Froid was named for the French word meaning 'cold' which is what the winter weather generally is in the northern area of Montana. John W. Schnitzler was an aviator who owned thousands of acres of wheat fields, and whose enthusiasm for aviation led to the establishment of an airport in the area. In 1932, Schnitzler was killed when his private plane crashed into a butte near Glasgow. The first post office was established in 1910 with Fred E. Price as postmaster.
Froid is located in northeastern Montana, near the North Dakota border, north of Culbertson on Montana Highway 16.