Great Falls sits on the Missouri River on the plains east of the Rocky Mountain Front, and its highways cross open country in every direction. I-15 runs along the west side of the city, heading north toward Shelby and the Canadian border and south toward Helena. US 87 heads northeast toward Havre, and US 89 runs southeast toward Belt and White Sulphur Springs. MT 200 runs west toward Simms and the Sun River country. Inside the city, 10th Avenue South is the main commercial corridor, Central Avenue runs through downtown, and the river divides the larger south side from the smaller north side.
Great Falls is laid out on a wide grid, and traffic is light by big-city standards. The main slow spots are 10th Avenue South at rush hour and the river bridges. The real hazards are outside town, where wind drifts snow across I-15 and the highways toward Havre and Belt, sometimes closing them. A breakdown on those open stretches in winter is serious, which is why a dependable car matters more here than in most places.
Great Falls International Airport sits on a bluff southwest of the city. Malmstrom Air Force Base lies on the east side, and many airmen and their families live in town. City buses run along the main corridors, but most people drive. Traffic near the base gates picks up briefly at shift changes, morning and afternoon.
The Missouri's falls and dams, Giant Springs and the River's Edge Trail give the city its character, and the roads along the river carry sightseers in summer.