Zortman, Montana
9 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1943 and the latest in 1984. It stands in the South Phillips census division. It lies in ZIP code area 59546. It lies near Whitcomb Butte. The Survey maps it on the Zortman quadrangle. 82 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 4,032 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in Zortman
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 1 record
- Zortman Ranger Station Historic Districtlisted 2025
Population over time
2 figuresZortman grew from 69 to 82 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.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 69 | |
| 2020 | 82 | +13 (+19%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
5 surveys from 9 printed sheetsMatched 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.
- 1943 USGS Landusky quadrangle1:125000
- 1954 USGS Lewistown quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1959 USGS Lewistown quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1971 USGS Zortman quadrangle1:24000
- 1984 USGS Zortman quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
33 since 1992Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 33 fires within 5 miles of Zortman between 1992 and 2020, burning about 11,268 acres in total. 26 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 |
|---|---|
| Natural | 26 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 3 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2 |
| Fireworks | 1 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 September 2020 | Recreation and ceremony | 4.9 acres | North Central Montana District | BEAVER MOUNTAIN |
| 4 September 2010 | Natural | under an acre | Fort Belknap Agency | KING FIRE 2 |
| 4 September 2010 | Natural | 1.0 acres | Fort Belknap Agency | KING FIRE 1 |
| 4 September 2010 | Natural | 1.0 acres | Fort Belknap Agency | CLIFF SIDE |
| 3 September 2000 | Natural | 1.0 acres | Fort Belknap Agency | BLAIR |
| 26 September 1992 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | Fort Belknap Agency | COON |
| 15 September 1996 | Natural | under an acre | Fort Belknap Agency | LUKE FIRE |
| 7 August 1995 | Natural | under an acre | North Central Montana District | DRY GULCH |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
10 of 39 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 39 workings within 5 miles of Zortman: 15 unknowns, 10 past producers, 7 occurrences, 4 prospects. 3 still produce. What was taken out: Gold, Silver, Fluorine-Fluorite, Gold, Silver. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antone Peak | Fluorine-Fluorite, Gold, Lead, Silver | Occurrence | ||
| Badger King | Gold, Tellurium, Fluorine-Fluorite | Prospect | ||
| Bailey Group | Gold, Silver, Lead | Unknown | ||
| Camp Prospect | Lead, Zinc, Silver, Gold, Copper | Prospect | ||
| Frank Mine | Gold, Silver, Lead, Zinc | Unknown | ||
| Gold Bug Mine | Gold, Silver, Copper, Zinc | Past Producer | 1893, 1894 | |
| Gold Bug Mine | Gold, Silver, Iron, Manganese, Fluorine-Fluorite | Past Producer | Gold, Limonite, Sylvanite | |
| Jack Deuce | Silver, Gold, Lead | Past Producer | ||
| Lucky Maud | Gold, Copper, Lead, Silver | Past Producer | ||
| Surprise Mine | Gold, Silver, Tellurium | Occurrence |
Storms near this place
60 of 74 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Zortman in 74 storm reports between 1995 and 2022: 36 hail, 31 thunderstorm wind, 5 heavy rain, 1 flood. 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.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zortman | $75,000 | A line of thunderstorms produced severe winds across southern Phillips County. The damaging winds were generally less than 70 mph, but one RAWS site at Zortman did measure a 74 mph gust. A group of researchers just north of the UL Bend had significant damage to trailer they were using to stay in while conducting research. Three trailers were completely toppled, and another had the side caved in. |
| July 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zortman | $50,000 | Outflow from thunderstorms 10 to 15 miles south produced wind damage. The strong wind lasted about 30 to 40 seconds. A camper was blown approximately 30 yards and destroyed. Branches were twisted off of trees and power lines were downed by the wind. The roofs were blown off of two barns. |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zortman | $50,000 | A thunderstorm wind gust blew a Ford Bronco SUV into a house and downed 5 power poles in Zortman. Several trees and a sign were also blown down by the wind. |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zortman | $20,000 | A thunderstorm wind gust 4 miles north of the Manning Corral RAWS site blew a roof off of a barn and blew down 2 power poles. |
| May 2008 | Flood | Zortman | $1,000 | Flooding was observed on a few area dirt roads resulting in portions of the road surfaces washing out. |
| February 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zortman | - | The Malta South US-191 DOT site (MTMAL) recorded a 65 mph wind gust from a convective shower. |
| February 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zortman | - | The Malta South US-191 DOT site (MTMAL) recorded a 60 mph wind gust from a convective shower. |
| July 2022 | Hail | Zortman | - | A trained spotter measured hail up to the size of golf balls. |
| July 2022 | Hail | Zortman | - | A trained spotter reported hail up to the size of ping pong balls, along with heavy rain. |
| July 2022 | Hail | Zortman | - | A trained spotter reported hail up to the size of golf balls. |
| July 2022 | Hail | Zortman | - | Public reported hail up to the size of golf balls in the town of Zortman. |
| July 2022 | Hail | Zortman | - | Public reported, via Facebook, hail up to the size of baseballs. |
| July 2022 | Hail | Zortman | - | Public reported, via Facebook, hail up to the size of baseballs. |
| July 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zortman | - | The Zortman BLM RAWS site (ALDM8) measured a thunderstorm wind gust of 73 mph. |
| June 2021 | Hail | Zortman | - | Public reported hail up to the size of tea cups, along with broken car windshields and heavy rain. Time estimated. |
| June 2021 | Hail | Zortman | - | Cooperative observer shared photos of golf ball size hail and roof shingle damage. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zortman | - | Public reported, via Facebook, that a 71 mph wind gust blew a tree down in Zortman. |
| July 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zortman | - | At the Zortman BLM RAWS site (ALDM8) a 64 mph wind gust was recorded. |
| August 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zortman | - | At the Zortman BLM RAWS site (ALDM8), a 64 mph wind gust was recorded sometime between 18:32 MST and 19:32 MST. |
| June 2019 | Heavy Rain | Zortman | - | Cooperative observer in Zortman reported a 24-hour rainfall total of 6.30 inches. |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zortman | - | The RAWS site in Zortman recorded at 58 mph wind gust. |
| June 2019 | Tornado (EF0) | Zortman | - | Storm Chaser and NWS storm survey reported a narrow swath of damage crossing US Highway 191. Tree tops and power poles snapped. |
| May 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zortman | - | The RAWS site in Zortman measured a 65 mph wind gust. |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zortman | - | A 58 mph wind gust was measured at the RAWS site at Zortman. |
| July 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zortman | - | A 65 mph wind gust was recorded at the Zortman RAWS site. |
| June 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zortman | - | A 58 mph wind gust was measured at the Zortman BLM RAWS site. |
| July 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zortman | - | Trained spotter reported severe winds up to 60 mph lasting for nearly one hour. Also received 0.6 inches of rain. |
| July 2011 | Hail | Zortman | - | A light covering of scattered quarter-sized hail stones was reported. |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zortman | - | Spotter reported strong winds estimated between 50 and 60 mph that blew flower pots away. |
| July 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zortman | - | Person estimated winds to be about 60 mph. |
| August 2009 | Heavy Rain | Zortman | - | Total rainfall that was measured was 1.1 inches. |
| August 2009 | Heavy Rain | Zortman | - | Total rainfall measured between 730 pm and 930 pm was 4.66 inches. 2.5 inches fell in the first 15 minutes with pea-sized hail. Runoff from water reached near record high water markers near the bridge. Water was about 18 inches below the bridge span. No significant damage was reported and the flooding occurring in a very rural area. |
| August 2009 | Heavy Rain | Zortman | - | A rain gauge that can hold up to six inches had overflowed. Bear Gulch was about two to three feet out of its banks. Beaver Creek was at least four feet out of its banks in the area. The water went over a fence on a coulee three-quarter miles north of Beaver Creek. This is a very rural area and no damage occurred. |
| May 2008 | Heavy Rain | Zortman | - | A trained spotter recorded 7.04 inches of rain from May 21 to May 24. The heavy rain washed out gravel roads in the Zortman area. |
| July 2008 | Hail | Zortman | - | Hail covered highway 191 between mile markers 134 and 135. |
| July 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zortman | - | Manning Corral Raws. |
| June 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zortman | - | 64 mph wind gust reported at Manning Corral Dogtown RAWS. |
| June 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zortman | - | 70 mph wind gust reported by motorist on US 191 just north of the Missouri River. |
| June 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zortman | - | 60 mph wind gust reported at Zortman RAWS. |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zortman | - | Wind gust reported at Manning Corral Prairie Dog RAWS site. |
| July 2009 | Hail | Zortman | - | no account filed |
| July 2008 | Hail | Zortman | - | no account filed |
| July 2008 | Hail | Zortman | - | no account filed |
| August 2008 | Hail | Zortman | - | no account filed |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zortman | - | no account filed |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zortman | - | no account filed |
| June 2007 | Hail | Zortman | - | no account filed |
| June 2007 | Hail | Zortman | - | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zortman | - | no account filed |
| August 2005 | Hail | Zortman | - | no account filed |
| August 2005 | Hail | Zortman | - | no account filed |
| August 2005 | Hail | Zortman | - | no account filed |
| August 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zortman | - | no account filed |
| June 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Zortman | - | no account filed |
| August 2003 | Hail | Zortman | - | no account filed |
| July 2001 | Hail | Zortman | - | no account filed |
| July 2001 | Hail | Zortman | - | no account filed |
| July 2000 | Hail | Zortman | - | no account filed |
| July 2000 | Hail | Zortman | - | no account filed |
| July 2000 | Hail | Zortman | - | no account filed |
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 | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitcomb (historical) | 1.8 miles | 9 | |
| Landusky | 5.3 miles | 9 | |
| DY Junction | 10.2 miles | 9 | |
| Trine (historical) | 12.9 miles | 8 | |
| Brookside (historical) | 15.9 miles | 7 | |
| Midale | 19.3 miles | 8 | |
| Phillips | 22.7 miles | 7 | |
| Regina (historical) | 28.7 miles | 9 |
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 Zortman | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q6171856 | The 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 778765. 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.




