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Glacier Country, Montana is a tourism region in the U.S. state of Montana. [1] Glacier Country includes the cities of Missoula, Kalispell, Polson, Libby, Whitefish, Browning, Eureka, and Thompson Falls. Glacier Country is home to Glacier National Park, and Montana's 2nd largest city- Missoula, Montana. The 2015 population of Glacier Country is 332,702.
Glacier County is located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 13,399. [2] The county is located in northwestern Montana between the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains, known to the Blackfeet as the "Backbone of the World." The county is geographically and culturally diverse and includes the Blackfeet American Indian Reservation, Glacier National Park, [3] and Lewis and Clark National Forest. The county is bordered by 75 miles of international boundary with two ports of entry (Piegan and Del Bonita) open year-round and one seasonal (Chief Mountain) international border crossing into Alberta, Canada.
Ravalli County is located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 40,212. [4] Its county seat is Hamilton. [5] Ravalli County is part of a north/south mountain valley bordered by the Sapphire Mountains on the East and the Bitterroot Mountains on the West. It is often referred to as the Bitterroot Valley, named for the Bitterroot Flower. The county is entirely on the Pacific Ocean side of the Continental Divide, which follows the Idaho-Montana border from Wyoming until Ravalli County. Here it turns east into Montana, between Chief Joseph Pass and Lost Trail Pass, and follows the Ravalli County-Beaverhead County border.
Flathead and Lake counties are usually the main recreation areas for Glacier Country, and are home to Glacier National Park. The main commercial centers for this region are Kalispell and Whitefish. Kalispell is the commercial core for Northwest Montana, and has a population of around 25,000 people, making it the second largest city in Glacier Country, Montana. Whitefish is the 3rd largest city in northwest Montana, and has doubled its population in the past 10 years. It is served Glacier Park International Airport.
Missoula is the largest city in all of Western Montana, and the second largest in Montana. As of 2009 the city of Missoula had surpassed 65,000 people, and its county had well surpassed 100,000 people at around 108,623. It is the core commercial and shopping hub in all of Western Montana, and 2nd in Montana, and is also considered the cultural hub of Montana. Missoula is home to Montana's largest on-campus state University—the University of Montana, which in 2010 had over 15,000 students. Missoula is also the largest Media market in the state. Some local news sources include the Missoulian and the Missoula Independent. Missoula is also served by the Missoula International Airport. Missoula has a semi-pro baseball team, the Missoula Osprey. Downtown Missoula is a thriving area, and is known as the main shopping district of Montana. Missoula's nickname is the Garden City for its dense trees and green landscape, and because Missoula winters are slightly more mild than in the rest of the state.
Lincoln, Sanders and Mineral counties are probably the “quietest” out of all the regions, with small communities and towns. Libby, Montana is the county seat of Lincoln County. Libby has a population of 2,626 people and is home to Marc Racicot. Thompson Falls, Montana is the county seat of Sanders County. Thompson Falls population is 1,321 and is home to Thompson Falls High School. Superior, Montana is the county seat of Mineral County and has a population of 893 people.
| City | Picture | city population (2009) | Metro-Micro population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missoula |  | 64,081 | 108,623 (MSA) |
| Kalispell |  | 28,965 | 85,314 |
| Whitefish |  | 8,083 | 85,314 |
| Polson | 4,041 | 85,314 | |
| Libby | 2,626 | 10,227 |
Montana is a state in the Mountain region of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan to the north. It is the fourth-largest state by area, the eighth-least populous state, and the third-least densely populated state. Its capital is Helena, while the largest city is Billings. The western half of the state contains numerous mountain ranges, while the eastern half is characterized by western prairie terrain and badlands, with smaller mountain ranges found throughout the state.
Ravalli County is a county in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,174. Its county seat is Hamilton.
Missoula County is located in the State of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 117,922, making it Montana's third-most populous county. Its county seat and largest city is Missoula. The county was founded in 1860.
Glacier County is located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,778. The county is located in northwestern Montana between the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains, known to the Blackfeet as the "Backbone of the World". The county is geographically and culturally diverse and includes the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Glacier National Park, and Lewis and Clark National Forest. The county is bordered by 75 miles of international boundary with two ports of entry open year-round and one seasonal international border crossing into Alberta, Canada.
Flathead County is in the U.S. state of Montana. At the 2020 census, its population was 104,357, making it the state's fourth most populous county. Its county seat is Kalispell. Its numerical designation is 7. Its northern border is on the state's north border, making it contiguous with the Canada–US border, facing British Columbia.
Kalispell is a city in Montana and the county seat of Flathead County, Montana, United States. The 2020 census put Kalispell's population at 24,558. In Montana's northwest region, it is the largest city and the commercial center of the Kalispell Micropolitan Statistical Area. The name Kalispell is a Salish word meaning "flat land above the lake".
Whitefish is a city in Flathead County, Montana, United States. According to the 2020 United States Census, there were 7,751 people in the city.
Missoula is a city in and the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is located along the Clark Fork River near its confluence with the Bitterroot and Blackfoot Rivers in western Montana and at the convergence of five mountain ranges, thus it is often described as the "hub of five valleys". The 2020 United States Census shows the city's population at 73,489 and the population of the Missoula Metropolitan Area at 117,922. After Billings, Missoula is the second-largest city and metropolitan area in Montana. Missoula is home to the University of Montana, a public research university.
Stevensville is a town in Ravalli County, Montana, United States. The population was 2,002 at the 2020 census.
U.S. Route 93 (US 93) is a major north–south 1,359-mile (2,187 km) U.S. Numbered Highway in the western United States, that connects U.S. Route 60 (US 60) in Wickenburg, Arizona with British Columbia Highway 93 at the Canadian border. The highway passes through Kingman, Arizona; Las Vegas, Nevada; Twin Falls, Idaho; and Missoula, Montana.
The Inland Northwest, historically and alternatively known as the Inland Empire, is a region of the American Northwest centered on the Greater Spokane, Washington Area, encompassing all of Eastern Washington and North Idaho. Under broader definitions, Northeastern Oregon and Western Montana may be included in the Inland Northwest. Alternatively, stricter definitions may exclude Central Washington and Idaho County, Idaho.
Western Montana is the western region of the U.S. state of Montana. The most restrictive definition limits western Montana only to the parts of the state west of the Continental Divide. Other common definitions add in the mountainous areas east of the divide including Beaverhead, Gallatin, Jefferson, Lewis and Clark, Madison, and Park Counties. The region is sometimes considered to be part of the Inland Northwest.
The Bitterroot River is a northward flowing 84-mile (135 km) river running through the Bitterroot Valley, from the confluence of its West and East forks near Conner in southern Ravalli County to its confluence with the Clark Fork River near Missoula in Missoula County, in western Montana. The Clark Fork River is tributary to the Columbia River and ultimately, the Pacific Ocean. The Bitterroot River is a Blue Ribbon trout fishery with a healthy population of native westslope cutthroat trout and bull trout. It is the third most fly fished river in Montana behind the Madison and Big Horn Rivers.
Montana is one of the eight Mountain States, located in the north of the region known as the Western United States. It borders North Dakota and South Dakota to the east. Wyoming is to the south, Idaho is to the west and southwest, and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan are to the north, making it the only state to border three Canadian provinces.
The Regional designations of Montana vary widely within the U.S state of Montana. The state is a large geographical area that is split by the Continental Divide, resulting in watersheds draining into the Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Hudson's Bay. The state is approximately 545 miles (877 km) east to west along the Canada–United States border and 320 miles (510 km) north to south. The fourth largest state in land area, it has been divided up in official and unofficial ways into a variety of regions. Additionally, Montana is part of a number of larger federal government administrative regions.
U.S. Highway 93 is a north–south United States Numbered Highway in the state of Montana.