Montana City, Montana
Montana City is a community of 3,092 people in Jefferson County, Montana.
Why visit Montana City
Townapedia lists 14 museums and landmarks, 9 parks and trails, 10 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 6 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Former Montana Executive Mansion and Helena Historic District.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 14°F, and about 37 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Montana City
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Montana City
Montana City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson County, Montana, United States. As of the 2020 census, Montana City had a population of 2,918. It is part of the Helena Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From the Wikipedia article Montana City, Montana (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do6
Museums and landmarks14
Former Montana Executive Mansion
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 6.5 mi
Former governor's residence in Helena, Montana, United States
Helena Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.7 mi
Historic district in Helena, Montana
Helena South-Central Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.4 mi
Historic district in Montana, United States
Kluge House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.5 mi
Historic house in Montana, United States
Montana State Capitol
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.9 mi
State capitol building of the U.S. state of Montana
Montana Veterans and Pioneers Memorial Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.8 mi
Helena, Montana, listed on the NRHP in Lewis and Clark County, Montana
Morris Silverman House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.5 mi
House in Helena, Montana
Porter Flats Apartments
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.5 mi
Historic residential building in Helena, Montana
Robert and Elizabeth Fisk House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.4 mi
Historic house in Helena, Montana, United States
T. H. Kleinschmidt House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.4 mi
Historic house in Helena, Montana
Temple Emanu-El
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.5 mi
Former synagogue, now Helena diocesan chancery
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W.C. Child Ranch
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Human settlement in Jefferson County, Montana, United States of America
2 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds9
Restaurants and cafes10
Chubby's Bar & Grill
Bar and pub · 4.8 mi
9 East Clancy Street, Clancy
Tu-Sa 14:00-02:00
History
Montana City is located on top of one of the oldest prehistoric sites in the state of Montana. As early as 9,000 BCE, Native Americans came to Montana City to collect chert, a rock similar to flint, which was used to make spear tips, arrowheads, and knives. White American explorers discovered gold at the site on July 2, 1862, and later that year U.S. Army Captain Jason L. Fisk brought a mule train from Minnesota which stopped at the site and built the first houses that became Montana City. The town became one of the most important mining centers in Montana during the height of the gold rush in the 1860s. The Montana Town Company laid out the city in 1864, naming it after the territory's new name. Chinese miners soon made up a majority of the workforce when the mines began to play out in 1868, and the town saw a brief revival after the arrival of the railroads and the establishment of a post office in the 1880s. At its height in the 1880s, Montana City had 3,000 residents and competed for the location of the state capital.
Montana City was almost a ghost town for most of the 20th century until the Permanente Cement Company built a cement manufacturing plant there in 1940. Today, Montana City is a bedroom community serving Helena.
From the History section of Montana City, Montana on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship14
Cathedral of Saint Helena
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 6.6 mi
Helena Seventh-day Adventist Church
Church · Seventh Day Adventist · 4.9 mi
2410 Belt View Drive, Helena
Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 4.6 mi
120 West Riggs Street, East Helena
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries15
Healthcare7
Map of Montana City
81 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32°F | 14°F | 0.4 in | 6.6 in |
| Feb | 37°F | 17°F | 0.4 in | 6.6 in |
| Mar | 48°F | 25°F | 0.5 in | 4.6 in |
| Apr | 57°F | 32°F | 1.0 in | 2.9 in |
| May | 66°F | 42°F | 1.9 in | 0.1 in |
| Jun | 75°F | 49°F | 2.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 55°F | 1.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 85°F | 53°F | 1.0 in | 0.3 in |
| Sep | 73°F | 45°F | 1.0 in | 0.2 in |
| Oct | 58°F | 34°F | 0.8 in | 2.8 in |
| Nov | 43°F | 23°F | 0.6 in | 5.4 in |
| Dec | 33°F | 14°F | 0.5 in | 7.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Helena Rgnl Ap Gsn Hcn 72772 (6 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
Helena Regional Airport (HLN) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 6 miles away.
- East Helena 4 mi north, about 7 min by car
- Helena 6 mi northwest, about 10 min by car
- Helena Valley Southeast 7 mi north, about 11 min by car
- Helena West Side 10 mi northwest, about 16 min by car
- Helena Valley West Central 11 mi northwest, about 18 min by car
- Helena Valley Northeast 13 mi north, about 20 min by car
- Helena Valley Northwest 15 mi northwest, about 25 min by car
- Boulder 22 mi southwest, about 35 min by car
- Deer Lodge 39 mi west, about 1 h by car
- Butte-Silver Bow (balance) 56 mi southwest, 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
- Temple Emanu-El 02, Montanabw, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Wick-Seiler from North, Chris59601, CC BY-SA 4.0
- MontanaOriginalGovernorsMansion, Parkerdr, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Atlas Block, Montanabw, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Helena - Montana Historical Society, Roger Wollstadt from Sarasota, Florida, CC BY-SA 2.0
- W.C. Child Ranch (2012) - Jefferson County, Montana, Robstutz, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Helena Cathedral, SWD at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- MK01799 Montana State Capitol, Martin Kraft, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kluge House, Al Huntsman, Public domain
- Kleinschmidt House (2012) - Lewis and Clark County, Montana, Robstutz, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Porter Flats Apartments (2012) - Lewis and Clark County, Montana, Robstutz, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fisk-house, KingJeff1970, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Silverman-house, KingJeff1970, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Saints Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Helena Montana, Always dreamin, CC0
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