1119 East Main St, ☎ [phone]. 
• C&L Country Cafe, 112 North Central, ☎ [phone]. 
• Cowboy's Coffee and Cowgirl's Dream, 310 East Main, ☎ [phone]. 
• The Den (Bar and Grill), 3 North Central Ave, ☎ [phone]. 
• Golden Harvest Cafe, 13 West Main St, ☎ [phone]. 
• Java Time, 210 West Main, ☎ [phone]. 
• Village Dining and Lounge, 601 West Main (Northern Village Shopping Center), ☎ [phone]. 
• 38 Degrees Below Ice Cream Shop, 601 West Main (Northern Village Shopping Center), ☎ [phone]. 
• Smokehouse Deli, 5 North Central Ave, ☎ [phone]. 
• The Snack Shop, 601 West Main (Northern Village Shopping Center), ☎ [phone]. 
• Shenandoah, 918 East Main, ☎ [phone]. 
• Taco John's, 14 East Railroad St (Adjacent to Glacier Cinema), ☎ [phone]. 
• Albertson's. Bakery and Deli 

Drink

Sleep

• Cut Bank Super 8, 609 West Main St, ☎ [phone], toll-free: [phone]. 
• Glacier Gateway Inn, 1130 East Main, toll-free: [phone]. 
• Glacier Gateway Plaza, toll-free: [phone]. 
• Terrace Motel, 11 9th Avenue S (on Main Street), ☎ [phone]. E. 

Go next

• Glacier National Park Cut Bank provides the nearest full-service tourist facilities to the east side of Glacier National Park, i.e. these services: Banking, Car rental and repair, Full service grocery, clothing stores, lodging, campground, medical, dental.

Routes through Cut Bank

Spokane ← Browning ←	W  E	→ Shelby → Minot
Kalispell ← Browning ←	W  E	→ Shelby → Williston