Why visit Boulder
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 1 park or trail, 3 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Boulder Hot Springs Hotel and Jefferson County Courthouse.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; December lows average 12°F.
Weather in Boulder
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Boulder
Boulder is a town in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Montana, United States. It is on the north bank of the Boulder River between Butte and Helena, slightly east of the Continental Divide, at the intersection of Interstate 15 and Montana Highway 69. The population was 1,201 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Helena Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Lewis and Clark and Jefferson counties; its population is 83,058 according to the 2020 Census.
From the Wikipedia article Boulder, Montana (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks6
_-_Jefferson_County,_Montana.png){kind=link}
Boulder Hot Springs Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Hotel in Montana, United States of America
Jefferson County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Courthouse in Montana, United States
Montana Deaf and Dumb Asylum
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Psychiatric hospital in Boulder, United States of America
Montana State Training School Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Historic district in Boulder, Montana
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes3
History
Named for the many large boulders in the vicinity, the town of Boulder Valley was established in the early 1860s as a stagecoach station on the route between Fort Benton and Virginia City. It later became a trading center for nearby agricultural areas and the Elkhorn, Comet, and Baltimore mining districts. The Great Northern Railway branch line from Helena to Butte reached Boulder in 1888. State schools for the deaf, blind, and developmentally disabled were established in the city in 1892. In 1897, the town's name was shortened to Boulder.
In the 1892 Montana capital referendum's first round, Boulder was a candidate city to become the newly-admitted Montana's capital. It faced Helena, Anaconda, Butte, Bozeman, Great Falls, and Deer Lodge. As Boulder finished last with only 295 votes, it was not in the second round in 1894, which Helena won.
From the History section of Boulder, Montana on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship5
Saint Catherine Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic
214 South Elder Street, Boulder
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries5
Map of Boulder
26 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°F | 12°F | 0.3 in |
| Feb | 38°F | 14°F | 0.2 in |
| Mar | 47°F | 21°F | 0.4 in |
| Apr | 54°F | 27°F | 0.8 in |
| May | 64°F | 35°F | 1.9 in |
| Jun | 72°F | 42°F | 2.3 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 48°F | 1.4 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 46°F | 1.1 in |
| Sep | 72°F | 38°F | 1.1 in |
| Oct | 57°F | 28°F | 0.6 in |
| Nov | 42°F | 19°F | 0.5 in |
| Dec | 34°F | 12°F | 0.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Boulder (0 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Jefferson County has had 8 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2020-03-31: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2014-04-17: Ice Jams And Flooding (Flood)
- 2012-08-29: Nineteen Mile Fire (Fire)
- 2011-06-17: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2005-09-13: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Bert Mooney Airport (BTM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 27 miles away.
- Basin 9 mi west, about 14 min by car
- Jefferson City 11 mi northeast, about 17 min by car
- Clancy 16 mi north, about 25 min by car
- Montana City 22 mi northeast, about 35 min by car
- Unionville 22 mi north, about 35 min by car
- South Hills 23 mi north, about 37 min by car
- Helena 25 mi north, about 41 min by car
- Helena West Side 25 mi north, about 40 min by car
- Butte-Silver Bow (balance) 35 mi southwest, about 56 min by car
- Belgrade 55 mi southeast, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Bouldermontana, Finetooth, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Saint Catherine Catholic Church in Boulder Montana, Always dreamin, CC0
- Boulder Hot Springs, July 2010, Katiemonarch, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Jefferson County Courthouse (2013) - Jefferson County, Montana, Robstutz, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Jefferson County Courthouse, Montana 04, Montanabw, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Jefferson County Courthouse, Montana 01, Montanabw, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Jefferson County Courthouse, Montana 03, Montanabw, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Jefferson County Courthouse, Montana 05, Montanabw, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Jefferson County Courthouse, Montana 02, Montanabw, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Montana State Training School Historic District2 NRHP 14000957 Jefferson County, MT, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Montana State Training School Historic District3 NRHP 14000957 Jefferson County, MT, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Montana State Training School Historic District NRHP 14000957 Jefferson County, MT, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Montana Deaf and Dumb Asylum (2013) - Jefferson County, Montana, Robstutz, CC BY-SA 3.0
_-_Jefferson_County,_Montana.png){kind=link}
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