ZIP Code 59716 in Big Sky, MT

A Seasonal Community

Big Sky sits in the mountains of southwestern Montana, 63 square miles of alpine terrain in Gallatin County. This isn't just a ski resort. It's a year-round mountain community where 2,924 people live permanently, though the population transforms with the seasons. With 1,657 of 3,224 housing units used seasonally, over half the homes sit vacant most of the year, waiting for winter or summer visitors.

Why Everyone Needs a PO Box

The Big Sky post office maintains 1,865 PO Boxes for 1,242 households. That's 1.5 boxes per household, and it makes sense here. Second homeowners keep boxes year-round even when they're not in town. Vacation renters need temporary mail access. Resort workers living in employee housing use boxes. This is a PO Box Only Zone, so there's no alternative delivery method across the entire 63-square-mile area. Everyone uses a PO Box.

The Big Sky Character

Street names tell two stories. There's the ski culture: Slalom Trail, Powder Light Drive, Telemark Drive. Then there's the Western and Native American heritage: Chief Joseph Trail, Sitting Bull Road, Curley Bear Road, Two Moons Road. The biggest concentration of addresses sits on Meadow Center Drive (84 delivery points), followed by Little Coyote Road and Town Center Avenue. Many streets have multi-unit buildings, apartments, and condos marked as UNIT or APT.

Resort Economy

Big Sky's 285 business establishments employ 5,894 workers. That's twice the resident population, which means most workers commute in or live in seasonal housing. The median household income of $135,396 is well above Montana averages. Per capita income sits at $71,633. Some 20.4% of workers work from home, double the national average. These are professionals who can work remotely from a mountain setting.

Demographics of a Mountain Resort

The housing market reflects Big Sky's resort character. Median home value: $868,600. Median rent: $1,705 per month. Of the 1,242 occupied homes, 783 are owner-occupied and 459 are rentals. The population is 88% white, with a median age of 38.9 years. These are working-age adults and families, not retirees. Only 78 residents are over 65, while 553 are under 24.

Mountain Mail Logistics

Delivery here mixes urban and rural patterns. There are 2 city carrier routes and 1 rural route serving the 589 street delivery points, but the majority of the 1,647 ZIP+4 records are PO Box addresses. The post office operates from a main facility with branches at Big Sky CPO and Meadow Village PO. General Delivery is available for those without established addresses.

Mailing to Big Sky

All mail must use PO Box addresses:

Recipient Name
PO Box [Number]
Big Sky, MT 59716

Street addresses are not valid for mail delivery in this ZIP code.

Street Name Patterns

Street names blend ski resort identity (Slalom, Powder Light, Telemark) with Native American and Western heritage (Chief Joseph, Sitting Bull, Curley Bear).