ZIP Code 59601

Helena was founded as a gold camp during the Montana gold rush, and established on October 30, 1864. At the 2020 census Helena's population was 32,091, making it the fifth least populous state capital in the United States. It is the principal city 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. The city is served by Helena Regional Airport (HLN). The Helena area was long inhabited by various indigenous peoples. People of the Folsom culture lived in the area more than 10,000 years ago. Other native peoples, including the Salish and the Blackfeet, visited the area seasonally on their nomadic rounds. The original streets of Helena followed the paths of miners, thus making the city blocks of Early Helena various sizes and shapes. Helena was surveyed by Captain John Wood in 1865 for the first time. In May 1872 Helena was appointed by the Interior Department as the first superintendent of Yellowstone National Park. Helena helped organize the expedition that helped publicize the remarkable Yellowstone region after the park was established. By 1888, Helena would become a wealthy city, with approximately 50 millionaires inhabiting the area by 1888. The concentration of wealth contributed to the city's prominent, elaborate Victorian architecture. The name "Helena" won, the pronunciation varied until approximately 1882 when the HEL-i-n pronunciation became dominant. Later tales of the naming of Helena claimed the name came from the island of St. Helena, where Napoleon was exiled, or was that of a miner's sweetheart.

History

People of the Folsom culture lived in the area more than 10,000 years ago. Before the introduction of the horse 300 years ago, and since, other native peoples, including the Salish and the Blackfeet, visited the area seasonally. On October 30, 1864, a group of at least seven self-appointed men met to name the town, authorize the layout of the streets, and elect commissioners. The first suggestion was "Tomah," a word the committee thought had connections to the local Indian people. This immediately caused an uproar from the former Confederates in the room, who insisted upon the pronunciation HEL-i-n, after Helena, Arkansas, a town on the Mississippi River. Later, a name came from the island of St. Helena, where Napoleon was exiled, or was that of a miner's croc. The original streets of Helena followed the paths of miners, thus making the city blocks of Early Helena various sizes and shapes. In May 1872 after the park was established, Langford was appointed by the Department of Interior as its first superintendent. On July 14, 18 64, the discovery of gold by a prospecting party known as the "Four Georgians" in a gulch off the Prickly Pear Creek led to the founding of a mining camp along a small creek in the region they called "Last Chance Gulch". On May 18, 1866, the federal government created a new territory called Montana in May 1864.

Geography

Helena is located at 46°3545N 112°137W (46.595805, 112.027031), at an altitude of 4,058 feet (1,237 m) It has a semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk), with long, cold and moderately snowy winters, hot and dry summers, and short springs and autumns in between. The hottest temperature recorded in Helena was 105 °F (41 °C) on August 24, 1969 and July 15, 2002, while the coldest temperature recorded was 42 °C on January 31, 1893, January 25, 1957 and February 2, 1996. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.39 square miles (42.45 km²), of which 16.35 square miles of land is land and 0.04 sq miles (0.10 km²) is water. The city is home to the Helena National Forest, the Big Belt Mountains, the Gates of the Mountains Wilderness, Sleeping Giant Wilderness Study Area, Bob Marshall Wilderness, Scapegoat Wilderness, the Missouri River, Canyon Ferry Lake, Holter Lake, Hauser Lake, and the Elkhorn Mountains. It is also home to Helena City Park, Spring Meadow Lake State Park, Lake Helena, and Spring Meadow State Park. Helena is located on the Continental Divide, which runs through the center of the city. The Continental Divide is one of the most rugged mountain ranges in the United States.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 28,190 people, 12,780 households, and 6,691 families residing in the city. There were 13,457 housing units at an average density of 823.1 per square mile (317.8/km²) The ethnic makeup of the city is 94.8% White, 0.2% African American, 2.3% Native American,0.7% Asian and 0.1% Pacific Islander, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.8%. The city's median income was $34,416, and the median income for a family was $50,018. The per capita income for the city was $20,020. About 16.4% of those under the age of 18 and 8.3%. of those age 65 or over were living below the poverty line. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was2.77. The median age in theCity was 40.3 years. The city has a population of 25,780 people, with 12,133 housing units. The population density is 1,724.2 inhabitants per squaremile (665.7/ km²). The city is located on the U.S.-Mexico border. The U.N. has a consulate there, which is open to visitors. It is located near the border of the state of New Mexico.

Economy

Helena was founded in an area rich in silver and lead deposits. Its status as capital makes it a major hub of activity at the county, state, and federal level. Education is a major employer, with two high schools and accompanying elementary and middle schools for K12 students as well as Helena College. Major private employers within the city of Helena include Carroll College and the medical community. Helena's economy is also bolstered by Fort William Henry Harrison, the training facility for the Montana National Guard, located just outside the city. Fort Harrison is also home to Fort Harrison VA Medical Center, where many Helena-area residents work. The city's unemployment rate stood at 3.8% in 2013, about 1.2% lower than the rest of the state. The capital's median household income is $50,889, and its unemployment rate is 2.7%. The city has a population of 2.2 million. The population of Helena has a growth rate of 1.7% in the last five years, the highest rate of any Montana city. The state has a unemployment rate of 3.9%. The state's economy has a slow growing economy, with the unemployment rate standing at 2.8%. Helena's population has grown by 1.6% over the past decade, the largest growth rate in the state in the past five years. The average household income in the city is $49,000, the state's highest level of income. The Helena area has a high unemployment rate.

Education

Helena has a public library, a branch of the Lewis & Clark Library. Carroll College, a Catholic liberal arts college which opened in 1909, enrolls 1,500 students. Helena College University of Montana provides transfer, career, and technical education for more than 1,600 students. It opened in 1939. Primary and secondary education includes Helena High School, Helena Elementary School, and Helena Middle School. The Helena School District was founded in 1903. It is the oldest school district in the state of Montana. It was founded by the state legislature in 1904. It has been the state's seat of education since the turn of the 20th century. The school district was established by the State Legislature in 1903, and was the first in Montana to become a state school. It became a state university in 1944. The state's first high school opened in 1906. The town has a population of 1.2 million. The city is home to the Lewis and Clark Library, which was established in 1878. The library is located in the town's downtown area, on the corner of Main and Main streets. It also has a branch in the downtown area of Helena, which is known as the "Lewis and Clark Building" It is one of the oldest public libraries in the U.S., along with the University of Washington and the College of Idaho. It dates back to the early 19th century and is located on the banks of the Yellowstone River. The Montana River runs through the city, and the Helena River flows through the center of Helena.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Helena, Broadwater County, Montana = 36.5. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 35. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 20. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Helena = 3.9 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 32,091 individuals with a median age of 40.3 age the population grows by 7.83% in Helena, Broadwater County, Montana population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,903.38 residents per square mile of area (734.91/km²). There are average 2.09 people per household in the 12,749 households with an average household income of $44,774 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is of the available work force and has growths 0.08% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 36.46%. The number of physicians in Helena per 100,000 population = 255.3.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Helena = 11.9 inches and the annual snowfall = 51.1 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 97. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 189. 83 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 11.2 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 70, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Helena, Broadwater County, Montana which are owned by the occupant = 55.41%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 39 years with median home cost = $158,500 and home appreciation of -0.52%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $12.65 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,775 per student. There are 17.2 students for each teacher in the school, 498 students for each Librarian and 641 students for each Counselor. 4.83% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 25.72% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 14.19% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).