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.
Montana Schools to Play Modified Spring Football Season
The football programs at the University of Montana and Montana State University announced jointly on Friday that neither team will participate in the Big Sky Conference's... more
Stream MCT’s Robin Hood Jan. 2-11
Laugh all the way to magical, mythical Sherwood Forest Jan. 2-11 with the Missoula Children’s Theatre family-friendly production of Robin Hood!... more
Louie-McGee Signs Contract to Play at Edmonton
Montana's record-breaking wide receiver Jerry Louie-McGee has officially signed to play professionally for the Edmonton Football Team of the Canadian Football League.... more
Montana Earns Upset Win Over Washington
It was a happy homecoming for head coach Travis DeCuire, who earned a 66-58 win over the Washington Huskies on Wednesday night.... more
Missoula Restaurants
Missoula has many kinds of options for dining out. Learn More.... more
The Pulse {News & Opinion} Posts
Santa to Fly Over Missoula Valley Saturday, Dec. 19 Starting at 6:30 PM
With support from many individuals and organizations, Santa Claus and h... more
Noteworthy Wins Best Overall in Downtown Holiday Window Decorating Contest
Noteworthy Paper & Press, located at 219 S. 3rd St. W, won Best Overall... more
Mick Holien, “Voice of the Griz” for a Generation, Remembered as One of “The Good Guys”
Grizzly Athletics plans to pay tribute to Holien in the fall of 2021 wh... more
Off the Couch {Sports & Recreation} Posts
Montana Schools to Play Modified Spring Football Season
The football programs at the University of Montana and Montana State Un... more
Louie-McGee Signs Contract to Play at Edmonton
Montana's record-breaking wide receiver Jerry Louie-McGee has officiall... more
Montana Earns Upset Win Over Washington
It was a happy homecoming for head coach Travis DeCuire, who earned a ... more
Live It Up {Lifestyles & Entertainment} Posts
MCT’s Elf Comes off the Shelf
Available on-demand Dec. 21-30 for just $5, Elf the Musical is availabl... more
How to Ensure and Actually Enjoy Sobriety?
Here you have it – tried and true tips to help you stay sober.... more
18th Annual Parade of Lights Slated for Sat., Dec. 5 REVERSE Parade on UM Campus Drive from 5-8 pm
The 18th Annual Parade of Lights is back with a twist on Saturday, Dec.... more
Eat, Drink & Be Merry {Food & Drink} Posts
Instant Pot Mediterranean Lamb Stew
So, whether you approach this old school, new school or somewhere in th... more
Salmon Panzanella
By KATIE WORKMAN - Pink salmon, bright tomatoes (grab multicolored ones... more
What to Do While Restaurants Are Closed in Missoula?
Now is a hard time for every person in Montana. However, careful planni... 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.