Montana Highway 17 (MT 17) is a 14-mile-long (23 km) highway near the Canada–United States border. The highway begins at the Chief Mountain Border Station and Quarters where it continues north into AlbertaasHighway 6. The highway winds to the southeast and ends at U.S. Highway 89 (US 89) north of Babb. The road is known as Chief Mountain Highway due to its proximity to Chief Mountain, a prominent peak in the Rocky Mountains.
Montana Highway 17 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Mountain Highway | ||||
MT 17 highlighted in red
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| Route information | ||||
| Length | 14.082 mi[1] (22.663 km) | |||
| Restrictions | Border crossing open seasonally | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end |  Hwy 6 at the Chief Mountain Border Station and Quarters | |||
| East end |  US 89 north of Babb | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Montana | |||
| Counties | Glacier | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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MT 17 begins along the Canada–United States border at the Chief Mountain Border Station and Quarters. On the Canadian side of the border, the road continues as Alberta Highway 6. The first 3+1⁄3 miles (5.4 km) of the route lie within Glacier National Park. As the road winds through the coniferous forest, Chief Mountain dominates the landscape. The road continues southeast outside of the park boundary for nearly 11 miles (18 km). Scenic viewpoints provide people traveling the road an opportunity to photograph the mountains. The road ends at US 89 a few miles north of Babb.[2]
The road is classified by the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) as an "off-system route", meaning that while it is a numbered highway within the state highway system, it is not designated as a primary or secondary road for funding eligibility.[3] As such, MT 17 is not maintained by MDT.[1]
The entire route is in Glacier County.
| Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada–United States border | 0.000 | 0.000 | Hwy 6 north – Waterton Lakes | Continuation into Alberta | |
| Chief Mountain Border Station and Quarters | |||||
| | 14.082 | 22.663 | US 89 – St. Mary, Cardston | ||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
