Fish Creek, Mineral County Montana

About 15 percent of the state’s population is found in the three counties, with the city of Missoula having a population of 57,053. Ravalli County has experienced the fastest population growth during the last decade, at 44.2 percent from 1990 to 2000. Missoula County grew 21.8 percent during the same period and Mineral County had the least, at 17.2 percent.

Missoula is the center of a multi-county trade area, which extends toward Butte, toward the Flathead region and into the Salmon area of Idaho to the south. Interstate 90 runs through both Mineral and Missoula counties and brings tourism and a large percentage of retail goods into the area. Montana Rail Link follows the Interstate and the Missoula International Airport is the primary air link for the three counties.

The region hosts some of the tourism between Yellowstone and Glacier parks and into the Flathead Lake area. A large percentage of those going into the Bitterroot-Selway, Bob Marshall and Anaconda-Pintlar wilderness areas enter from the three counties.