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Baker, Montana

8 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1953 and the latest in 1981. It stands in the Baker census division. It lies in ZIP code area 59313. The Survey maps it on the Baker quadrangle. 1,802 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 2,936 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Baker within Fallon County

On record in Baker

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 2 records

Population over time

2 figures

Baker grew from 1,741 to 1,802 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

YearPeople Change
20101,741
20201,802+61 (+4%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

5 surveys from 8 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

Fires near this place

14 since 2008

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 14 fires within 5 miles of Baker between 2008 and 2020, burning about 203 acres in total. 4 started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Equipment and vehicle use5
Natural4
Fireworks2
Power generation/transmission/distribution2
Missing data/not specified/undetermined1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
9 September 2020Equipment and vehicle use1.2 acresFallon CountyLAKE - FALLON
21 September 2020Equipment and vehicle use1.1 acresFallon CountySHELL - FALLON
8 August 2008Power generation/transmission/distribution185 acresMiles City Field OfficePENNEL
2 August 2018Natural1.0 acresEastern Land OfficeSANDSTONE
14 August 2020Naturalunder an acreFallon CountySANDSTONE - FALLON
7 July 2017Equipment and vehicle use7.7 acresEastern Land OfficeKIRSCHTEN
5 July 2016Fireworks2.0 acresEastern Land OfficeSTRAWBERRY - CUSTER
4 July 2018Fireworksunder an acreEastern Land OfficeUPPER LAKE

Every fire recorded in Fallon County

Mines and quarries near this place

3 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 3 workings within 5 miles of Baker: 2 producers, 1 occurrence. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Pumice, Uranium. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Cox and Neary RanchesUraniumOccurrence
Singer Scoria PitPumiceProducer
Zion Portable CrusherPumiceProducer

Every working recorded in Fallon County

Storms near this place

60 of 106 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Baker in 106 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 63 hail, 28 thunderstorm wind, 6 flash flood, 4 funnel cloud. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
August 1993HailBaker$50,000Wind damage was widespread across Fallon County.
August 1993Thunderstorm WindBaker$5,000Wind damage was widespread across Fallon County.
August 1993HailBaker$5,000Wind damage was widespread across Fallon County.
July 2000Thunderstorm WindBaker$1,000Spotter northeast of Baker reported 4 inch diameter hail and 60+ mph winds. Backyard and frontyard flooded.
July 2025HailBaker-Quarter size hail reported.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindBaker-Power poles and large trees were downed.
June 2024Thunderstorm WindBaker-Tree and roof damage was reported.
July 2022Flash FloodBaker-County DES reported deep standing water and flooding in the town of Baker.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindBaker-Several trees were uprooted and power lines were downed. The local farm and fleet store had a number of large stock tanks that traveled about 1/4 mile into town taking out a few fences. In addition, power was out in much of the town.
July 2018Thunderstorm WindBaker-Several trailers were blown over including a fireworks trailer. There was also brick damage to the top of a building.
July 2016Thunderstorm WindBaker-Wind-driven golf ball size hail broke out windows on the west side of numerous homes in the town of Baker.
August 2014Thunderstorm WindBaker-The Sheriff Dispatch reported that an 18 inch diameter tree was uprooted, along with many tree branches down in Baker from the very strong winds. In addition, tin roofing material was ripped from the firehouse.
June 2013Flash FloodBaker-Baker received around 1.63 inches of rain. There were reports of flooded streets in town with up to 6 inches of water. Storm drains were having trouble keeping up with the intense rainfall.
June 2013Flash FloodBaker-A private road was washed out leaving some residents stranded. In addition, the main county road was washed out in some areas.
June 2013Flash FloodBaker-Sections of Sandstone Road were washed out and impassable leaving residents off of Sandstone Road stranded on their property.
August 2013HailBaker-Hail up to golf ball size broke many windows, damaged siding on homes, dented cars, and broke car windows.
July 2008Thunderstorm WindBaker-The public reported an estimated wind gust of 60 mph which resulted in 2 1/2 inch diameter Cottonwood tree branches to be snapped.
May 2007Thunderstorm WindBaker-Fallon County Sheriff reported trees and power lines down along with|heavy rain.
May 2007Thunderstorm WindBaker-A wind tower was knocked over along with several reports of tree damage.
May 2007Thunderstorm WindBaker-No damage was reported.
May 2007Thunderstorm WindBaker-Numerous tree branches were reported down.
May 2007Thunderstorm WindBaker-Trees knocked down along with numerous power outtages.
July 2007HailBaker-Nickel to quarter size hail was reported in Baker.
July 2007HailBaker-Baseball size hail with a few softball size hailstones were reported just south of Baker.
June 2007Heavy RainBaker-Rain from the entire event was 2.43 inches.
June 2005Funnel CloudBaker-Small funnel for about two mintues
June 2005Funnel CloudBaker-Brief funnel cloud
May 2005Heavy RainBaker-3.59 inches of rain (24 hour total); 1.54 inches fell in one hour
June 2005Funnel CloudBaker-Brief funnel cloud
June 2005Thunderstorm WindBaker-Half of a large Cottonwood tree blown off
August 2003HailBaker-Hail covered ground.
June 2002Thunderstorm WindBaker-5 power poles blown down
July 2001HailBaker-Hail covered the ground
July 2001Flash FloodBaker-Water 4 feet deep in the parks...as well...as running down the streets
July 2001Tornado (F1)Baker-NWS Post-Storm Damage Assessment Team determined F1 tornado 100 yards wide with a path length of 3/4 of a mile and was on the ground for 5 minutes. Around 6:45 p.m. on July 25th...a supercell thunderstorm developed in Prairie County, Montana and moved southeast into Fallon County inside the WFO Billings County Warning Area. A WFO Billings Post-Storm Damage Assessment Team confirmed that an F2 tornado occurred 13 miles north of Baker, Montana in Fallon County at 7:20 p.m. on July 25, 2001. The tornado moved in a nearly north to south direction and remained just west of Montana Highway 7. The tornado was 200 yards wide, 2 miles long, and was on the ground for approximately 15 minutes. The tornado remained over open range while on the ground and caused no property damage. F2 tornadoes produce wind speeds from 113 to 157 mph. A second tornado developed after the first tornado dissipated. This second tornado occurred 8 miles northeast of Baker, Montana in Fallon County at 7:50 p.m. on July 25, 2001. The tornado moved in a northwest to southeast direction and was located near Johnny Creek. The tornado was 100 yards wide, 3/4 of a mile long, and was on the ground for approximately 5 minutes. The tornado remained over open range while on the ground and caused no property damage. F1 tornadoes produce wind speeds from 73 to 112 mph.
July 2001Tornado (F2)Baker-NWS Post-Storm Damage Assessment Team determined F2 tornado 200 yards wide with a path length of 2 miles. It was on the ground for 15 minutes over open range west of State Highway 7.
July 2000HailBaker-Baseball size hail north of Baker
June 1999Tornado (F2)Baker-A large tornado which touched down near Ollie Road, about 3 miles east of Montana Highway 7. The tornado travelled north to County Road 616 then northwest over Beaver Creek before lifting at the Fallon/Wibaux County border. The tornado destroyed a well built cattle shed, lifted up, twisted and moved a large irrigation pipe about 100 yards and sucked the water out of a section of Beaver Creek.
August 1998Thunderstorm WindBaker-Wind gusts to 62 mph knocked KFLN radio off the air for a brief period.
July 2022HailBaker-no account filed
July 2022HailBaker-no account filed
June 2016HailBaker-no account filed
July 2016HailBaker-no account filed
July 2016Thunderstorm WindBaker-no account filed
July 2016HailBaker-no account filed
July 2016HailBaker-no account filed
June 2015HailBaker-no account filed
June 2015HailBaker-no account filed
August 2013HailBaker-no account filed
August 2013HailBaker-no account filed
September 2013HailBaker-no account filed
July 2012Thunderstorm WindBaker-no account filed
August 2010Thunderstorm WindBaker-no account filed
September 2010HailBaker-no account filed
June 2009HailBaker-no account filed
May 2007HailBaker-no account filed
July 2007HailBaker-no account filed
August 2007HailBaker-no account filed
June 2006HailBaker-no account filed
June 2006HailBaker-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Fallon County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Willard12.8 miles8
Plevna13.0 miles8
Ollie18.4 miles9
Cabin Creek18.5 miles8
Westmore20.5 miles8
Webster21.6 miles8
MacKenzie (historical)26.9 miles8
Knobs (historical)28.4 miles8

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on BakerAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q955228The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 802008. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.