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- Helena
Capital of Montana · Lewis and Clark County · capital since 1875 · 46.6°N 112.0°W
Helena, Montana
Helena grew from the Last Chance Gulch gold strike of 1864 and became Montana's territorial capital in 1875. It won the state capital in an 1894 vote against Anaconda but is now only the sixth-largest city in Montana.
Where Helena is
Helena is the seat of Lewis and Clark County in west-central Montana, at 46.59°N, 112.04°W and about 4,000 ft above sea level. The city lies in the Prickly Pear Valley at the foot of the Elkhorn and Big Belt ranges of the Rocky Mountains. The Continental Divide is about 15 miles west at MacDonald Pass, and the Missouri River flows north past the east side of the valley, dammed to form Canyon Ferry Lake and Hauser Lake. Main Street follows the line of Last Chance Gulch, the creek bed where gold was found in 1864. Helena is on Mountain Time.
How it became the capital
Montana Territory, created in 1864, had its capital first at Bannack and then, from 1865, at Virginia City, both mining camps. As their gold ran out the legislature voted to move to Helena in 1875. At statehood in 1889 the question was put to voters; Helena beat Anaconda, backed by copper magnate Marcus Daly, in a 1894 runoff marked by heavy spending on both sides. The victory margin was under 2,000 votes.
Population
Helena had 32,091 residents in 2020, sixth among Montana cities. Billings, the largest, had 117,116, and Missoula, Great Falls, Bozeman and Butte are also larger. The Helena micropolitan area, covering Lewis and Clark and Jefferson counties, has about 84,000 people. Montana as a whole counted 1,084,225.
The capitol
The Montana State Capitol was designed by Charles Emlen Bell and John H. Kent and completed in 1902; wings by Frank M. Andrews and the Link and Haire firm were added in 1912. It is built of Montana sandstone and granite with a copper-covered dome topped by a statue of Liberty. The House chamber holds Charles M. Russell's mural of Lewis and Clark meeting the Salish at Ross' Hole, painted in 1912 and the largest work he produced.
Distances to other cities
| City | Direction | Road distance |
|---|---|---|
| Billings, MT | east | about 240 mi |
| Missoula, MT | west | about 115 mi |
| Great Falls, MT | north | about 90 mi |
Butte is about 65 miles southwest on Interstate 15.
Related maps
- Montana map — the whole state with borders, cities and counties.
- Montana county map · blank Montana map · printable Montana map.
- All 50 state capitals on one map, and the state capitals quiz.
- West region · Mountain division · Mountain Time Zone.