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Columbus, Montana

14 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1892 and the latest in 1979. It stands in the Columbus census division. It lies in ZIP code area 59019. It stands on Keyser Creek. The Survey maps it on the Columbus West quadrangle. 1,857 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 3,586 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Columbus within Stillwater County

On record in Columbus

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 6 records

Population over time

2 figures

Columbus fell from 1,893 to 1,857 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
20101,893
20201,857-36 (-2%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

6 surveys from 14 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

32 since 1999

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 32 fires within 5 miles of Columbus between 1999 and 2020, burning about 1,239 acres in total. 2 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
Missing data/not specified/undetermined25
Natural2
Power generation/transmission/distribution1
Equipment and vehicle use1
Fireworks1
Recreation and ceremony1
Debris and open burning1

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
3 September 2009Power generation/transmission/distribution877 acresSouthern Land OfficeEAGLE MOUNT
3 September 2007Equipment and vehicle use225 acresCuster Gallatin National ForestHENSLEY CREEK ASSIST
7 August 2020Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreStillwater County1823 HWY 10
24 August 2020Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreStillwater CountyI-90 MM 406
22 August 2017Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreSouthern Land OfficeCAMPSITE 6
20 August 2019Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreStillwater County24 PLATEAU
19 August 1999Recreation and ceremony109 acresSouthern Land OfficeEAGLE MOUNTAIN
11 August 2017Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreSouthern Land OfficeHIGHWAY 10

Every fire recorded in Stillwater County

Mines and quarries near this place

4 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 4 workings within 5 miles of Columbus: 2 plants, 1 past producer, 1 unknown. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, PGE, Chromium. 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
(Facility) Columbus SmelterChromiumPlant
(Facility) Stillwater Pgm SmelterPGEPlant
Richardson Sand and GravelSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Unnamed Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown

Every working recorded in Stillwater County

Storms near this place

60 of 72 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Columbus in 72 storm reports between 1996 and 2025: 53 hail, 10 thunderstorm wind, 7 flash flood, 1 wildfire. 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
June 2025HailColumbus-One inch hail reported.
June 2025HailColumbus-One and a quarter inch hail reported.
June 2025HailColumbus-Report from mping.
June 2025HailColumbus-One and a half inch hail reported.
June 2023Flash FloodColumbus-County Road 306 was washed out and North Ridge Road was closed due to Keyser Creek overflowing.
June 2023Flash FloodColumbus-Flowing water was reported on the sidewalks and up to the doors of businesses in downtown Columbus.
June 2023Flash FloodColumbus-Law enforcement reported flooding along Keyser Creek.
August 2023HailColumbus-The time was estimated. Some damage to decking and a few dents to vehicles was noted.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindColumbus-A wind gust of 58 mph was recorded 6 miles east of Columbus.
August 2020Thunderstorm WindColumbus-A wind gust of 60 mph was reported 6 miles east of Columbus.
July 2014Thunderstorm WindColumbus-There were numerous reports of trees down on houses, power lines and across roads in the town of Columbus.
June 2013Thunderstorm WindColumbus-An estimated wind gust of 60 mph was reported just northwest of Columbus.
June 2011HailColumbus-One inch hail fell in the city of Columbus.
June 2011HailColumbus-There was heavy damage to a car windshield.
June 2011Flash FloodColumbus-A thunderstorm producing 0.63 inches of rain in 20 minutes resulted in water over some roads just northwest of Columbus.
May 2011Flash FloodColumbus-Extreme flooding reported on Keiser Creek, north of Columbus. A dramatic rise in water levels occurred in the region, estimated 6-7 foot rise in a matter of minutes. Local bridge washed out along with damage to a shop. Flooding worsened as a result of debris collection at a bridge. Several houses flooded in the area.
June 2010HailColumbus-Ping pong ball size hail was reported along with 30 mph winds.
June 2009Thunderstorm WindColumbus-Several 8 inch diameter trees were snapped off several feet off the ground. Several other tree limbs were blown down.
July 2008Thunderstorm WindColumbus-Estimated wind gust of 70 mph was reported 7 miles Northeast of Columbus. A large 30 diameter tree was downed, landing on a power line and building.
July 2007HailColumbus-Sheets of heavy rain with 1/4 mile visibility were reported just northwest of Columbus.
May 2005Heavy RainColumbus-1.30 inches of rain 18NW Columbus in 24 hours
June 2004HailColumbus-Hail 3 inches deep on highway
September 2002WildfireColumbus-Cow Creek:Cause: Lightning Strike. Fire grew to 2,000 acres within four hours.Begin Date: September 6, 2002End Date: September 8, 2002Acres Burned: 5495Total Persons: 113Structural Loss: 2Cost: 223,000K
June 1999HailColumbus-Montana highway patrol reported dime size hail.
July 2022Thunderstorm WindColumbus-no account filed
July 2019HailColumbus-no account filed
July 2019HailColumbus-no account filed
July 2019HailColumbus-no account filed
June 2018HailColumbus-no account filed
June 2018HailColumbus-no account filed
July 2018HailColumbus-no account filed
July 2018HailColumbus-no account filed
July 2018HailColumbus-no account filed
May 2018HailColumbus-no account filed
August 2018Thunderstorm WindColumbus-no account filed
August 2018Thunderstorm WindColumbus-no account filed
May 2016HailColumbus-no account filed
May 2016HailColumbus-no account filed
May 2016HailColumbus-no account filed
June 2013HailColumbus-no account filed
June 2011HailColumbus-no account filed
June 2011HailColumbus-no account filed
June 2011HailColumbus-no account filed
June 2011HailColumbus-no account filed
June 2011HailColumbus-no account filed
June 2011HailColumbus-no account filed
June 2011HailColumbus-no account filed
June 2011HailColumbus-no account filed
June 2011HailColumbus-no account filed
June 2011HailColumbus-no account filed
July 2011HailColumbus-no account filed
June 2010HailColumbus-no account filed
June 2010HailColumbus-no account filed
July 2006Thunderstorm WindColumbus-no account filed
August 2006HailColumbus-no account filed
June 2005HailColumbus-no account filed
August 2005HailColumbus-no account filed
August 2005HailColumbus-no account filed
June 2004HailColumbus-no account filed
June 2004HailColumbus-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Stillwater 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
Craver8.0 miles14
Springtime8.3 miles14
Absarokee12.9 miles14
Reed Point16.2 miles15
Park City17.7 miles10
Fishtail18.4 miles12
Busteed21.7 miles14
Rapelje23.1 miles14

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 ColumbusAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q961735The 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 770043. 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.