What Is The Oldest Founded Town In Montana?

Depending on who you ask that question to, you will get a different answer, and honestly they might all be right.

One of the reasons for the debate is that record keeping from those days either wasn't as thorough as today, or the records have been lost to time.

Montana Towns Formed Around Resources

Many of the cities in Montana were formed for the same reasons almost any city gets founded: nearby resources.

Places like Helena and Virginia City were formed thanks to the gold deposits found nearby. While Butte also had a mining background, it was not gold but copper instead.

Other places got formed for their commerce connections, like how Fort Benton got its start as a fur trading post and Livingston was at first a railroad town.

Close up of a map of Montana that is over 60 years old
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These Towns Are Older Than Montana Itself

While it took until 1889 to make Montana the 41st state in the Union, there were already plenty of people living here and not just in one or two places but all across what was then known as the Montana Territory.

Now when it comes to the oldest towns, you usually will find 3 different answers. Some people will say the ghost town Virginia City is the oldest, while others will say Fort Benton, and finally some will say Stevensville is the oldest.

Technically those are all wrong answers to the question, as one town was founded under a different name.

11 Of The Oldest Founded Towns To See In Montana

Before Montana even became a state in 1889 there were plenty of towns already founded, here are the 11 oldest according to World Atlas.

Gallery Credit: Nick Northern

LOOK: Here Are The 15 Best Towns To Raise A Family In Montana

Whether you're moving in state or from out of state here are the 15 best places for you to move to, according to Niche, and raise your family in Montana.

Gallery Credit: Nick Northern

KEEP READING: Here Is Where Most Non-Native Montana Residents Were Born

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, almost half of Montana residents were not born here. Here are the states that have had at least 10,000 people born elsewhere but now live in Montana.

Gallery Credit: Nick Northern

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