Missoula is a city located in western
MontanaMontana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
and is the
county seatA county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of
Missoula County-National protected areas:*Bitterroot National Forest *Flathead National Forest *Lolo National Forest *Rattlesnake National Recreation Area-Demographics:...
. The 2010 Census put the population of Missoula at 66,788 and the population of Missoula County at 109,299. Missoula is the principal city of the
Missoula Metropolitan AreaThe Missoula Metropolitan Statistical Area is located in the West-central portion of the state, the 2010 census put its population at 109,299 making it the 2nd largest metropolitan statistical area in Montana and the 331st largest in the nation between Decatur, Illinois and Bismarck, North...
. In 2000 Missoula became the second largest city in Montana, and since that time it has had the third largest actual growth amongst Montana's cities, with an increase in population of 9,735.
Missoula was founded in 1860 as Hellgate Trading Post before being renamed Missoula Mills ("Missoula" from the
SalishThe Salishan languages are a group of languages of the Pacific Northwest...
name for the area, "Nemissoolatakoo", and "Mills" after the prosperous flour mill and sawmill that served as Missoula's first industry). "Mills" was dropped from the name and in 1877, the establishment of Fort Missoula ensured the survival of the city.
Missoula is nicknamed the "Garden City", in reference to the large number of orchard homes that once lined its periphery and an extensive vegetable and
flower gardenA flower garden is any garden where flowers are grown for decorative purposes. Because flowers bloom at varying times of the year, and some plants are annual, dying each winter, the design of flower gardens can take into consideration to maintain a sequence of bloom and even of consistent color...
owned by Cyrus and William McWhirk that formed the eastern entrance to the city.
Downtown MissoulaDowntown Missoula is the central business district in Missoula, Montana, and West-Central Montana. Downtown Missoula's rough boundaries are the Clark Fork River to its south, Madison St. to its east, the old U.S 93 highway/ North Orange St. to its west, and West Alder St...
is the central business district of the of the city.
Though founded as a lumber and agricultural center as well as a trading post, the basis of Missoula's modern economy is the University of Montana, government, healthcare, tourism, and the service industry.
Missoula is a
college townA college town or university town is a community which is dominated by its university population...
, home to the University of Montana. Missoula is also known for being the birthplace of
Jeannette RankinJeannette Pickering Rankin was the first woman in the US Congress. A Republican, she was elected statewide in Montana in 1916 and again in 1940. A lifelong pacifist, she voted against the entry of the United States into both World War I in 1917 and World War II in 1941, the only member of Congress...
, the first woman elected to the U.S. Congress. Missoula is the headquarters of Montana Rail Link and home to Montana's largest brewery.
History
Archaeological artifacts date the Missoula Valley's earliest inhabitants to the end of the last ice age 12,000 years ago with settlements as early as 3,500 BCE. From the 1700s until European settlements began a hundred years later, the land was primarily used by populations of the Salish, Kootenai, Pend d'Oreille,
BlackfeetThe Piegan Blackfeet are a tribe of Native Americans of the Algonquian language family based in Montana, having lived in this area since around 6,500 BC. Many members of the tribe live as part of the Blackfeet Nation in northwestern Montana, with population centered in Browning...
, and
ShoshoneThe Shoshone or Shoshoni are a Native American tribe in the United States with three large divisions: the Northern, the Western and the Eastern....
tribes. Located at the confluence of five mountain valleys, the Missoula Valley was heavily traversed by local and distant native tribes that periodically went to the Eastern Montana plains in search of
bisonThe American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
, leading to inevitable conflict. The narrow valley at Missoula's eastern entrance was so strewn with human bones from repeated ambushes that French fur trappers would later refer to this area as "Porte d' Enfer," translated as "Hell's Gate". Hell Gate would remain the name of the area until it was renamed "Missoula" in 1866.
Western exploration to the area began with the
Lewis and Clark ExpeditionThe Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William...
, which stopped twice just south of Missoula at Traveler's Rest (first from September 9–11, 1805, and again from June 30-July 3, 1806) before splitting up on the return journey, with Clark taking the southern route along the
Bitterroot RiverThe Bitterroot River is a tributary of the Clark Fork River in southwestern Montana, USA. It runs for about 75 miles south-to-north through the Bitterroot Valley, from the confluence of its West and East forks near Conner to the Clark Fork near Missoula.Ravalli County and Missoula County...
and Lewis travelling north through Hellgate Canyon on July 4.
Hell Gate VillageHell Gate is a ghost town at the western end of the Missoula Valley in Missoula County, Montana, United States...
was established just west of Missoula in 1860 by Christopher P. Higgins as a trading post to serve the recently completed
Mullan RoadMullan Road was the first wagon road to cross the Rocky Mountains to the Inland of the Pacific Northwest. It was built by US Army Lieut. John Mullan between the spring of 1859 and summer 1860. It led from Fort Benton, Montana, the navigational head of the Missouri River to Fort Walla Walla,...
, the first wagon road to cross the Rocky Mountains to the inland of the Pacific Northwest. The desire for a more convenient water supply to power a lumber and flour mill led to the movement of the settlement to its modern location in 1864.
The Missoula Mills replaced Hell Gate Village as the economic power of the valley and replaced it as the county seat in 1866. The name "Missoula" comes from the
SalishThe Salishan languages are a group of languages of the Pacific Northwest...
name for the Clark Fork River, ‘’nmesuletkʷ’’, which roughly translates to "place of frozen water" and possibly refers to the ancient
Glacial Lake MissoulaGlacial Lake Missoula was a prehistoric proglacial lake in western Montana that existed periodically at the end of the last ice age between 15,000 and 13,000 years ago...
once located in the valley.
Fort MissoulaFort Missoula was established by the United States Army in 1877 on land that is now part of the city of Missoula, Montana, to protect white settlers in Western Montana from possible threats from the native American Indians, such as the Nez Perce....
was established in 1877 to help protect further arriving settlers. Growth accelerated with the arrival of the
Northern Pacific RailwayThe Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
in 1883, and the Town of Missoula was chartered the same year. Ten years later, Missoula was chosen as the location of the state's first university, the University of Montana. The need for lumber for the railway and its bridges spurred the opening of multiple saw mills in the area and, in turn, the beginning of Missoula's lumber industry that would remain the mainstay of the area's economy for the next hundred years. The continued economic windfall from railroad construction and lumber mills led to a further boom in Missoula's population. A.B. Hammond and
Copper KingsThe Copper Kings, industrialists William Andrews Clark, Marcus Daly, and F. Augustus Heinze, were collectively known for the epic battles they fought in Butte, Montana and the surrounding region during the Gilded Age over the control of the local copper mining industry, a fight which had...
Marcus DalyMarcus Daly redirects here, see also Marcus Daly Marcus Daly was an Irish-born American businessman known as one of the three "Copper Kings" of Butte, Montana, United States.- Early life:...
and William A. Clark competed fiercely in the region over lumber share and Missoula investments, and in 1908 Missoula became the district, and later a regional, headquarters for the
United States Forest ServiceThe United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
, which also began training
smokejumperA smokejumper is a wildland firefighter who parachutes into a remote area to combat wildfires.Smokejumpers are most often deployed to fires that are extremely remote. The risks associated with this method of personnel deployment are mitigated by an extremely well developed training program that has...
s in 1942.
Logging remained a mainstay of industry in Missoula with the groundbreaking of the Hoerner-Waldorf pulp mill in 1956, which led to subsequent protests over the resultant air pollution. By the early 1990s, however, the disappearance of many of the region's log yards, along with legislation, had helped clean the skies dramatically.
With the decline of the lumber industry, healthcare, education, and tourism became a more visible part of Missoula's economy.
St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences CenterSt. Patrick Hospital, commonly known as St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences Center, is a healthcare facility in Missoula, Montana.-Overview:...
, founded in 1873, is the region's only Level II trauma center and has undergone three major expansions since the 1980s.. Likewise, the University of Montana grew 50% and built or renovated 20 buildings from 1990-2010. In 1995, the City of Missoula approved its first Open Space Bond, which assures the city will maintain the undeveloped hillsides surrounding the valley.
Geography
Missoula is located at 46°51′45"N 114°0′42"W (46.872146, -113.9939982), at an altitude of 3,209 feet (978 m) with nearby
Mount SentinelMount Sentinel, originally known as "Mount Woody," is a small mountain located to the east of the University of Montana in Missoula, Mont. At a height of 1,958 feet and an elevation of 5,158 feet, Mount Sentinel also features the hillside letter "M", a large concrete structure 620 feet up its...
and
Mount JumboMount Jumbo is an iconic mountain that overlooks the city of Missoula, Montana. The mountain is northeast of the city’s downtown and, in its majority, is publicly owned. In 1996, Jumbo was purchased from private landowners and protected from development...
steeply rising to 5,158 ft (1,572 m) and 4,768 ft (1,453 m) respectively. According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 23.9 square miles (61.9 km²), of which 23.8 square miles (61.6 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) (0.46%) is water.
Approximately 13,000 years ago the entire valley was at the bottom of
Glacial Lake MissoulaGlacial Lake Missoula was a prehistoric proglacial lake in western Montana that existed periodically at the end of the last ice age between 15,000 and 13,000 years ago...
and as could be expected for a former lake bottom, the layout of Missoula is relatively flat and surrounded by steep hills. The
Clark Fork RiverThe Clark Fork is a river in the U.S. states of Montana and Idaho, approximately long. The largest river by volume in Montana, it drains an extensive region of the Rocky Mountains in western Montana and northern Idaho in the watershed of the Columbia River, flowing northwest through a long...
enters the Missoula Valley from the east through Hellgate Canyon after joining the nearby
Blackfoot RiverThe Blackfoot River, sometimes called the Big Blackfoot River to distinguish it from the Little Blackfoot River, is a snow-fed and spring-fed river in western Montana. The Blackfoot River begins in Lewis and Clark County at the Continental Divide, 10 miles northeast of the town of Lincoln...
at the site of the former Milltown Dam. The
Bitterroot RiverThe Bitterroot River is a tributary of the Clark Fork River in southwestern Montana, USA. It runs for about 75 miles south-to-north through the Bitterroot Valley, from the confluence of its West and East forks near Conner to the Clark Fork near Missoula.Ravalli County and Missoula County...
and multiple smaller tributaries join the Clark Fork on the western edge of Missoula. The city also sits at the convergence of five mountain ranges: the
Bitterroot MountainsThe Northern and Central Bitterroot Range, collectively the Bitterroot Mountains, is the largest portion of the Bitterroot Range, part of the Rocky Mountains, located in the panhandle of Idaho and westernmost Montana in the Western United States...
,
Sapphire RangeThe Sapphire Mountains are a range of mountains located in southwestern Montana in the northwestern United States. From a point near the Clark Fork River and the city of Missoula, they run in a southerly direction for a distance of approximately 60 miles , making up much of the border between...
,
Garnet RangeThe Garnet Range, highest point Old Baldy Mountain, elevation , is a mountain range northeast of Drummond, Montana in Powell County, Montana....
, Rattlesnake Mountains, and the Reservation Divide, thus is often described as being the "Hub of Five Valleys".
Glacial Lake Missoula
During the last
Ice AgeAn ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
, the Purcell lobe of the
Cordilleran Ice SheetThe Cordilleran ice sheet was a major ice sheet that covered, during glacial periods of the Quaternary, a large area of North America. This included the following areas:*Western Montana*The Idaho Panhandle...
blocked the Clark Fork river near what is now
Clark Fork, IdahoClark Fork is a city in Bonner County, Idaho, United States. The population was 536 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Clark Fork is located at ....
creating
Glacial Lake MissoulaGlacial Lake Missoula was a prehistoric proglacial lake in western Montana that existed periodically at the end of the last ice age between 15,000 and 13,000 years ago...
which extended approximately 320 kilometres (198.8 mi) eastward, filling the Missoula Valley and connecting today's Flathead and Pend Oreille Lakes. The ice dam holding back waters periodically thawed and refroze causing the
Missoula FloodsThe Missoula Floods refer to the cataclysmic floods that swept periodically across eastern Washington and down the Columbia River Gorge at the end of the last ice age. The glacial flood events have been researched since the 1920s...
that swept across
Eastern WashingtonEastern Washington is the portion of the U.S. state of Washington east of the Cascade Range. The region contains the city of Spokane , the Tri-Cities, the Columbia River and the Grand Coulee Dam, the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and the fertile farmlands of the Yakima Valley and the...
and down the
Columbia River GorgeThe Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Up to deep, the canyon stretches for over as the river winds westward through the Cascade Range forming the boundary between the State of Washington to the north and Oregon to the south...
approximately 40 times during from 15,000 to 13,000 years ago leaving behind giant ripple marks across the valley. These 15–30 foot ripple marks were first noted as evidence of the rapid draining of Glacial Lake Missoula by USGS employee
Joseph PardeeJoseph T. Pardee was a U.S. geologist who worked for the U.S. Geological Survey, and contributed to the understanding of the origin of the Channeled scablands. He discovered the trail of evidence left by Glacial Lake Missoula, a lake created by an ice dam 23 miles wide and half a mile high during...
in his 1942 publication
Unusual Currents in Glacial Lake Missoula and supporting
J Harlen BretzJ Harlen Bretz was an American geologist, best known for his research that led to the acceptance of the Missoula Floods, and also for his work on caves. He was born to Oliver Joseph Bretz and Rhoda Maria Howlett, farmers in Saranac, Michigan, as the oldest of five children...
's popularly dismissed 1923 theory of the
Missoula FloodsThe Missoula Floods refer to the cataclysmic floods that swept periodically across eastern Washington and down the Columbia River Gorge at the end of the last ice age. The glacial flood events have been researched since the 1920s...
forming the
Channeled ScablandsThe Channeled Scablands are a unique geological erosion feature in the U.S. state of Washington. They were created by the cataclysmic Missoula Floods that swept periodically across eastern Washington and down the Columbia River Plateau during the Pleistocene epoch. Geologist J Harlen Bretz coined...
of Eastern Washington.
Evidence of the city of Missoula's lake bottom past can be seen in the form of ancient wave-cut shorelines that can now be seen as horizontal lines on nearby mountains
Mount SentinelMount Sentinel, originally known as "Mount Woody," is a small mountain located to the east of the University of Montana in Missoula, Mont. At a height of 1,958 feet and an elevation of 5,158 feet, Mount Sentinel also features the hillside letter "M", a large concrete structure 620 feet up its...
and
Mount JumboMount Jumbo is an iconic mountain that overlooks the city of Missoula, Montana. The mountain is northeast of the city’s downtown and, in its majority, is publicly owned. In 1996, Jumbo was purchased from private landowners and protected from development...
. At the location of present-day University of Montana, the lake once had a depth of 950 feet (289.6 m).
Flora and fauna
Missoula's location in the Northern Rockies has endowed the region with a typical
Rocky Mountain ecologyThe ecology of the Rocky Mountains is diverse, due to the effects of a variety of environmental factors. The Rocky Mountains are the major mountain range in western North America, running from the far north of British Columbia in Canada to New Mexico in the southwestern United States, climbing from...
. Local wildlife includes populations of
white-tailed deerThe white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
,
black bearsThe American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
,
ospreyThe Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
, and
bald eaglesThe Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
. During the winter months,
Mount JumboMount Jumbo is an iconic mountain that overlooks the city of Missoula, Montana. The mountain is northeast of the city’s downtown and, in its majority, is publicly owned. In 1996, Jumbo was purchased from private landowners and protected from development...
is home to grazing
elkThe Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
and
mule deerThe mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...
, preferred for because of its rapid snow melt due to its steep slope. The rivers around Missoula provide nesting habitats for
bank swallowsThe Sand Martin is a migratory passerine bird in the swallow family. It has a wide range in summer, embracing practically the whole of Europe and the Mediterranean countries, part of northern Asia and also North America. It winters in eastern and southern Africa, South America and South Asia...
,
northern rough-winged swallowsThe Northern Rough-winged Swallow is a small swallow.Adults are 13–15 cm in length, brown on top with light underparts and a forked tail. They are similar in appearance to the Bank Swallow but have a dusky throat and breast...
and
belted kingfishersThe Belted Kingfisher is a large, conspicuous water kingfisher, the only member of that group commonly found in the northern United States and Canada. It is depicted on the 1986 series Canadian $5 note. All kingfishers were formerly placed in one family, Alcedinidae, but recent research suggests...
.
KilldeerThe Killdeer is a medium-sized plover.Adults have a brown back and wings, a white belly, and a white breast with two black bands. The rump is tawny orange. The face and cap are brown with a white forehead. They have an orange-red eyering...
and
spotted sandpipersThe Spotted Sandpiper is a small shorebird, 18–20 cm long. Together with its sister species, the Common Sandpiper they make up the genus Actitis...
can be seen foraging insects along the gravel bars. Other species include
song sparrowsThe Song Sparrow is a medium-sized American sparrow.Adults have brown upperparts with dark streaks on the back and are white underneath with dark streaking and a dark brown spot in the middle of the breast. They have a brown cap and a long brown rounded tail. Their face is grey with a streak...
,
catbirdSeveral unrelated groups of songbirds are called catbirds because of their wailing calls, which resemble a cat's meowing. The genus name Ailuroedus likewise is from the Greek for "cat-singer" or "cat-voiced"....
s, several species of
warblerThere are a number of Passeriformes called "warblers". They are not particularly closely related, but share some characteristics, such as being fairly small, vocal and insectivorous....
s, and the
pileated woodpeckerThe Pileated Woodpecker is a very large North American woodpecker, almost crow-sized, inhabiting deciduous forests in eastern North America, the Great Lakes, the boreal forests of Canada, and parts of the Pacific coast. It is also the largest woodpecker in America.Adults are long, and weigh...
. The rivers also provide cold, high quality water for native fish such as
westslope cutthroat troutThe westslope cutthroat trout , also known as the blackspotted cutthroat, is a subspecies of the cutthroat trout and is a freshwater fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. The cutthroat is the Montana state fish...
and
bull troutThe bull trout, Salvelinus confluentus, is a char of the family Salmonidae native to northwestern North America. Historically, S. confluentus has been known as the "Dolly Varden" , but was re-classified as a separate species in 1980. Bull trout are listed as a threatened species under the U.S....
. The meandering streams also attract
beaverThe beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
and
wood ducksThe Wood Duck or Carolina Duck is a species of duck found in North America. It is one of the most colourful of North American waterfowl.-Description:...
.
Native riparian plant life includes sandbar
willowWillows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
s and cottonwoods with Montana's state tree, the Ponderosa Pine, also being prevalent. Other native plants include wetland species such as
cattailsTypha is a genus of about eleven species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae. The genus has a largely Northern Hemisphere distribution, but is essentially cosmopolitan, being found in a variety of wetland habitats...
and
beaked-sedgeRhynchospora is a genus of about 250-300 species of sedges with a cosmopolitan distribution. The genus includes both annual and perennial species, mostly with erect 3-sided stems and 3-ranked leaves...
as well as shrubs and berry plants such as
Douglas hawthornCrataegus , commonly called hawthorn or thornapple, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the rose family, Rosaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia and North America. The name hawthorn was originally applied to the species native to northern Europe,...
, chokecherry, and
western snowberriesSymphoricarpos, with common names in English of Snowberry, Waxberry or Ghostberry, is a small genus of about 15 species of deciduous shrubs in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae. All species are natives of North and Central America, except one native to western China...
. Missoula is also unfortunately home to several noxious weeds which multiple programs have set out to eliminate. Notable ones include
dalmatian toadflaxLinaria vulgaris is a species of toadflax , native to most of Europe and northern Asia, from the United Kingdom south to Spain in the west, and east to eastern Siberia and western China...
,
spotted knapweedCentaurea maculosa, the spotted knapweed, is a species of Centaurea native to eastern Europe.It has been introduced to North America, where it is considered an invasive plant species in much of the western United States and Canada. In 2000, C. maculosa occupied more than in the US.Knapweed is a...
, leafy spurge,
St. John's wortSt John's wort is the plant species Hypericum perforatum, and is also known as Tipton's Weed, Chase-devil, or Klamath weed....
, and
sulfur cinquefoilPotentilla recta is a species of cinquefoil. It is native to Eurasia but it is present in North America as an introduced species, ranging through almost the entire continent except the northernmost part of Canada and Alaska.The plant probably originated in the Mediterranean Basin, and it was first...
.
Cityscape
In the mid-1860s C.P. Higgins and Francis Worden began plotting what would become the town of Missoula along the
Mullan military roadMullan Road was the first wagon road to cross the Rocky Mountains to the Inland of the Pacific Northwest. It was built by US Army Lieut. John Mullan between the spring of 1859 and summer 1860. It led from Fort Benton, Montana, the navigational head of the Missouri River to Fort Walla Walla,...
which followed the northern bank of the Clark Fork River. This road, known today in downtown Missoula as Front Street, intersected by Higgins Avenue which in 1873 added a bridge to cross to the southern side of river. This intersection became the default center of the city, and today is still the numerical center regarding street addresses. The arrival of the
Northern Pacific RailwayThe Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
in 1883 led to a housing boom along the tracks, particularly on the northern side where many of the railway workers would reside. When the Higgins Avenue Bridge was replaced in 1893 there was debate of whether the bridge should continue angled toward the Bitterroot Valley as it had earlier or straight across so as to be oriented north and south. Attorneys W.M. Bickford and W.J. Stephens had already laid out plots of land five years earlier for what they hoped would be a new town of "South Missoula" that were perpendicular to the Bitterroot Wagon Road while Judge Hiram Knowles who owned the land just south of the river preferred the north-south plan and did not want to become part of South Missoula anyway. The result was a 7x14 block area along the west side of Higgins Avenue commonly referred to as the
Slant Streets centered along what is now Stephens Avenue. Stephens Avenue and Brooks Street are the only arterials to traverse the city diagnolly along with the Bitterroot Branch of Montana Rail Link. The rest of the city with the exception of Downtown, where streets follow the angle of the river, and newer expansions into the hills strictly follow the
grid planThe grid plan, grid street plan or gridiron plan is a type of city plan in which streets run at right angles to each other, forming a grid...
. With the establishment of the University of Montana in 1893 and the announcement that the now-defunct
Milwaukee RoadThe Milwaukee Road, officially the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until its merger into the Soo Line Railroad on January 1, 1986. The company went through several official names...
would be located south of the river houses began to spread quickly throughout the university and south side districts. The area near the university was promoted as high-end and soon luxurious homes appeared on Millionaires Row on Hammond (now Gerald) Avenue. The arrival of Interstate 90 in the mid-1960s forced the removal of 60 homes, including the Greenough Mansion. The north side of Missoula became isolated between the Interstate and the tracks while the Greenough Mansion was moved to a South Hills golf course and converted to a restaurant. This dichotomy has prevailed with the North Side feeling neglected by the city and the South Hills becoming the city's new upscale region. With the release of the latest Missoula Downtown Master Plan in 2009 increased emphasis was directed toward redeveloping the North Side's former rail yard and the area just south of the tracks.
Missoula's oldest commercial district,
Downtown is also home to over 30 buildings listed on the
National Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
beginning in 1976 with the
A.J. GibsonA.J. Gibson was an architect in Montana. He designed a number of buildings that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.Works include:*Atlantic Hotel, 519 N. Higgins Ave., Missoula, MT NRHP-listed...
designed
County CourthouseThe Missoula County Courthouse is located in Missoula, Montana in the epicenter of Downtown Missoula. It is located at 200 west broadway, Missoula Montana. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places listings on September 1, 1976....
constructed in 1908 being added. The
Post OfficeThe Federal Building, U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, Missoula, Montana is a building housing various services of the United States federal government. Built between 1911 and 1913, an expansion initiated in 1927 and completed in 1929 allowed the building to serve thereafter as a courthouse of the...
, Wilma Theatre and Higgin's Block were all added a couple years later. In the 1970s businesses fled Downtown for cheaper land in Southwest Missoula. This created a second commercial district focused around the
Southgate Mall, built in 1978. A subsequent deterioration of Downtown ironically saved its future. With old buildings too expensive to replace and no big businesses moving in rents began to fall. This led to the myriad of small start-up shops in historic buildings that Downtown is known for today. The area went from bankrupt to the center of Missoula's arts and culture in matter of 25 years. In the late 1990s North Reserve Street became the new center for large retail stores. Located at the cross streets of Highway-93 and the old Mullan Road with easy access to Interstate 90, the area has become a major shopping destination for both local and regional customers.
Overall, the city is officially divided into eighteen neighborhood councils of which all Missoula residents are a member. The city further contains ten historical districts:
Downtown MissoulaDowntown Missoula is the central business district in Missoula, Montana, and West-Central Montana. Downtown Missoula's rough boundaries are the Clark Fork River to its south, Madison St. to its east, the old U.S 93 highway/ North Orange St. to its west, and West Alder St...
, East Pine Street,
Fort MissoulaFort Missoula was established by the United States Army in 1877 on land that is now part of the city of Missoula, Montana, to protect white settlers in Western Montana from possible threats from the native American Indians, such as the Nez Perce....
, Lower Rattlesnake, McCormick, Missoula County Fairgrounds, Northside, Southside, University Area and, the University of Montana Campus Also, as the primary city of the Missoula Metropolitan Statistical Area, all other communities within
Missoula County-National protected areas:*Bitterroot National Forest *Flathead National Forest *Lolo National Forest *Rattlesnake National Recreation Area-Demographics:...
also being part of said area. This includes
Bonner-West RiversideBonner-West Riverside is a census-designated place in Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is part of the 'Missoula, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area'...
,
ClintonClinton is a census-designated place in Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is part of the 'Missoula, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The CDP was named for General Sir Henry Clinton...
,
East MissoulaEast Missoula is a census-designated place in Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is part of the 'Missoula, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area'...
,
EvaroEvaro is a census-designated place in Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is part of the 'Missoula, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area'...
,
FrenchtownFrenchtown is a census-designated place in Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is part of the 'Missoula, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 883 at the 2000 census...
,
LoloLolo is a census-designated place in Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is part of the 'Missoula, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 3,388 at the 2000 census. It is home to Travelers' Rest State Park, a site where Lewis and Clark camped in 1805 and again in 1806...
,
Orchard HomesOrchard Homes is a census-designated place in Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is part of the 'Missoula, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 5,199 at the 2000 census...
,
Seeley LakeSeeley Lake is a census-designated place in Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is part of the 'Missoula, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area'...
,
WyeWye is a census-designated place in Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is part of the 'Missoula, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 381 at the 2000 census...
, and
CondonCondon is an unincorporated community in Missoula County, Montana, United States.Condon is the site of a U.S. post office, using ZIP Code 59826. Mission Mountain School is located in the community and the U.S. Forest Service operates an airport in Condon....
Climate
Missoula has a semi-arid climate (
Köppen climate classificationThe Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
BSk), with cold and moderately snowy winters, hot and dry summers, and spring and autumn are short and crisp in between. Winter conditions are usually far milder than much of the rest of the state due to its western position within the state. However the mildness is also induced by the dampness, as unlike much of the rest of the state, precipitation is not at a strong minimum during winter. Winter snowfall averages 43 inches (109 cm), with most years seeing very little of it from April to October. Summers see very sunny conditions, with highs peaking at 84 °F (28.9 °C) in July. However, temperature differences between day and night are large during this time and from April to October, due to the relative aridity.
Metropolitan Statistical Area
The Missoula Metropolitan Statistical Area is the second largest metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Montana. Located in the West-central portion of the state. The 2010 census shows its population at 109,299
The 2010 Census put Missoula's population at 66,788. There currently are 24,141 households and 12,336 families residing in the city. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,397.1 people per square mile (925.6/km²) in 2000. There were 25,225 housing units at an average density of 1,059.8 per square mile (409.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.57% White, 2.35% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.36% African American, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.76% of the population.
There were 24,141 households out of which 24.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.9% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.9% were non-families. 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city the population was spread out with 19.7% under the age of 18, 20.7% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,366, and the median income for a family was $42,103. Males had a median income of $30,686 versus $21,559 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $17,166. About 11.7% of families and 19.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.5% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over. 40.3% of Missoula residents age 25 and older have a bachelor's or advanced college degree.
Economy
Missoula began in the 1860s as a trading post on the
Mullan Military RoadMullan Road was the first wagon road to cross the Rocky Mountains to the Inland of the Pacific Northwest. It was built by US Army Lieut. John Mullan between the spring of 1859 and summer 1860. It led from Fort Benton, Montana, the navigational head of the Missouri River to Fort Walla Walla,...
to take advantage of the road's purpose of being the first route across the
Bitterroot MountainsThe Northern and Central Bitterroot Range, collectively the Bitterroot Mountains, is the largest portion of the Bitterroot Range, part of the Rocky Mountains, located in the panhandle of Idaho and westernmost Montana in the Western United States...
to the plains of Eastern Washington. The arrival of
Fort MissoulaFort Missoula was established by the United States Army in 1877 on land that is now part of the city of Missoula, Montana, to protect white settlers in Western Montana from possible threats from the native American Indians, such as the Nez Perce....
(1877), the Northern Pacific Railroad (1883), and U.S. Forest Service offices (1877) solidified Missoula's economy with a steady stream of employment.
Timber demand for the railroad lead to the setting up of numerous saw mills, which were gradually consolidated, and the lumber industry remained important to the Missoula economy for much of the 20th century.
Today, Missoula's economy has diversified with Education, health care, retail, government, and professional services all playing an important part in the economy at large. In particular, the University of Montana is the region's largest employer, while St. Patrick Hospital and the
Community Medical CenterCommunity Medical Center, is an integrated health care facility based in Missoula, Montana.-Overview:Community Medical Center is on a 45-acre campus located near the center of the Missoula valley.-Services:...
follow making Missoula the regional medical center.
Missoula is also a regional economic center; as of 2006 one survey showed Missoula as having a primary trade area of 100,086 and a secondary trade area of 93,272..
Fastest Growing Occupations and Industries
According to the Montana Department of Labor, the fastest growing occupations for the state as a whole are Forensic Science Technicians, Medical Assistants, Industrial Engineers, Food Prep and Service, and Physical Therapist Assistants. The fastest growing industries are Administrative & Support Services, Administrative & Waste Services, Arts Entertainment & Recreation, Professional & Business Services, Professional & Technical Services, and Health Care & Social Assistance.
Culture
Missoula's varied cultural attractions are largely influenced by the nearby University of Montana and the surrounding mountains and rivers. The city is host to the
International Wildlife Film FestivalThe International Wildlife Film Festival is a film festival held annually at the Wilma Theatre in Missoula, Montana.The International Wildlife Film Festival was "the first regular ongoing festival devoted solely to wildlife films" and this "signaled that wildlife films had arrived as a motion...
, as well as the
Big Sky Documentary Film FestivalBig Sky Documentary Film Festival is an annual non-fiction film festival held in Missoula, Montana each February. The event showcases documentary films from around the world. The festival first began in 2003 as a seven day event...
, the largest film event in Montana, which showcases over 100 non-fiction films from around the world. The Missoula Children's Theater is an international touring program that visits nearly 1,000 communities per year around the world.
The Montana Museum of Arts and Culture, which officially became a state museum in 2001 and housed in a former
Carnegie libraryA Carnegie library is a library built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929, including some belonging to public and university library systems...
, is one Montana's oldest cultural reserves with its permanent collection of more than 10,000 original works begun in 1894."
Historic Fort MissoulaFort Missoula was established by the United States Army in 1877 on land that is now part of the city of Missoula, Montana, to protect white settlers in Western Montana from possible threats from the native American Indians, such as the Nez Perce....
is home to the Historic Museum dedicated to preserving the history of Western Montana and the Rocky Mountain Museum of Military History. and the Northern Rockies Heritage Center It was announced by the National Museum of Forest Service History in 2009 that it plans to build a National Conservation Legacy and Education Center in Missoula as well. Missoula is also home to an array of other art galleries such as the
Monte DolackMonte A. Dolack is an American graphic artist who lives in Missoula, Montana, in the United States. Frommer's called him "one of the best-known artists in Montana." He works primarily in watercolor, acrylic paint, poster art, and lithographs...
Gallery the Murphy-Jubb Fine Art gallery, and the Artists' Shop.
With Bayern Brewing opened in 1987 and
Big Sky BrewingBig Sky Brewing Company is a brewery located in Missoula, Montana. It brews six different styles of beer: Moose Drool , Scape Goat , Big Sky , Powder Hound , Summer Honey , and Trout Slayer Ale....
eight years later, Missoula is home to the oldest and the two largest microbreweries in the state of Montana. Missoula is also home to Kettle House Brewing Company, Draught Works, two pub houses, and hosts two beer festivals: The Garden City Brewfest and periodically the Montana Brewers Festival.
The University of Montana, established in 1893 and opened in 1895, is the location of numerous public events including athletics, concerts, lectures, and conferences. It is the location of the Montana Museum of Arts and Culture (MMAC), the state's Regional Federal Depository Library, and houses the State
ArboretumAn arboretum in a narrow sense is a collection of trees only. Related collections include a fruticetum , and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly, today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study...
. The
Montana Grizzlies footballThe Montana Grizzlies football program represents the University of Montana in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision of college football. The Grizzlies have competed in the Big Sky Conference, where it is a founding member, since 1963...
team is one of the most successful programs within the NCAA D-1 FCS level, winning nearly 90% of their home games at Washington–Grizzly Stadium averaging an attendance over 25,000. The
Grizzlies men'sThe Montana Grizzlies men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big Sky Conference. Home games are played at Dahlberg Arena located inside the University of Montana's Adams Center.-Season by season records:...
and Lady Griz basketball teams have also been successful at the
conferenceThe Big Sky Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I, with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. The BSC was founded in 1963. Member institutions are located in the western United States in the states of Arizona,...
level where they both rank at or near the top in attendance, about 4000 and 3000 respectively. Missoula is also home to the
Missoula OspreyThe Missoula Osprey is a minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Arizona Diamondbacks in Missoula, Montana. The team plays its home games at Ogren Park at Allegiance Field. The club is a member of the Pioneer League, a short-season league which is designated Rookie Advanced.The Osprey...
, a rookie affiliate of the
Arizona DiamondbacksThe Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
; a Tier III Junior Ice Hockey, the
Missoula MaulersThe Missoula Maulers are an USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier III Jr. A ice hockey team from Missoula, Montana. The 2007-08 season is their inaugural as an expansion team. They play out of Missoula's Glacier Ice Rink. Michael Burks, President and Cory J. Miller, General Manager are the club's principal...
, and the
Hellgate RollergirlsThe Hellgate Rollergirls are a womens's roller derby team based in Missoula, Montana. They are a non-profit organization and compete in local and regional roller derby leagues, and adopted the name Hellgate Rollergirls...
.
A system of public parks was developed in Missoula in 1902 with the donation of 42 acres along the the Rattlesnake Creek for Greenough Park. Today the city boasts over 400 acres of parkland, 22 miles of trails, and nearly 5000 acres of open-space conservation land that make activities such as skiing, hiking, biking, and golf available throughout the year. Located at the confluence of three rivers (the
Clark ForkThe Clark Fork is a river in the U.S. states of Montana and Idaho, approximately long. The largest river by volume in Montana, it drains an extensive region of the Rocky Mountains in western Montana and northern Idaho in the watershed of the Columbia River, flowing northwest through a long...
,
BitterrootThe Bitterroot River is a tributary of the Clark Fork River in southwestern Montana, USA. It runs for about 75 miles south-to-north through the Bitterroot Valley, from the confluence of its West and East forks near Conner to the Clark Fork near Missoula.Ravalli County and Missoula County...
, and
BlackfootThe Blackfoot River, sometimes called the Big Blackfoot River to distinguish it from the Little Blackfoot River, is a snow-fed and spring-fed river in western Montana. The Blackfoot River begins in Lewis and Clark County at the Continental Divide, 10 miles northeast of the town of Lincoln...
), the area is also popular for
white water raftingRafting or white water rafting is a challenging recreational outdoor activity using an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other bodies of water. This is usually done on white water or different degrees of rough water, in order to thrill and excite the raft passengers. The development of this...
and, thanks largely to the novel and subsequent
filmA River Runs Through It is an Academy Award winning 1992 American film directed by Robert Redford and starring Brad Pitt, Craig Sheffer, Tom Skerritt, Brenda Blethyn, and Emily Lloyd...
A River Runs Through It by Missoula-native
Norman MacleanNorman Fitzroy Maclean was an American author and scholar noted for his books A River Runs Through It and Other Stories and Young Men and Fire .-Biography:...
, is well-known for it's
fly fishingFly fishing is an angling method in which an artificial 'fly' is used to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. Casting a nearly weightless fly or 'lure' requires casting techniques significantly different from other forms of casting...
. Additionally, Missoula has two aquatic parks, multiple golf courses, is home to the
Adventure Cycling AssociationThe Adventure Cycling Association is a national cycling association in the United States which provides services for cycle-tourists, publishes maps and campaigns for better cycling facilities. Its headquarters are in Missoula, Montana...
, and hosts what
Runner's WorldRunner's World is a globally circulated monthly magazine for runners of all skills sets, published by Rodale Press in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
called the "best overall" marathon in the nation.
Caras Park, located just south of the historic
Wilma TheatreThe Wilma Theatre was built in 1921 in Missoula, Montana. The theater is managed by Missoula based Simba Entertainment. The Wilma was built by William "Billy" Simons and dedicated to his wife, light opera artist Edna Wilma...
downtown, was created as a result of a land reclamation project, and with its centralized, waterfront location has become the hub of Missoula's festivities including
Out to Lunch, the International Wildlife Film Festival, First Night Missoula, Garden City BrewFest and offered intimate concert settings for artists such as
Jewel Jewel Kilcher , professionally known as Jewel, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress and poet...
,
Chris IsaakChristopher Joseph "Chris" Isaak is an American rock musician and occasional actor.-Early life:Isaak was born in Stockton, California, the son of Dorothy , a potato chip factory worker, and Joe Isaak, a forklift driver. Isaak's mother is Italian American, originating from Genoa...
,
SantanaSantana is the name or partial name of numerous people, places and companies worldwide. It is derived from the contraction of "Santa Ana" or Saint Anne...
,
Ziggy MarleyDavid "Ziggy" Marley is a Jamaican musician and leader of the band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers. He is the oldest son of famed reggae musician Bob Marley...
, and B.B. King. Located next to Caras Park is
A Carousel for MissoulaA Carousel for Missoula is a volunteer built, hand-carved carousel in Missoula, Montana, located on the Clark Fork River in Missoula’s downtown Caras Park within walking distance of the historical Wilma Theater, Jeannette Rankin Peace Center and Osprey baseball stadium...
, a wooden, hand-carved and volunteer-built carousel.
Government and politics
| City Council |
| Mayor |
John Engen |
| Ward 1 |
Dave Strohmaier/Jason Wiener |
| Ward 2 |
Adam Hertz/Cynthia Wolken |
| Ward 3 |
Stacy Rye/Bob Jaffe |
| Ward 4 |
Jon Wilkins/Caitlin Copple |
| Ward 5 |
Dick Haines/Mike O'Herron |
| Ward 6 |
Ed Childers/Marilyn Marler |
Missoula County Reprentatives
(House) |
| HD 91 |
Tim Furey (D) |
| HD 92 |
Bryce Bennet (D) |
| HD 93 |
Dick Barrett (D) |
| HD 94 |
Ellie Hill (D) |
| HD 95 |
Diane Sands (D) |
| HD 96 |
Carolyn Squires (D) |
| HD 97 |
Michele Reinhart (D) |
| HD 98 |
Sue Malek (D) |
| HD 99 |
Betsy Hands (D) |
| HD 100 |
Champ Edmunds (R) |
Missoula County Reprentatives
(Senate) |
| SD 46 |
Carol Williams (D) |
| SD 47 |
Ron Erickson (D) |
| SD 48 |
Tom Facey (D) |
| SD 49 |
David E. Wanzenried (D) |
| SD 50 |
Cliff Larsen (D) |
Missoula is governed via the mayor-council system. There are twelve members of the
city councilA city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
who are elected from one of six wards. Each ward elects two council members. The mayor is elected in a citywide vote. Its state legislative delegation is the second largest in the Montana Legislature and is represented by districts 91-100 in the
Montana House of RepresentativesThe Montana House of Representatives is, with the Montana Senate, one of the two houses of the Montana Legislature. Composed of 100 members, the House elects its leadership every two years.-Composition of the House:...
and districts 46-50 in the
Montana SenateThe Montana Senate is the upper house of the Montana State Legislature, the state legislative branch of the U.S. state of Montana. The body is composed of 50 senators.-Composition of the Senate:-Officers:*Majority Whip: Greg Barkus...
. Having 14
DemocratsThe Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
and one
RepublicanThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
in its state legislative delegation, Missoula is known as a more liberal area than the rest of the state. In 2004, Missoula County was one of only six Montana counties to vote for John Kerry. That same year Missoula voted in favor of the state's medical marijuana law by the largest margin (73%-23%) and the ban on same-sex marriage (which passed in every county) by the lowest margin (51%-49%). Missoula's Mayor has been John Engen since 2006 and is currently the 50th mayor of Missoula, Montana
Presidential Election Voting Trends
However, though Missoula is the largest liberal-leaning county, it is not the most liberal county in Montana. That title belongs to
Deer Lodge County-National protected areas:*Beaverhead National Forest *Deerlodge National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 9,417 people, 3,995 households, and 2,524 families residing in the county. The population density was 13 people per square mile . There were 4,958 housing units at an...
which has not voted for a Republican Presidential candidate since 1924 when
Robert LaFolletteRobert Marion "Fighting Bob" La Follette, Sr. , was an American Republican politician. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was the Governor of Wisconsin, and was also a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin...
chose Democratic Montana Senator
Burton K. WheelerBurton Kendall Wheeler was an American politician of the Democratic Party and a United States Senator from 1923 until 1947.-Early life:...
as his running mate on the
Progressive PartyThe Progressive Party of 1924 was a new party created as a vehicle for Robert M. La Follette, Sr. to run for president in the 1924 election. It did not run candidates for other offices, and it disappeared after the election except in Wisconsin. Its name resembles the 1912 Progressive Party, which...
ticket and split the Democratic vote.
Silver Bow County-National protected areas:*Beaverhead National Forest *Deerlodge National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 34,606 people, 14,432 households, and 8,933 families residing in the county. The population density was 48 people per square mile . There were 16,176 housing units at...
, with a similar voting record (with the exception of a a 146 Eisenhower victory in 1956) is a close second. In fact, Missoula's more liberal tendencies are relatively recent development with the county voting at least 6% more for the Democratic candidate than the rest of the state since 1980 (this excludes 2000 where Ralph Nader received 15% of the county's vote). In fact, only since 1988 (excluding 2000) has the Democratic candidate received more votes than the Republican candidate. (It should be noted, however, that over 30% of Missoula County's population lives outside the city of Missoula). Before this, Missoula voted very closely with the rest of Montana or, actually, heavier Republican.
Presidential Election Results
Missoula (MSO), Montana (MT), and United States (US)
| Year |
Democrat |
Republican |
Other |
| Year | |. | Candidate | MSO | MT | US | Barack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
| 61 |
47 |
53 |
|
John McCainJohn Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
|
35 |
49 |
46 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 2004 |
|
John KerryJohn Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
|
51 |
39 |
48 |
|
George W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
|
46 |
59 |
51 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 2000 |
|
Al GoreAlbert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
|
37 |
33 |
48 |
|
George W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
|
46 |
58 |
48 |
|
Ralph NaderRalph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....
(GreenThe Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties...
) |
15 |
6 |
3 |
| 1996 |
|
Bill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
|
49 |
41 |
49 |
|
Bob DoleRobert Joseph "Bob" Dole is an American attorney and politician. Dole represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996, was Gerald Ford's Vice Presidential running mate in the 1976 presidential election, and was Senate Majority Leader from 1985 to 1987 and in 1995 and 1996...
|
36 |
44 |
41 |
|
Ross PerotHenry Ross Perot is a U.S. businessman best known for running for President of the United States in 1992 and 1996. Perot founded Electronic Data Systems in 1962, sold the company to General Motors in 1984, and founded Perot Systems in 1988...
(IndependentIn politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
) |
13 |
14 |
8 |
| 1992 |
|
Bill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
|
47 |
38 |
43 |
|
George BushGeorge Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
|
30 |
35 |
37 |
|
Ross PerotHenry Ross Perot is a U.S. businessman best known for running for President of the United States in 1992 and 1996. Perot founded Electronic Data Systems in 1962, sold the company to General Motors in 1984, and founded Perot Systems in 1988...
(ReformThe Reform Party of the United States of America is a political party in the United States, founded in 1995 by Ross Perot...
) |
23 |
26 |
19 |
| 1988 |
|
Michael DukakisMichael Stanley Dukakis served as the 65th and 67th Governor of Massachusetts from 1975–1979 and from 1983–1991, and was the Democratic presidential nominee in 1988. He was born to Greek immigrants in Brookline, Massachusetts, also the birthplace of John F. Kennedy, and was the longest serving...
|
54 |
46 |
46 |
|
George BushGeorge Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
|
45 |
52 |
53 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1984 |
|
Walter MondaleWalter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale is an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 42nd Vice President of the United States , under President Jimmy Carter, and as a United States Senator for Minnesota...
|
45 |
38 |
41 |
|
Ronald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
|
54 |
60 |
59 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1980 |
|
Jimmy CarterJames Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
|
38 |
32 |
41 |
|
Ronald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
|
47 |
57 |
51 |
|
John B. Anderson John Bayard Anderson is a former United States Congressman and Presidential candidate from Illinois. He was a U.S. Representative from the 16th Congressional District of Illinois for ten terms from 1961 through 1981 and an Independent candidate in the 1980 presidential election. He was previously...
(IndependentIn politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
) |
11 |
8 |
7 |
| 1976 |
|
Jimmy CarterJames Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
|
47 |
45 |
50 |
|
Gerald FordGerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
|
51 |
53 |
48 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1972 |
|
George McGovernGeorge Stanley McGovern is an historian, author, and former U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and the Democratic Party nominee in the 1972 presidential election....
|
46 |
38 |
38 |
|
Richard NixonRichard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
|
52 |
58 |
61 |
|
John Schmitz (American Ind. The American Independent Party is a right-wing political party of the United States that was established in 1967 by Bill and Eileen Shearer. In 1968, the American Independent Party nominated George C. Wallace as its presidential candidate and retired Air Force General Curtis E. LeMay as the vice...
) |
2 |
4 |
1 |
| 1968 |
|
Hubert HumphreyHubert Horatio Humphrey, Jr. , served under President Lyndon B. Johnson as the 38th Vice President of the United States. Humphrey twice served as a United States Senator from Minnesota, and served as Democratic Majority Whip. He was a founder of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and...
|
41 |
42 |
43 |
|
Richard NixonRichard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
|
48 |
51 |
43 |
|
George WallaceGeorge Corley Wallace, Jr. was the 45th Governor of Alabama, serving four terms: 1963–1967, 1971–1979 and 1983–1987. "The most influential loser" in 20th-century U.S. politics, according to biographers Dan T. Carter and Stephan Lesher, he ran for U.S...
(American Ind.The American Independent Party is a right-wing political party of the United States that was established in 1967 by Bill and Eileen Shearer. In 1968, the American Independent Party nominated George C. Wallace as its presidential candidate and retired Air Force General Curtis E. LeMay as the vice...
) |
8 |
7 |
14 |
| 1964 |
|
Lyndon Johnson |
61 |
59 |
61 |
|
Barry GoldwaterBarry Morris Goldwater was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for President in the 1964 election. An articulate and charismatic figure during the first half of the 1960s, he was known as "Mr...
|
38 |
41 |
39 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1960 |
|
John F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
|
46 |
49 |
50 |
|
Richard NixonRichard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
|
54 |
51 |
50 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1956 |
|
Adlai Stevenson |
39 |
43 |
42 |
|
Dwight Eisenhower |
61 |
57 |
57 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1952 |
|
Adlai Stevenson |
40 |
40 |
44 |
|
Dwight Eisenhower |
59 |
59 |
55 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1948 |
|
Harry Truman |
51 |
53 |
50 |
|
Thomas DeweyThomas Edmund Dewey was the 47th Governor of New York . In 1944 and 1948, he was the Republican candidate for President, but lost both times. He led the liberal faction of the Republican Party, in which he fought conservative Ohio Senator Robert A. Taft...
|
46 |
43 |
45 |
|
Henry A. WallaceHenry Agard Wallace was the 33rd Vice President of the United States , the Secretary of Agriculture , and the Secretary of Commerce . In the 1948 presidential election, Wallace was the nominee of the Progressive Party.-Early life:Henry A...
(ProgressiveThe United States Progressive Party of 1948 was a left-wing political party that ran former Vice President Henry A. Wallace of Iowa for president and U.S. Senator Glen H. Taylor of Idaho for vice president in 1948.-Foundation:...
) |
3 |
3 |
2 |
| 1944 |
|
Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
|
50 |
54 |
53 |
|
Thomas DeweyThomas Edmund Dewey was the 47th Governor of New York . In 1944 and 1948, he was the Republican candidate for President, but lost both times. He led the liberal faction of the Republican Party, in which he fought conservative Ohio Senator Robert A. Taft...
|
49 |
45 |
46 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1940 |
|
Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
|
57 |
59 |
55 |
|
Wendell WillkieWendell Lewis Willkie was a corporate lawyer in the United States and a dark horse who became the Republican Party nominee for the president in 1940. A member of the liberal wing of the GOP, he crusaded against those domestic policies of the New Deal that he thought were inefficient and...
|
42 |
40 |
45 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1936 |
|
Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
|
71 |
69 |
61 |
|
Alfred Landon |
25 |
28 |
37 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1932 |
|
Franklin D. RooseveltFranklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
|
55 |
59 |
58 |
|
Herbert HooverHerbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
|
40 |
36 |
40 |
|
Norman ThomasNorman Mattoon Thomas was a leading American socialist, pacifist, and six-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America.-Early years:...
(SocialistThe Socialist Party of America was a multi-tendency democratic-socialist political party in the United States, formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party which had split from the main organization...
) |
6 |
4 |
2 |
| 1928 |
|
Alfred SmithAlfred Emanuel Smith. , known in private and public life as Al Smith, was an American statesman who was elected the 42nd Governor of New York three times, and was the Democratic U.S. presidential candidate in 1928...
|
39 |
41 |
41 |
|
Herbert HooverHerbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
|
60 |
58 |
58 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1924 |
|
John W. DavisJohn William Davis was an American politician, diplomat and lawyer. He served as a United States Representative from West Virginia , then as Solicitor General of the United States and US Ambassador to the UK under President Woodrow Wilson...
|
13 |
19 |
29 |
|
Calvin CoolidgeJohn Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
|
30 |
43 |
54 |
|
Robert LaFolletteRobert Marion "Fighting Bob" La Follette, Sr. , was an American Republican politician. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was the Governor of Wisconsin, and was also a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin...
(ProgressiveThe Progressive Party of 1924 was a new party created as a vehicle for Robert M. La Follette, Sr. to run for president in the 1924 election. It did not run candidates for other offices, and it disappeared after the election except in Wisconsin. Its name resembles the 1912 Progressive Party, which...
) |
58 |
38 |
17 |
| 1920 |
|
James CoxJames Middleton Cox was the 46th and 48th Governor of Ohio, U.S. Representative from Ohio and Democratic candidate for President of the United States in the election of 1920....
|
39 |
32 |
60 |
|
Warren G. HardingWarren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th President of the United States . A Republican from Ohio, Harding was an influential self-made newspaper publisher. He served in the Ohio Senate , as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and as a U.S. Senator...
|
53 |
61 |
34 |
|
Parley P. Christensen Parley Parker Christensen was an American politician and nominee of the Farmer-Labor Party for President of the United States in 1920. He was member of the Utah House of Representatives and of the Los Angeles, California, City Council...
(Farmer-Labor) |
8 |
7 |
1 |
| 1916 |
|
Woodrow WilsonThomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
|
54 |
57 |
49 |
|
Charles Evans HughesCharles Evans Hughes, Sr. was an American statesman, lawyer and Republican politician from New York. He served as the 36th Governor of New York , Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States , United States Secretary of State , a judge on the Court of International Justice , and...
|
39 |
38 |
46 |
|
Allan L. Benson Allan Louis Benson was an American newspaper editor and author who ran for President as the Socialist Party of America candidate in 1916.-Early years:Benson was born in Plainfield, Michigan on November 6, 1871. His father, Adelbert L...
(SocialistThe Socialist Party of America was a multi-tendency democratic-socialist political party in the United States, formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party which had split from the main organization...
) |
7 |
5 |
3 |
| 1912 |
|
Woodrow WilsonThomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
|
33 |
35 |
42 |
|
William Taft |
13 |
23 |
23 |
|
Theodore RooseveltTheodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
(ProgressiveThe Progressive Party of 1912 was an American political party. It was formed after a split in the Republican Party between President William Howard Taft and former President Theodore Roosevelt....
|
38 |
28 |
27 |
| 1908 |
|
William Jennings BryanWilliam Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States...
|
44 |
43 |
43 |
|
William Taft |
46 |
47 |
52 |
|
Eugene Debs (SocialistThe Socialist Party of America was a multi-tendency democratic-socialist political party in the United States, formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party which had split from the main organization...
) |
9 |
9 |
3 |
| 1904 |
|
Alton B. ParkerAlton Brooks Parker was an American lawyer, judge and the Democratic nominee for U.S. president in the 1904 elections.-Life:...
|
36 |
34 |
38 |
|
Theodore RooseveltTheodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
|
45 |
54 |
56 |
|
Eugene Debs (SocialistThe Socialist Party of America was a multi-tendency democratic-socialist political party in the United States, formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party which had split from the main organization...
) |
17 |
9 |
3 |
| 1900 |
|
William Jennings BryanWilliam Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States...
|
57 |
59 |
46 |
|
William McKinleyWilliam McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
|
42 |
40 |
52 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1896 |
|
William Jennings BryanWilliam Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States...
|
86 |
80 |
47 |
|
William McKinleyWilliam McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
|
14 |
20 |
51 |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1892 |
|
Grover ClevelandStephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
|
46 |
40 |
46 |
|
Benjamin HarrisonBenjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States . Harrison, a grandson of President William Henry Harrison, was born in North Bend, Ohio, and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana at age 21, eventually becoming a prominent politician there...
|
40 |
42 |
43 |
|
James B. Weaver (Populist) |
14 |
17 |
9 |
♦ Montana became a state in 1889
Missoula (MSO), Montana (MT), and United States (US) |
Local Politics
Missoula's left-leaning political culture often leads to the city to be one of the first in the state to enact progressive legislation. Notable legislation includes...
- 2006 - Marijuana - Voters in Missoula County passed Initiative 2, which made marijuana possession the lowest priority for law enforcement. Coincidentally, Missoula also has an eponymous marijuana strain.
- 2007 - Urban Chickens - Missoula City Council approved an ordinance allowing more chickens in city limits.
- 2007 -Withdraw from Iraq - Voters passed a referendum asking Congress to have the United States enforce an orderly withdrawal from the Iraq War.
- 2010 - Non-discrimination Ordinance - Missoula City Council approved a non-discrimination ordinance, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in employment, housing, and public accommodations, thus making Missoula the first city in Montana to pass such an ordinance.
- 2011 - Corporations are not People - Voters passed a resolution calling on the U.S. Congress and state leaders to amend the U.S. Constitution to say that "corporations are not human beings."
Organizations and non-profits
Notable organizations and non-profits based in Missoula exemplify the city's fondness for the outdoors and reputation for promoting more liberal social causes. Included are state offices for the
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, Montana Hemp Council,
National Endowment for the HumanitiesThe National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent federal agency of the United States established by the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. The NEH is located at...
's affiliate Humanities Montana,
Montana Justice FoundationThe Montana Justice Foundation , founded in 1979, is a charitable, non-profit organization that purports to make justice accessible to all Montanans.-Description:The MJF is the charitable arm of the State Bar of Montana...
,
Forward MontanaForward Montana is a 5014 non-profit organization located in Missoula, Montana. It is described as a "non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to training, mobilizing, and electing a new generation of progressive leaders in Montana"....
, the
Montana Meth ProjectThe Montana Meth Project is a Montana-based non-profit organization founded by businessman Thomas Siebel which seeks to reduce methamphetamine use, particularly among teenagers. The main venture of the MMP is a saturation-level advertising campaign of television, radio, print, and internet ads...
, and the Western Montana Gay & Lesbian Community Center.
Beyond the state level, Missoula is also home of the
International Wildlife Film FestivalThe International Wildlife Film Festival is a film festival held annually at the Wilma Theatre in Missoula, Montana.The International Wildlife Film Festival was "the first regular ongoing festival devoted solely to wildlife films" and this "signaled that wildlife films had arrived as a motion...
, the
Adventure Cycling AssociationThe Adventure Cycling Association is a national cycling association in the United States which provides services for cycle-tourists, publishes maps and campaigns for better cycling facilities. Its headquarters are in Missoula, Montana...
, the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center, American Indian Business Leaders,
Boone and Crockett ClubThe Boone and Crockett Club conservationist organization, founded in the United States in 1887 by Theodore Roosevelt. The club was named in honor of Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett, whom the club's founders viewed as ethical hunters and honest men who loved the outdoors and earthly pursuits...
, the
Rocky Mountain Elk FoundationThe Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is a conservationist organization, founded in the United States in 1984 by four hunters from Troy, Montana with the mission of ensuring the future of elk, other wildlife, and their habitat...
, and the Outdoor Writers Association of America.
Also located in Missoula are the
Poverello CenterSince 1974, the Poverello Center has operated Montana’s largest emergency homeless shelter and soup kitchen. Located in downtown Missoula, between 275-350 people a day utilize the Pov’s life saving programs and facilities....
, the largest emergency homeless shelter and soup kitchen in Montana, and Missoula Correctional Services, a non-profit company that runs a Pre-Release Center for the Montana Department of Corrections and coordinates various city and county programs such as Community Service, Misdemeanor Probation, Pretrial Supervision and the Alternative Jail Program.
History
Missoula's first school was opened in 1869 with 16 students from around the region and Emma C. Slack as their teacher who had come via a two-month trip by horseback, railroad, and boat at the invitation of her brother. Upon marriage to W.H.H. Dickinson she was required to quit teaching as married women were not allowed to teach, and was replaced by Elizabeth Countryman would later marry (1871) Judge Frank H. Woody who would become Missoula's first mayor in 1883.
The first public high school was opened in 1904, but was quickly overran with students and was converted back to a grade school when the Missoula County High School, designed by A.J. Gibson, was opened in 1908. Expansions were made, but in 1951 it was decided that another campus was needed, and a new school was opened in 1957. Initially the two campuses separated between upper and lower classmen, but in 1965 they became two separate schools. By student vote, the original Missoula County High School became
Hellgate High SchoolHellgate High School is located in Missoula, Montana. It is the largest high school in the Missoula County Public School's District of Montana in terms of student body population...
and the new campus became Sentinel High School. In 1980, Missoula became the first city in Montana to have four secondary schools when it Big Sky High School was established. Missoula's forth secondary school is
Loyola Sacred Heart High SchoolLoyola Sacred Heart High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Missoula, Montana. It is one of many schools in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena, another popular one being Butte Central Catholic in Butte. It is also affiliated with St. Joseph Elementary School, and both...
, a private Catholic school created from a merger in 1974 of the all-girls Sacred Heart Academy (est. 1873) and the all-boys Loyola High School (est. 1911).
Primary and Secondary Education
Missoula's public schools are part of the Missoula County Public School (MCPS) District 1 which is overseen by the
Montana Office of Public InstructionThe Montana Office of Public Instruction is the state education agency of Montana. Denise Juneau is the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The agency is headquartered in Helena....
. MCPS operates nine Elementary Schools (Chief Charlo, Cold Springs, Franklin, Hawthorne, Lewis and Clark, Lowell, Paxon, Rattlesnake, and Russell)
grades K-5, three Middle Schools (CS Porter, Meadow Hill, and Washington)
grades 6-8, and five High Schools (Big Sky,
HellgateHellgate High School is located in Missoula, Montana. It is the largest high school in the Missoula County Public School's District of Montana in terms of student body population...
, Sentinel, Seeley-Swan, and Willard Alternative). Missoula High Schools also encompass the elementary school districts of Bonner, Clinton, DeSmet, Hellgate, Lolo, and Target Range. Private schools include Missoula International (k-8, Spanish), Mountain View Elementary (k-8), Sussex (k-8), St. Joseph's Elementary (k-8, Catholic),
Loyola Sacred Heart High SchoolLoyola Sacred Heart High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Missoula, Montana. It is one of many schools in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena, another popular one being Butte Central Catholic in Butte. It is also affiliated with St. Joseph Elementary School, and both...
(9-12), and
Valley Christian High SchoolValley Christian High School is a private, Christian high school located in Missoula, Montana. Valley Chrisitan is part of the Montana High School Association, so the school can compete in nation-wide sporting events. Both girl, and boy teams are named the Eagles...
(k-12). In 2009, Next Step Prep, a summer theater arts academy for high schoolers, was opened by the Missoula Children's Theatre.
Higher Education
Higher education in Missoula is dominated by the main campus of University of Montana. The university, established in 1893 is the first and largest (15,642 students in 2010) university in Montana. The campus houses 6 colleges (Arts & Sciences,
EducationThe Phyllis J. Washington College of Education and Human Sciences is home to five University of Montana departments: Communicative Sciences and Disorders, Counselor Education, Curriculum and Instruction, Educational Leadership, Health and Human Performance, as well as the Intercultural Youth and...
,
Forestry-History:The School of Forestry was created by an act of the Thirteenth Montanan Legislative Assembly in 1913 to meet the great and growing demand on the part of lumber companies, large timber holding corporations, and the national and state governments....
, Health Professions & Biomedical Sciences, and Visual & Performing Arts) and 3 schools (
BusinessThe School of Business Administration, founded in 1918, is the oldest Business program in Montana. The School grants an undergraduate and master's degree in business, as well as offering an innovative program in Entertainment Management and, it holds accreditation for its undergraduate and...
,
JournalismThe University of Montana School of Journalism is located at the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana, and is one of the oldest accredited journalism programs in the United States.-History:...
, and
Montana's only Law SchoolThe University of Montana School of Law offers an alternative to big, urban law schools where students and faculty are often physically proximate. It is the first and only law school in the state of Montana and each year, the school enrolls approximately 84 students from across the country....
). Also located in Missoula is the
University of Montana College of TechnologyThe University of Montana College of Technology is the two-year college of The University of Montana, located in Missoula, Montana. The COT was founded in 1956, and became part of the University of Montana - Missoula in 1994. The College offers 35 programs including career, transfer and technical...
which was established in 1956 and known as the Missoula Vocational Technical Center until it became affiliated with the University of Montana in the Fall of 1994.
Missoula is also home to several vocational schools not affiliated with a university education. These include The Rocky Mountain School of Photography, Connole-Morton Insurance School, The Dickinson Lifelong Learning Center,
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UM (MOLLI) (non-credit)Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes offer noncredit courses with no assignments or grades to “seasoned” adults over age 50. Since 2001 philanthropist Bernard Osher has made grants from his foundation to launch OLLI programs at over 120 universities and colleges in 49 states and the District of...
, Modern Beauty School, Montana Academy of Skin Care, Montana School of Massage, and Sage Truck Driving School.
Highest Educational Attainment
(2009) |
|
Missoula |
Montana |
U.S. |
|
BillingsBillings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, and is the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area, the largest metropolitan area in over...
|
Great FallsGreat Falls is a city in and the county seat of Cascade County, Montana, United States. The population was 58,505 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County...
|
Bozeman Bozeman is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The 2010 census put Bozeman's population at 37,280 making it the fourth largest city in the state. It is the principal city of the Bozeman micropolitan area, which consists...
|
ButteButte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
|
HelenaHelena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
|
|
| Less than High School Diploma |
|
8.6% |
9.6% |
15.5% |
|
8.8%% |
9.3% |
3.4% |
9.6% |
5.3% |
| High School Diploma or equivalent |
|
22.9% |
31.9% |
29.3% |
|
29.7% |
30.9% |
15.9% |
38.8% |
21.8% |
| Some College |
|
22.0% |
23.8% |
20.3% |
|
24.5% |
27.5% |
23.4% |
21.6% |
22.5% |
| Associates Degree |
|
6.2% |
7.6% |
7.4% |
|
7.3% |
8.6% |
6.0% |
7.5% |
7.6% |
| Bachelor's Degree |
|
25.3 |
18.7% |
17.4% |
|
21.2% |
16.2% |
32.6% |
15.4% |
25.8% |
| Graduate or Professional Degree |
|
14.9% |
8.3% |
10.1% |
|
8.6% |
7.5% |
18.7% |
7.1% |
17.0% |
|
| High School or higher |
|
91.3% |
90.4% |
84.6%% |
|
91.2% |
90.7% |
96.6% |
90.4% |
94.7% |
| Bachelor's Degree or higher |
|
40.3% |
27% |
27.5%% |
|
29.7% |
23.7% |
51.3% |
22.5% |
42.8% |
Media
Broadcast: Missoula's television media market has been the largest in the state of Montana since 2002 and ranked #166 nationally (2010). Though Missoula itself is second in population to
Billings, MontanaBillings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, and is the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area, the largest metropolitan area in over...
, Missoula's media market includes all of
Missoula-National protected areas:*Bitterroot National Forest *Flathead National Forest *Lolo National Forest *Rattlesnake National Recreation Area-Demographics:...
,
Ravalli-National protected areas:*Bitterroot National Forest *Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge*Lolo National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000 , there were 36,070 people, 14,289 households, and 10,188 families residing in the county. The population density was 15 people per square mile...
,
Granite-National protected areas:*Deerlodge National Forest *Lolo National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,830 people, 1,200 households, and 784 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile . There were 2,074 housing units at an average...
,
Mineral-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 3,884 people, 1,584 households, and 1,067 families residing in the county. The population density was 3 people per square mile . There were 1,961 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile...
,
Lake-National protected areas:*Flathead National Forest *National Bison Range *Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge*Pablo National Wildlife Refuge*Swan River National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:...
,
Flathead-National protected areas:* Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail * Flathead National Forest * Glacier National Park * Kootenai National Forest * Lolo National Forest * Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:...
, and
SandersSanders County is a county located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of 2010, the population was 11,413. Its county seat is Thompson Falls.-Geography:According to the U.S...
Counties in the more densely populated western region of Montana and serves over 113,000 television homes (2011). Missoula is home to three local affiliate channels:
KPAX-TVKPAX-TV is a television station in Missoula, Montana, broadcasting locally on channel 8 as an affiliate of CBS, with programming from The CW on digital. The station is owned by Evening Post Publishing Company. The station is part of the Evening Post's Montana Television Network, a network of...
(CBS/MTN, The CW; founded 1970; ch. 8), KECI-TV (NBC; founded 1954 as KGVO-TV; ch. 13, and
KTMFKTMF is a full-service television station in Missoula, Montana, broadcasting locally in digital on UHF channel 23 as an affiliate of ABC. Founded April 12, 1989, the station is owned by Max Media of Montana...
(ABC, FOX; founded 1991). Also based in Missoula at the University of Montana is Montana PBS (founded 1984; ch. 11). There are also 4 AM and 17 FM radio stations licensed in the city (List of Stations).
Print: Missoula has four main sources of print media: the
MissoulianThe Missoulian is a daily newspaper printed in Missoula, Montana. Its circulation is 34,855 on Sundays, 30,466 on weekdays. The newspaper is owned by Lee Enterprises. The Missoulian is the 2nd largest published newspaper in Montana, just behind the Billings Gazette...
(primary daily),
Missoula IndependentMissoula Independent is a free weekly newspaper in Missoula, Montana, USA.The Missoula Independent is the largest weekly newspaper in Montana. It is published on every Thursday, and is delivered throughout Montana. As of a March 2007 audit, it had a circulation of 22,103 and is distributed every...
(alternative weekly),
Montana KaiminThe Montana Kaimin is the University of Montana's student-run independent newspaper located in Missoula, Mont. The daily paper is printed four times a week, Tuesday through Friday, with special editions printed occasionally. The current editor-in-chief is Roman Stubbs...
(college), and
New West (digital, progressive). The
Missoulian was founded as a weekly publication in 1870 as the
Missoula & Cedar Creek Pioneer. It was converted to a weekly and changed to the current
Missoulian in 1891 by the founder of the Missoula Mercantile Co.,
A. B. HammondAndrew B. Hammond was an American lumberman. He developed the Missoula Mercantile Co. He built the Bitterroot Valley Railroad and the Astoria Columbia River Railroad. He was president of the Hammond Lumber Co. and the Hammond Steamship Co....
. Today, the
Missoulian remains Missoula's most popular newspaper with a circulation of over 26,000. It is also the third most read newspaper in Montana behind the
Billings GazetteThe Billings Gazette is the largest newspaper in Montana and Northern Wyoming. It is geographically one of the largest distributed newspapers in the nation....
and the
Great Falls TribuneThe Great Falls Tribune is a daily morning newspaper printed in Great Falls, Montana. Its Sunday circulation is 36,763, with 33,434 on weekdays...
. The
Missoula Independent (founded 1991) is the largest weekly newspaper in Montana and the states only member of the
Association of Alternative NewsweekliesThe Association of Alternative Newsmedia is a diverse group of covering every major metropolitan area and other less-populated regions of North America. AAN members have a combined weekly circulation of over 6.5 million as well as a print readership of nearly 17 million active, educated and...
. With over 21,000 readers it has twice the circulation of second place
Billings Outpost. The newspaper is distributed free to more than 600 locations across Western Montana from
HamiltonHamilton is a city in and the county seat of Ravalli County, Montana, United States. The population was 3,705 at the 2000 census. Significant outlying population growth is shown in the area; the ZIP Code Tabulation Area for Hamilton's ZIP Code, 59840, had a population of 12,327at the 2000 census.-...
in the south to
WhitefishWhitefish is a city in Flathead County, Montana, United States. The population was 5,032 at the 2000 census. It is home to a ski resort on Big Mountain called Whitefish Mountain Resort. Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer hails from Whitefish....
in the north. The
Montana Kaimin (founded 1891) is likewise distribute free throughout parts of Missoula with heavy student traffic from the University of Montana where the newspaper is printed M-F during the school year.
New West was founded in 2005 as a left-leaning "next-generation media company" that focused on culture, environment, economy, and politics in the Rocky Mountain West.
Utilities
Electricity in Missoula is provided by Missoula Electric Cooperative or NorthWestern Energy, which also supplies natural gas service. Allied Waste services and Grant Creek Water Systems handles trash pickup. Telephone service in the area is proved by
CenturyLinkCenturyLink, Inc. is a United States telecommunications firm, headquartered in Monroe, Louisiana. The company, founded as Central Telephone & Electronics Corporation in 1968, later changed its name to Century Telephone Enterprises, Inc. in 1971, and then was called CenturyTel, Inc. from 1999 to 2010...
and Blackfoot Telecommunications Group. Sewer services is handled by the City of Missoula Wastewater Division. Cell phone coverage is provided by
Verizon WirelessCellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operators in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America....
, AT&T, and
SprintSprint Nextel Corporation is an American telecommunications company based in Overland Park, Kansas. The company owns and operates Sprint, the third largest wireless telecommunications network in the United States, with 53.4 million customers, behind Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility...
.
Health Care
Missoula has two primary health care facilities.
St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences CenterSt. Patrick Hospital, commonly known as St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences Center, is a healthcare facility in Missoula, Montana.-Overview:...
was founded in 1873 under the sponsorship of the
Sisters of ProvidenceThe Sisters of Providence are an order of Roman Catholic sisters founded in 1843 by Mother Émilie Gamelin. They are headquartered in Montreal, Quebec with five provinces: Mother Joseph Province, Holy Angels Province , Philippines Vice-Province, Émilie-Gamelin Province and Bernard Morin...
and is the only Level II trauma center in the region and has undergone three major expansions since the 1980s. The name was changed from "St. Patrick Hospital" to "St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences Center" to reflect an increasing involvement with national medical research and education. The hospital has 195 acute-care beds, and in 2003 admitted over 9,700 patients.
The
Community Medical Center (Montana)Community Medical Center, is an integrated health care facility based in Missoula, Montana.-Overview:Community Medical Center is on a 45-acre campus located near the center of the Missoula valley.-Services:...
and its adjacent medical facilities are situated on a grassy plain near historic
Fort MissoulaFort Missoula was established by the United States Army in 1877 on land that is now part of the city of Missoula, Montana, to protect white settlers in Western Montana from possible threats from the native American Indians, such as the Nez Perce....
and is part of a modern complex that includes a nursing home, the Missoula Crippled Children's Center and private offices. It was founded in 1922 as Thorton Hospital by Dr. Will Thornton and Dr. Charles Thornton. It has been at its current location since 1972 and is the only facility providing obstetrical and newborn care in Missoula County in addition to being the only hospital in western Montana that has a separate Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
Air Travel
The
Missoula International AirportMissoula International Airport/Johnson-Bell Field is a public airport located four miles northwest of the city of Missoula in Missoula County, Montana, USA. The airport has two runways. There are currently several expansion projects planned or underway, including the construction of 150 foot...
(Johnson-Bell Field) is a public airport run by the Missoula County Airport Authority and is the largest airport in western Montana, serving 575,584 passengers in 2010. The current building contain three boarding gates ((3 jet bridges, 3 ground-level), offers year-round direct flights to 7 destinations (
DenverDenver International Airport , often referred to as DIA, is an airport in Denver, Colorado. By land size, at , it is the largest international airport in the United States, and the third largest international airport in the world after King Fahd International Airport and Montréal-Mirabel...
,
Las VegasMcCarran International Airport is the principal commercial airport serving Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada, United States. The airport is located five miles south of the central business district of Las Vegas, in the unincorporated area of Paradise in Clark County. It covers an area of and...
,
Los AngelesLos Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
,
MinneapolisMinneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport is the largest and busiest airport in the five-state upper Midwest region of Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.-Overview:...
,
PhoenixPhoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located southeast of the central business district of the city of Phoenix, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States...
,
Salt Lake CitySalt Lake City International Airport is a major public airport in Utah. A joint civil-military facility, it is located in western Salt Lake City, approximately four miles from the central business district...
, and Seattle) and seasonal flights to 3 others (
ChicagoChicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop...
,
PortlandPortland International Airport is a joint civil-military airport and the largest airport in the U.S. state of Oregon, accounting for 90% of passenger travel and more than 95% of air cargo of the state. It is located within Portland's city limits just south of the Columbia River in Multnomah...
, and
San FranciscoSan Francisco International Airport is a major international airport located south of downtown San Francisco, California, United States, near the cities of Millbrae and San Bruno in unincorporated San Mateo County. It is often referred to as SFO...
). Four airlines operate out of Missoula (
Allegiant AirAllegiant Air is an American low-cost airline owned by Allegiant Travel Co. that operates scheduled and charter flights. Allegiant Travel Company is a publicly traded company with 1,300 employees and one billion USD market capitalization...
,
Delta Air LinesDelta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
,
Horizon/Alaska AirlinesHorizon Air Industries, Inc. is a regional low-cost airline based in SeaTac, Washington, United States. It is the eighth largest regional airline in the USA, serving 52 cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico....
, and
United AirlinesUnited Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
) in addition to the Air Cargo Carriers of FedEx, and
UPSUPS Airlines is an American cargo airline owned by United Parcel Service Inc. . The company is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. Its home airport is located at Louisville International Airport...
.
The airport is also home to Homestead Helicopters and Fixed-Base Operators Minuteman Jet Center (an Exxon Mobil Avitat fuel provider), and Northstar Jet (a Phillips 66 fuel provider).
History:
Missoula's first landing strip was laid out in 1923 south of the university. An additional strip near the Western Montana Fair Grounds on what is now Sentinel High School was sold to the county in 1927 at the request of the Missoula chapter of the National Aeronautic Association and would become Missoula's first true airport. The current airfield is named after that chapter's first president, Harry O. Bell along with mountain flying pioneer Bob Johnson of Johnson Flying Service (now Minuteman Aviation). The original Garden City Airport was renamed Hale Field in 1935 and would operate as such until closing forever in 1954. The airport was gradually replaced by the Missoula County Airport opened in 1941 with
WPA fundsThe Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
and the cooperation of the
US Forest ServiceThe United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
who needed access to an airport. The new airport was renamed Johnson-Bell Field in 1968 and today serves nearly 600,000 passengers a year.
Bus system
Missoula is served by
Mountain LineMountain Line is a public transit system providing service to the community of Missoula, Montana and the University of Montana. The legal name of Mountain Line is the Missoula Urban Transportation District, which is governed by a board whose members are appointed by the City of Missoula and...
, a public transit agency created by public vote in 1976 as part of the Missoula Urban Transportation District (MUTD) that began operation in December 1977. Mountain Line operates twelve bus routes within a 36 square miles (93.2 km²) area, serving Missoula, East Missoula, Bonner, Target Range, Rattlesnake, Mullan Road, and the airport. Additionally the line has offered paratransit services since 1991 to assist the disabled, senior van since 2008, and has four park-n-ride lots throughout Missoula.
Special bus service is offered to the University of Montana through three of city's park-n-ride lots in addition to late-night UDASH shuttle that offers service to
DowntownDowntown Missoula is the central business district in Missoula, Montana, and West-Central Montana. Downtown Missoula's rough boundaries are the Clark Fork River to its south, Madison St. to its east, the old U.S 93 highway/ North Orange St. to its west, and West Alder St...
. Bus fair for university students is prepaid as part of the university's transportation fee. Missoula is also served by
Greyhound LinesGreyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
, and
Rimrock TrailwaysThe Trailways Transportation System is an American group of 80 independent bus companies that have entered into a franchising agreement. The company is headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia.- History :...
that provide intercity bus transportation to and from Missoula.
Highways
-- Interstate 90 --
Interstate 90 runs east to west along the northern edge of Missoula at the base of the North Hills. All but a small portion of the city (the Upper and Lower Rattlesnake neighborhoods) is located south of the highway. Completed in 1965 at the expense of 60 homes, the Garden City Brewery and the Greenough Mansion, the Missoula portion of Interstate 90 has five exits: Exit 96 - connection to U.S. 93 North and MT 200, Exit 99 (Airway Boulevard) - access to
Missoula International AirportMissoula International Airport/Johnson-Bell Field is a public airport located four miles northwest of the city of Missoula in Missoula County, Montana, USA. The airport has two runways. There are currently several expansion projects planned or underway, including the construction of 150 foot...
, Exit 101 (Reserve Street) - connection to U.S. 93 South, access to west Missoula, and I-90 Business Loop, Exit 104 (Orange Street) - access to
Downtown MissoulaDowntown Missoula is the central business district in Missoula, Montana, and West-Central Montana. Downtown Missoula's rough boundaries are the Clark Fork River to its south, Madison St. to its east, the old U.S 93 highway/ North Orange St. to its west, and West Alder St...
, and Exit 105 (Van Buren Street) - access to the University of Montana, connection to U.S. 12 South, and I-90 Business Loop.
--
U.S. Route 12U.S. Route 12 or US 12 is an east–west United States highway, running from Grays Harbor on the Pacific Ocean, in the state of Washington, to downtown Detroit, for almost . As a thoroughfare, it has mostly been supplanted by I-90 and I-94, but remains an important road for local travel.The...
--
US 12 enters Montana at
Lolo PassLolo Pass, elevation , is a mountain pass in the United States, in the Bitterroot Range of the northern Rocky Mountains. It is on the border between the states of Montana and Idaho, approximately west-southwest of Missoula, Montana....
, 7 miles (11.3 km) southwest of
Lolo Hot SpringsLolo Hot Springs is an unincorporated community in Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is centered around a commercial hot springs. It also contains a hotel and restaurant. It is the westernmost settlement along U.S. Highway 12 in Montana....
in the
Lolo National ForestLolo National Forest is located in western Montana, United States with the western boundary being the state of Idaho. The forest spans 2 million acres and includes four wilderness areas; the Scapegoat and the Bob Marshall Wilderness are partially within the forest while the Welcome Creek and...
before meeting with
US 93U.S. Route 93 is a major north–south United States highway in the western United States. The southern terminus is at U.S. Route 60 in Wickenburg, Arizona. The northern terminus is at the Canadian border north of Eureka in Lincoln County, Montana, where the roadway continues into Roosville,...
at
LoloLolo is a census-designated place in Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is part of the 'Missoula, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 3,388 at the 2000 census. It is home to Travelers' Rest State Park, a site where Lewis and Clark camped in 1805 and again in 1806...
and continuing as a
concurrencyA concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
northeast for 7.5 miles (12.1 km) to Missoula. Here U.S. 12 breaks off U.S. 93 and continues Northeast to
Downtown MissoulaDowntown Missoula is the central business district in Missoula, Montana, and West-Central Montana. Downtown Missoula's rough boundaries are the Clark Fork River to its south, Madison St. to its east, the old U.S 93 highway/ North Orange St. to its west, and West Alder St...
along Brooks Street before cutting through the University District and across the Madison Street Bridge. U.S. 12 joins
Interstate 90Interstate 90 in Montana is a portion of the east–west transcontinental Interstate 90, which links Seattle, Washington to Boston, Massachusetts. The portion in the U.S...
East at Exit 105 (Van Buren Street) and overlaps I-90 for 69 miles (111 km) , until reaching
GarrisonGarrison is a census-designated place in Powell County, Montana, United States. The population was 112 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Garrison is located at ....
.
The original U.S. 12 was approved by the
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHO)AASHTO, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test protocols and guidelines which are used in highway design and construction throughout the United States...
in 1939 to extend into Wyoming and Montana. The route, would not include Missoula, however, until U.S. 12 was rerouted along State Route 6 in October 1959. In 1962, the route was extended from Missoula southeast toward Idaho along U.S. 93.
--
U.S. Route 93U.S. Route 93 is a major north–south United States highway in the western United States. The southern terminus is at U.S. Route 60 in Wickenburg, Arizona. The northern terminus is at the Canadian border north of Eureka in Lincoln County, Montana, where the roadway continues into Roosville,...
--
U.S. 93 enters Montana from Idaho at Lost Trail Pass and travels north descending through the
Bitterroot National ForestBitterroot National Forest comprises 1.587 million acres in west-central Montana and eastern Idaho, of the United States. It is located primarily in Ravalli County, Montana , but also has acreage in Idaho County, Idaho , and Missoula County, Montana .Founded in 1898, the forest is located in the...
. The highway continues along the Lewis and Clark trail into the
Bitterroot ValleyThe Bitterroot Valley is located in southwestern Montana in the northwestern United States. It extends over 100 miles from remote Horse Creek Pass north to a point near the city of Missoula...
until it joins
U.S. 12U.S. Route 12 or US 12 is an east–west United States highway, running from Grays Harbor on the Pacific Ocean, in the state of Washington, to downtown Detroit, for almost . As a thoroughfare, it has mostly been supplanted by I-90 and I-94, but remains an important road for local travel.The...
at
LoloLolo is a census-designated place in Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is part of the 'Missoula, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 3,388 at the 2000 census. It is home to Travelers' Rest State Park, a site where Lewis and Clark camped in 1805 and again in 1806...
as a
concurrencyA concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
northeast for 7.5 miles (12.1 km) to Missoula. The highway runs along Reserve Street on the western edge of Missoula before meeting Interstate 90 at Exit 101 and following it before breaking off north at Exit 96. The highway was approved by
AASHOAASHTO, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test protocols and guidelines which are used in highway design and construction throughout the United States...
in 1927 beginning at the Canadian International Boundary through Missoula and exiting Montana near Gibbonsville.
--
Montana Highway 200Highway 200 in the U.S. State of Montana is a route running westerly covering the entire state of Montana, from the starting point of ND 200 near Fairview, Montana to ID 200, near Heron, Montana...
--
MT Highway 200 enters Missoula along Broadway Street in northern Missoula just south of Interstate 90. MT 200 joins I-90 at Exit 105 (Van Buren Street) and continues together west before breaking off at Exit 96 and heading north along U.S. 93 toward
Flathead LakeFlathead Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake in the western part of the contiguous United States. With a surface area of between and , it is slightly larger than Lake Tahoe. The lake is a remnant of the ancient inland sea, Lake Missoula of the era of the last interglacial. Flathead Lake...
.
Rail
Missoula has not has passenger rail service since 1979 when
AmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
discontinued its
North Coast HiawathaThe North Coast Hiawatha was a United States passenger train service operated by Amtrak between Chicago, Illinois and Seattle, Washington. Before the coming of Amtrak the Northern Pacific's North Coast Limited and Mainstreeter served the route. The name combined the North Coast Limited and the...
route which ran through southern Montana along present-day Interstates 90 and 94. The North Coast Hiawatha was operated by Amtrak from 1971–1979 and had replaced the
Northern Pacific RailwayThe Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
that had serviced Missoula since 1883. In 2008 a bill was passed in Congress that would require Amtrak to study the North Coast Hiawatha route and consider returning service to the area, prompting some to believe that there is a great chance of service restoration.
Trail System
There is a network of bicycle and pedestrian trails throughout the community extending over 22 miles (35.4 km). Primary trails used for commuting in addition to recreation are those following the path of the former
Milwaukee RailroadThe Milwaukee Road, officially the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until its merger into the Soo Line Railroad on January 1, 1986. The company went through several official names...
east-west along the
Clark Fork RiverThe Clark Fork is a river in the U.S. states of Montana and Idaho, approximately long. The largest river by volume in Montana, it drains an extensive region of the Rocky Mountains in western Montana and northern Idaho in the watershed of the Columbia River, flowing northwest through a long...
and southeast along the Bitterroot Branch Railroad.
Sister cities
NeckargemündNeckargemünd is a town in Germany, in the district of Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, state of Baden-Württemberg. It lies on the Neckar, 10 km upriver from Heidelberg at the confluence with the river Elsenz. This confluence of the two rivers is the origin of the name, as Neckargemünd means confluence of...
, Germany
Palmerston NorthPalmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is an inland city with a population of and is the country's seventh largest city and eighth largest urban area. Palmerston North is located in the eastern Manawatu Plains near the north bank...
, New Zealand
BeauneBeaune is the wine capital of Burgundy in the Cote d'Or department in eastern France. It is located between Paris and Geneva.Beaune is one of the key wine centers in France and the annual wine auction of the Hospices de Beaune is the primary wine auction in France...
, France
External links