Missoula. The Garden City. Zootown. God’s Country.
No matter what you call it, Missoula, Montana is a rare combination of urban and outdoor, cultured and down-home, cowboy and hippie. Make it Missoula is the stage upon which all these diverse personalities and lifestyles dance, and make Missoula the interesting and lively place we love. Learn more about Missoula, MT.
Missoula Loses Mayor John Engen
Missoula Mayor John Engen died Monday morning, Aug. 15, of pancreatic cancer. He was 57.... more
Griz Picked No. 2 in AFCA Preseason Poll
The FCS football coaches around the nation have tabbed the Montana Grizzlies as the No. 2 team in the nation in the (AFCA) preseason top-25 poll. ... more
Missoula Downtown Foundation Brings Shade Structure to Caras Park
Missoula’s recently-renovated Caras Park will get a little cooler, thanks to the Missoula Downtown Foundation and its partnership with Dick Anderson Construction and th... more
Griz in at No. 3 in Preseason Media Top-25
After being picked to win the Big Sky Conference title race by the league's coaches and media, the Montana Grizzlies slotted in at No. 3 on the Stats Perform Preseason To... more
Missoula Restaurants
Missoula has many kinds of options for dining out. Learn More.... more
The Pulse {News & Opinion} Posts
Missoula Loses Mayor John Engen
Missoula Mayor John Engen died Monday morning, Aug. 15, of pancreatic c... more
Missoula Downtown Foundation Brings Shade Structure to Caras Park
Missoula’s recently-renovated Caras Park will get a little cooler, th... more
Four Montana Legends Earn Place in Grizzly Sports Hall of Fame
Grizzly Athletics proudly announced the Grizzly Sports Hall of Fame inc... more
Off the Couch {Sports & Recreation} Posts
Griz Picked No. 2 in AFCA Preseason Poll
The FCS football coaches around the nation have tabbed the Montana Griz... more
Griz in at No. 3 in Preseason Media Top-25
After being picked to win the Big Sky Conference title race by the leag... more
Three Griz Named to Buchanan Award Preseason Watch List
This year, three more Grizzlies are favored to join that list of the na... more
Live It Up {Lifestyles & Entertainment} Posts
Creative Ways to Decorate Your Garden to Make it Stand Out
This article will provide several creative tips for decorating your gar... more
CBD: Is It Safe for Pets?
Let me introduce you to this amazing pet cbd; a product so incredible t... more
MCT Performing Arts Camp Presents: Broadway Junior Revue: RAISE YOUR VOICE
PAC is BACK! The Missoula Children’s Theatre’s Performing Arts Ca... more
Eat, Drink & Be Merry {Food & Drink} Posts
How Does Dehydration Affect Women?
Did you know that dehydration can cause an odor? Here are some other ti... more
Giving Your Dog CBD Treats: What You Need To Know
Can CBD, a key ingredient in cannabis, be used to treat dogs and cats t... more
Best Appetite Suppressant Without Caffeine
Here we will share with you some natural appetite suppressants that you... more
About Missoula, MT
Missoula, Montana is located along the Clark Fork and Bitterroot rivers. Located in Western Montana at the convergence of five mountain ranges, Missoula is sometimes referred to as the “Hub of Five Valleys."

Photo by Mark Mesenko, mesenko.com.
The city now named Missoula was founded in 1860. At the time the area was officially part of the Washington Territory and called Hellgate Trading Post. Because the area was originally home to several mills that provided supplies to western settlers traveling along Mullan Road the name was changed to Missoula Mills, then shortened again to its present day name of Missoula.
By the 1880s, the Northern Pacific Railway came through the area and Missoula matured to support a thriving lumber industry. As the city experienced rapid growth, 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 which was founded in 1908, the city’s lumber industry and the university would serve as forerunners of the local economy for the next hundred years. However, by the late 1990s, Missoula’s lumber industry had all but disappeared. Today the city’s largest employers are the University of Montana and Missoula’s two hospitals.

Photo by Paul Queneau, PQPHOTO.NET.
The University of Montana ranks 17th in the nation and fifth among public universities in producing Rhodes Scholars, with a total of 28 such scholars. The University of Montana has 11 Truman Scholars, 14 Goldwater Scholars and 31 Udall Scholars to its name. UM’s Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library houses the earliest authorized edition of the Lewis and Clark journals.
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 of parkland, 22 miles of trails, and nearly 5,000 acres of open-space conservation land.
Missoula, MT has been home to a number of notable individuals in a wide variety of fields. In politics, Jeanette Rankin, the first woman elected to congress, was born and raised in Missoula. Senator Mike Mansfield, the U.S.'s longest serving Senate Majority Leader began his political career while living in Missoula. Max Baucus, Montana's longest serving U.S. Senator and currently U.S. Ambassador to China, also established his political career while residing in Missoula.
Other notable Missoula citizens included athletes, Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterback John Elway, and former Milwaukee Bucks coach Larry Krystowiak. Actor Dana Carvey and filmmaker David Lynch were both born in Missoula while Carroll O'Connor and J.K. Simmons both attended UM. Also notable is author Norman Maclean, whose book, A River Runs Through It, later became an acclaimed movie, and chronicles Maclean’s life in early-20th century Missoula, Mt.