Sand Coulee, Montana

Sand Coulee, Montana
Sand Coulee, Montana
Sand Coulee, Montana
Coordinates: 47°24′09″N 111°10′21″W / 47.40250°N 111.17250°W / 47.40250; -111.17250
CountryUnited States
StateMontana
CountyCascade
Area
 • Total
2.69 sq mi (6.96 km2)
 • Land2.69 sq mi (6.96 km2)
 • Water0 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
3,691 ft (1,125 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
179
 • Density66.6/sq mi (25.72/km2)
Time zoneUTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code
59472
Area code406
GNIS feature ID2583842

Sand Coulee is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Cascade County, Montana, United States. As of the 2020 census, Sand Coulee had a population of 179.

Named Giffen in 1881, after Nat McGiffen, the town’s name changed to Sand Coulee when the McGiffens left the area. In 1883 Sand Coulee Coal Company, a coal mining company, was established. Recognizing the potential, James J. Hill purchased the company and renamed it Cottonwood Coal Company. The town slowly withered when the railroad switched to diesel engines in the 1930s.