Helena, Montana

Welcome to Helena, Montana

Helena is the capital city of Montana. It is also the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. This means it is an important place for the state’s government.

A City With a Rich History

Helena began as a gold camp in 1864 during the Montana gold rush. Gold was found at Last Chance Gulch by the Four Georgians. Because of the gold, the city grew quickly. Many beautiful Victorian architecture buildings can still be seen there today.

In the 2020 census, Helena had a population of 32,091. This makes it one of the smaller state capitals in the United States and the sixth largest city in Montana.

Beautiful Surroundings

Helena is surrounded by many beautiful places, including the Continental Divide, Mount Helena City Park, Spring Meadow Lake State Park, and the Missouri River. The city covers an area of 16.39 square miles, most of which is land.

Helena has a semi-arid climate, meaning it has long, cold winters with some snow, hot and dry summers, and short springs and autumns. Snow can fall in any month except July, but it usually only adds up to small amounts.

A Place for Learning

Helena has many places for learning. There are colleges like Carroll College, a Catholic school that opened in 1909, and Helena College University of Montana. For younger students, several school districts help kids from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. The city also has a big public library, which is part of the Lewis & Clark Library system.