Missoula County, Montana | |
|---|---|
 Missoula County Courthouse | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMontana | |
 Montana's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:47°02′N113°56′W / 47.04°N 113.93°W /47.04; -113.93 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Montana |
| Founded | December 14, 1860 |
| Seat | Missoula |
| Largest city | Missoula |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,618 sq mi (6,780 km2) |
| • Land | 2,593 sq mi (6,720 km2) |
| • Water | 25 sq mi (65 km2) 1.0% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 117,922 |
• Estimate (2024) | 122,546 |
| • Density | 45.48/sq mi (17.56/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | www |
| |
Missoula County (/mɪˈzuːlə/ ⓘmiz-OO-lə) is acounty located in thestate ofMontana. As of the2020 census, the population was 117,922,[1] making it Montana'sthird most populous county. Itscounty seat and most populous city isMissoula.[2] The county was founded in 1860.[3] Missoula County comprises the Missoula, MTMetropolitan Statistical Area, and is not aconsolidated city-county.
Missoula County,Washington Territory was incorporated in 1860, when this area was still part ofWashington Territory.[4][3] Missoula County encompassed present-day Missoula andDeer Lodge Counties, as well as a large area of land north and south of present-day Missoula County.Hell Gate Town, the county seat, was at the confluence of theClark Fork andBitterroot Rivers.
The area encompassing today's Missoula County became part of the United States as a result ofOregon Treaty of June 14, 1846. It was part of theOregon Territory'sClark County, which replaced theDistrict of Vancouver September 3, 1844. The territory was divided on March 2, 1853, with Clark County becoming part of the new Washington Territory. Clark County was divided the next year to createSkamania County, which a month later was divided to createWalla Walla County, which was further divided in 1858 to createSpokane County.[5] On December 14, 1860, Missoula County was carved out of Spokane County with the first county seat atHell Gate. The county made up the region between modern-dayIdaho and theContinental Divide north of the46th parallel.[6] WhenIdaho Territory was created in 1863 it adopted Missoula County as the territory's 3rd county on January 16, 1864, with more or less the same boundaries and Wordensville (present Missoula) established as the county seat.[7][8] This first county consisted of all or part of currentRavalli, Missoula,Granite,Deer Lodge,Silver Bow,Powell,Mineral,Lake,Sanders,Lincoln,Flathead, andGlacier Counties.
Missoula County became a part ofMontana Territory when the territory was organized out of the existing Idaho Territory by Act of Congress and signed into law by PresidentAbraham Lincoln on May 26, 1864. At this time Deer Lodge County (today Deer Lodge, Granite, Silver Bow, and Powell Counties) was cut out of Missoula.[9] The creation of Flathead (today Flathead and Lincoln Counties) and Ravalli Counties in 1893, Powell in 1901, Sanders in 1905, Mineral in 1914 and finally Lake County in 1923 gave Missoula its present borders.[10]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,618 square miles (6,780 km2), of which 2,593 square miles (6,720 km2) is land and 25 square miles (65 km2) (1.0%) is water.[11] It is the 24th largest county in Montana.
Five large valleys and two major rivers wind through this mountainous region.
Located in the Northern Rockies, Missoula County has a typicalRocky Mountain ecology. Local wildlife includeswhite-tailed deer,black bears,osprey, andbald eagles. During the winter months, rapid snow melt onMount Jumbo due to its steep slope leaves grass available for grazingelk andmule deer. The rivers around Missoula provide nesting habitats forbank swallows,northern rough-winged swallows andbelted kingfishers.Killdeer andspotted sandpipers can be seen foraging insects along the gravel bars. Other species includesong sparrows,catbirds, several species ofwarblers, and thepileated woodpecker. The rivers also provide cold, clean water for native fish such aswestslope cutthroat trout andbull trout. The meandering streams also attractbeaver andwood ducks.[12]
Native riparian plant life includes sandbarwillows andcottonwoods, and Montana's state tree, theponderosa pine. Other native plants include wetland species such ascattails andbeaked-sedge as well as shrubs and berry plants likeDouglas hawthorn,chokecherry, andwestern snowberries.[12] Missoula is also home to severalnoxious weeds which multiple programs have tried to eliminate. Notable ones includeDalmatian toadflax,spotted knapweed,leafy spurge,St. John's wort, andsulfur cinquefoil.[13] The Norway maples that line many of Missoula's older streets have also been declared an invasive species.[14]
Missoula County has asemi-arid climate (Köppen climate classificationBSk), with cold and moderately snowy winters, hot and dry summers, and spring and autumn are short and crisp in between. Winter conditions are usually far milder than much of the rest of the state due to its western position within the state. However, the mildness is also induced by the dampness, as unlike much of the rest of the state, precipitation is not at a strong minimum during winter. Winter snowfall averages 43 inches (109 cm), with most years seeing very little of it from April to October. Summers see very sunny conditions, with highs peaking at 84 °F (28.9 °C) in July. However, temperature differences between day and night are large during this time and from April to October, due to the relative aridity.[15][16]
| Climate data for Missoula, Montana (Missoula Airport) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 60 (16) | 66 (19) | 78 (26) | 90 (32) | 95 (35) | 102 (39) | 107 (42) | 105 (41) | 99 (37) | 85 (29) | 73 (23) | 60 (16) | 107 (42) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 33.2 (0.7) | 38.8 (3.8) | 49.8 (9.9) | 58.5 (14.7) | 67.3 (19.6) | 75.2 (24.0) | 85.9 (29.9) | 84.9 (29.4) | 73.1 (22.8) | 57.8 (14.3) | 41.5 (5.3) | 31.0 (−0.6) | 58.2 (14.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 18.3 (−7.6) | 21.2 (−6.0) | 27.7 (−2.4) | 32.8 (0.4) | 39.8 (4.3) | 46.6 (8.1) | 51.4 (10.8) | 50.1 (10.1) | 41.8 (5.4) | 32.4 (0.2) | 24.9 (−3.9) | 16.7 (−8.5) | 33.7 (0.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −33 (−36) | −28 (−33) | −13 (−25) | 2 (−17) | 21 (−6) | 26 (−3) | 31 (−1) | 29 (−2) | 15 (−9) | −4 (−20) | −23 (−31) | −30 (−34) | −33 (−36) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 0.85 (22) | 0.70 (18) | 1.00 (25) | 1.22 (31) | 2.01 (51) | 2.07 (53) | 0.99 (25) | 1.19 (30) | 1.17 (30) | 0.88 (22) | 1.01 (26) | 1.04 (26) | 14.13 (359) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 8.3 (21) | 6.1 (15) | 5.1 (13) | 1.2 (3.0) | 0.2 (0.51) | — | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | — | 0.6 (1.5) | 5.4 (14) | 11.0 (28) | 37.9 (96) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 11.8 | 9.4 | 11.4 | 11.1 | 12.3 | 12.1 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 8.2 | 8.4 | 11.1 | 12.3 | 122.7 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 9.4 | 6.8 | 5.1 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.9 | 5.4 | 9.8 | 39.4 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 81.3 | 78.1 | 70.3 | 61.2 | 61.7 | 61.1 | 51.7 | 52.5 | 62.8 | 70.8 | 80.2 | 83.5 | 67.9 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 95.8 | 133.0 | 209.3 | 245.0 | 280.5 | 311.1 | 389.3 | 334.8 | 264.7 | 194.3 | 99.5 | 82.9 | 2,640.2 |
| Percentagepossible sunshine | 34 | 46 | 57 | 60 | 60 | 66 | 81 | 76 | 70 | 58 | 35 | 31 | 59 |
| Source: NOAA (normals 1981−2010, relative humidity and sun 1961–1990)[17][18][19] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 2,554 | — | |
| 1880 | 2,537 | −0.7% | |
| 1890 | 14,427 | 468.7% | |
| 1900 | 13,964 | −3.2% | |
| 1910 | 23,596 | 69.0% | |
| 1920 | 24,041 | 1.9% | |
| 1930 | 21,782 | −9.4% | |
| 1940 | 29,038 | 33.3% | |
| 1950 | 35,493 | 22.2% | |
| 1960 | 44,663 | 25.8% | |
| 1970 | 58,263 | 30.5% | |
| 1980 | 76,016 | 30.5% | |
| 1990 | 78,687 | 3.5% | |
| 2000 | 95,802 | 21.8% | |
| 2010 | 109,426 | 14.2% | |
| 2020 | 117,922 | 7.8% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 122,546 | [20] | 3.9% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[21] 1790–1960,[22] 1900–1990,[23] 1990–2000,[24] 2010–2020[1] | |||
As of the2020 census, there were 117,922 people living in the county.[citation needed]
As of the2010 census, there were 109,299 people, 45,926 households, and 25,931 families residing in the county. The population density was 42.1 inhabitants per square mile (16.3/km2). There were 50,106 housing units at an average density of 19.3 per square mile (7.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 92.7% white, 2.6% American Indian, 1.1% Asian, 0.4% black or African American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.4% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.6% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 26.1% wereGerman, 17.8% wereIrish, 12.3% wereEnglish, 7.3% wereNorwegian, and 5.4% wereAmerican.
Of the 45,926 households, 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 43.5% were non-families, and 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 34.3 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $42,887 and the median income for a family was $58,302. Males had a median income of $39,603 versus $30,069 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,343. About 8.8% of families and 17.3% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.
Missoula County has a diverse economy as a growing regional trade center with several major employers such as theUniversity of Montana, regional hospitals, and theU.S. Forest Service each employing thousands. However, 90% of wage and salary workers work for small businesses with under 20 workers with a quarter of them self-employed.[25]
Missoula County is governed by aBoard of County Commissioners of three members; each serving six-year terms staggered so as to have one election every two years. The commission has authority over all legislative, executive, and administrative issues throughout the county not specifically reserved by law or ordinance to other elected officials.[26]
Originally a swing county, Missoula County has voted reliably Democratic since 2004, and has voted Republican only once since 1988. In 2000, RepublicanGeorge W. Bush won the county by a 9% margin while Green Party candidateRalph Nader received over 16% of the vote in the county. This is most likely due to the city ofMissoula being home to theUniversity of Montana.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1892 | 2,045 | 39.82% | 2,340 | 45.56% | 751 | 14.62% |
| 1896 | 365 | 13.88% | 2,259 | 85.89% | 6 | 0.23% |
| 1900 | 1,392 | 41.85% | 1,893 | 56.92% | 41 | 1.23% |
| 1904 | 2,239 | 59.90% | 996 | 26.65% | 503 | 13.46% |
| 1908 | 1,856 | 46.15% | 1,780 | 44.26% | 386 | 9.60% |
| 1912 | 589 | 12.64% | 1,523 | 32.70% | 2,546 | 54.66% |
| 1916 | 2,926 | 38.69% | 4,069 | 53.80% | 568 | 7.51% |
| 1920 | 4,374 | 52.61% | 3,292 | 39.60% | 648 | 7.79% |
| 1924 | 2,386 | 29.44% | 1,012 | 12.49% | 4,706 | 58.07% |
| 1928 | 5,056 | 59.71% | 3,291 | 38.87% | 120 | 1.42% |
| 1932 | 3,819 | 39.72% | 5,242 | 54.51% | 555 | 5.77% |
| 1936 | 2,697 | 24.97% | 7,690 | 71.18% | 416 | 3.85% |
| 1940 | 5,640 | 41.66% | 7,747 | 57.23% | 150 | 1.11% |
| 1944 | 5,371 | 48.70% | 5,558 | 50.40% | 99 | 0.90% |
| 1948 | 6,426 | 46.32% | 7,005 | 50.49% | 442 | 3.19% |
| 1952 | 10,053 | 58.99% | 6,901 | 40.50% | 87 | 0.51% |
| 1956 | 10,627 | 61.12% | 6,760 | 38.88% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 10,396 | 53.76% | 8,876 | 45.90% | 65 | 0.34% |
| 1964 | 8,065 | 38.40% | 12,900 | 61.42% | 39 | 0.19% |
| 1968 | 9,745 | 48.02% | 8,398 | 41.39% | 2,149 | 10.59% |
| 1972 | 15,557 | 51.77% | 13,784 | 45.87% | 708 | 2.36% |
| 1976 | 16,350 | 51.36% | 15,099 | 47.43% | 388 | 1.22% |
| 1980 | 16,161 | 46.72% | 13,115 | 37.91% | 5,318 | 15.37% |
| 1984 | 19,777 | 53.54% | 16,540 | 44.78% | 620 | 1.68% |
| 1988 | 15,965 | 44.76% | 19,178 | 53.77% | 526 | 1.47% |
| 1992 | 12,898 | 29.79% | 20,347 | 46.99% | 10,054 | 23.22% |
| 1996 | 16,034 | 36.13% | 21,874 | 49.29% | 6,474 | 14.59% |
| 2000 | 21,474 | 46.11% | 17,241 | 37.02% | 7,861 | 16.88% |
| 2004 | 23,989 | 45.73% | 26,983 | 51.44% | 1,482 | 2.83% |
| 2008 | 20,743 | 34.99% | 36,531 | 61.63% | 2,003 | 3.38% |
| 2012 | 22,652 | 39.58% | 32,824 | 57.35% | 1,756 | 3.07% |
| 2016 | 22,250 | 36.64% | 31,543 | 51.95% | 6,929 | 11.41% |
| 2020 | 26,347 | 36.57% | 43,357 | 60.18% | 2,342 | 3.25% |
| 2024 | 27,306 | 37.52% | 42,903 | 58.95% | 2,564 | 3.52% |
Missoula County is home to 18 school districts (13 Elementary, 2 Secondary, and 3 Unified).[28]
K-12 (Unified) districts include:[28]
High school districts include:[28]
Elementary school districts include:[28]
Missoula County is home to theUniversity of Montana and theMissoula College - University of Montana.
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Places adjacent to Missoula County, Montana | |
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Municipalities and communities ofMissoula County, Montana,United States | ||
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| City |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
