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Missoula is a city in western Montana , United States , and it is the County Seat of Missoula County . As of the United States 2000 Census , it had a total population of 57,053, making it the second-largest city in Montana, behind Billings . Missoula is the home of the University Of Montana . It is the birthplace of Jeannette Rankin ( 1880 - 1973 ). Missoula is nicknamed the Garden City . The state flower of Montana , the Bitterroot , grows near Missoula. Local newspapers include the '' Missoulian '' and the '' Missoula Independent ''. GEOGRAPHY Missoula is located at 46°51'45" North, 114°0'42" West (46.862633, -114.011593). According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 61.9 Km&2 (23.9 Mi&2 ). 61.6 km&2 (23.8 mi&2) of it is land and 0.3 km&2 (0.1 mi&2) of it is water. The total area is 0.46% water. Missoula is located in a deep valley surrounded by mountains and is cut by three major rivers, the Clark Fork River , the Bitterroot River and the Blackfoot River . The city is the namesake and center of the large, ancient Glacial Lake Missoula , which caused catastrophic floods across the northwest in the last ice age. Missoula is currently the second most populous city in Montana. Billings is the only city that has a larger population. DEMOGRAPHICS flows through downtown Missoula. ( 2003 )]] As of the Census of 2000, there were 57,053 people, 24,141 households, and 12,336 families residing in the city. (A 2004 estimate puts the city's population at 61,790.) The Population Density was 925.6/km&2 (2,397.1/mi&2). There were 25,225 housing units at an average density of 409.2/km&2 (1,059.8/mi&2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.57% White , 0.36% African American , 2.35% Native American , 1.23% Asian , 0.10% Pacific Islander , 0.51% from Other Races , and 1.87% from two or more races. 1.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 24,141 households out of which 24.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.9% were Married Couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.9% were non-families. 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.88. In the city the population was spread out with 19.7% under the age of 18, 20.7% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $30,366, and the median income for a family was $42,103. Males had a median income of $30,686 versus $21,559 for females. The Per Capita Income for the city was $17,166. 19.7% of the population and 11.7% of families were below the Poverty Line . 20.5% of those under the age of 18 and 9.3% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. HISTORY The first inhabitants of the Missoula area were American Indians from the Salish tribe. They called the area "Nemissoolatakoo," from which "Missoula" is derived. The word translates roughly to "river of ambush/surprise," a reflection of the inter-tribal fighting common to the area. The Indians' first encounter with whites came in 1805 when the Lewis And Clark expedition passed through the Missoula Valley. There were no permanent white settlements in the Missoula Valley, however, until 1860 when C. P. Higgins and Francis Worden opened a trading post on the Blackfoot River near Hellgate Canyon, on the eastern edge of the valley. It was followed by a sawmill and a flour mill, which the settlers called "Missoula Mills". ("Mills" was later dropped from the name.) The completion of the Mullan Road connecting Fort Benton, Montana with Walla Walla, Washington and passing through the Missoula Valley meant fast growth for the burgeoning city, buoyed by the U.S. Army's establishment of Fort Missoula in 1877, and the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1883. Until the mid 1970s, logging was a mainstay industry with logyards throughout the city. Many ran Teepee Burners to dispose waste material, contributing to the smokey haze that sometimes covered the town. The current site of Southgate Mall was once the location of the largest log processing yard within several hundred miles which ran 24 hours a day. The saws could be heard over two miles away on a clear summer night. However, by the early 1990s, changes in the economic fortunes in the city had shut down all the Missoula logyards. Missoula is located within the flyfishing "golden triangle" and also provides ample opportunity to hunt mule deer, elk, bear, moose and a variety of other game animals. This provides Missoula with an ample tourism industry based on hunting and fishing that dates back to at least the 1950's. Other major draws to the area include the University Of Montana - Missoula , which opened its doors in 1895, and the regional headquarters for the United States Forest Service , which opened in 1908. POLITICS Missoula holds the highest-percentage Democratic voting district in the state, and in the 2000 presidential election, it had one of the highest percentages of votes in the country for left-wing candidate Ralph Nader . NORML 's state office is in Missoula and it holds a yearly Hemp Festival. The city is home to community gardens run by Garden City Harvest and Missoula Urban Demonstration Project , which seek to improve both urban environments and agricultural practices. Other organizations that call Missoula home include the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center , Working for Equality and Economic Liberation (a low-income and welfare advocacy group), and the Western Montana Gay & Lesbian Community Center . Missoula has been a home to the ), and off-road motorcycle riding, which was at odds with the extreme pro-environment sentiments of such groups as Friends Of The Rattlesnake which sought to restrict access to the Rattlesnake River drainage and the Blue Mountain recreation area to hikers and horse traffic only. ADDITIONAL FACTS ABOUT MISSOULA
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