Montana

Several terms redirect here. For other uses, seeBig Sky Country (song),Montanan (disambiguation),Treasure State (disambiguation),andMontana (disambiguation).

Montana
State
Flag Seal
Nicknames: Big Sky Country, The Treasure State
Motto(s): "Oro y Plata"(Spanish) "Gold and Silver"
Anthem:"Montana"
Map of the United States with Montana highlighted
Country	United States
Before statehood	Montana Territory
Admitted to the Union	November 8, 1889 (41st)
Capital	Helena
Largest city	Billings
Largest county or equivalent	Yellowstone
Largest metroandurbanareas	Billings
Government
•Governor	Greg Gianforte(R)
•Lieutenant Governor	Kristen Juras(R)
Legislature	Legislature
•Upper house	Senate
•Lower house	House of Representatives
Judiciary	Montana Supreme Court
U.S. senators	Jon Tester(D) Steve Daines(R)
U.S. House delegation	1:Ryan Zinke(R) 2:Matt Rosendale(R) (list)
Area
• Total	147,040sq mi (380,800 km2)
• Land	145,552sq mi (376,980 km2)
• Water	1,491 sq mi (3,862 km2) 1%
• Rank	4th
Dimensions
• Length	255 mi (410 km)
• Width	630 mi (1,015 km)
Elevation	3,400 ft (1,040 m)
Highest elevation (Granite Peak)	12,807 ft (3,903.5 m)
Lowest elevation (Kootenai RiveratIdahoborder)	1,804 ft (557 m)
Population (2023)
• Total	1,132,812
• Rank	43rd
• Density	7.7/sq mi (3.0/km2)
• Rank	48th
•Median household income	$56,539
• Income rank	40th
Demonym	Montanan
Language
•Official language	English
Time zone	UTC−07:00(Mountain)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−06:00(MDT)
USPS abbreviation	MT
ISO 3166 code	US-MT
Traditional abbreviation	Mont.
Latitude	44° 21′ N to 49° N
Longitude	104° 2′ W to 116° 3′ W
Website	mt.gov

State symbols of Montana

List of state symbols
Flag of Montana
Seal of Montana
Bird	Western meadowlark
Butterfly	Mourning cloak
Fish	Westslope cutthroat trout
Flower	Bitterroot
Mammal	Grizzly bear
Tree	Ponderosa pine
Fossil	Maiasaura peeblesorum
Gemstone	Sapphire,Agate
State route marker
Lists of United States state symbols

Montana(/mɒnˈtænə/mon-TAN-ə)is a landlockedstatein theMountain Westsubregion of theWesternUnited States.It bordersIdahoto the west,North Dakotato the east,South Dakotato the southeast,Wyomingto the south, and theCanadian provincesofAlberta,British Columbia,andSaskatchewanto the north. It is thefourth-largest state by area,but theeighth-least populous stateand thethird-least densely populated state.ItscapitalisHelena,while themost populous cityisBillings.The western half of the state contains numerous mountain ranges, while the eastern half is characterized by westernprairieterrain andbadlands,with smaller mountain ranges found throughout the state.

Most of Montana first came under Americansovereigntywith theLouisiana Purchasefrom France in 1803 and was explored by theLewis and Clark Expeditionshortly thereafter.Fur trappers followed and were the main economic activity in the area until gold was discovered in 1852. The ensuing gold rush, along with the passage of theHomestead Actsin 1862, brought large numbers of American settlers to Montana.Rapid population growth and development culminated in statehood on November 8, 1889. Mining, particularly aroundButteandHelena,would remain the state's main economic engine through the mid-20th century.

Montana has no officialnicknamebut several unofficial ones, most notably "Big Sky Country", "The Treasure State", "Land of the Shining Mountains", and "The Last Best Place".Its economy is primarily based onagriculture,includingranchingandcereal grainfarming. Other significant economic resources includeoil,gas,coal,mining,andlumber.The health care, service, defense, and government sectors are also significant to the state's economy. Montana's fastest-growing sector is tourism, with 12.6 million tourists (as of 2019) visiting the state each year.

Etymology

The name Montana comes from the Spanish wordmontaña,which in turn comes from the Latin wordmontanea,meaning "mountain" or more broadly "mountainous country".Montaña del Norte('Northern Mountain') was the name given by early Spanish explorers to the entire mountainous region of the west.The name Montana was added in 1863 to a bill by theUnited States House Committee on Territories(chaired at the time byJames AshleyofOhio) for the territory that would becomeIdaho Territory.

The name was changed by representativesHenry Wilson(Massachusetts) andBenjamin F. Harding(Oregon), who complained that Montana had "no meaning".When Ashley presented a bill to establish a temporary government in 1864 for a new territory to be carved out of Idaho, he again choseMontana Territory.This time, representativeSamuel Cox,also of Ohio, objected to the name.Cox complained that the name was amisnomergiven that most of the territory was not mountainous, and thought aNative Americanname would be more appropriate than a Spanish one.Other names, such asShoshone,were suggested, but the Committee on Territories decided that they had discretion to choose the name, so the original name of Montana was adopted.

History

Main article:History of Montana

Early Indian treaty territories in Montana

Assiniboinefamily, Montana, 1890–91

For thousands of years, variousindigenous peopleshave inhabited the land that is now Montana. Historic tribes encountered by Europeans and settlers from the United States included theCrowin the south-central area, theCheyenneandLakotain the southeast, theBlackfeet,Assiniboine,andGros Ventresin the central and north-central area, and theKootenaiandSalishthe (Séliš or “Flathead”) in the west. The (Ql̓ispéorPend d'Oreilles) andKalispeltribes lived nearFlathead Lakeand the western mountains, respectively. A part of southeastern Montana was used as a corridor between the Crows and the relatedHidatsasin North Dakota.

As part of theMissouri Riverwatershed, all of the land in Montana east of theContinental Dividewas part of theLouisiana Purchasein 1803, except for a tiny portion in the northeast that is part of theHudson Bay drainage.Subsequent to and particularly in the decades following theLewis and Clark Expedition,European, Canadian and American traders operated afur trade,trading with indigenous peoples in both eastern and western portions of the area. Though the increased interaction between fur traders and indigenous peoples frequently proved to be a profitable partnership, conflicts broke out when indigenous interests were threatened, such as the conflict between American trappers and theBlackfeet.Indigenous peoples in the region were also decimated by diseases introduced by fur traders to which they had no immunity.The trading postFort Raymond(1807–1811) was constructed in Crow Indian country in 1807.Until theOregon Treatyof 1846, land west of the continental divide was disputed between theBritishandU.S. governmentsand was known as theOregon Country.The first permanent settlement by Euro-Americans in what today is Montana wasSt. Mary's,established in 1841 near present-dayStevensville.In 1847,Fort Bentonwas built as the uppermost fur-trading post on the Missouri River.In the 1850s, settlers began moving into theBeaverheadandBig Holevalleys from theOregon Trailand into the Clark's Fork valley.

The first gold discovered in Montana was atGold Creeknear present-dayGarrisonin 1852. The Gold rush in the region commenced in earnest starting in 1862. A series of major mineral discoveries in the western part of the state found gold, silver, copper, lead, and coal (and later oil) which attracted tens of thousands of miners to the area. The richest of all gold placer diggings was discovered at Alder Gulch, where the town ofVirginia Citywas established. Other rich placer deposits were found at Last Chance Gulch, where the city of Helena now stands,Confederate Gulch,Silver Bow, Emigrant Gulch, andCooke City.Gold output between 1862 and 1876 reached $144 million, after which silver became even more important. The largest mining operations were at Butte, with important silver deposits and expansive copper deposits.

Montana territory

Main articles:Organic act § List of organic acts,andMontana Territory

Montana Territory in 1865

Before the creation of Montana Territory (1864–1889), areas within present-day Montana were part of theOregon Territory(1848–1859),Washington Territory(1853–1863), Idaho Territory (1863–1864), andDakota Territory(1861–1864). Montana Territory became aterritory of the United Stateson May26, 1864. The first territorial capital was located atBannack.Sidney Edgertonserved as the first territorial governor. The capital moved to Virginia City in 1865 and toHelenain 1875. In 1870, the non-Indian population of the Montana Territory was 20,595.TheMontana Historical Society,founded on February2, 1865, in Virginia City, is the oldest such institution west of theMississippi(excluding Louisiana).In 1869 and 1870 respectively, theCook–Folsom–Petersonand theWashburn–Langford–Doane Expeditionswere launched from Helena into the Upper Yellowstone region. The extraordinary discoveries and reports from these expeditions led to the creation ofYellowstone National Parkin 1872.

Conflicts

See also:List of military installations in Montana

As settlers began populating Montana from the 1850s through the 1870s, disputes with Native Americans ensued, primarily over land ownership and control. In 1855, Washington Territorial GovernorIsaac Stevensnegotiated theHellgate Treatybetween the United States government and the Salish, Pend d'Oreille, and Kootenai people of western Montana, which established boundaries for the tribal nations. The treaty was ratified in 1859.While the treaty established what later became theFlathead Indian Reservation,trouble with interpreters and confusion over the terms of the treaty led Whites to believe theBitterroot Valleywas opened to settlement, but the tribal nations disputed those provisions.The Salish remained in the Bitterroot Valley until 1891.

The first U.S. Army post established in Montana wasCamp Cookein 1866, on the Missouri River, to protect steamboat traffic to Fort Benton. More than a dozen additional military outposts were established in the state. Pressure over land ownership and control increased due to discoveries of gold in various parts of Montana and surrounding states. Major battles occurred in Montana duringRed Cloud's War,theGreat Sioux War of 1876,and theNez Perce Warand in conflicts withPiegan Blackfeet.The most notable were theMarias Massacre(1870),Battle of the Little Bighorn(1876),Battle of the Big Hole(1877), andBattle of Bear Paw(1877). The last recorded conflict in Montana between the U.S. Army and Native Americans occurred in 1887 during theBattle of Crow Agencyin the Big Horn country. Native survivors who had signed treaties were generally required to move ontoreservations.

Chief Joseph and Col. John Gibbon met again on the Big Hole Battlefield site in 1889.

Simultaneously with these conflicts,bison,akeystone speciesand the primary protein source that Native people had survived on for many centuries, were being destroyed. Experts estimate that around 13 million bison roamed Montana in 1870.In 1875, GeneralPhilip Sheridanpleaded to a joint session ofCongressto authorize the slaughtering of bison herds to deprive Native people of their source of food.By 1884, commercial hunting had brought bison to the verge of extinction; only about 325 bison remained in the entire United States.

Cattle ranching

Cattle ranching has been central to Montana's history and economy sinceJohnny Grantbegan wintering cattle in the Deer Lodge Valley in the 1850s and traded cattle fattened in fertile Montana valleys with emigrants on the Oregon Trail.Nelson Storybrought the firstTexas Longhorn cattleinto the territory in 1866.Granville Stuart,Samuel Hauser,and Andrew J. Davis started a majoropen-rangecattle operation in Fergus County in 1879.TheGrant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic SiteinDeer Lodgeis maintained today as a link to the ranching style of the late 19th century. Operated by theNational Park Service,it is a 1,900-acre (7.7 km²) working ranch.

Railroads

Buffalo Soldiers,Ft. Keogh, Montana, 1890. The nickname was given to the "Black Cavalry" by the Native American tribes they fought.

Tracks of theNorthern Pacific Railroad(NPR) reached Montana from the west in 1881 and from the east in 1882. However, the railroad played a major role in sparking tensions with Native American tribes in the 1870s.Jay Cooke,the NPR president, launched major surveys into the Yellowstone valley in 1871, 1872, and 1873, which were challenged forcefully by theSiouxunder chiefSitting Bull.These clashes, in part, contributed to thePanic of 1873,a financial crisis that delayed the construction of the railroad into Montana.Surveys in 1874, 1875, and 1876 helped spark theGreat Sioux War of 1876.The transcontinental NPR was completed on September 8, 1883, atGold Creek.

In 1881, theUtah and Northern Railway,a branch line of theUnion Pacific,completed anarrow-gaugeline from northernUtahto Butte.A number of smaller spur lines operated in Montana from 1881 into the 20th century, including theOregon Short Line,Montana Railroad,andMilwaukee Road.

Tracks of theGreat Northern Railroad(GNR) reached eastern Montana in 1887 and when they reached the northern Rocky Mountains in 1890, the GNR became a significant promoter of tourism to Glacier National Park region. The transcontinental GNR was completed on January 6, 1893, atScenic, Washingtonand is known as theHi Line,being the northernmost transcontinental rail line in the United States.

Statehood

Main articles:Admission to the UnionandList of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union

Reporting statehood from Helena: Full article text ishere.

• The official telegram:

EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON, D.C. November 7, 1889
To Hon. Joseph K. Toole, Governor of the State of Montana:
The president signed and issued the proclamation declaring Montana a state of the union at 10:40 o'clock this morning.

JAMES G. BLAINE
Secretary of State

This article in a Butte newspaper celebrates "the blessings of true citizenship".

Under Territorial GovernorThomas Meagher,Montanans held a constitutional convention in 1866 in a failed bid for statehood. A secondconstitutional conventionheld in Helena in 1884 produced a constitution ratified 3:1 by Montana citizens in November 1884. For political reasons, Congress did not approve Montana statehood until February 1889 and PresidentGrover Clevelandsigned anomnibus billgranting statehood to Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington once the appropriate state constitutions were crafted. In July 1889, Montanans convened their third constitutional convention and produced a constitution accepted by the people and the federal government. On November 8, 1889, PresidentBenjamin Harrisonproclaimed Montana the union's 41st state. The first state governor wasJoseph K. Toole.In the 1880s, Helena (the state capital) had more millionaires per capita than any other United States city.

Homesteading

TheHomestead Act of 1862provided free land to settlers who could claim and "prove-up" 160 acres (0.65 km²) of federal land in the Midwest and western United States. Montana did not see a large influx of immigrants from this act because 160 acres were usually insufficient to support a family in the arid territory.The first homestead claim under the act in Montana was made by David Carpenter near Helena in 1868. The first claim by a woman was made near Warm Springs Creek by Gwenllian Evans, the daughter of Deer Lodge Montana pioneer, Morgan Evans.By 1880, farms were in the more verdant valleys of central and western Montana, but few were on the eastern plains.

TheDesert Land Act of 1877was passed to allow settlement of arid lands in the west and allotted 640 acres (2.6 km²) to settlers for a fee of $.25 per acre and a promise to irrigate the land. After three years, a fee of one dollar per acre would be paid and the settler would own the land. This act brought mostly cattle and sheep ranchers into Montana, many of whom grazed their herds on the Montana prairie for three years, did little to irrigate the land and then abandoned it without paying the final fees.Some farmers came with the arrival of the Great Northern and Northern Pacific Railroads throughout the 1880s and 1890s, though in relatively small numbers.

Mennonitefamily in Montana, c. 1937

In the early 1900s,James J. Hillof the Great Northern began to promote settlement in the Montana prairie to fill his trains with settlers and goods. Other railroads followed suit.In 1902, theReclamation Actwas passed, allowing irrigation projects to be built in Montana's eastern river valleys. In 1909, Congress passed theEnlarged Homestead Actthat expanded the amount of free land from 160 to 320 acres (0.6 to 1.3 km²) per family and in 1912 reduced the time to "prove up" on a claim to three years.In 1916, theStock-Raising Homestead Actallowed homesteads of 640 acres in areas unsuitable for irrigation.This combination of advertising and changes in the Homestead Act drew tens of thousands of homesteaders, lured by free land, with World War I bringing particularly high wheat prices. In addition, Montana was going through a temporary period of higher-than-average precipitation.Homesteaders arriving in this period were known as "honyockers", or "scissorbills".The wordhonyockerpossibly derived from the ethnic slurhunyakand was applied in a derisive manner at homesteaders, who were perceived as being "greenhorns", "new at his business", or "unprepared".However, most of these new settlers had farming experience, though many did not.

Honyocker, scissorbill, nester... He was the Joad of a [half] century ago, swarming into a hostile land: duped when he started, robbed when he arrived; hopeful, courageous, ambitious: he sought independence or adventure, comfort and security... The honyocker was farmer, spinster, deep-sea diver; fiddler, physician, bartender, cook. He lived in Minnesota or Wisconsin, Massachusetts or Maine. There the news sought him out—Jim Hill's news of free land in the Treasure State...

— Joseph Kinsey Howard,Montana, High, Wide, and Handsome(1964)

However, farmers faced a number of problems. Massive debt was one.Also, most settlers were from wetter regions, unprepared for the dry climate, lack of trees, and scarce water resources.In addition, small homesteads of fewer than 320 acres (130 ha) were unsuited to the environment. Weather and agricultural conditions are much harsher and drier west of the 100th meridian.Then, the droughts of 1917–1921 proved devastating. Many people left, and half the banks in the state went bankrupt as a result of providing mortgages that could not be repaid.As a result, farm sizes increased while the number of farms decreased.

By 1910, homesteaders filed claims on over five million acres, and by 1923, over 93 million acres were farmed.In 1910, the Great Falls land office alone had more than a thousand homestead filings per month,and at the peak of 1917–1918 it had 14,000 new homesteads each year.Significant drops occurred following the drought in 1919.

Montana and World War I

AsWorld War Ibroke out,Jeannette Rankin,representative of Montana and the first woman in the United States to be a member of Congress, voted against the United States' declaration of war. Her actions were widely criticized in Montana, where support for the war andpatriotismwas strong.In 1917–1918, due to a miscalculation of Montana's population, about 40,000 Montanans, 10% of the state's population,volunteered or weredraftedinto the armed forces. This represented a manpower contribution to the war that was 25% higher than any other state on aper capitabasis. Around 1,500 Montanans died as a result of the war and 2,437 were wounded, also higher than any other state on a per capita basis.Montana'sRemount stationinMiles Cityprovided 10,000cavalry horsesfor the war, more than any other Army post in the country. The war created a boom for Montana mining, lumber, and farming interests, as demand for war materials and food increased.

In June 1917, the U.S. Congress passed theEspionage Act of 1917,which was extended by theSedition Act of 1918.In February 1918, the Montana legislature had passed the Montana Sedition Act, which was a model for the federal version.In combination, these laws criminalized criticism of the U.S. government, military, or symbols through speech or other means. The Montana Act led to the arrest of more than 200 individuals and the conviction of 78, mostly of German or Austrian descent. More than 40 spent time in prison. In May 2006, then-GovernorBrian Schweitzerposthumously issued full pardons for all those convicted of violating the Montana Sedition Act.

The Montanans who opposed U.S. entry into the war included immigrant groups of German and Irish heritage, as well as pacifistAnabaptistpeople such as theHutteritesandMennonites,many of whom were also of Germanic heritage. In turn, pro-War groups formed, such as the Montana Council of Defense, created by GovernorSamuel V. Stewartand local "loyalty committees".

War sentiment was complicated by labor issues. TheAnaconda Copper Company,which was at its historic peak of copper production,was an extremely powerful force in Montana, but it also faced criticism and opposition fromsocialistnewspapers and unions struggling to make gains for their members.In Butte, a multiethnic community with a significant European immigrant population, labor unions, particularly the newly formed Metal Mine Workers' Union, opposed the war on grounds it mostly profited large lumber and mining interests.In the wake of ramped-up mine production and theSpeculator Mine disasterin June 1917,Industrial Workers of the WorldorganizerFrank Littlearrived in Butte to organize miners. He gave some speeches with inflammatory antiwar rhetoric. On August 1, 1917, he was dragged from his boarding house by maskedvigilantes,and hanged from a railroad trestle, considered alynching.Little's murder and the strikes that followed resulted in theNational Guardbeing sent to Butte to restore order.Overall, anti-German and antilabor sentiment increased and created a movement that led to the passage of the Montana Sedition Act the following February.In addition, the Council of Defense was made a state agency with the power to prosecute and punish individuals deemed in violation of the Act. The council also passed rules limiting public gatherings and prohibiting the speaking of German in public.

In the wake of the legislative action in 1918, emotions rose. U.S. AttorneyBurton K. Wheelerand several district court judges who hesitated to prosecute or convict people brought up on charges were strongly criticized. Wheeler was brought before the Council of Defense, though he avoided formal proceedings, and a district court judge fromForsythwasimpeached.Burnings of German-language books and several near-hangings occurred. The prohibition on speaking German remained in effect into the early 1920s. Complicating the wartime struggles, the1918 influenza epidemicclaimed the lives of more than 5,000 Montanans.The suppression ofcivil libertiesthat occurred led some historians to dub this period "Montana's Agony".

Depression era

An economic depression began in Montana after World War I and lasted through theGreat Depressionuntil the beginning ofWorld War II.This caused great hardship for farmers, ranchers, and miners.

Montana and World War II

By the time the U.S. entered World War II on December 8, 1941, many Montanans had enlisted in the military to escape the poor national economy of the previous decade. Another 40,000-plus Montanans entered the armed forces in the first year following the declaration of war, and more than 57,000 joined up before the war ended. These numbers constituted about ten percent of the state's population, and Montana again contributed one of the highest numbers of soldiers per capita of any state. Many Native Americans were among those who served, including soldiers from the Crow Nation who becameCode Talkers.At least 1,500 Montanans died in the war.Montana also was the training ground for theFirst Special Service Forceor "Devil's Brigade", a joint U.S.-Canadian commando-style force that trained atFort William Henry Harrisonfor experience in mountainous and winter conditions before deployment.Air bases were built in Great Falls, Lewistown, Cut Bank, andGlasgow,some of which were used as staging areas to prepare planes to be sent to allied forces in theSoviet Union.During the war, about 30 JapaneseFu-Go balloon bombswere documented to have landed in Montana, though no casualties nor major forest fires were attributed to them.

In 1940,Jeannette Rankinwas again elected to Congress. In 1941, as she had in 1917, she voted against the United States' declaration of war after theJapanese attack on Pearl Harbor.Hers was the only vote against the war, and in the wake of public outcry over her vote, Rankin required police protection for a time. Other pacifists tended to be those from "peace churches" who generally opposed war. Many individuals claimingconscientious objectorstatus from throughout the U.S. were sent to Montana during the war assmokejumpersand for other forest fire-fighting duties.

In 1942, the U.S. Army establishedCamp Rimininear Helena for the purpose of training sled dogs in winter weather.

Other military

During World War II, the plannedbattleshipUSSMontanawas named in honor of the state but it was never completed. Montana is the only one of the first 48 states lacking a completed battleship being named for it.Alaskaand Hawaii have both had nuclear submarines named after them. Montana is the only state in the union without a modern naval ship named in its honor. However, in August 2007, SenatorJon Testerasked that asubmarinebe christened USSMontana.Secretary of the NavyRay Mabusannounced on September 3, 2015, thatVirginiaClass attack submarineSSN-794will become the second commissioned warship to bear the name.

Cold War Montana

In the post-World War IICold Warera, Montana became host toU.S. Air ForceMilitary Air Transport Service(1947) for airlift training inC-54 Skymastersand eventually, in 1953Strategic Air Commandair and missile forces were based atMalmstrom Air Force Basein Great Falls. The base also hosted the29th Fighter Interceptor Squadron,Air Defense Commandfrom 1953 to 1968. In December 1959, Malmstrom AFB was selected as the home of the newMinuteman Iintercontinental ballistic missile.The first operational missiles were in place and ready in early 1962. In late 1962, missiles assigned to the341st Strategic Missile Wingplayed a major role in theCuban Missile Crisis.When the Soviets removed their missiles from Cuba, PresidentJohn F. Kennedysaid the Soviets backed down because they knew he had an "ace in the hole", referring directly to the Minuteman missiles in Montana. Montana eventually became home to the largest ICBM field in the U.S. covering 23,500 square miles (61,000 km²).

Geography

Main article:Geography of Montana

See also:Regional designations of Montana,Ecological systems of Montana,List of mountain ranges in Montana,andList of forests in Montana

Map of Montana

Montana is one of the eightMountain States,located in the north of the region known as theWestern United States.It bordersNorth DakotaandSouth Dakotato the east.Wyomingis to the south,Idahois to the west and southwest, and theCanadian provincesofBritish Columbia,Alberta,andSaskatchewanare to the north, making it the only state to border three Canadian provinces.

With an area of 147,040 square miles (380,800 km²),Montana is slightly larger thanJapan.It is the fourth-largest state in the United States afterAlaska,Texas,andCalifornia,and the largest landlocked state.

Topography

Relief map of Montana

The state'stopographyis roughly defined by theContinental Divide,which splits much of the state into distinct eastern and western regions.Most of Montana's hundred or more named mountain ranges are in the state's western half, most of which is geologically and geographically part of the northernRocky Mountains.TheAbsarokaandBeartoothranges in the state's south-central part are technically part of the Central Rocky Mountains.TheRocky Mountain Frontis a significant feature in the state's north-central portion,and isolatedisland rangesthat interrupt theprairielandscape common in the central and eastern parts of the state.About 60 percent of the state is prairie, part of the northernGreat Plains.

TheBitterroot Mountains—one of the longest continuous ranges in the Rocky Mountain chain from Alaska toMexico—along with smaller ranges, including theCoeur d'Alene Mountainsand theCabinet Mountains,divide the state from Idaho. The southern third of the Bitterroot range blends into the Continental Divide.Other major mountain ranges west of the divide include theCabinet Mountains,theAnaconda Range,theMissions,theGarnet Range,theSapphire Mountains,and theFlint Creek Range.

The divide's northern section, where the mountains rapidly give way to prairie, is part of theRocky Mountain Front.The front is most pronounced in theLewis Range,located primarily inGlacier National Park.Due to the configuration of mountain ranges in Glacier National Park, theNorthern Divide(which begins in Alaska'sSeward Peninsula)crosses this region and turns east in Montana atTriple Divide Peak.It causes theWaterton River,Belly,andSaint Maryrivers to flow north intoAlberta,Canada.There they join theSaskatchewan River,which ultimately empties intoHudson Bay.

East of the divide, several roughly parallel ranges cover the state's southern part, including theGravelly Range,Madison Range,Gallatin Range,Absaroka Mountains,andBeartooth Mountains.The Beartooth Plateau is the largest continuous land mass over 10,000 feet (3,000 m) high in the continental United States.It contains the state's highest point,Granite Peak,12,799 feet (3,901 m) high.North of these ranges are theBig Belt Mountains,Bridger Mountains,Tobacco Roots,and several island ranges, including theCrazy MountainsandLittle Belt Mountains.

Saint Mary Lakein Glacier National Park

Between many mountain ranges are several rich river valleys. TheBig Hole,Bitterroot,Gallatin,Flathead,andParadise Valleyshave extensive agricultural resources and multiple opportunities for tourism and recreation.

East and north of this transition zone are the expansive and sparsely populatedNorthern Plains,withtablelandprairies, smaller island mountain ranges, andbadlands.The isolated island ranges east of the Divide include the Bear Paw Mountains,Bull Mountains,Castle Mountains,Crazy Mountains,Highwood Mountains,Judith Mountains,Little Belt Mountains,Little Rocky Mountains,thePryor Mountains,Little Snowy Mountains,Big Snowy Mountains,Sweet Grass Hills,and—in the state's southeastern corner nearEkalaka—theLong Pines.Many of these isolated eastern ranges were created about 120 to 66 million years ago whenmagmawelling up from the interior cracked and bowed the earth's surface here.

The area east of the divide in the state's north-central portion is known for theMissouri Breaksand other significantrock formations.Threebuttessouth ofGreat Fallsare major landmarks: Cascade, Crown, Square, Shaw, and Buttes.Known aslaccoliths,they formed whenigneous rockprotruded through cracks in the sedimentary rock.The underlying surface consists ofsandstoneandshale.Surface soils in the area are highly diverse, and greatly affected by the local geology, whether glaciated plain, intermountain basin, mountain foothills, or tableland.Foothill regions are often covered in weathered stone or brokenslate,or consist of uncovered bare rock (usually igneous,quartzite,sandstone, or shale).The soil of intermountain basins usually consists ofclay,gravel,sand,silt,andvolcanic ash,much of it laid down by lakes which covered the region during theOligocene33 to 23 million years ago.Tablelands are often topped withargillitegravel and weathered quartzite, occasionally underlain by shale.The glaciated plains are generally covered in clay, gravel, sand, and silt left by theproglacialLake Great Fallsor bymorainesor gravel-covered former lake basins left by theWisconsin glaciation85,000 to 11,000 years ago.Farther east, areas such asMakoshika State ParknearGlendiveandMedicine Rocks State Parknear Ekalaka contain some of the most scenicbadlandsregions in the state.

TheHell Creek Formationin Northeast Montana is a major source ofdinosaurfossils.PaleontologistJack Hornerof theMuseum of the RockiesinBozemanbrought this formation to the world's attention with several major finds.

Rivers, lakes and reservoirs

See also:List of rivers of MontanaandList of lakes in Montana

Montana has thousands of named rivers and creeks,450 miles (720 km) of which are known for"blue-ribbon"troutfishing.Montana's water resources provide for recreation,hydropower,crop and forage irrigation, mining, and water for human consumption.

Montana is one of few geographic areas in the world whose rivers form parts of three majorwatersheds(i.e. where twocontinental dividesintersect). Its rivers feed the Pacific Ocean, theGulf of Mexico,andHudson Bay.The watersheds divide atTriple Divide Peakin Glacier National Park.If Hudson Bay is considered part of the Arctic Ocean, Triple Divide Peak is the only place on Earth with drainage to three different oceans.

Pacific Ocean drainage basin

Missouri Breaksregion in central Montana

All waters in Montana west of the divide flow into theColumbia River.TheClark Forkof the Columbia (not to be confused with theClarks Forkof the Yellowstone River) rises nearButteand flows northwest toMissoula,where it is joined by theBlackfoot RiverandBitterroot River.Farther downstream, it is joined by theFlathead Riverbefore entering Idaho nearLake Pend Oreille.ThePend Oreille Riverforms the outflow of Lake Pend Oreille. The Pend Oreille River joined the Columbia River, which flows to the Pacific Ocean—making the 579-mile (932 km) long Clark Fork/Pend Oreille (considered a single river system) the longest river in the Rocky Mountains.The Clark Fork discharges the greatest volume of water of any river exiting the state.TheKootenai Riverin northwest Montana is another major tributary of the Columbia.

Gulf of Mexico drainage basin

East of the divide theMissouri River,which is formed by the confluence of theJefferson,Madison,andGallatinRivers nearThree Forks,flows due north through the west-central part of the state toGreat Falls.From this point, it then flows generally east through fairly flat agricultural land and the Missouri Breaks toFort Peck reservoir.The stretch of river between Fort Benton and theFred Robinson Bridgeat the western boundary of Fort Peck Reservoir was designated aNational Wild and Scenic Riverin 1976.The Missouri entersNorth DakotanearFort Union,having drained more than half the land area of Montana (82,000 square miles (210,000 km²)).Nearly one-third of the Missouri River in Montana lies behind 10 dams:Toston,Canyon Ferry,Hauser,Holter,Black Eagle,Rainbow,Cochrane,Ryan,Morony,and Fort Peck.Other major Montana tributaries of the Missouri include theSmith,Milk,Marias,Judith,andMusselshell Rivers.Montana also claims the disputed title of possessing the world's shortest river, theRoe River,just outsideGreat Falls.Through the Missouri, these rivers ultimately join theMississippi Riverand flow into the Gulf of Mexico.

Hell Roaring Creekbegins in southern Montana, and when combined with theRed Rock,Beaverhead,Jefferson,Missouri, andMississippi River,is the longest river in North America and thefourth longest river in the world.

TheYellowstone Riverrises on the Continental Divide nearYounts Peakin Wyoming'sTeton Wilderness.It flows north throughYellowstone National Park,enters Montana nearGardiner,and passes through the Paradise Valley toLivingston.It then flows northeasterlyacross the state through Billings,Miles City,Glendive,andSidney.The Yellowstone joins the Missouri in North Dakota just east of Fort Union.It is the longest undammed, free-flowing river in the contiguous United States,and drains about a quarter of Montana (36,000 square miles (93,000 km²)).Major tributaries of the Yellowstone include theBoulder,Stillwater,Clarks Fork,Bighorn,Tongue,andPowder Rivers.

Hudson Bay drainage basin

The Northern Divide turns east in Montana at Triple Divide Peak, causing the Waterton,Belly,andSaint MaryRivers to flow north into Alberta. There they join theSaskatchewan River,which ultimately empties intoHudson Bay.

Lakes and reservoirs

Montana has some 3,000 named lakes and reservoirs, includingFlathead Lake,the largest natural freshwater lake in the western United States. Other major lakes includeWhitefish Lakein the Flathead Valley and Lake McDonald and St. Mary Lake in Glacier National Park. The largest reservoir in the state isFort Peck Reservoiron the Missouri river, which is contained by the second largest earthen dam and largest hydraulically filled dam in the world.Other major reservoirs includeHungry Horseon the Flathead River;Lake Koocanusaon the Kootenai River;Lake Elwellon the Marias River;Clark Canyonon the Beaverhead River;Yellowtailon the Bighorn River,Canyon Ferry,Hauser,Holter,Rainbow;andBlack Eagleon the Missouri River.

Flora and fauna

See also:List of monocotyledons of Montana,List of coniferous plants of Montana,List of lichens of Montana,List of amphibians and reptiles of Montana,List of birds of Montana,Fish of Montana,andMammals of Montana

100 pound native Montana wolf taken in 1928

Vegetation of the state includeslodgepole pine,ponderosa pine,Douglas fir,larch,spruce,aspen,birch,red cedar,hemlock,ash,alder,rocky mountainmapleandcottonwoodtrees. Forests cover about 25% of the state. Flowers native to Montana includeasters,bitterroots,daisies,lupins,poppies,primroses,columbine,lilies,orchids,anddryads.Several species ofsagebrushandcactusand many species of grasses are common. Many species ofmushroomsandlichensare also found in the state.

Montana is home to diverse fauna including 14amphibian,90 fish,117mammal,20reptile,and 427birdspecies. Additionally, more than 10,000invertebratespecies are present, including 180mollusksand 30crustaceans.Montana has the largestgrizzly bearpopulation in the lower 48 states.Montana hosts five federallyendangered species–black-footed ferret,whooping crane,least tern,pallid sturgeon,andwhite sturgeonand seventhreatened speciesincluding thegrizzly bear,Canadian lynx,andbull trout.Since re-introduction thegray wolfpopulation has stabilized at about 900 animals, and they have been delisted as endangered.TheMontana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parksmanages fishing and hunting seasons for at least 17 species ofgame fish,including seven species of trout,walleye,andsmallmouth bassand at least 29 species of game birds and animals includingring-neck pheasant,grey partridge,elk,pronghorn antelope,mule deer,whitetail deer,gray wolf,andbighorn sheep.

Protected lands

See also:List of Montana state parks

Pompeys Pillar National Monument

Montana containsGlacier National Park,"The Crown of the Continent", and parts ofYellowstone National Park,including three of the park's five entrances. Other federally recognized sites include theLittle Bighorn National Monument,Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area,andBig Hole National Battlefield.TheCSKT Bison Rangeis managed by theConfederated Salish and Kootenai Tribesand theAmerican Prairieis owned and operated by a nonprofit organization.

Federal and state agencies administer approximately 31,300,000 acres (127,000 km²), or 35 percent of Montana's land. TheU.S. Department of AgricultureForest Serviceadministers 16,800,000 acres (68,000 km²) of forest land in tenNational Forests.There are approximately 3,300,000 acres (13,000 km²) ofwildernessin 12 separatewilderness areasthat are part of theNational Wilderness Preservation Systemestablished by theWilderness Act of 1964.TheU.S. Department of the InteriorBureau of Land Managementcontrols 8,100,000 acres (33,000 km²) of federal land. The U.S. Department of the InteriorFish and Wildlife Serviceadministers 110,000 acres (450 km²) of 1.1 million acres ofNational Wildlife Refugesand waterfowl production areas in Montana. The U.S. Department of the InteriorBureau of Reclamationadministers approximately 300,000 acres (1,200 km²) of land and water surface in the state. TheMontana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parksoperate approximately 275,265 acres (1,113.96 km²) of state parks and access points on the state's rivers and lakes. The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation manages 5,200,000 acres (21,000 km²) ofSchool Trust Landceded by the federal government under theLand Ordinance of 1785to the state in 1889 when Montana was granted statehood. These lands are managed by the state for the benefit of public schools and institutions in the state.

Quake Lakewas created by a landslide during the1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake.

Areas managed by theNational Park Serviceinclude:

• Big Hole National BattlefieldnearWisdom
• Bighorn Canyon National Recreation AreanearFort Smith
• Glacier National Park
• Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic SiteatDeer Lodge
• Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
• Little Bighorn Battlefield National MonumentnearCrow Agency
• Nez Perce National Historical Park
• Yellowstone National Park

Climate

Temperature and precipitation forMontana's capital city, Helena

Köppen climate typesof Montana, using 1991-2020climate normals

Montana is a large state with considerable variation in geography, topography and elevation, and the climate is equally varied. The state spans from below the45th parallel(the line equidistant between the equator andNorth Pole) to the49th parallel,and elevations range from under 2,000 feet (610 m) to nearly 13,000 feet (4,000 m) above sea level. The western half is mountainous, interrupted by numerous large valleys.Eastern Montanacomprises plains and badlands, broken by hills and isolated mountain ranges, and has asemi-arid,continentalclimate (Köppen climate classificationBSk). TheContinental Dividehas a considerable effect on the climate, as it restricts the flow of warmer air from the Pacific from moving east, and drier continental air from moving west. The area west of the divide has a modified northern Pacific Coast climate, with milder winters, cooler summers, less wind, and a longer growing season.Low clouds and fog often form in the valleys west of the divide in winter, but this is rarely seen in the east.

Average daytime temperatures vary from 28 °F or −2.2 °C in January to 84.5 °F or 29.2 °C in July.The variation in geography leads to great variation in temperature. The highest observed summer temperature was 117 °F or 47.2 °C atGlendiveon July 20, 1893, and Medicine Lake on July 5, 1937. Throughout the state, summer nights are generally cool and pleasant. Extreme hot weather is less common above 4,000 feet or 1,200 meters.Snowfall has been recorded in all months of the year in the more mountainous areas of central and western Montana, though it is rare in July and August.

The coldest temperature on record for Montana is also the coldest temperature for the contiguous United States. On January 20, 1954, −70 °F or −56.7 °C was recorded at a gold mining camp nearRogers Pass.Temperatures vary greatly on cold nights, andHelena,40 miles (64 km) to the southeast had a low of only −36 °F or −37.8 °C on the same date, and an all-time record low of −42 °F or −41.1 °C.Winter cold spells are usually the result ofcold continental aircoming south from Canada. The front is often well defined, causing a large temperature drop in a 24-hour period. Conversely, air flow from the southwest results in "chinooks".These steady 25–50 mph (40–80 km/h) (or more) winds can suddenly warm parts of Montana, especially areas just to the east of the mountains, where temperatures sometimes rise up to 50–60 °F (10.0–15.6 °C) for 10 days or longer.

Lomais the site of the most extreme recorded temperature change in a 24-hour period in the United States. On January 15, 1972, achinook windblew in and the temperature rose from −54 to 49 °F (−47.8 to 9.4 °C); a 103 °F (49.4 °C) degree difference.

Clark Fork River, Missoula, in autumn

Average annual precipitation is 15 inches (380 mm), but great variations are seen. The mountain ranges block the moist Pacific air, holding moisture in the western valleys, and creatingrain shadowsto the east.Heron,in the west, receives the mostprecipitation,34.70 inches (881 mm). On the eastern (leeward) side of a mountain range, the valleys are much drier;Lonepineaverages 11.45 inches (291 mm), andDeer Lodge11.00 inches (279 mm) of precipitation. The mountains can receive over 100 inches (2,500 mm), for example theGrinnell GlacierinGlacier National Parkgets 105 inches (2,700 mm).An area southwest of Belfry averaged only 6.59 inches (167 mm) over a 16-year period. Most of the larger cities get 30 to 50 inches or 0.76 to 1.27 meters of snow each year. Mountain ranges can accumulate 300 inches or 7.62 meters of snow during a winter. Heavysnowstormsmay occur from September through May, though most snow falls from November to March.

The climate has become warmer in Montana, with the average temperature rising almost 2.5 °F (1.3 °C) since 1900 at a rate higher than the continental U.S. average, and continues to do so.The glaciers in Glacier National Park have receded and are predicted to melt away completely in a few decades.Many Montana cities set heat records during July 2007, the hottest month ever recorded in Montana.Winters are warmer, too, and have fewer cold spells. Previously, these cold spells had killed offbark beetles,but these are now attacking the forests of western Montana.The warmer winters in the region have allowed various species to expand their ranges and proliferate.The combination of warmer weather, attack by beetles, and mismanagement has led to a substantial increase in the severity of forest fires in Montana.According to a study done for theU.S. Environmental Protection Agencyby the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Science, parts of Montana will experience a 200% increase in area burned by wildfires and an 80% increase in related air pollution.

The table below lists average temperatures for the warmest and coldest month for Montana's seven largest cities. The coldest month varies between December and January depending on location, although figures are similar throughout.

Average daily maximum and minimum temperatures for selected cities in Montana

Location	July (°F)	Coldest month (°F)	July (°C)	Coldest month (°C)
Billings	90/59	32/14	32/15	4/–9
Missoula	88/51	30/11	31/16	−0/–8
Great Falls	93/59	28/11	34/15	1/–9
Bozeman	81/51	27/10	31/12	−0/–11
Butte	86/41	27/7	30/5	−1/–15
Helena	88/54	30/12	31/12	−0/–11
Kalispell	84/57	27/9	29/14	−1/–10

Antipodes

Montana is one of only twocontiguousstates (along withColorado) that areantipodalto land. TheKerguelen Islandsare antipodal to the Montana–Saskatchewan–Alberta border. No towns are precisely antipodal to Kerguelen, thoughChesterandRudyardare close.

Cities and towns

See also:List of cities and towns in MontanaandList of counties in Montana

Missoula, the second-largest city in Montana

Montana has 56countiesand a total of 364"places"as defined by theUnited States Census Bureau;the latter comprising 129incorporated placesand 235census-designated places.The incorporated places are made up of 52 cities, 75 towns, and twoconsolidated city-counties.

Montana has one city,Billings,with a population over 100,000; and three cities with populations over 50,000:Missoula,Great FallsandBozeman.The state also has fiveMicropolitan Statistical Areas,centered onBozeman,Butte,Helena,KalispellandHavre.

Collectively all of these areas (excluding Havre) are known informally as the "big seven", as they are consistently the seven largest communities in the state (their rank order in terms of population is Billings, Missoula, Great Falls, Bozeman, Butte, Helena and Kalispell, according to the 2010 U.S. census).Based on 2013 census numbers, they contain 35 percent of Montana's population,and the counties in which they are located are home to 62 percent of the state's population.

The geographiccenter of populationof Montana is in sparsely populatedMeagher County,in the town ofWhite Sulphur Springs.

Demographics

Montana population density map

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1870	20,595		—
1880	39,159		90.1%
1890	142,924		265.0%
1900	243,329		70.3%
1910	376,053		54.5%
1920	548,889		46.0%
1930	537,606		−2.1%
1940	559,456		4.1%
1950	591,024		5.6%
1960	674,767		14.2%
1970	694,409		2.9%
1980	786,690		13.3%
1990	799,065		1.6%
2000	902,195		12.9%
2010	989,415		9.7%
2020	1,084,225		9.6%
2023 (est.)	1,132,812		4.5%
Source: 1910–2020

Ethnic origins in Montana

Population of Montana 1870–2018

TheUnited States Census Bureaustates that the population of Montana was 1,132,812 on July 1, 2023, a 4.5% increase since the2020 census.The 2020 census put Montana's population at 1,084,225. During the first decade of the new century, growth was mainly concentrated in Montana's seven largest counties, with the highest percentage growth inGallatin County,which had a 32.9% increase in its population from 2010 to 2020. The city having the largest percentage growth wasKalispell,with 40.1%, and the city with the largest increase in actual residents wasBillings,with an increase in population of 12,946 from 2010 to 2020.

On January 3, 2012, the Census and Economic Information Center (CEIC) at the Montana Department of Commerce estimated Montana had hit the one million population mark sometime between November and December 2011.

According toHUD's 2022Annual Homeless Assessment Report,there were an estimated 1,585homelesspeople in Montana.

In 2018, the top countries of origin for Montana's immigrants wereCanada,Mexico,Germany,ChinaandVietnam.

According to the 2020 census, 88.9% of the population was White (87.8% non-Hispanic White), 6.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 4.1% Hispanics and Latinos of any race, 0.9% Asian, 0.6% Black or African American, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, and 2.8% from two or more races.The largest European ancestry groups in Montana as of 2010 were: German (27.0%), Irish (14.8%), English (12.6%), Norwegian (10.9%), French (4.7%), and Italian (3.4%).

Montana racial breakdown of population

Racial composition	1990	2000	2010	2020
White	92.7%	90.6%	89.4%	88.9%
Native	6.0%	6.2%	6.3%	6.7%
Asian	0.5%	0.5%	0.6%	0.9%
Black	0.3%	0.3%	0.4%	0.6%
Native Hawaiianand other Pacific Islander	–	0.1%	0.1%	0.1%
Other race	0.5%	0.6%	0.6%	–
Two or more races	–	1.7%	2.5%	2.8%

Intrastate demographics

Montana has a larger Native American population, both numerically and as a percentage, than most U.S. states. Ranked 45th in population (by the 2010 census) it is 19th in native people,who are 6.5% of the state's population—the sixth-highest percentage of all fifty states.Of Montana's 56 counties, Native Americans constitute a majority in three:Big Horn,Glacier,andRoosevelt.Other counties with large Native American populations includeBlaine,Cascade,Hill,Missoula,andYellowstone Counties.The state's Native American population grew by 27.9% between 1980 and 1990 (at a time when Montana's entire population rose 1.6%),and by 18.5 percent between 2000 and 2010.

Map of counties in Montana by racial plurality, per the 2020 U.S. census

Legend

• Non-Hispanic White

  50–60%

  60–70%

  70–80%

  80–90%

  90%+

  Native American

  50–60%

  60–70%

  70–80%

As of 2009, almost two-thirds of Native Americans in the state live in urban areas.Of Montana's 20 largest cities, Polson (15.7%), Havre (13.0%), Great Falls (5.0%), Billings (4.4%), and Anaconda (3.1%) had the greatest percentages of Native American residents in 2010.Billings (4,619), Great Falls (2,942), Missoula (1,838), Havre (1,210), and Polson (706) have the most Native Americans living there.The state's seven reservations include more than 12 distinct Native Americanethnolinguisticgroups.

While the largest European American population in Montana is German (which may also include Austrian and Swiss, among other groups), pockets of significantScandinavianancestry are prevalent in some of the farming-dominated northern and eastern prairie regions, parallel to nearby regions of North Dakota and Minnesota. Farmers of Irish, Scots, and English roots also settled in Montana. The historically mining-oriented communities of western Montana such as Butte have a wider range of European American ethnicity;Finns,Eastern Europeansand especially Irish settlers left an indelible mark on the area, as well as people originally from British mining regions such asCornwall,Devon,andWales.The nearby city of Helena, also founded as a mining camp, had a similar mix in addition to a small Chinatown.Many of Montana's historic logging communities originally attracted people of Scottish, Scandinavian,Slavic,English,andScotch-Irishdescent.

TheHutterites,anAnabaptistsect originally from Switzerland, settled in Montana, and today is second only toSouth Dakotain U.S. Hutterite population, with several colonies across the state. Beginning in the mid-1990s, the state also had an influx ofAmish,who moved to Montana from increasingly urbanized areas of Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Montana'sHispanicpopulation is concentrated in the Billings area in south-central Montana, where many of Montana's Mexican Americans have been in the state for generations. Great Falls has the highest percentage of African Americans in its population, although Billings has more African American residents than Great Falls.

The Chinese in Montana, while a low percentage today, have been a historically important presence. About 2,000–3,000 Chinese miners were in the mining areas of Montana by 1870, and 2,500 in 1890. However, public opinion grew increasingly negative towards them in the 1890s, and nearly half of the state's Asian population left by 1900.Today, the Missoula area has a largeHmongpopulationand the nearly 3,000 Montanans who claimFilipinoancestry are the largest Asian American group in the state.

In the 2015 United States census estimates, Montana had the second-highest percentage of U.S. military veterans living there. Only the state ofAlaskahad a higher percentage, with roughly 14 percent of Alaska's population over 18 being veterans, with Montana having roughly 12 percent of its population over 18 being veterans.

Native Americans

General locations of Indian reservations in Montana

In 2020, 67,612 people in Montana self-identified as Native American, while 100,578 did in combination with one or more other races.Many treaties and federal legislation, including theIndian Appropriations Act(1851), theDawes Act(1887), and theIndian Reorganization Act(1934), enabled the creation of seven Indian reservations, encompassing 11 federally recognized tribal nations, in Montana. A 12th nation, theLittle Shell Tribe of Chippewa IndiansofGreat Falls,was recognized by the federal government in December, 2019.TheBlackfeetnation is headquartered on theBlackfeet Indian Reservation(1851) inBrowning,Crow on theCrow Indian Reservation(1868)inCrow Agency,Confederated Salish and KootenaiandPend d'Oreilleon theFlathead Indian Reservation(1855) inPablo,Northern Cheyenneon theNorthern Cheyenne Indian Reservation(1884) atLame Deer,AssiniboineandGros Ventreon theFort Belknap Indian Reservation(1888) inFort Belknap Agency,Assiniboine andSiouxon theFort Peck Indian Reservation(1888) atPoplar,andChippewa-Creeon theRocky Boy's Indian Reservation(1916) nearBox Elder.Approximately 63% of all Native people live off the reservations, concentrated in the larger Montana cities, with the largest concentration of urban Indians in Great Falls. The state also has a smallMétispopulation and 1990 census data indicated that people from as many as 275 different tribes lived in Montana.

Montana's Constitution specifically reads, "the state recognizes the distinct and unique cultural heritage of the American Indians and is committed in its educational goals to the preservation of their cultural integrity."It is the only state in the U.S. with such a constitutional mandate. The Indian Education for All Act was passed in 1999 to provide funding for this mandate and ensure implementation.It mandates that all schools teach American Indian history, culture, and heritage from preschool through college.For kindergarten through 12th-grade students, an "Indian Education for All" curriculum from theMontana Office of Public Instructionis available free to all schools.The state was sued in 2004 because of lack of funding, and the state has increased its support of the program.South Dakotapassed similar legislation in 2007, andWisconsinwas working to strengthen its own program based on this model—and the current practices of Montana's schools.Each Indian reservation in the state has a fully accreditedtribal college.TheUniversity of Montana"was the first to establish dual admission agreements with all of the tribal colleges and as such it was the first institution in the nation to actively facilitate student transfer from the tribal colleges."

What is now Montana was at various times inhabited by tribes such as theCrow,theBlackfeet,theAssiniboine,theGros Ventre,theKootenai,theFlathead SalishandKalispel,theKiowa,theSioux,theArapaho,theArikara,theBannock,theCheyenne,theOjibwe,theHidatsa,theCree,theNez Perce,theMandan,theShoshoneand theSpokane.Many Montanans also reported belonging to various Native American tribes in 2010 census, the largest of which were the Blackfeet (12,831 people), the Crow (8,680 people), the Cheyenne (5,912), theAssiniboine Sioux(5,828), theChippewa Cree(5,495), the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (4,809), the Ojibwe (4,284), the Sioux (2,698), the Assiniboine (2,673), the Gros Ventre (2,484) and the Salish tribal grouping (1,915). Other tribes included the Cree, theMHA Nation,the Kootenai, theFort Belknap Indian Community,the Arapaho and more.

Birth data

Note: Births in table do not add up, because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number.

Live births by race/ethnicity of mother

Race	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
White:	10,615 (85.7%)	10,572 (85.0%)	10,768 (85.6%)	...	...	...	...	...	...	...
>Non-Hispanic White	10,170 (82.2%)	10,153 (81.7%)	10,270 (81.6%)	9,761 (79.5%)	9,372 (79.4%)	9,224 (80.1%)	8,800 (79.4%)	8,639 (80.0%)	9,101 (81.0%)	8,995 (80.5%)
American Indian	1,531 (12.4%)	1,585 (12.7%)	1,560 (12.4%)	1,347 (11.0%)	1,249 (10.6%)	1,177 (10.2%)	1,137 (10.2%)	1,063 (9.9%)	939 (8.4%)	961 (8.6%)
Asian	132 (1.1%)	169 (1.3%)	152 (1.2%)	131 (1.1%)	121 (1.0%)	112 (1.0%)	115 (1.0%)	112 (1.0%)	105 (0.9%)	134 (1.2%)
Black	99 (0.8%)	106 (0.8%)	103 (0.8%)	57 (0.5%)	64 (0.5%)	58 (0.5%)	61 (0.6%)	62 (0.6%)	71 (0.6%)	63 (0.6%)
Hispanic(of any race)	476(3.8%)	494(4.0%)	573(4.5%)	548(4.5%)	585(5.0%)	558(4.8%)	616(5.6%)	569(5.3%)	648(5.7%)	678(6.1%)
Total Montana	12,377(100%)	12,432(100%)	12,583(100%)	12,282(100%)	11,799(100%)	11,513(100%)	11,079(100%)	10,791(100%)	11,231(100%)	11,175(100%)

• Since 2016, data for births ofWhite Hispanicorigin are not collected, but included in oneHispanicgroup; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.

Languages

Englishis theofficial languagein the state of Montana. According to the2000 census,94.8% of the population aged five and older speak English at home.Spanish is the language next most commonly spoken at home, with about 13,040 Spanish-language speakers in the state (1.4% of the population) in 2011.Also, 15,438 (1.7% of the state population) were speakers of Indo-European languages other than English or Spanish, 10,154 (1.1%) were speakers of a Native American language, and 4,052 (0.4%) were speakers of an Asian or Pacific Islander language.

Other languages spoken in Montana (as of 2013) include Assiniboine (about 150 speakers in Montana and Canada), Blackfoot (about 100 speakers), Cheyenne (about 1,700 speakers), Plains Cree (about 100 speakers), Crow (about 3,000 speakers), Dakota (about 17,800 speakers with 700 in Montana in 2010),German Hutterite (about 5,600 speakers), Gros Ventre (about 10 speakers), Kalispel-Pend d'Oreille (about 64 speakers), Kutenai (about six speakers), and Lakota (6,000 speakers in Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota).

TheUnited States Department of Educationestimated in 2009 that 5,274 students in Montana spoke a language at home other than English. These included a Native American language (64%), German (4%), Spanish (3%), Russian (1%), and Chinese (less than 0.5%).

Top 14 non-English languages spoken in Montana

Language	Percentage of population (as of 2000)
Spanish	1.5%
German	1.1%
FrenchandCrow(tied)	0.4%
Scandinavian languages(includingDanish,Norwegian,andSwedish)	0.2%
Italian,Japanese,Russian,Native American languages(other than Crow; significantlyCheyenne),Slavic languages(includingCzech,Slovak,andUkrainian) (tied)	0.1%

Religion

Religious self-identification, perPublic Religion Research Institute's 2022American Values Survey

Protestantism(43%)

Catholicism(17%)

Mormonism(2%)

Unaffiliated(32%)

New Age(2%)

Judaism(1%)

Buddhism(1%)

Other (2%)

According to thePew Research Centerin 2014, the religious affiliations of the people of Montana were predominantly Christian; in the state,Christianitywas 65% of the total adult population.At the 2020Public Religion Research Institute's (PRRI) study, 57% of the adult population were Christian. WhileCatholicismwas the largest single Christian group in the state,mainlineandevangelical Protestantismdominated the Christian landscape collectively.By the Public Religion Research Institute's 2022 survey, Christianity grew to 62% of the population altogether, with 43% Protestant, 17% Catholic, and 2% Restorationist through Mormonism.

The largest Christian denominations in Montana as of 2010 were the Catholic Church with 127,612 adherents,the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saintswith 46,484 adherents,Evangelical Lutheran Church in Americawith 38,665 adherents, and non-denominational evangelical Protestants with 27,370 adherents.In 2020, the largest Christian denominations by adherents were the following: the Catholic Church (112,389), non-denominational Protestantism (54,540), and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (50,552).

In 2014, 30% of the population was irreligious, and in 2020's separate study, 34% of the population were irreligious. Among its non-Christian population in 2022's PRRI study, the unaffiliated made up 32% of the population.New Age spiritualitywas 2% of the population,Judaism1%, andBuddhism1%. Other faiths accounted for 2% of the state's population.

Economy

See also:Montana locations by per capita incomeandList of power stations in Montana

Montana ranks 2nd nationally incraft breweriesper capita.

First Interstate Center,in downtownBillings,is the tallest building in Montana.

As of 2022,theU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysisestimated Montana's Gross Domestic Product was $67.072 billion (47th in the nation) andper capita personal incomewas $60,984 (28th in the nation).

• Total employment: 371,239 (As of 2018)
• Total employer establishments: 38,720 (As of 2018)

Montana is a relative hub of beermicrobrewing,ranking third in the nation in number of craft breweries per capita in 2011.Significant industries exist forlumberand mineralextraction;the state's resources include gold, coal, silver,talc,andvermiculite.Ecotaxeson resource extraction are numerous. A 1974 stateseverance taxon coal (which varied from 20 to 30%) was upheld by theSupreme Court of the United StatesinCommonwealth Edison Co. v. Montana,453 U.S. 609 (1981).

Tourism is also important to the economy, with more than ten million visitors a year to Glacier National Park, Flathead Lake, the Missouri River headwaters, the site of theBattle of Little Bighorn,and three of the five entrances to Yellowstone National Park.

Montana's personalincome taxcontains seven brackets, with rates ranging from 1.0 to 6.9 percent. Montana has nosales tax,and household goods are exempt fromproperty taxes.However, property taxes are assessed on livestock, farm machinery, heavy equipment, automobiles, trucks, and business equipment. The amount of property tax owed is not determined solely by the property's value. The property's value is multiplied by a tax rate, set by the Montana Legislature, to determine its taxable value. The taxable value is then multiplied by themill levyestablished by various ta xing jurisdictions—city and county government, school districts, and others.

In the 1980s the absence of a sales tax became economically deleterious to communities bound to the state's tourism industry, as the revenue from income and property taxes provided by residents was grossly insignificant in regards to paying for the impact of non-residential travel—especially road repair. In 1985, the Montana Legislature passed a law allowing towns with fewer than 5,500 residents and unincorporated communities with fewer than 2,500 to levy a resort tax if more than half the community's income came from tourism. The resort tax is a sales tax that applies to hotels, motels and other lodging and camping facilities; restaurants, fast-food stores, and other food service establishments; taverns, bars, night clubs, lounges, or other public establishments that serve alcohol; as well as destination ski resorts or other destination recreational facilities.

It also applies to "luxuries" - defined by law as any item normally sold to the public or to transient visitors or tourists that does not include food purchased unprepared or unserved, medicine, medical supplies and services, appliances, hardware supplies and tools, or any necessities of life.Approximately 12.2 million non-residents visited Montana in 2018, and the population was estimated to be 1.06 million. This extremely disproportionate ratio of residents paying taxes vs. non-residents using state-funded services and infrastructure makes Montana's resort tax crucial in order to safely maintain heavily used roads and highways, as well as protect and preserve state parks.

As of August 2021,the state's unemployment rate is 3.5%.

Education

See also:Treasure State Academic Information & Library Services

Colleges and universities

TheMontana University Systemconsists of:

• Dawson Community College
• Flathead Valley Community College
• Miles Community College
• Montana State University Bozeman
  • Gallatin College Montana State UniversityBozeman
  • Montana State University Billings
  • City College at Montana State University BillingsBillings
  • Montana State University-NorthernHavre
  • Great Falls College Montana State UniversityGreat Falls
• University of Montana Missoula
  • Missoula College University of MontanaMissoula
  • Montana Tech of the University of MontanaButte
  • Highlands College of Montana TechButte
  • University of Montana WesternDillon
  • Helena College University of MontanaHelena
  • Bitterroot College University of MontanaHamilton

Tribal colleges in Montana include:

• Aaniiih Nakoda CollegeHarlem
• Blackfeet Community CollegeBrowning
• Chief Dull Knife CollegeLame Deer
• Fort Peck Community CollegePoplar
• Little Big Horn CollegeCrow Agency
• Salish Kootenai CollegePablo
• Stone Child CollegeBox Elder

Four private colleges are in Montana:

• Carroll College
• Rocky Mountain College
• University of Providence
• Apollos University

Schools

The Montana Territory was formed on April 26, 1864, when the U.S. passed theOrganic Act.Schools started forming in the area before it was officially a territory as families started settling into the area. The first schools were subscription schools that typically met in the teacher's home. The first formal school on record was at Fort Owen in Bitterroot valley in 1862. The students were Indian children and the children of Fort Owen employees. The first school term started in early winter and lasted only until February 28. Classes were taught by Mr. Robinson.Another early subscription school was started by Thomas Dimsdale in Virginia City in 1863. In this school students were charged $1.75 per week.The Montana Territorial Legislative Assembly had its inaugural meeting in 1864.The first legislature authorized counties to levy taxes for schools, which set the foundations for public schooling.Madison County was the first to take advantage of the newly authorized taxes and it formed the first public school in Virginia City in 1886.The first school year was scheduled to begin in January 1866, but severe weather postponed its opening until March. The first school year ran through the summer and did not end until August 17. One of the first teachers at the school was Sarah Raymond. She was a 25-year-old woman who had traveled to Virginia City via wagon train in 1865. To become a certified teacher, Raymond took a test in her home and paid a $6 fee in gold dust to obtain a teaching certificate. With the help of an assistant teacher, Mrs. Farley,Raymond was responsible for teaching 50 to 60 students each day out of the 81 students enrolled at the school. Sarah Raymond was paid $125 per month, and Mrs. Farley was paid $75 per month. No textbooks were used in the school. In their place was an assortment of books brought by various emigrants.Sarah quit teaching the following year, but she later became the Madison County superintendent of schools.

Culture

See also:Music of Montana,Artists from Montana,andAuthors from Montana

Many well-known artists, photographers and authors have documented the land, culture and people of Montana in the last 130 years. Painter and sculptorCharles Marion Russell,known as "the cowboy artist", created more than 2,000 paintings ofcowboys,Native Americans, and landscapes set in theWestern United Statesand inAlberta,Canada.TheC. M. Russell Museum ComplexinGreat Falls, Montana,houses more than 2,000 Russell artworks, personal objects, and artifacts.

Pioneering feminist author, film-maker, and media personalityMary MacLaneattained international fame in 1902 with her memoir of three months in her life inButte,The Story of Mary MacLane.She referred to Butte throughout the rest of her career and remains a controversial figure there for her mixture of criticism and love for Butte and its people.

Evelyn Cameron,a naturalist and photographer fromTerrydocumented early 20th-century life on the Montana prairie, taking startlingly clear pictures of everything around her: cowboys, sheepherders, weddings, river crossings, freight wagons, people working, badlands, eagles, coyotes and wolves.

Many notable Montana authors have documented or been inspired by life in Montana in both fiction and non-fiction works.Pulitzer PrizewinnerWallace Earle Stegnerfrom Great Falls was often called "The Dean of Western Writers".James Willard Schultz( "Apikuni" ) fromBrowningis most noted for his prolific stories about Blackfeet life and his contributions to the naming of prominent features in Glacier National Park.

Major cultural events

Dancers at Crow Fair in 1941

Montana hosts numerous arts and cultural festivals and events every year. Major events include:

• Bozemanwas once known as the "Sweet Pea capital of the nation" referencing the prolific edible pea crop. To promote the area and celebrate its prosperity, local business owners began a "Sweet Pea Carnival" that included a parade and queen contest. The annual event lasted from 1906 to 1916. Promoters used the inedible but fragrant and colorfulsweet peaflower as an emblem of the celebration. In 1977 the "Sweet Pea" concept was revived as an arts festival rather than a harvest celebration, growing into a three-day event that is one of the largest festivals in Montana.
• Montana Shakespeare in the Parks has been performing free, live theatrical productions of Shakespeare and other classics throughout Montana and the Northwest region since 1973. The organization is an outreach endeavor that is part of the College of Arts & Architecture at Montana State University, Bozeman.The Montana Shakespeare Company is based in Helena.
• Since 1909, theCrow Fair and Rodeo,nearHardin,has been an annual event every August inCrow Agencyand is the largest Northern Native American gathering, attracting nearly 45,000 spectators and participants.Since 1952, North American Indian Days has been held every July in Browning.
• Lame Deerhosts the annual Northern Cheyenne Powwow.

Sports

Montana State Bobcats footballatBobcat Stadium (Montana State University),Bozeman

Professional sports

There are nomajor leaguesports franchises in Montana due to the state's relatively small and dispersed population, but a number ofminor leagueteams play in the state.Baseballis the minor-league sport with the longest heritage in the state and Montana is home to fourindependentteams, all members of thePioneer League:theBillings Mustangs,Great Falls Voyagers,Missoula PaddleHeadsand theGlacier Range Riders.

College sports

All of Montana's four-year colleges and universities field intercollegiate sports teams. The two largest schools, theUniversity of MontanaandMontana State University,are members of theBig Sky Conferenceand have enjoyed a strong athletic rivalry since the early twentieth century. Six of Montana's smaller four-year schools are members of theFrontier Conference.One is a member of theGreat Northwest Athletic Conference.

Other sports

A variety of sports are offered at Montana high schools.Montana allows the smallest— "Class C" —high schools to utilizesix-man footballteams,dramatized in the independent 2002 filmThe Slaughter Rule.

There are juniorice hockeyteams in Montana, three of which are affiliated with theNorth American 3 Hockey League:theBozeman Icedogs,Great Falls Americans,andHelena Bighorns.

Olympic competitors

• Ski jumpingchampion andUnited States Skiing Hall of FameinducteeCasper Oimoenwas captain of the U.S. Olympic team at the1936 Winter Olympicswhile he was a resident of Anaconda. He placed thirteenth that year, and had previously finished fifth at the1932 Winter Olympics.
• Montana has produced twoU.S. championsand Olympic competitors inmen's figure skating,both from Great Falls:John Misha Petkevich,lived and trained in Montana before entering college, competed in the 1968 and 1972Winter Olympics.Scott Davis,also from Great Falls, competed at the1994 Winter Olympics.
• MissoulianTommy Moewon Olympic gold and silver medals at the1994 Winter Olympicsindownhill skiingandsuper G,the first American skier to win two medals at any Winter Olympics.
• Eric Bergoust,also of Missoula, won an Olympic gold medal infreestyle aerial skiingat the1998 Winter Olympics,also competing in 1994, 2002 and 2006 Olympics plus winning 13 World Cup titles.
• Maggie Voisin,of Whitefish, competed in the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics as a skier. She also qualified for the 2014 Winter Olympics but was unable to play as she broke her ankle during training.

Sporting achievements

Montanans have been a part of several major sporting achievements:

• In 1889,Spokanebecame the first and only Montana horse to win theKentucky Derby.For this accomplishment, the horse was admitted to theMontana Cowboy Hall of Famein 2008.
• In 1904 abasketballteam of young Native American women fromFort Shaw,after playing undefeated during their previous season, went to theLouisiana Purchase Expositionheld in St. Louis in 1904, defeated all challenging teams and were declared to be world champions.
• In 1923, the controversialJack Dempsey vs. Tommy Gibbonsfight for the heavyweight bo xing championship, won by Dempsey, took place inShelby.

Lone Mountain atBig Sky Ski Resort

Outdoor recreation

Montana provides year-round outdoor recreation opportunities for residents and visitors. Hiking, fishing, hunting, watercraft recreation, camping, golf, cycling, horseback riding, and skiing are popular activities.

Fishing and hunting

Montana has been a destination for its world-class trout fisheries since the 1930s.Fly fishingfor several species of native and introducedtroutin rivers and lakes is popular for both residents and tourists throughout the state. Montana is the home of theFederation of Fly Fishersand hosts many of the organization's annual conclaves. The state has robust recreationallake troutandkokanee salmonfisheries in the west,walleyecan be found in many parts of the state, whilenorthern pike,smallmouthandlargemouth bassfisheries as well ascatfishandpaddlefishcan be found in the waters of eastern Montana.Robert Redford's1992 filmofNorman Mclean's novel,A River Runs Through It,was filmed in Montana and brought national attention to fly fishing and the state.Fishing makes up a sizeable component of Montana's total tourism economic output: in 2017, nonresidents generated $4.7 billion in economic output, of which, $1.3 billion was generated by visitor groups participating in guided fishing experiences.

There are fall bow and general hunting seasons forelk,pronghorn antelope,whitetail deerandmule deer.A random draw grants a limited number of permits formoose,mountain goatsandbighorn sheep.There is a spring hunting season forblack bearand limited hunting ofbison that leave Yellowstone National Parkhas been allowed. Current law allows both hunters and trappers specified numbers ( "limits" ) ofwolvesandmountain lions.Trapping of assorted fur-bearing animals is allowed in certain seasons and many opportunities exist for migratory waterfowl and upland bird hunting.TheRocky Mountain Elk Foundation,which protects wildlife habitat and promotes hunting heritage, was founded in Montana.

Winter sports

TheBig Sky Resort

The Palisades area on the north end of the ski area atRed Lodge Mountain Resort

Guided snowmobile tours in Yellowstone Park

Bothdownhill skiingandcross-country skiingare popular in Montana, and there are 15 developed downhill ski areas open to the public,including:

• Bear Paw Ski BowlnearHavre
• Big Sky ResortinBig Sky
• Blacktail Mountain Ski AreanearLakeside
• Bridger Bowl Ski AreanearBozeman
• Discovery Ski AreanearPhilipsburg
• Great Divide Ski AreanearHelena
• Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation AreaoffInterstate 90at the Montana-Idaho border
• Lost Trail Powder MountainnearDarby
• Maverick Mountain Ski AreanearDillon
• Montana SnowbowlnearMissoula
• Red Lodge Mountain ResortnearRed Lodge
• Showdown Ski AreanearWhite Sulphur Springs
• Teton Pass Ski AreanearChoteau
• Turner Mountain Ski ResortnearLibby
• Whitefish Mountain ResortnearWhitefish

Big Sky Resort and Whitefish Mountain Resort aredestination resorts,while the remaining areas do not have overnight lodging at the ski area, though several host restaurants and other amenities.

Montana also has millions of acres open to cross-country skiing on nine of its national forests and in Glacier National Park. In addition to cross-country trails at most of the downhill ski areas, there are also 13 private cross-country skiing resorts.Yellowstone National Park also allows cross-country skiing.

Snowmobilingis popular in Montana, which boasts over 4,000 miles of trails and frozen lakes available in winter.There are 24 areas where snowmobile trails are maintained, most also offering ungroomed trails.West Yellowstoneoffers a large selection of trails and is the primary starting point for snowmobile trips into Yellowstone National Park,where "oversnow" vehicle use is strictly limited, usually to guided tours, and regulations are in considerable flux.

Snow coachtours are offered at Big Sky, Whitefish, West Yellowstone and into Yellowstone National Park.Equestrianskijoringhas a niche in Montana, which hosts the World Skijoring Championships in Whitefish as part of the annualWhitefish Winter Carnival.

Health

Montana has oneTrauma Ihospital at the Billings Clinic hospital,and hasTrauma IIhospitals in Missoula, Billings, and Great Falls.In 2013,AARP The Magazinenamed theBillings Clinicone of the safest hospitals in the United States.

Montana is ranked as the least obese state in the U.S., at 19.6%, according to the 2014 Gallup Poll.

Montana had asuicide rateof 26.1 per 100,000 in 2020, which is the 3rd-highest among U.S. states; high suicide rates are common among sparsely-populated states in the United States.

Media

Main articles:List of radio stations in MontanaandList of television stations in Montana

As of 2010, Missoula is the 166th largestmedia marketin the United States as ranked byNielsen Media Research,while Billings is 170th, Great Falls is 190th, the Butte/Bozeman area 191st, and Helena is 206th.There are 25television stations in Montana,representing each majorU.S. network.As of August 2013, there are 527FCC-licensed FMradiostations broadcast in Montana,with 114 such AM stations.

During the age of theCopper Kings,each Montana copper company had its own newspaper. This changed in 1959 whenLee Enterprisesbought several Montana newspapers.Montana's largest circulating daily city newspapers are theBillings Gazette(circulation 39,405),Great Falls Tribune(26,733), andMissoulian(25,439).

In May 2023, Montana became the first US state to ban the social media appTikTokand online marketplaceTemu.

Transportation

Main article:Transportation in Montana

See also:List of Montana railroads,List of Montana numbered highways,andList of airports in Montana

Yellowstone Airport,West Yellowstone, Montana

Railroads have been an important method of transportation in Montana since the 1880s. Historically, the state was traversed by the main lines of three east–west transcontinental routes: theMilwaukee Road,theGreat Northern,and theNorthern Pacific.Today, theBNSF Railwayis the state's largest railroad, its main transcontinental route incorporating the former Great Northern main line across the state.Montana RailLink,a privately heldClass II railroad,operated former Northern Pacific trackage in western Montana before being bought out by BNSF.

In addition,Amtrak'sEmpire Buildertrain runs through the north of the state, stopping inLibby,Whitefish,West Glacier,Essex,East Glacier Park,Browning,Cut Bank,Shelby,Havre,Malta,Glasgow,andWolf Point.

Intercity bus service in Montana is provided byJefferson Linesand Express Arrow.

Bozeman Yellowstone International Airportis the busiest airport in the state of Montana, surpassingBillings Logan International Airportin the spring of 2013.Montana's other major airports includeMissoula International Airport,Great Falls International Airport,Glacier Park International Airport,Helena Regional Airport,Bert Mooney Airport,andYellowstone Airport.Eight smaller communities have airports designated for commercial service under theEssential Air Serviceprogram.

Historically,U.S. Route 10was the primary east–west highway route across Montana, connecting the major cities in the southern half of the state. Still, the state's most important east–west travel corridor, the route is today served byInterstate 90andInterstate 94which roughly follow the same route as the Northern Pacific.U.S. Routes 2and12andMontana Highway 200also traverse the entire state from east to west.

Montana's only north–southInterstate HighwayisInterstate 15.Other major north–south highways includeU.S. Routes 87,89,93,and191.

Montana andSouth Dakotaare the only states to share a land border that is not traversed by a paved road. Highway 212, the primary paved route between the two, passes through the northeast corner of Wyoming between Montana and South Dakota.

Law and government

Main article:Montana State Government

Constitution

Montana is governed by a constitution. The first constitution was drafted by a constitutional convention in 1889, in preparation for statehood. Ninety percent of its language came from an 1884 constitution which was never acted upon by Congress for national political reasons. The 1889 constitution mimicked the structure of theUnited States Constitution,as well as outlining almost the same civil and political rights for citizens. However, the 1889 Montana constitution significantly restricted the power of state government, the legislature was much more powerful than the executive branch, and the jurisdiction of theDistrict Courtsvery specifically described.Montana voters amended the 1889 constitution 37 times between 1889 and 1972.In 1914, Montanagranted women the vote.In 1916, Montana became the first state to elect a woman,Progressive RepublicanJeannette Rankin,to Congress.

In 1971, Montana voters approved the call for a state constitutional convention. A new constitution was drafted, which made the legislative and executive branches much more equal in power and which was much less prescriptive in outlining powers, duties, and jurisdictions.The draft included an expanded, moreprogressivelist of civil and political rights, extended these rights to children for the first time, transferred administration of property taxes to the counties from the state, implemented newwater rights,eliminatedsovereign immunity,and gave the legislature greater power to spend tax revenues. The constitution was narrowly approved, 116,415 to 113,883, and declared ratified on June 20, 1972. Three issues that the constitutional convention was unable to resolve were submitted to voters simultaneously with the proposed constitution. Voters approved the legalization of gambling, a bicameral legislature, and retention of the death penalty.

The 1972 constitution has been amended 31 times as of 2015.Major amendments include establishment of areclamation trust(funded by taxes on natural resource extraction) to restore mined land (1974); restoration of sovereign immunity, when such immunity has been approved by a two-thirds vote in each house (1974); establishment of a 90-day biennial (rather than annual) legislative session (1974); establishment of a coal tax trust fund, funded by a tax on coal extraction (1976); conversion of the mandatory decennial review of county government into a voluntary one, to be approved or disallowed by residents in each county (1978); conversion of the provision of public assistance from a mandatory civil right to a non-fundamental legislative prerogative (1988);a new constitutional right to hunt and fish (2004); a prohibition ongay marriage(2004); and a prohibition on new taxes on the sale or transfer of real property (2010).In 1992, voters approved a constitutional amendment implementingterm limitsfor certain statewide elected executive branch offices (governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state auditor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction) and for members of theMontana Legislature.Extensive new constitutional rights for victims of crime were approved in 2016.

The 1972 constitution requires that voters determine every 20 years whether to hold a new constitutional convention. Voters turned down a new convention in 1990 (84 percent no)and again in 2010 (58.6 percent no).

Executive

See also:List of Governors of MontanaandUnited States congressional delegations from Montana

Montana has three branches of state government: legislative, executive, and judicial. The executive branch is headed by an elected governor. The governor isGreg Gianforte,a Republican elected in 2020. There are also nine other statewide elected offices in the executive branch: Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Auditor (who also serves as Commissioner of Securities and Insurance), and Superintendent of Public Instruction. There are five public service commissioners, who are elected on a regional basis. (The Public Service Commission's jurisdiction is statewide.)

There are 18 departments and offices which make up the executive branch: Administration; Agriculture; Auditor (securities and insurance); Commerce; Corrections; Environmental Quality; Fish, Wildlife & Parks; Justice; Labor and Industry; Livestock; Military Affairs; Natural Resources and Conservation; Public Health and Human Services; Revenue; State; and Transportation. Elementary and secondary education are overseen by the Office of Public Instruction (led by the elected superintendent of public instruction), in cooperation with the governor-appointed Board of Public Education. Higher education is overseen by a governor-appointed Board of Regents, which in turn appoints a commissioner of higher education. The Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education acts in an executive capacity on behalf of the regents and oversees the state-runMontana University System.

Independent state agencies not within a department or office include the Montana Arts Council, Montana Board of Crime Control, Montana Historical Society, Montana Public Employees Retirement Administration, Commissioner of Political Practices, the Montana Lottery, Office of the State Public Defender, Public Service Commission, the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind, the Montana State Fund (which operates the state's unemployment insurance, worker compensation, and self-insurance operations), the Montana State Library, and the Montana Teachers Retirement System.

Montana is analcoholic beverage control state.It is anequitable distributionandno-fault divorcestate. It is one of five states to have nosales tax.

Legislative

TheMontana Legislatureis bicameral and consists of the 50-memberMontana Senateand the 100-memberMontana House of Representatives.The legislature meets in theMontana State Capitolin Helena in odd-numbered years for 90 days, beginning the first weekday of the year. The deadline for a legislator to introduce a general bill is the 40th legislative day. The deadline for a legislator to introduce an appropriations, revenue, or referendum bill is the 62nd legislative day. Senators serve four-year terms, while Representatives serve two-year terms. All members are limited to serving no more than eight years in a single 16-year period.

Judicial

TheCourts of Montanaare established by the Constitution of Montana. The constitution requires the establishment of aMontana Supreme CourtandMontana District Courts,and permits the legislature to establishJustice Courts,City Courts,Municipal Courts,and other inferior courts such as the legislature sees fit to establish.

The Montana Supreme Court is the court of last resort in the Montana court system. The constitution of 1889 provided for the election of no fewer than three Supreme Court justices, and one chief justice. Each court member served a six-year term. The legislature increased the number of justices to five in 1919. The 1972 constitution lengthened the term of office to eight years and established the minimum number of justices at five. It allowed the legislature to increase the number of justices by two, which the legislature did in 1979. The Montana Supreme Court has the authority to declare acts of the legislature and executive unconstitutional under either the Montana or U.S. constitutions. Its decisions may be appealed directly to the U.S. Supreme Court. TheClerk of the Montana Supreme Courtis also an elected position and serves a six-year term. Neither justices nor the clerk is term-limited.

Montana District Courtsare the courts of general jurisdiction in Montana. There are no intermediate appellate courts. District Courts have jurisdiction primarily over most civil cases, cases involving a monetary claim against the state, felony criminal cases, probate, and cases at law and in equity. When so authorized by the legislature, actions of executive branch agencies may be appealed directly to a District Court. The District Courts also havede novoappellate jurisdiction from inferior courts (city courts, justice courts, and municipal courts), and oversee naturalization proceedings. District Court judges are elected and serve six-year terms. They are not term-limited. There are 22 judicial districts in Montana, served by 56 District Courts and 46 District Court judges. The District Courts suffer from excessive workload, and the legislature has struggled to find a solution to the problem.

Montana Youth Courtswere established by the Montana Youth Court Act of 1974. They are overseen by District Court judges. They consist of a chief probation officer, one or more juvenile probation officers, and support staff. Youth Courts have jurisdiction over misdemeanor and felony acts committed by those charged as a juvenile under the law. There is a Youth Court in every judicial district, and decisions of the Youth Court are appealable directly to the Montana Supreme Court.

The Montana Worker's Compensation Court was established by the Montana Workers' Compensation Act in 1975. There is a single Workers' Compensation Court. It has a single judge, appointed by the governor. The Worker's Compensation Court has statewide jurisdiction and holds trials in Billings, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell, and Missoula. The court hears cases arising under the Montana Workers' Compensation Act and is the court of original jurisdiction for reviews of orders and regulations issued by the Montana Department of Labor and Industry. Decisions of the court are appealable directly to the Montana Supreme Court.

TheMontana Water Courtwas established by the Montana Water Court Act of 1979. The Water Court consists of a chief water judge and four district water judges (Lower Missouri River Basin, Upper Missouri River Basin, Yellowstone River Basin, and Clark Fork River Basin). The court employs 12 permanent special masters. The Montana Judicial Nomination Commission develops short lists of nominees for all five Water Judges, who are then appointed by the Chief justice of the Montana Supreme Court (subject to confirmation by the Montana Senate). The Water Court adjudicates water rights claims under the Montana Water Use Act of 1973 and has statewide jurisdiction. District Courts have the authority to enforce decisions of the Water Court, but only the Montana Supreme Court has the authority to review decisions of the Water Court.

From 1889 to 1909, elections for judicial office in Montana were partisan. Beginning in 1909, these elections became nonpartisan. The Montana Supreme Court struck down the nonpartisan law in 1911 on technical grounds, but a new law was enacted in 1935 which barred political parties from endorsing, making contributions to, or making expenditures on behalf of or against judicial candidates. In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Montana's judicial nonpartisan election law inAmerican Tradition Partnership, Inc. v. Bullock,567 U.S. ____ (Sup.Ct. 2012).Although candidates must remain nonpartisan, spending by partisan entities is now permitted. Spending on state supreme court races exponentially increased to $1.6 million in 2014, and to more than $1.6 million in 2016 (both new records).

Federal offices and courts

The U.S. Constitution provides each state with two senators. Montana's two U.S. senators areJon Tester(Democrat), who was reelected in 2018, andSteve Daines(Republican), first elected in 2014 and later reelected in 2020. The U.S. Constitution provides each state with a single representative, with additional representatives apportioned based on population. From statehood in 1889 until 1913, Montana was represented in theUnited States House of Representativesby a single representative, elected at-large. Montana received a second representative in 1913, following the 1910 census and reapportionment. Both members, however, were still elected at-large. Beginning in 1919, Montana moved to district, rather than at-large, elections for its two House members. This createdMontana's 1st congressional districtin the west andMontana's 2nd congressional districtin the east. In the reapportionment following the 1990 census, Montana lost one of its House seats. The remaining seat was again elected at-large.

In the reapportionment following the 2020 census, Montana regained a House seat, increasing the state's number of representatives in the House to two after a thirty-year break, starting from 2023.RepublicansMatt RosendaleandRyan Zinkeare the current officeholders.

Montana's Senate district is the fourth largest by area, behind Alaska, Texas, and California. The most notorious of Montana's early senators wasWilliam A. Clark,a "Copper King"and one of the 50 richest Americans ever. He is well known for having bribed his way into the U.S. Senate. Among Montana's most historically prominent senators areThomas J. Walsh(serving from 1913 to 1933), who was President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt's choice for attorney general when he died;Burton K. Wheeler(serving from 1923 to 1947), an oft-mentioned presidential candidate and strong supporter of isolationism;Mike Mansfield,the longest-servingSenate majority leaderin U.S. history;Max Baucus(served 1978 to 2014), longest-serving U.S. senator in Montana history, and the senator who shepherded thePatient Protection and Affordable Care Actthrough the Senate in 2010; andLee Metcalf(served 1961 to 1978), a pioneer of the environmental movement.

Montana's House district is the largest congressional district in the United States by population, with just over 1,023,000 constituents. It is the second-largest House district by area, after Alaska's at-large congressional district. Of Montana's House delegates,Jeannette Rankinwas the first woman to hold national office in the United States when she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1916.Also notable is Representative (later Senator)Thomas H. Carter,the first Catholic to serve as chairman of theRepublican National Committee(from 1892 to 1896).

Federal courts in Montana include theUnited States District Court for the District of Montanaand the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Montana. Three former Montana politicians have been named judges on the U.S. District Court:Charles Nelson Pray(who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1907 to 1913),James F. Battin(who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1961 to 1969), andPaul G. Hatfield(who served as an appointed U.S. Senator in 1978).Brian Morris,who served as an associate justice of the Montana Supreme Court from 2005 to 2013, currently serves as a judge on the court.

Politics

Further information:Political party strength in MontanaandElections in Montana

United States presidential election results for Montana

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	343,602	56.92%	244,786	40.55%	15,286	2.53%
2016	279,240	55.65%	177,709	35.41%	44,873	8.94%
2012	267,928	55.30%	201,839	41.66%	14,717	3.04%
2008	243,882	49.49%	232,159	47.11%	16,709	3.39%
2004	266,063	59.07%	173,710	38.56%	10,672	2.37%
2000	240,178	58.44%	137,126	33.36%	33,693	8.20%
1996	179,652	44.11%	167,922	41.23%	59,687	14.66%
1992	144,207	35.12%	154,507	37.63%	111,897	27.25%
1988	190,412	52.07%	168,936	46.20%	6,326	1.73%
1984	232,450	60.47%	146,742	38.18%	5,185	1.35%
1980	206,814	56.82%	118,032	32.43%	39,106	10.74%
1976	173,703	52.84%	149,259	45.40%	5,772	1.76%
1972	183,976	57.93%	120,197	37.85%	13,430	4.23%
1968	138,835	50.60%	114,117	41.59%	21,452	7.82%
1964	113,032	40.57%	164,246	58.95%	1,350	0.48%
1960	141,841	51.10%	134,891	48.60%	847	0.31%
1956	154,933	57.13%	116,238	42.87%	0	0.00%
1952	157,394	59.39%	106,213	40.07%	1,430	0.54%
1948	96,770	43.15%	119,071	53.09%	8,437	3.76%
1944	93,163	44.93%	112,556	54.28%	1,636	0.79%
1940	99,579	40.17%	145,698	58.78%	2,596	1.05%
1936	63,598	27.59%	159,690	69.28%	7,224	3.13%
1932	78,078	36.07%	127,286	58.80%	11,115	5.13%
1928	113,300	58.37%	78,578	40.48%	2,230	1.15%
1924	74,138	42.50%	33,805	19.38%	66,480	38.11%
1920	109,430	61.13%	57,372	32.05%	12,204	6.82%
1916	66,750	37.57%	101,063	56.88%	9,866	5.55%
1912	18,512	23.19%	27,941	35.00%	33,373	41.81%
1908	32,333	46.98%	29,326	42.61%	7,163	10.41%
1904	34,932	54.21%	21,773	33.79%	7,739	12.01%
1900	25,409	39.79%	37,311	58.43%	1,136	1.78%
1896	10,509	19.71%	42,628	79.93%	193	0.36%
1892	18,871	42.44%	17,690	39.79%	7,900	17.77%

Treemapof the popular vote by county, 2016 presidential election. Areas are in proportion to the number of votes cast in each county.

Elections in the state have been historically competitive, particularly for state-level offices. TheDemocratic Party's strength in the state is gained from support among unionized miners and railroad workers, while farmers generally vote Republican.

Montana has a history of voterssplitting their ticketsand filling elected offices with individuals from both parties. Through the mid-20th century, the state had a tradition of "sending the liberals to Washington and the conservatives to Helena". Between 1988 and 2006, the pattern flipped, with voters more likely to elect conservatives to federal offices. There have also been long-term shifts in party control. From 1968 through 1988, the state was dominated by the Democratic Party, with Democratic governors for a 20-year period, and a Democratic majority of both the national congressional delegation and during many sessions of the state legislature. This pattern shifted, beginning with the 1988 election when Montana elected aRepublicangovernor for the first time since 1964 and sent a Republican to the U.S. Senate for the first time since 1948. This shift continued with thereapportionmentof the state's legislative districts that took effect in 1994, when the Republican Party took control of both chambers of the state legislature, consolidating a Republican party dominance that lasted until the 2004 reapportionment produced more swing districts and a brief period of Democratic legislative majorities in the mid-2000s.

Montana has voted for the Republican nominee in all but two presidential elections since 1952.The state last supported a Democrat for president in 1992, whenBill Clintonwon a plurality victory. However, since 1889 the state has voted for Democratic governors 60 percent of the time, and Republican governors 40 percent of the time. In the2008 presidential election,Montana was considered aswing stateand was ultimately won by RepublicanJohn McCainby a narrow margin of two percent.

At the state level, the pattern of split-ticket voting and divided government holds. Democrats hold one of the state's two U.S. Senate seats withJon Tester.The state's congressional seats (now two districts, but until 2023, oneat-large district) have been Republican since 1996, and its Class 2 Senate seat has been held by RepublicanSteve Dainessince 2014. The two chambers of the state's legislature had split party control from 2004 to 2010, when that year's mid-term elections decisively returned both branches to Republican control. TheMontana Senateis, as of 2021, controlled by Republicans 31 to 19, and theHouse of Representativesis currently 67 to 33. Historically, Republicans are strongest in the east, while Democrats are strongest in the west.

Montana hadonly one representativein the U.S. House after having lost its second district in the 1990 census reapportionment. However, it regained its second district due to reapportionment following the2020 census.Before the 2020 reapportionment, Montana's at-large congressional district held the largest population of any district in the country, which means its one member in the House of Representatives represented more people than any other member of the U.S. House (seeList of U.S. states by population).Montana's population grew at about the national average during the 2000s, but it had failed to regain its second seat in 2010.

In a 2020 study, Montana was ranked as the 21st easiest state for citizens to vote in.

See also

• Index of Montana-related articles
• List of the oldest buildings in Montana
• Outline of Montana
• Timeline of Montana history

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Further reading

Main article:Bibliography of Montana history

External links

• Census of Montana
• General Information About MontanaArchivedNovember 27, 2020, at theWayback Machine
• Geographic data related toMontanaatOpenStreetMap
• List of Searchable Databases Produced by Montana State Agencies
• Montana Energy Data & Statistics—From the U.S. Department of Energy
• Montana Historical Society
• Montana Official Travel Information SiteArchivedFebruary 18, 2021, at theWayback Machine
• Montana Official WebsiteArchivedMay 12, 2021, at theWayback Machine
• Montana State Facts From the U.S. Department of AgricultureArchivedJuly 14, 2014, at theWayback Machine
• USGS Real-time, Geographic, and Other Scientific Resources of MontanaArchivedApril 12, 2014, at theWayback Machine

Media related toMontanaat Wikimedia Commons