Moving to Central Montana (Billings, Great Falls: best town, rentals, home)

[hauss27]

Hey all,
I am interviewing for a job in Lewistown Montana this week. I have done as much research as possible on the town, but not a whole lot out there. I have a wife and three small children and I am definitely not a city guy at all. I have always wanted to move to Montana and raise my family in a small town where family values run strong. I am very interested in this job, it pays well, the hours are great, and the benefits are nice (as well as it is in a small town in montana). We are home bodies and enjoy small community where grocery store cashiers know your name.
If at all possible could you inform me on some of the pros and cons of moving here....what are winters like, what are summers like, hows the scenery, what are the schools like, etc. Any help would be great.

[Keim]

I haven't lived in Lewistown, but did live in Havre. I'll try to provide some general answers.

Winters: Winters can get cold and windy. The coldest I experienced in Havre was -65f. That wasn't including windchill. Having below 0f temps for a few weeks at a time was not unusual. But it isn't a dark and depressing winter. I often experienced sub zero and bright, beautiful sunny days.

Summers: Short but nice. Can get hot. I seem to recall getting over 100f in late July early August. Nonetheless, it cools off at night. Our home in Havre did not need an AC.

Scenery: Pretty, in a flat eastern MT prairie meets the mountains kind of way.. My faulty memory is kicking in. I recall some very nice mountains nearby, but not the name of the range.

Have you called their Chamber to get a visitors or relocation packet? Lewistown Chamber - Lewistown Chamber

[MTSilvertip]

Lewistown is a great place, lots of agriculture, mountains on 3 sides, fishing opportunities are kind of limited, but the town is nice and has most of the amenities.

There are beautiful places all over the place, and some excellent hunting opportunities.
The Judith Mountains and Big Belts are to the South and Southwest. You are close to the Snowy Mountains to the East.

Long vistas across the valley reaching up to the mountains, it is a fantastic place for photographers.

The weather isn't as harsh as some other parts of the state, but you will get snow and cold. The summer thunderstorms can really shake your foundations. The Summers are pretty temperate, you won't usually get much above 95 degrees, but it can happen.

As for the kids, there is lots of stuff to do, 4-H and FFA clubs are both active as are the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.
There are several Churches in town, most of which have youth groups.

One of the benefits of Lewistown is Fort Peck Reservoir north and east of town. Huge impoundment of the Missouri River with all the fishing you could want. The Charles M Russel Game Range is all around the lake, wildlife is everywhere including some spectacular elk and mule deer.

Personally, I think Lewistown is one of the best places to live in the state, but it is semi remote as it is about 2-3 hours drive to Great Falls, the closest larger city.

Anyway, that is my 2 cents. Good Luck

[hauss27]

Thank you so much for the information. Had the interview this morning and think it went pretty well so its a waiting game now. I like hunting and love fishing and enjoy the outdoors. Not having a big city nearby isn't that big of a deal

[jasper12]

I really like Lewistown, it is such a great small town, with a real downtown to walk around, folks know everyone, it does not take that long to get to Great Falls, more like 90 minutes, or you can go to Billings, if you need a big town...really, you will love it there, so will your kids.

Winter: Cold, windy...buy gloves...

[NDak15]

Everybody I knew who lived in Lewistown thought it was the best town out there. I only went there on a regular basis in high school to play football or for wrestling meets. I can answer a few general questions about it and also about Montana in general.

You're not right up in the mountains but more out on the plains. There are mountains within an easy drive, however. While this area is not the place you generally see on post cards or tourist guides, there is a beauty to the plains IMHO. I remember seeing lots of pheasants and if you aren't already into pheasant hunting it is a nice hobby to take up. It's a lot of fun.

As far as weather goes, I've played football in very hot and very cold weather depending on the time of year we went up. Make sure you have warm clothes for the winter months.

I can't say much about the schools other than they used to beat us in football all the time. The high school seemed nice, what little bit of it I saw.

One thing to keep in mind, as has been mentioned already, is that in Montana the distances between towns is pretty long.

[hauss27]

Hi all,
I posted on here a few weeks ago about possibly having a job in Lewistown, MT and I appreciate the replies about it. Well I had a second interview and next week they are flying me out to check out the area. The one thing I haven't been able to find is a place to rent if I move out there. Does anyone have any idea about any rentals over there or what I can possibly do for housing. I have a wife and three kids so I am sure my options are limited.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[oldtrader]

they have two for rent ads in the local newspaper in Lewistown. One of them is a rental agent, and probably your best chance to find a rental in a hard to find rental area.

Lewistown News-Argus > Classifieds > Rentals General