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Missoula is a city in western Montana, United States, and it is the county seat of Missoula County^GR6. As of the United States 2000 Census, it had a total population of 57,053, making it the second-largest city in Montana, behind Billings. Missoula is the home of the University of Montana. It is the birthplace of Jeannette Rankin (1880 - 1973). Missoula is nicknamed the Garden City. The state flower of Montana, the bitterroot, grows only near Missoula. Local newspapers include the Missoulian and the Missoula Independent.

Contents 1 Geography 2 Demographics 3 History 4 Politics 5 Additional Facts About Missoula 6 External links

Geography

Missoula is located at 46°51'45" North, 114°0'42" West (46.862633, -114.011593)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 61.9 km² (23.9 mi²). 61.6 km² (23.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.46% water. Missoula is located in a deep valley surrounded by mountains and is cut by three major rivers, the Clark Fork River, the Bitterroot River and the Blackfoot River. The city is the namesake and center of the large, ancient Glacial Lake Missoula, which caused catastrophic floods across the northwest in the last ice age. Missoula is currently the second most populous city in Montana. Billings is the only city that has a larger population. Missoula is often considered the capital of Western Montana.

Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there are 57,053 people, 24,141 households, and 12,336 families residing in the city. (A 2004 estimate puts the city's population at 61,790.) The population density is 925.6/km² (2,397.1/mi²). There are 25,225 housing units at an average density of 409.2/km² (1,059.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 93.57% White, 0.36% African American, 2.35% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 1.87% from two or more races. 1.76% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 24,141 households out of which 24.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.9% are married couples living together, 10.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 48.9% are non-families. 33.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.23 and the average family size is 2.88.

In the city the population is 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 are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 30 years. For every 100 females there are 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 97.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $30,366, and the median income for a family is $42,103. Males have a median income of $30,686 versus $21,559 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,166. 19.7% of the population and 11.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 20.5% of those under the age of 18 and 9.3% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

History

The first inhabitants of the Missoula area were American Indians from the Salish tribe. Their first encounter with whites came in 1805 when the Lewis and Clark expedition passed through the Missoula Valley. There were no white settlements in the Missoula Valley, however, until 1860 when C. P. Higgins and Francis Worden opened a trading post on the Blackfoot River near Hellgate Canyon, on the eastern edge of the valley. The completion of the Mullan Road, connecting Fort Benton, Montana, with Walla Walla, Washington, and passing through the Missoula Valley meant fast growth for the burgeoning city. Further accelerating the growth of the new town were the establishment by the U.S. Army of Fort Missoula in 1877, and the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1883.

Other major draws to the area include the University of Montana, which opened its doors in 1895, and the regional headquarters for the United States Forest Service, which opened in 1908.

Politics

Missoula holds the highest-percentage Democratic voting district in the state, and in the 2000 presidential election, it had one of the highest percentages of votes in the country for left-wing candidate Ralph Nader. NORML's state office is in Missoula and it holds a yearly Hemp Festival. The city is home to community gardens run by Garden City Harvest and Missoula Urban Demonstration Project, which seek to improve both urban environments and agricultural practices. Other organizations that call Missoula home include the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center, Working for Equality and Economic Liberation (a low-income and welfare advocacy group), and the Western Montana Gay & Lesbian Community Center.

Additional Facts About Missoula

• Local ski areas include Montana Snowbowl and Marshall Mountain (closed).
• Notable Missoulians include underground rock legend Steve Albini, comedian Dana Carvey, Pearl Jam bass guitarist Jeff Ament, and filmmaker David Lynch.
• Mike Mansfield, former US Senator and US Ambassador to Japan, and his wife Maureen called Missoula home for many years. The University of Montana's Maureen and Mike Mansfield Memorial Library is named in their honor.
• Because it is located in a valley, Missoula suffers from smoke, soot, and occasional fog inversion during the winter months. There have been emissions restrictions placed on various industries, and the burning of wood in woodstoves.
• Missoula has three public high schools; Hellgate High School, Sentinel High School, and Big Sky High School. Hellgate currently has the highest test scores of the three schools.
• The "Garden City" has won various arbor awards from the National Arbor Day Foundation.
• The International Wildlife Film Festival, the largest animal-themed film festival in the world, is held annually in Missoula at the historic Wilma Theatre.
• Missoula and the nearby Blackfoot River are the setting for Norman MacLean's autobiographical novel "A River Runs Through It".
• Local breweries include Big Sky Brewing, Bayern Brewing and Kettle House Brewing.
• Missoula is home to the largest of the U.S. Forest Service's smokejumper bases. Free tours of the base are popular with tourists during the summer wildfire season.
• A walking bridge over the downtown railroad yards of the Montana RailLink railroad is a popular destination for railfans.
• The city appears or is mentioned in every novel written by author Chuck Palahniuk, who penned the cult favorite Fight Club.
• Robert Jordan, the fictional main character in Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls, was a Spanish professor at the University of Montana, and lived in Missoula.
• Missoula is home to a diverse and influential music scene. Members of bands such as Deranged Diction, which formed in Missoula, later moved to Seattle and became key members of groups such as Green River, Mother Love Bone, Pearl Jam, Silkworm, and Love Battery -- playing an important role in the birth of the grunge movement.
• Missoula Children's Theatre is an international touring program which visits nearly 1000 communities per year. The Children's Theatre routinely has residencies in all fifty states, Canada, Japan, Germany, Italy, and many other countries.
• Missoula is the headquarters of the Northern Region of the United States Forest Service, which manages the National Forests and Grasslands in northern Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, and northwest South Dakota. It is also the headquarters of the Lolo National Forest and the Missoula Ranger District.
• The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has its headquarters in Missoula.

External links

• Missoula City official website
• Missoula County official website
• The University of Montana
• City Bus System (Mountainline)
• Missoulian Newspaper
  • Missoula's Own Community Website a service of the Missoulian
• Missoula Independent Weekly Newspaper
• KPAX: CBS Television Affiliate
• KTMF: ABC Television Affiliate
• KECI: NBC Television Affiliate
• KUFM: PBS Television Affiliate

• Maps and aerial photos
  • Street map from Google Local or Yahoo! Maps
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
  • Satellite image from Google Local or Microsoft Virtual Earth

Regions of Montana
Eastern Montana - Western Montana - Inland Empire
Largest cities
Anaconda | Belgrade | Billings | Bozeman | Butte | Evergreen | Glendive | Great Falls | Havre | Helena | Kalispell | Laurel | Lewistown | Livingston | Miles City | Missoula | Sidney | Whitefish
Counties
Beaverhead - Big Horn - Blaine - Broadwater - Carbon - Carter - Cascade - Chouteau - Custer - Daniels - Dawson - Deer Lodge - Fallon - Fergus - Flathead - Gallatin - Garfield - Glacier - Golden Valley - Granite - Hill - Jefferson - Judith - Lake - Lewis and Clark - Liberty - Lincoln - Madison - McCone - Meagher - Mineral - Missoula - Musselshell - Park - Petroleum - Phillips - Pondera - Powder River - Powell - Prairie - Ravalli - Richland - Roosevelt - Rosebud - Sanders - Sheridan - Silver Bow - Stillwater - Sweet Grass - Teton - Toole - Treasure - Valley - Wheatland - Wibaux - Yellowstone

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