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.
Beauty Lou and the Country Beast Day Camp March 15-19
Beauty Lou and the Country Beast will mosey on to the stage of the MCT Center for the Performing Arts March 15-19. Open to students in grades K-12.... more
2021 Smith River Permit Drawing Results Now Available
The permit lottery results to float Smith River State Park in 2021 are now available online at fwp.mt.gov.... more
Levee Maintenance Work to Begin March 1 Intermittent North Riverfront Trail Section Closures
The City’s Storm Water Utility will begin routine vegetation maintenance on two Clark Fork River levees on Monday, March 1, with completion by April 15, weather depende... more
Avalanche Danger on Mount Jumbo!
Avalanche danger is present on Mount Jumbo, public urged to stay off the mountain.... more
Missoula Restaurants
Missoula has many kinds of options for dining out. Learn More.... more
The Pulse {News & Opinion} Posts
Levee Maintenance Work to Begin March 1 Intermittent North Riverfront Trail Section Closures
The City’s Storm Water Utility will begin routine vegetation maintena... more
Avalanche Danger on Mount Jumbo!
Avalanche danger is present on Mount Jumbo, public urged to stay off th... more
Hunting and Fishing License Year Begins March 1st
The new license year opens March 1, which means that is the day you can... more
Off the Couch {Sports & Recreation} Posts
2021 Smith River Permit Drawing Results Now Available
The permit lottery results to float Smith River State Park in 2021 are ... more
2020 Big Sky Schedule Moved to 2021
The Big Sky Conference announced Wednesday it has approved moving the f... more
Montana Schools to Play Modified Spring Football Season
The football programs at the University of Montana and Montana State Un... more
Live It Up {Lifestyles & Entertainment} Posts
Beauty Lou and the Country Beast Day Camp March 15-19
Beauty Lou and the Country Beast will mosey on to the stage of the MCT ... more
15 Best Bridal Shower Ideas
Do you want to host a bridal shower to remember? Check out these amazin... more
Why Are Celebrities Turning To Cryotherapy?
This article will walk you through the reasons why LA celebrities use c... more
Eat, Drink & Be Merry {Food & Drink} Posts
3 Best Ways To Enjoy Your Wine At Home
Despite social restrictions, you can still enjoy a splendid wine experi... more
The Best Breweries in Montana – The Christmas Tipples You Should Try
With more breweries cropping up in Montana than ever, it’s the perfec... more
Instant Pot Mediterranean Lamb Stew
So, whether you approach this old school, new school or somewhere in th... 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.