Plains is a town in Sanders County, Montana, home to about 1,195 people across 0.6 square miles. Its ZIP code is 59859.
Homes sold for a median of $278 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.
Mostly Plains; also Weeksville
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Plains. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Plains’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Spokane International Airport (GEG)124 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Missoula Montana Airport (MSO)54 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Seattle, WA348 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Plains; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Plains had 1,106 residents in the 2020 census, down 2% since 2000.
It’s the 83rd largest of 475 towns in Montana by population.
Sanders County grew from 3,713 residents in 1910 to 12,400 in 2020.
Sanders County, 1910–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 89°F in summer, and winter lows average 22°F. About 16.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Superior, MT weather station (19 miles away).
2,585 jobs at 394 businesses in Sanders County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
36 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Plains.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 10 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 4 |
| Dentists | 3 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 8 |
| Mental health providers | 5 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 5 |
| Optometrists | 1 |
| Pharmacies | 2 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Grocery stores
Libraries
Counts are within about 1 mile of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Plains K-12. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plains Elementary SchoolPlains | Pre-K–6 | 218 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| Plains 7-8Plains | 7–8 | 65 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| Plains High SchoolPlains | 9–12 | 121 | Public | 0.7 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Weeksville.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.