Living in Butte
At 5,484 feet we are the "other" Mile High City. During its mining heyday in the early 1900s, Butte was once considered the "richest hill on earth" due to the vast amount of copper that could be mined here. During this time, Butte boomed with a population of nearly 100,000. Now with a population of about 34,000, our southwestern Montana town celebrates both our historical mining past as well as our current growth in a variety of fields including high tech, engineering, health care, education and cultural arts.
Nestled in the Rocky Mountains and bordered by the Continental Divide to the east, Butte became a melting pot of ethnic diversity as immigrants came to mine gold, silver and especially copper. The World Museum of Mining is a must-see tourist attraction that truly captures the flavor and feel of Butte in its mining heyday.
Evidence of our early ethnic ties are still clear through a strong connection to the great number of Irish settlers, the annual Chinese New Year Parade and Maiwah Society, which celebrates Butte's Asian heritage, and the Finnish-American March 16th celebration of St. Urho's Day. When in Butte, don't forget to seek out one of our specialties - "pasties" a meat and potato-stuffed dough recipe brought by Cornish settlers but truly perfected locally.
Today, Butte is home to one of the largest National Historic Landmark Districts in the United States. We have 4,500 buildings listed as national historic sites or buildings. Butte has a diverse economic base directed by healthcare, energy research, education, silicon-based manufacturing, transportation and tourism. Our surrounding mountains offer a variety of year-round outdoor activities including hiking, camping, skiing, snowmobiling, hunting, horseback riding, and fishing. We also offer a full-service airport.
More Local Links
Community
Affiliates
State Organizations
National
|
|
