How Great Falls Locals Cope With Holiday Traffic Chaos

I Can Feel The Great Falls Holiday Dread Creeping Up On Me

Almost every Saturday, my mom and I run around Great Falls doing errands. It's always early on Saturday morning because by 11 or so, the Falls is filling up with people who live in Central Montana coming to town to get stuff and things. I always try to be home before that happens.

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Now, We're nearing the time of year I loathe driving in Great Falls. The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Why Do I Hate Driving Great Falls At This Time Of Year?

Because for folks who live in Central Montana, Great Falls is the big town they go to and get their Christmas shopping done. The people who live in small towns have the same time restrictions as you and me, so working during the week makes weekends the best time to "head to the Falls".

That means by 11am most weekends, Great Falls is full of people who don't usually drive here, and it shows. By Great Falls I mean 10th Avenue South and the Northwest Bypass.

Look, the people who LIVE here drive like fools anyway, then you add people who don't even have 2 stoplights in their home town to the mix, and we end up with a huge mess every single weekend during the holiday season.

LOOK: New Businesses Opening Soon In Great Falls

What Can We Do As Residents Of Great Falls?

We want people coming here and shopping, so we have to make it nice for them.

What I personally do isn't for everyone. I'm mostly a side-street driver. You have to know Great Falls fairly well to get where you want to go that way, so it saves you from the bad drivers from out of town and pits us against the bad drivers we're used to, fellow residents of Great Falls.

Best of luck as you drive around Great Falls this holiday season.