| City of Missoula, Montana | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| — City — | |||
| Downtown Missoula, viewed from Caras Park | |||
|
|||
| Nickname(s): The Garden City | |||
| Motto: "The Discovery Continues" | |||
| Location of Missoula in Montana | |||
| location of Missoula County | |||
| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | United States | ||
| State | Montana | ||
| County | Missoula | ||
| Founded | 1866 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor-council government | John Engen (D) | ||
| Area | |||
| • City | 23.9 sq mi (61.9 km2) | ||
| • Land | 23.8 sq mi (61.6 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) | ||
| • Urban | 36.4 sq mi (94.2 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 3,209 ft (978 m) | ||
| Population (2010) | |||
| • City | 66,788 | ||
| • Density | 2,795/sq mi (1,079.2/km2) | ||
| • Metro | 109,299 | ||
| Demonym | Missoulian | ||
| Time zone | Mountain (UTC-7) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | Mountain (UTC-6) | ||
| ZIP code | 59801, 59802, 59803, 59804, 59806, 59807, 59808 | ||
| U of M ZIP code | 59812 | ||
| Area code(s) | 406 | ||
| FIPS code | 30-50200 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0787504 | ||
| Highways | |||
| Website | ci.missoula.mt.us | ||
Missoula i/mɨˈzuːlə/ is a city in the U.S. state of Montana and is the county seat of Missoula County. It is located along the Clark Fork and Bitterroot rivers in Western Montana and at the convergence of five mountain ranges, thus is often described as being the "Hub of Five Valleys". The 2010 Census put the population of Missoula at 66,788 and the Missoula Metropolitan Area at 109,299. Since 2000, Missoula has been the second largest city in Montana.[1]
Missoula was founded in 1860 and named Hellgate Trading Post while still part of Washington Territory. By 1866, the settlement had moved five miles upstream and renamed Missoula Mills before being shortened to Missoula.[2] 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.[3] The mills provided supplies to western settlers traveling along the Mullan Road with Fort Missoula, set up in 1877 to protect the settlers, further stabilizing the economy. The arrival of the Northern Pacific Railway in 1883 was coupled with rapid growth and the maturation of the local lumber industry. An element of prestige could be claimed ten years later when what was already called the City of Missoula was chosen by the Montana Legislature as the site for the new state’s first university. Along with the U.S. Forest Service headquarters founded in 1908, lumber and the university would remain staples of the local economy for the next hundred years.[4][5]
By the 1990s, Missoula’s lumber industry had gradually disappeared, and today the city’s largest employers are the University of Montana and Missoula’s two hospitals. The city is governed by a mayor-council government with twelve city council members, two from each of the six wards. In and around Missoula are 400 acres (160 ha) of parkland, 22 miles (35 km) of trails, and nearly 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) of open-space conservation land with adjacent Mount Jumbo home to grazing elk and mule deer during the winter months.[6] The city is also home to both Montana’s largest and its oldest active breweries as well as the Montana Grizzlies, one of the strongest college football programs in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Notable residents include the first women in Congress, Jeanette Rankin and the United States’ longest-serving Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield.
Contents |
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, Blackfeet, and Shoshone 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 bison, 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.[2]
Western exploration to the area began with the Lewis and Clark Expedition, 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 River and Lewis travelling north through Hellgate Canyon on July 4.[7][8] In 1860 Hell Gate Village was established just west of Missoula by Christopher P. Higgins and Francis Worden as a trading post to serve travelers of the recently completed Mullan Road, the first wagon road to cross the Rocky Mountains to the inland of the Pacific Northwest.[2] 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.[3]
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 Salish name for the Clark Fork River, ‘’nmesuletkʷ’’, which roughly translates to "place of frozen water" and possibly refers to the ancient Glacial Lake Missoula once located in the valley. Fort Missoula was established in 1877 to help protect further arriving settlers. Growth accelerated with the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railway in 1883, and the Town of Missoula was chartered the same year.[9] 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.[4][5] The continued economic windfall from railroad construction and lumber mills led to a further boom in Missoula's population. A.B. Hammond and Copper Kings Marcus Daly 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 Service, which also began training smokejumpers in 1942.[10]
Logging remained a mainstay of industry in Missoula with the groundbreaking of the Hoerner-Waldorf pulp mill in 1956, a groundbreaking which led to protests over the resultant air pollution.[11] An article in Life Magazine thirteen years later speaks of Missoulians sometimes needing to drive with headlights on during the day to navigate through the smog.[12] In 1979, still almost 40% of the county's labor income came from the wood and paper products sector.[13] The lumber industry was hit hard by the recession of the early 1980s, and Missoula's economy began to diversify.[14] By the early 1990s the disappearance of many of the region's log yards, along with legislation, had helped clean the skies dramatically.[15]
Today, education and healthcare are Missoula's leading industries with the University of Montana and the city's two hospitals acting as three of the largest employers.[16] St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences Center, founded in 1873, is the region's only Level II trauma center and has undergone three major expansions since the 1980s.[17] Likewise, the University of Montana grew 50% and built or renovated 20 buildings from 1990-2010.[18] It is expected that these industries as well as expansions in business and professional services, and retail will be the main engines of future growth.[19]
Missoula is located at the western edge of Montana approximately 14 miles from the Idaho border. The city is at an altitude of 3,209 feet (978 m) with nearby Mount Sentinel and Mount Jumbo steeply rising to 5,158 ft (1,572 m) and 4,768 ft (1,453 m) respectively. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 23.9 square miles (62 km2), of which 23.8 square miles (62 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) (0.46%) is water.[20]
Approximately 13,000 years ago the entire valley was at the bottom of Glacial Lake Missoula and as could be expected for a former lake bottom, the layout of Missoula is relatively flat and surrounded by steep hills. 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 Sentinel and Mount Jumbo.[21] At the location of present-day University of Montana, the lake once had a depth of 950 feet (290 m).[22] The Clark Fork River enters the Missoula Valley from the east through Hellgate Canyon after joining the nearby Blackfoot River at the site of the former Milltown Dam. The Bitterroot River 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 Mountains, Sapphire Range, Garnet Range, Rattlesnake Mountains, and the Reservation Divide, thus is often described as being the "Hub of Five Valleys".
Located in the Northern Rockies Missoula has a typical Rocky Mountain ecology. Local wildlife includes populations of white-tailed deer, black bears, osprey, and bald eagles. During the winter months, rapid snow melt on Mount Jumbo due to its steep slope leaves grass available for grazing elk and mule deer. The rivers around Missoula provide nesting habitats for bank swallows, northern rough-winged swallows and belted kingfishers. Killdeer and spotted sandpipers can be seen foraging insects along the gravel bars. Other species include song sparrows, catbirds, several species of warblers, and the pileated woodpecker. The rivers also provide cold, clean water for native fish such as westslope cutthroat trout and bull trout. The meandering streams also attract beaver and wood ducks.[23]
Native riparian plant life includes sandbar willows and cottonwoods with Montana's state tree, the Ponderosa Pine, also being prevalent. Other native plants include wetland species such as cattails and beaked-sedge as well as shrubs and berry plants like Douglas hawthorn, chokecherry, and western snowberries.[23] To the chagrin of local farmers, Missoula is also home to several noxious weeds which multiple programs have set out to eliminate. Notable ones include dalmatian toadflax, spotted knapweed, leafy spurge, St. John's wort, and sulfur cinquefoil.[24] Controversially, the Norway Maples that line many of Missoula's older streets have also been declared an invasive species.[25]
Missoula has a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification 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.[26][27]
| Climate data for Missoula, Montana (Missoula Airport) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 59 (15) |
66 (19) |
75 (24) |
87 (31) |
95 (35) |
98 (37) |
107 (42) |
105 (41) |
99 (37) |
85 (29) |
73 (23) |
60 (16) |
107 (42) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 30.8 (−0.67) |
37.4 (3.0) |
48.1 (8.9) |
58.0 (14.4) |
66.1 (18.9) |
74.5 (23.6) |
83.6 (28.7) |
83.2 (28.4) |
71.5 (21.9) |
57.4 (14.1) |
40.0 (4.4) |
30.3 (−0.94) |
56.7 (13.7) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 16.2 (−8.8) |
20.5 (−6.4) |
27.1 (−2.7) |
32.4 (0.2) |
39.3 (4.1) |
45.9 (7.7) |
50.2 (10.1) |
49.3 (9.6) |
40.6 (4.8) |
31.4 (−0.33) |
24.0 (−4.4) |
16.5 (−8.6) |
32.8 (0.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −33 (−36) |
−27 (−33) |
−13 (−25) |
14 (−10) |
21 (−6.1) |
30 (−1.1) |
31 (−0.6) |
30 (−1.1) |
20 (−6.7) |
0 (−18) |
−23 (−31) |
−30 (−34) |
−33 (−36) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) | 1.06 (26.9) |
.77 (19.6) |
.96 (24.4) |
1.09 (27.7) |
1.95 (49.5) |
1.73 (43.9) |
1.09 (27.7) |
1.15 (29.2) |
1.08 (27.4) |
.83 (21.1) |
.96 (24.4) |
1.15 (29.2) |
13.82 (351) |
| Snowfall inches (cm) | 10.8 (27.4) |
7.0 (17.8) |
5.4 (13.7) |
1.4 (3.6) |
.4 (1) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
.9 (2.3) |
6.2 (15.7) |
11.2 (28.4) |
43.3 (110) |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 13.3 | 10.1 | 11.7 | 10.7 | 11.9 | 11.3 | 8.0 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 7.6 | 11.6 | 12.8 | 124.7 |
| Avg. snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 10.5 | 7.2 | 5.8 | 2.0 | .3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.1 | 6.1 | 10.6 | 43.6 |
| Sunshine hours | 96.1 | 135.6 | 210.8 | 246.0 | 279.0 | 312.0 | 390.6 | 334.8 | 264.0 | 195.3 | 99.0 | 83.7 | 2,646.9 |
| Source: NOAA (normals 1971−2000),[28][29] HKO (sun 1961−1990) [30] | |||||||||||||
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1870 | 400 |
|
|
| 1880 | 347 | −13.3% | |
| 1890 | 3,426 | 887.3% | |
| 1900 | 4,366 | 27.4% | |
| 1910 | 12,896 | 195.4% | |
| 1920 | 12,668 | −1.8% | |
| 1930 | 14,657 | 15.7% | |
| 1940 | 18,449 | 25.9% | |
| 1950 | 22,485 | 21.9% | |
| 1960 | 27,090 | 20.5% | |
| 1970 | 29,497 | 8.9% | |
| 1980 | 33,388 | 13.2% | |
| 1990 | 42,918 | 28.5% | |
| 2000 | 57,053 | 32.9% | |
| 2010 | 66,788 | 17.1% | |
| source:[1][10][31] | |||
The 2010 Census put Missoula's population at 66,788 with the Missoula Metropolitan Statistical Area having 109,299. Both population parameters are the second largest in Montana. There currently are 24,141 households and 12,336 families residing in the city. The population density 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 races, and 1.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.76% of the population.[1]
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 income 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.
| Highest Educational Attainment (2009) |
Missoula[32] | Montana[33] | U.S.[34] | Billings[35] | Great Falls[36] | Bozeman[37] | Butte[38] | Helena[39] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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% |
Missoula began in the 1860s as a trading post on the Mullan Military Road to take advantage of the road's purpose of being the first route across the Bitterroot Mountains to the plains of Eastern Washington. The arrival of Fort Missoula (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.[40] In particular, the University of Montana is the region's largest employer, while St. Patrick Hospital and the Community Medical Center follow making Missoula the regional medical center.[41]
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..[42][43] Missoula is the primary city of both the Missoula Basic Trading Area (BTA) as used by the FCC and the Missoula BEA Economic Area (EA) as determined by the US Department of Commerce. Each area covers the neighboring counties of Lake, Missoula, Ravalli, and Sanders Counties. Additionally, the Missoula BTA includes Granite County while the Missoula EA includes Flathead and Lincoln Counties. The two areas are both the second largest in Montana by population and are part of the regional Spokane-Billings Major Trading Area (MTA) and Spokane-Billings Major Economic Area (MEA) respectively.[44][45]
According to the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, 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.[46]
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 Festival,[47] as well as the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival,[48] 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.[49]
The Montana Museum of Arts and Culture, which officially became a state museum in 2001 and housed in a former Carnegie library, is one Montana's oldest cultural reserves with its permanent collection of more than 10,000 original works begun in 1894."[50] Historic Fort Missoula 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.[51][52][53] 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 Dolack Gallery, the Murphy-Jubb Fine Art gallery, and the Artists' Shop.[54][55]
With Bayern Brewing opened in 1987 and Big Sky Brewing eight years later, Missoula is home to the oldest and the two largest microbreweries in the state of Montana.[56] 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.[57][58]
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,[59] and houses the State Arboretum.[60] The Montana Grizzlies football 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's and Lady Griz basketball teams have also been successful at the conference level where they both rank at or near the top in attendance, about 4000 and 3000 respectively.[61][62][63] Missoula is also home to the Missoula Osprey, a rookie affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks; a Tier III Junior Ice Hockey, the Missoula Maulers, and the Hellgate Rollergirls.
A system of public parks was developed in Missoula in 1902 with the donation of 42 acres along 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.[64] Located at the confluence of three rivers (the Clark Fork, Bitterroot, and Blackfoot), the area is also popular for white water rafting and, thanks largely to the novel and subsequent film A River Runs Through It by Missoula-native Norman Maclean, is well-known for it's fly fishing. Additionally, Missoula has two aquatic parks, multiple golf courses, is home to the Adventure Cycling Association, and hosts what Runner's World called the "best overall" marathon in the nation.[65][66] Caras Park, located just south of the historic Wilma Theatre 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, Chris Isaak, Santana, Ziggy Marley, and B.B. King.[67] Located next to Caras Park is A Carousel for Missoula, a wooden, hand-carved and volunteer-built carousel.
Notable organizations and non-profits based in Missoula exemplify the city's fondness for the outdoors and reputation for promoting more liberal social causes.[68] Included are state offices for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, Montana Hemp Council, National Endowment for the Humanities's affiliate Humanities Montana, Montana Justice Foundation, Forward Montana, the Montana Meth Project, and the Western Montana Gay & Lesbian Community Center.[69]
Beyond the state level, Missoula is also home of the International Wildlife Film Festival, the Adventure Cycling Association, the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center,[70] American Indian Business Leaders,[71] Boone and Crockett Club, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and the Outdoor Writers Association of America.[72]
Also located in Missoula are the Poverello Center, 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.
| City Council[73][74] | |
|---|---|
| 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 Legislators (House of Representatives) |
|
| 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 Legislators (Senate) |
|
| SD 46 | Carol Williams (D) |
| SD 47 | Ron Erickson (D) |
| SD 48 | Tom Facey (D) |
| SD 49 | David Wanzenried (D) |
| SD 50 | Cliff Larsen (D) |
Missoula is governed via the mayor-council system. There are twelve members of the city council who are elected from one of six wards. Each ward elects two council members. The mayor is elected in a citywide vote.[75] Its state legislative delegation is the second largest in the Montana Legislature and is represented by districts 91-100 in the Montana House of Representatives and districts 46-50 in the Montana Senate. Having 14 Democrats and one Republican in its state legislative delegation, Missoula is known as a more liberal area than the rest of the state.[76] 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.[77]
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 which has not voted for a Republican Presidential candidate since 1924 when Robert LaFollette chose Democratic Montana Senator Burton K. Wheeler as his running mate on the Progressive Party ticket and split the Democratic vote. Silver Bow County, with a similar voting record (with the exception of a 146 Eisenhower victory in 1956) is a close second.[78] 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.
Missoula's liberal-leaning political culture often leads to the city to be one of the first in the state to enact progressive initiatives and ordinances. In recent years, notable efforts included the following:
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.[85]
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 School and the new campus became Sentinel High School.[86] 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 School, 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).[87]
Missoula's public schools are part of the Missoula County Public School (MCPS) District 1 which is overseen by the Montana Office of Public Instruction.[88] 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, Hellgate, Sentinel, Seeley-Swan, and Willard Alternative).[89][90][91] Missoula High Schools also encompass the elementary school districts of Bonner, Clinton, DeSmet, Hellgate, Lolo, and Target Range.[92] 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 School (9-12), and Valley Christian High School (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 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, Education, Forestry, Health Professions & Biomedical Sciences, and Visual & Performing Arts) and 3 schools (Business, Journalism, and Montana's only Law School). Also located in Missoula is the University of Montana College of Technology 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), Modern Beauty School, Montana Academy of Skin Care, Montana School of Massage, and Sage Truck Driving School.[93]
Broadcast: Missoula's television media market has been the largest in the state of Montana since 2002 and ranked #166 nationally (2010).[94] Though Missoula itself is second in population to Billings, Montana, Missoula's media market includes all of Missoula, Ravalli, Granite, Mineral, Lake, Flathead, and Sanders Counties in the more densely populated western region of Montana and serves over 113,000 television homes (2011).[95][96] Missoula is home to three local affiliate channels: KPAX-TV (CBS/MTN, The CW; founded 1970; channel 8), KECI-TV (NBC; founded 1954 as KGVO-TV; channel 13, and KTMF (ABC, FOX; founded 1991). Also based in Missoula at the University of Montana is Montana PBS (founded 1984; channel 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 Missoulian (primary daily), Missoula Independent (alternative weekly), Montana Kaimin (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. Hammond.[97] Today, the Missoulian remains Missoula's most popular newspaper with a circulation of over 26,000.[98] It is also the third most read newspaper in Montana behind the Billings Gazette and the Great Falls Tribune. The Missoula Independent (founded 1991) is the largest weekly newspaper in Montana and the states only member of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. 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 Hamilton in the south to Whitefish in the north.[99] The Montana Kaimin (founded 1891) is likewise distributee 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.[100]
In the mid-1860s C.P. Higgins and Francis Worden began plotting what would become the town of Missoula along the Mullan military road 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 Railway 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 diagonally 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 plan.[101] With the establishment of the University of Montana in 1893 and the announcement that the now-defunct Milwaukee Road 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.[102] 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.[103]
Missoula's oldest commercial district, Downtown is also home to over 30 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places beginning in 1976 with the A.J. Gibson designed County Courthouse constructed in 1908 being added. The Post Office, Wilma Theatre and Higgin's Block were all added a couple years later.[104][105] 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.[106][107] 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.[108] The city further contains ten historical districts: Downtown Missoula, East Pine Street, Fort Missoula, Lower Rattlesnake, McCormick, Missoula County Fairgrounds, Northside, Southside, University Area and, the University of Montana Campus.[109] Also, as the primary city of the Missoula Metropolitan Statistical Area, all other communities within Missoula County also being part of said area. This includes Bonner-West Riverside, Clinton, East Missoula, Evaro, Frenchtown, Lolo, Orchard Homes, Seeley Lake, Wye, and Condon
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 CenturyLink and Blackfoot Telecommunications Group. Sewer services is handled by the City of Missoula Wastewater Division. Cell phone coverage is provided by Verizon Wireless, and AT&T.
Missoula has two primary health care facilities. St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences Center was founded in 1873 under the sponsorship of the Sisters of Providence 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.[110]
The Community Medical Center (Montana) and its adjacent medical facilities are situated on a grassy plain near historic Fort Missoula 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 Thornton 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.[111]
The Missoula International Airport (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.[112] The current building contain three boarding gates ((3 jet bridges, 3 ground-level), offers year-round direct flights to 7 destinations (Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, and Seattle) and seasonal flights to 3 others (Chicago, Portland, and San Francisco). Four airlines operate out of Missoula (Allegiant Air, Delta Air Lines, Horizon/Alaska Airlines, and United Airlines) in addition to the Air Cargo Carriers of FedEx, and UPS.[113]
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 funds and the cooperation of the US Forest Service 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.[114]
Missoula is served by Mountain Line, 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-mile (93 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.[115]
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 Downtown. Bus fare for university students is prepaid as part of the university's transportation fee.[116] Missoula is also served by Greyhound Lines, and Rimrock Trailways that provide intercity bus transportation to and from Missoula.
-- 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,[117] 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 Airport, 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 Missoula, 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 12 --
US 12 enters Montana at Lolo Pass, 7 miles (11 km) southwest of Lolo Hot Springs in the Lolo National Forest before meeting with US 93 at Lolo and continuing as a concurrency northeast for 7.5 miles (12.1 km) to Missoula. Here U.S. 12 breaks off U.S. 93 and continues Northeast to Downtown Missoula along Brooks Street before cutting through the University District and across the Madison Street Bridge. U.S. 12 joins Interstate 90 East at Exit 105 (Van Buren Street) and overlaps I-90 for 69 miles (111 km) , until reaching Garrison.
The original U.S. 12 was approved by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHO) 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.[118]
-- U.S. Route 93 --
U.S. 93 enters Montana from Idaho at Lost Trail Pass and travels north descending through the Bitterroot National Forest. The highway continues along the Lewis and Clark trail into the Bitterroot Valley until it joins U.S. 12 at Lolo as a concurrency 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 AASHO in 1927 beginning at the Canadian International Boundary through Missoula and exiting Montana near Gibbonsville.[119]
-- Montana Highway 200 --
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 Lake.
Missoula has not has passenger rail service since 1979 when Amtrak discontinued its North Coast Hiawatha 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 Railway 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.[120]
There is a network of bicycle and pedestrian trails throughout the community extending over 22 miles (35 km). Primary trails used for commuting in addition to recreation are those following the path of the former Milwaukee Railroad east-west along the Clark Fork River and southeast along the Bitterroot Branch Railroad.[121]
Missoula has two sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:
Missoula's Sister City relationship with Palmerston North, New Zealand began after Missoula resident and later University of Montana professor Harold Bockemuehl returned from obtaining his Ph.D from Massey University. The relationship was made official in 1983 after a meeting between then UM President Neil Bucklew and officials from Massey University. Recently Missoula began celebrating New Zealand Days in honor of the relationship with rugby, food, and entertainment.[122] Missoula's second Sister City relationship began in 1991 after a Neckargemünd delegation, led by Mayor Oskar Schuster, visited Missoula following a Fulbright-sponsored faculty exchange between Heidelberg University and the University of Montana. Every September the Missoula Cultural Council holds an annual Germanfest to celebrate German culture and this relationship.[123][124] Informally, the Missoula Cultural Council also fosters international connections with St. Malo and Beaune in France, Date City and Kumamoto in Japan, South Armagh in Ireland.[125]
| Coeur d'Alene, Idaho | Pablo, Montana | Seeley Lake, Montana | ||
| Lolo National Forest | Lincoln, Montana | |||
| Missoula, Montana | ||||
| Lolo National Forest | Hamilton, Montana | Deer Lodge, Montana |
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