Jobs & Economy in Columbia Falls
Columbia Falls' economy runs on a real, diversifying combination of healthcare, education, retail, and tourism, moving past its historical aluminum-smelter anchor.
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Learn moreA real, disclosed industrial legacy
The Columbia Falls Aluminum Company smelter (1955-2009) once employed up to 1,500 workers at its peak, drawing on cheap Hungry Horse Dam hydropower, but left a real, disclosed EPA Superfund site after closing.
Today's diversified economy
Healthcare, education, retail trade, and Glacier National Park-driven tourism now anchor Columbia Falls' current economy.
A more working-class character than Whitefish
Columbia Falls' economy and community character run genuinely more working-class and industrial-heritage than neighboring Whitefish's resort-town identity.
Key takeaways
- The historical aluminum smelter (1955-2009) left both an employment legacy and a real, disclosed Superfund site.
- Today's economy runs on healthcare, education, retail, and Glacier-driven tourism.
- Columbia Falls carries a more working-class character than neighboring Whitefish.
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