Missoula, Montana

Missoula is a city in the United States, located in Missoula County, Montana. It lies near the Clark Fork River and is surrounded by beautiful mountains, which is why it is called the "hub of five valleys." As of the 2020 census, about 73,489 people lived there, making it the second-largest city in Montana.

The area was first settled by people of European descent in 1858. Missoula was founded in 1860 as a trading post and later grew with the arrival of the railway and the establishment of a university. Today, the University of Montana is one of the city's biggest employers and a major part of its identity.

Missoula has many parks, trails, and open spaces for people to enjoy. It is also known for its breweries and the nearby wildlife, including elk and deer that visit Mount Jumbo in the winter. The city is run by a mayor and a council that helps make decisions for the community.

History

Main articles: History of Missoula, Montana; Montana Rail Link; and Burlington Northern

People have lived in the Missoula Valley for about 12,000 years. Native American tribes such as the Salish, Kootenai, Pend d'Oreille, Blackfeet, and Shoshone used the land for hunting bison and traveling. The area was later called "Gate of Hell" by French trappers because of many battles there.

In 1805, Lewis and Clark passed by the area on their famous journey. In 1860, a small village named Hell Gate Village was built nearby. By 1864, the village moved to where Missoula is today. The city grew quickly when the railroad arrived in 1883.

Missoula became home to the University of Montana in 1893. Lumber and wood products were important jobs for over 100 years, but air pollution from mills caused problems. By the 1990s, the air was much cleaner.

The railroad company changed names and owners over time. In 1987, a new company called Montana Rail Link began running the trains. In 2024, the railroad returned to its original owner.

Today, education and healthcare are the biggest industries in Missoula. The University of Montana and hospitals employ many people. Downtown Missoula has many old buildings and is now a center for arts and small shops.

Geography

Missoula is located in western Montana, close to the Idaho border. It is about 117 miles south of Kalispell, 118 miles northwest of Butte, and 165 miles southeast of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The city sits at an elevation of 3,209 feet above sea level, with nearby mountains rising much higher.

Long ago, around 13,000 years ago, the area was the bottom of a large lake called Glacial Lake Missoula. Today, Missoula is relatively flat with surrounding steep hills. The city is where the Clark Fork River meets the Bitterroot and Blackfoot rivers. Missoula is also where five mountain ranges meet, earning it the nickname “hub of five valleys”.

The city has a total area of about 35 square miles, with most of it being land and a small part being water.

Missoula has a typical Rocky Mountain environment. You can find animals like white-tailed deer, moose, grizzly and black bears, osprey, and bald eagles. Rivers provide homes for fish such as westslope cutthroat trout and bull trout, as well as birds like beavers and wood ducks. Plants like willows, cottonwoods, and ponderosa pine grow in the area.

Missoula has a humid continental climate, meaning it has cold, snowy winters and hot, dry summers. Winter snowfall averages about 39.5 inches, usually falling between late October and early April. Summers are sunny, with temperatures often reaching above 90 °F. The daily temperature can change a lot during summer, with differences of over 30 °F common.

Demographics

As of the 2023 American Community Survey, Missoula has about 33,958 households with an average of 2.14 people in each. The city's median household income is $65,329, and about 12.8% of people live at or below the poverty line. Most people in Missoula have finished high school, and many have college degrees.

In the 2020 census, Missoula had a population of 73,489. The median age was 35 years. About 18.3% of residents were younger than 18, and 15.5% were 65 or older. Most people lived in urban areas, with only a small number in rural parts of the city. There were many different types of households, with some having children, some with married couples, and others with single individuals. The city had many homes, and only a few were empty.

Economy

Missoula started as a trading post in the 1860s along a road used by soldiers. It became an important commercial center when it was chosen as the county seat in 1866 and when a fort was built there in 1877. The arrival of a railroad in 1883 helped the city grow even more, bringing jobs and trade from far away.

Lumber mills played a big role in Missoula’s economy, providing wood for homes, businesses, and the railroad. The University of Montana, opened in 1895, also had a major impact, giving the city educated workers and bringing many visitors for events. Today, Missoula’s economy includes health care, retail, education, and tourism, with many people visiting each year. The city is also known for its alternative healthcare services.

Top Employers

As of the city's 2023 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, Missoula's top employers are:

Culture

Main article: Culture in Missoula, Montana

Missoula is often called the cultural center of Montana. It is home to the state's first university and has a mix of people including loggers, college students, sports fans, and retirees. Many community events happen downtown, either outside or in historic buildings.

Every August, the River City Roots Festival brings together music, food, drinks, and art, drawing around 15,000 people. The Missoula Farmers Market, started in 1972, lets people buy fresh food from Western Montana on Saturday mornings from May to October and Tuesday evenings from July to September. Downtown also has a gallery walk called "First Friday Missoula" on the first Friday of each month, showing local art. There are also film festivals like the International Wildlife Film Festival at the Roxy Theater and the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival at the Wilma.

Missoula has many places for art and history. The Montana Museum of Art & Culture has thousands of original artworks. The Missoula Museum of Art shows modern pieces. Fort Missoula has museums about the region's history and military. The city also has several breweries, with Big Sky Brewing being the largest in Montana. There are also events like the Garden City Brewfest and Winterfest for beer lovers.

Sports

See also: University of Montana Grizzlies athletics

Missoula is a fun place for sports! It has many teams for different ages, from college students to young people and amateur players. One of the most popular teams is the Montana Grizzlies football team. They play at Washington–Grizzly Stadium and have many fans watching their games on TV all over Montana. The Grizzlies also have successful basketball teams that play at Dahlberg Arena.

Missoula also has a baseball team called the Missoula PaddleHeads. They play in the Pioneer Baseball League and have home games at Ogren Park at Allegiance Field. Every year in May, the city hosts "Maggotfest," a fun rugby tournament with teams from the United States and Canada. There is also a hurling club in Missoula called the Thomas Meagher Hurling Club, named after a famous Irish leader who once governed Montana.

Parks and recreation

Missoula has lots of green spaces and fun places to play! The city has more than 400 acres of parkland, 22 miles of trails, and almost 5,000 acres of open space to explore. It’s a great spot for activities like white water rafting and fly fishing, especially because of the famous story A River Runs Through It.

The city also has two water parks, many golf courses, and three ski areas close by. Public parks began in 1902 when a generous couple gave land for Greenough Park. Today, there are many parks like Bonner Park, Kiwanis Park, and McCormick Park, which has a skate park, a place to fish, and more. Caras Park, near the Wilma Theatre, hosts fun events and has a beautiful wooden carousel and a special area for children to play.

Government and politics

Further information: List of mayors of Missoula, Montana

Missoula has had different ways of running its city government since 1883. Today, it uses a mayor–council system. The mayor and city treasurer are chosen by everyone in the city, and 12 council members are chosen from six different areas, with two members from each area. All of these leaders serve four-year terms, and they can be re-elected as many times as they’d like.

Missoula’s group of state leaders is the second largest in Montana. The city is often seen as one of the most liberal places in the state, and it has supported ideas that are different from the rest of Montana, such as focusing less on certain laws about plants.

Education

See also: University of Montana

Missoula’s first school opened in 1869 with 16 students and a teacher named Emma C. Slack, who traveled from Baltimore to start teaching there. The first public high school opened in 1904, and later another school was built in 1908. Over the years, more schools were added, including a new high school in 1957.

The city has many schools today, including nine public elementary schools, three middle schools, and four high schools. There are also private schools and a special theater academy for students. The University of Montana, founded in 1893, is the main college here, with many students and different areas of study, including a law school. There is also a public library in Missoula, the Missoula Public Library.

Media

Main article: Media in Missoula, Montana

Missoula has the largest television area in Montana. It includes several counties and reaches over 112,000 homes. The city has three local TV channels and a public broadcasting station at the University of Montana.

Missoula also has three main newspapers and online news sites. The Missoulian is the oldest, started in 1870. The Missoula Current began in 2015 and focuses on local news online. The Montana Kaimin is a free weekly paper for students at the University of Montana.

Infrastructure

Health care

Missoula has two main hospitals: St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences Center and Community Medical Center. St. Patrick’s has been around since 1873 and is the only hospital in western Montana with a special care unit for serious injuries. The Community Medical Center, started in 1922, is now part of a big company and has a special unit just for children.

Utilities

Missoula’s water used to come from the river, but now it comes from an underground water source. The city has had electricity since 1889. Today, NorthWestern Energy provides most of the electricity and gas. Phone service is offered by CenturyLink and Blackfoot Telecommunications, with major cell providers like AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile. The city also has several recycling options.

City layout and development

Missoula started growing in the 1860s along a military road. The city’s streets mostly follow the river’s path, with some areas laid out in a grid. The University of Montana, established in 1893, helped the city grow south of the river. The city has 18 neighborhood councils and 10 historical districts.

Trail system

Missoula has many trails for walking and biking, totaling over 22 miles. These trails connect different parts of the city, including the university and parks, with special paths for bikes and pedestrians.

Transportation

Highways

Interstate 90 runs along the northern edge of Missoula and connects to other roads like U.S. Route 93 and U.S. Route 12. These highways help people travel to places like the Bitterroot Valley and Glacier National Park.

Transit

Public buses in Missoula are run by Mountain Line, which started in 1977. They have many routes and special services for people who need help getting around. The buses are free to ride as part of a pilot program.

Bus lines

People can take buses to other cities with Jefferson Lines.

Railroads

Train travel through Missoula stopped in 1979, but there are plans to possibly bring it back. The nearest train station is in Whitefish.

Bicycles

Many people in Missoula bike to work. The city is one of the best in the U.S. for biking commuters.

Airport

Missoula has its own airport, which is the biggest in western Montana. It served over 900,000 passengers in 2023 and has three jet bridges for planes.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Missoula, Montana

See also: List of University of Montana alumni

Missoula is a city where many famous people were born or lived. In politics, Jeannette Rankin, the first woman in Congress, grew up there. Senators Mike Mansfield and Max Baucus also started their political careers in Missoula.

The city has been home to many athletes, including Olympic medalists, Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterback John Elway, and former Milwaukee Bucks coach Larry Krystkowiak.

Famous creative minds from Missoula include filmmaker David Lynch, actor Dana Carvey, and writers like Norman Maclean, author of A River Runs Through It. Musician Jeff Ament and YouTuber and science communicator Hank Green also live in Missoula.

Sister cities

Missoula has two sister cities, which are cities in other countries that have special friendships with Missoula. These sister cities are:

• Neckargemünd, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
• Palmerston North, New Zealand

The friendship with Palmerston North began when a person from Missoula, Harold Bockemuehl, returned from studying in New Zealand. The friendship became official in 1983. Every May, Missoula celebrates "New Zealand Day" with rugby, food, and fun activities.

The friendship with Neckargemünd started in 1991 after some people from that city visited Missoula. Each September, Missoula holds a "Germanfest" to celebrate German culture and this special friendship.

Portrayal in media

Author Norman Maclean grew up in Missoula and wrote about it in his 1976 book A River Runs Through It. This story was later made into a movie in 1992, directed by Robert Redford and starring Brad Pitt and Craig Sheffer.

The city is also mentioned in the video game Far Cry 5 as the closest city to a fictional place called Hope County. In another game, Project Wingman, a big industrial area is built over an old, underwater version of Missoula.