Hamilton, Montana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hamilton
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Downtown Hamilton
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Location of Hamilton, Montana
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| Country | United States |
| State | Montana |
| County | Ravalli |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.60 sq mi (6.73 km2) |
| • Land | 2.54 sq mi (6.58 km2) |
| • Water | 0.06 sq mi (0.15 km2) |
| Elevation | 3,570 ft (1,090 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 4,659 |
| • Density | 1,832.81/sq mi (707.68/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
59840
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| Area code(s) | 406 |
| FIPS code | 30-33775 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0784496 |
| Website | www.cityofhamilton.net |
Hamilton is a city in Montana, USA. It is the main city and county seat of Ravalli County. In 2020, about 4,659 people lived there.
Contents
History of Hamilton
Hamilton was started by a wealthy mining businessman named Marcus Daly in the late 1800s. He was known as a "copper king" because he made a lot of money from copper mines. The city was named after J.W. Hamilton, who helped get land for the railroad.
It's said that Marcus Daly wanted to start a business in a nearby town called Grantsdale, but they said no. So, he decided to build Hamilton himself as a response.
In the summer of 2000, Hamilton was in the news around the world. Big forest fires in the Bitterroot Valley filled the air with smoke. Many people had to leave their homes for safety. President Clinton even declared a state of emergency. He sent National Guard soldiers to help fight the fires.
Geography and Climate
Hamilton is located at 46°14′54″N 114°9′35″W / 46.24833°N 114.15972°W. The city covers about 2.57 square miles (6.66 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.
Hamilton has a humid continental climate. This means it has warm, humid summers and cold winters.
| Climate data for Hamilton, Montana (1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 36.7 (2.6) |
41.8 (5.4) |
51.4 (10.8) |
59.1 (15.1) |
67.6 (19.8) |
75.2 (24.0) |
85.1 (29.5) |
83.7 (28.7) |
72.8 (22.7) |
59.3 (15.2) |
44.2 (6.8) |
34.0 (1.1) |
59.2 (15.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 18.8 (−7.3) |
20.7 (−6.3) |
26.9 (−2.8) |
32.7 (0.4) |
39.5 (4.2) |
45.6 (7.6) |
50.2 (10.1) |
48.6 (9.2) |
40.8 (4.9) |
31.8 (−0.1) |
24.3 (−4.3) |
16.8 (−8.4) |
33.1 (0.6) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.88 (22) |
0.86 (22) |
0.97 (25) |
0.99 (25) |
1.67 (42) |
1.61 (41) |
0.99 (25) |
1.06 (27) |
1.01 (26) |
0.76 (19) |
1.19 (30) |
1.17 (30) |
13.17 (335) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 3.0 (7.6) |
3.2 (8.1) |
1.5 (3.8) |
0.3 (0.76) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
2.3 (5.8) |
3.5 (8.9) |
14.3 (36) |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Population Changes
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 50 | — | |
| 1900 | 1,257 | — | |
| 1910 | 2,240 | 78.2% | |
| 1920 | 1,700 | −24.1% | |
| 1930 | 1,839 | 8.2% | |
| 1940 | 2,332 | 26.8% | |
| 1950 | 2,678 | 14.8% | |
| 1960 | 2,475 | −7.6% | |
| 1970 | 2,499 | 1.0% | |
| 1980 | 2,661 | 6.5% | |
| 1990 | 2,737 | 2.9% | |
| 2000 | 3,705 | 35.4% | |
| 2010 | 4,348 | 17.4% | |
| 2020 | 4,659 | 7.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 Census Information
In 2010, Hamilton had 4,348 people living in 2,175 households. About 1,006 of these were families. The city had about 1,718 people per square mile (663 people per square kilometer).
Most of the people living in Hamilton were White (95.0%). A smaller number were Asian (1.4%), Native American (0.6%), or African American (0.3%). About 3.1% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
About 23.6% of households had children under 18. The average age in the city was 43 years old. About 20.1% of residents were under 18, and 24.7% were 65 or older. Slightly more than half of the population (53.4%) was female.
Economy and Jobs
Hamilton is home to important research centers. As of 2004, it had two places that study tiny living things (microbes) and make related products. One is the government-run Rocky Mountain Laboratories. The other was a branch of Corixa Corporation, which was later bought by a big company called GlaxoSmithKline.
In 2008, the Rocky Mountain Laboratories opened a special lab called a Biosafety Level 4 lab. This lab is designed to safely work with very dangerous germs, like certain viruses.
Hamilton used to have one of the last remaining Kmart stores in the United States. It was the only one left in Montana and the entire Mountain time zone. However, this Kmart store closed in March 2022.
Arts and Culture
Hamilton offers several cultural and outdoor activities.
- The Ravalli County Museum opened in 1955. It is in the old Ravalli County Courthouse. It teaches about the county's history, nature, and art.
- The Daly Mansion, which was Marcus Daly's home, is open for tours. This large house has over 50 rooms and sits on 26 acres of land.
- The beautiful Bitterroot Valley around Hamilton is perfect for outdoor fun. You can go hiking and watch wildlife. River Park and Skalkaho Bend have trails right in town.
- There is a large skatepark called Circle 13 at Claudia Driscoll Park. It was built by Montana Pool Service, a project started by Jeff Ament.
- The Hamilton Performing Arts Center is at Hamilton High School. It has 700 seats and hosts the annual Bitterroot Performing Arts Series. It also holds other school and public shows.
Transportation and Services
Hamilton is located right on U.S. Route 93. It is also crossed by Montana Secondary Highway 269.
The Ravalli County Airport is a public airport located just one mile east of the town.
Daly Hospital, which is part of Bitterroot Health, provides healthcare services in Hamilton.
Education in Hamilton
- Hamilton High School is the local high school.
- The Bitterroot College Program is part of the University of Montana. It is located in Hamilton and was renamed Bitterroot College University of Montana in 2012.
- The Bitterroot Public Library serves the town. It is one of 17 Carnegie libraries built in Montana. These libraries were built with money given by Andrew Carnegie.
Local Media
Hamilton's local newspaper is the Ravalli Republic. You can read it in print, as an e-edition, or online.
There are five radio stations in Hamilton:
- KBAZ plays mainstream rock music.
- KHKM plays adult hits.
- KLYQ broadcasts news and talk shows.
- KMZO is a religious channel.
- KUFN is a public radio station.
Famous People from Hamilton
- Willy Burgdorfer was a scientist who found what causes Lyme disease.
- Herald Rea Cox was a bacteriologist, a scientist who studies bacteria.
- Marcus Daly, one of the "Copper Kings", owned a large farm near Hamilton.
- Henry L. Myers was a United States Senator from Montana.
- Jerry J. O'Connell was a United States Representative from Montana. He also edited a local newspaper.
- Val Skinner is a golfer who won six professional golf events.
- Suzanna Son is an actress known for the movie Red Rocket.
- Michael D. Stevens was a very high-ranking leader in the U.S. Navy.
See also
In Spanish: Hamilton (Montana) para niños
