Home › Montana › Missoula

Missoula, Montana

Located in Missoula County, Montana, Missoula was established in 1860. Norman Maclean's A River Runs Through It is set near Missoula. The 1910 Big Blowup was one of the largest wildfires in American history.
Trending in Missoula
Latest updates coming soon
2 hours ago
More local news on the way
5 hours ago
Founded 1860 | Population 77,000 | Peak 77,000 (2024) | County Missoula County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Missoula, Montana

undefined
1860 Founded: Five valleys junction.
undefined
1893 UM Founded: University of Montana.
undefined
1910 Big Blowup: Massive wildfire burns 3 million acres.
undefined
1910 Economic Development: Missoula grew through the automobile industry.
undefined
2000 Outdoor Hub: Progressive college town.
🧠
How Well Do You Know Missoula?
5 questions • 2 minutes
Take the Quiz →

Latest News in Missoula

Mar 9, 2016
Court Rules Favor Jesus Statue Montana Mountain
WHITEFISH, Montana — On March 9, 2016, a federal appeals court handed a win to supporters of a long-contested statue of Jesus pe…
Jan 13, 2016
Court Rules Montanas Big Mountain Jesus Can Stay
Whitefish, Montana – On January 13, 2016, a federal court delivered a decision that kept a towering statue of Jesus Christ perch…
Mar 20, 2015
Most Commonly Spoken Language Each State Map
Washington, D.C., March 20, 2015 – A colorful map made waves online this week, laying out the most commonly spoken languages in …

Complete Historical Timeline

1860 Culture
Founded
1893 Culture
UM Founded
1910 Disaster
Big Blowup
1910 Industry
Economic Development
2000 Culture
Outdoor Hub

Did You Know?

1
Norman Maclean's A River Runs Through It is set near Missoula.
2
The 1910 Big Blowup was one of the largest wildfires in American history.
3
Montana's second-largest city and a progressive outdoor haven.
4
Missoula is located in Missoula County, Montana.
5
Missoula was founded in 1860.

Famous People from Missoula, Montana

DL
David Lynch
Screenwriter, Photographer · Born Jan 20, 1946 · Died Jan 16, 2025 (age 78)
BS
Brian Schmidt
Astronomer, Physicist · Born Feb 24, 1967 · Age 59
JR
Jeannette Rankin
Politician, Social Worker · Born Jun 11, 1880 · Died May 18, 1973 (age 92)
JF
Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Actor, Stage Actor · Born Oct 22, 1975 · Age 50
DC
Dana Carvey
Screenwriter, Comedian · Born Jun 2, 1955 · Age 70

Other Cities in Montana

View all Montana cities →
B
Billings
Pop. 119,000
GF
Great Falls
Pop. 60,000
B
Bozeman
Pop. 56,000
H
Helena
Pop. 32,091
See something that needs correcting?
We take accuracy seriously. Help us keep Missoula's history right.