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.
Sip’n Shop for MCT
If you love spring, sipping, shopping and supporting a worthy organization, then Sip n’ Shop for MCT is where you want to be on Thursday, March 30th from 6-8PM.... more
Tim Hauck Returns to Montana as a Defensive Analyst
Grizzly Sports Hall of Famer, 13-year NFL vet, and Super Bowl-winning coach Tim Hauck has returned to the University of Montana as a defensive analyst.... more
Mount Jump South Zone Closure Extended
In consultation with state wildlife biologists, Parks and Recreation has extended the Mount Jumbo South Zone winter wildlife closure beyond the scheduled March 15 opening... more
Moody’s Career Night Leads Montana into Semifinal
Under the brightest lights possible, Aanen Moody delivered the best performance of his career to lead Montana to a quarterfinal win against Idaho State on Monday night.... more
Missoula Restaurants
Missoula has many kinds of options for dining out. Learn More.... more
The Pulse {News & Opinion} Posts
Tim Hauck Returns to Montana as a Defensive Analyst
Grizzly Sports Hall of Famer, 13-year NFL vet, and Super Bowl-winning c... more
Mount Jump South Zone Closure Extended
In consultation with state wildlife biologists, Parks and Recreation ha... more
6 Things You Should Know About the Missoula Chick-fil-A
Here’s a quick overview of the main points of interest relating to th... more
Off the Couch {Sports & Recreation} Posts
Moody’s Career Night Leads Montana into Semifinal
Under the brightest lights possible, Aanen Moody delivered the best per... more
How to Survive in the Wilderness – 2023
Every person who got lost in the woods had no plans of doing so. In th... more
Rohrbach Named FCS Punter of the Year
Montana freshman punter Patrick Rohrbach earned the Football Champion... more
Live It Up {Lifestyles & Entertainment} Posts
Sip’n Shop for MCT
If you love spring, sipping, shopping and supporting a worthy organizat... more
What Electric Cars Are The Best to Drive in Montana?
In this blog post, we’ll explore the top electric car models that can... more
Relieving Vacation Constipation – What to Do When Your Puppy Can’t Poop
Here's how you can alleviate puppy constipation when you're away from h... more
Eat, Drink & Be Merry {Food & Drink} Posts
How To Cook the Perfect Roast Beef + Leftover Recipes
Cooking the perfect roast beef can be tricky, so we've put together thi... more
Restaurant design – everything you need to know
If you're opening your own restaurant or are simply curious about resta... more
How Does Dehydration Affect Women?
Did you know that dehydration can cause an odor? Here are some other ti... 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.