Missoula, Montana

Missoula is a city located in Missoula County, Montana. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 57,053, making it the second-largest city in Montana. It is the birthplace of Jeannette Rankin (1880 - 1973). The state flower of Montana, the bitterroot, grows only near Missoula. It is the county seat of Missoula CountyTemplate:GR. The local newspapers are the Missoulian and the Missoula Independent.

Contents

1 Geography 2 Demographics 3 Politics 4 Other points & pieces of interest 5 External links

Geography

Missoula is located at 46°51'45" North, 114°0'42" West (46.862633, -114.011593)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 61.9 km² (23.9 mi²). 61.6 km² (23.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.46% water. Missoula is located in a deep valley surrounded by mountains and is cut by three major rivers, the Clark Fork River, the Bitterroot River and the Blackfoot River. The city is the namesake and center of the large, ancient Glacial Lake Missoula, which caused catastrophic floods across the northwest in the last ice age.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 57,053 people, 24,141 households, and 12,336 families residing in the city. The population density is 925.6/km² (2,397.1/mi²). There are 25,225 housing units at an average density of 409.2/km² (1,059.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 93.57% White, 0.36% African American, 2.35% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 1.87% from two or more races. 1.76% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 24,141 households out of which 24.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.9% are married couples living together, 10.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 48.9% are non-families. 33.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.23 and the average family size is 2.88.

In the city the population is spread out with 19.7% under the age of 18, 20.7% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 30 years. For every 100 females there are 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 97.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $30,366, and the median income for a family is $42,103. Males have a median income of $30,686 versus $21,559 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,166. 19.7% of the population and 11.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 20.5% of those under the age of 18 and 9.3% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Politics

Missoula has a reputation in Montana as a liberal college town and in fact holds the highest Democratic voting district in the state and was one of the counties with the highest percentages of votes for left-wing candidate Ralph Nader in the country in the 2000 election. In addition to the yearly Hemp Festival, NORML's state office is in Missoula ([1] (http://www.montananorml.org/)). The Garden City is also home to quite a few community gardens run by Garden City Harvest ([2] (http://www.gardencityharvest.org/)) and one by MUD (Missoula Urban Demonstration Project, [3] (http://www.sustainable.doe.gov/database/813.html)), which seek to improve both urban environments and agricultural practices. Missoula is also home to the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center (http://www.jrpc.org/), a WEEL office (a low-income and welfare advocacy group, Working for Equality and Economic Liberation, [4] (http://www.weelempowers.org/)), and the Western Montana Gay & Lesbian Community Center ([5] (http://www.gaymontana.com/)).

Other points & pieces of interest

• Local ski areas: Montana Snowbowl & Marshall Ski Area (closed)
• Higher Education: Home of the University of Montana and the Grizzlies
• Other Famous People: Mike and Maureen Mansfield, former US Senator and US Ambassador to Japan and his wife called Missoula home for many years and the University of Montana's Maureen and Mike Mansfield Memorial Library is named after them.
• The annual International Wildlife Film Festival is held in Missoula.
• Local breweries include: Big Sky Brewing, Bayern Brewing and Kettle House Brewing.
• Underground rock legend Steve Albini is from Missoula, as is movie director David Lynch, comedian Dana Carvey and Pearl Jam bass guitarist Jeff Ament.
• Missoula is home to the largest of the U.S. Forest Service's smokejumper bases. Free tours of the base are popular with tourists during the summer wildfire season.
• A walking bridge over the downtown railroad yards of the Montana RailLink railroad is a popular destination of railfans.
• Tipu's Tiger, Buddhist founded vegetarian Indian restaurant. The founders were with the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order and modeled the business on Right Livelihood Businesses. From the opening of a second location in 1999 until the closing of the first location in 2002 the staff was gender segregated between the two locations: Tipu's, and Tipu's Tiger.
• The city is said to appear in every novel written by Chuck Palahniuk.
• Robert Jordan, the fictional main character of Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls, was a Spanish professor at the University of Montana, and lived in Missoula.

External links

• Missoula City official website (http://www.ci.missoula.mt.us/)
• Missoula County official website (http://www.co.missoula.mt.us/)
• The University of Montana (http://www.umt.edu/)
• City Bus System (Mountainline) (http://www.mountainline.com/)
• Missoulian Newspaper (http://www.missoulian.com/)
  • Missoula's Own Community Website (http://www.missoula.com/) a service of the Missoulian
• Missoula Independent Weekly Newspaper (http://www.missoulanews.com/)
• KPAX: CBS Television Affiliate (http://www.kpax.com/)
• KTMF: ABC Television Affiliate (http://www.ktmf.com/)
• KECI: NBC Television Affiliate (http://www.keci.com/)
• KUFM: PBS Television Affiliate (http://www.kufm.org/)

Template:Mapit-US-cityscale

Regions of Montana
Eastern Montana - Western Montana - Inland Empire
Largest cities
Anaconda | Belgrade | Billings | Bozeman | Butte | Evergreen | Glendive | Great Falls | Havre | Helena | Kalispell | Laurel | Lewistown | Livingston | Miles City | Missoula | Sidney | Whitefish
Counties
Beaverhead - Big Horn - Blaine - Broadwater - Carbon - Carter - Cascade - Chouteau - Custer - Daniels - Dawson - Deer Lodge - Fallon - Fergus - Flathead - Gallatin - Garfield - Glacier - Golden Valley - Granite - Hill - Jefferson - Judith - Lake - Lewis and Clark - Liberty - Lincoln - Madison - McCone - Meagher - Mineral - Missoula - Musselshell - Park - Petroleum - Phillips - Pondera - Powder River - Powell - Prairie - Ravalli - Richland - Roosevelt - Rosebud - Sanders - Sheridan - Silver Bow - Stillwater - Sweet Grass - Teton - Toole - Treasure - Valley - Wheatland - Wibaux - Yellowstone