Montana Facts for Kids

A Map of the U.S. state Montana
  • U.S. State: Montana
  • Abbreviation: MT
  • Joined the USA: November 8th, 1889 (41st State)
  • Located: Western United States
  • Capital City: Helena, MT
  • Most Populated City: Billings, MT

31 Montana Facts for Kids

  1. Montana is a state in the United States of America.
  2. Montana became a U.S. State on Friday, November 8th, 1889.
  3. Montana was the 41st state to join the United States.
  4. The U.S. state of Montana covers 147,040 square miles.
  5. Montana is the 4th largest state by area in the United States.
  6. In 2019, the population of Montana was estimated to be 1,069,000 residents by the U.S. Census Bureau.
  7. In 2019, Montana was the 43rd most populated state in the United States.
  8. A person who is from or lives in Montana is called a Montanan.
  9. The capital city of Montana is Billings.
  10. The three most populated cities in Montana are Billings, Missoula and Great Falls.
  11. The largest city by population in Montana is Billings.
  12. The largest metropolitan area in Montana is the Billings metropolitan area.
  13. The U.S. state of Montana has 56 counties.
  14. The most populated county in Montana is Yellowstone County with 161,300 residents (2019, U.S. Census Bureau).
  15. The largest county by area in Montana is Beaverhead County with 5,543 square miles.
  16. The highest elevation point in Montana is Granite Peak at 12,807 feet above sea level.
  17. The lowest elevation point in Montana is the Kootenai River at 1,804 feet above sea level.
  18. The average precipitation (rain and snow) in Montana is 14.9 inches.
  19. Montana is the 46th wettest state by precipitation (rain and snow) in the United States.
  20. The average temperature in Montana is 44.1 °F.
  21. Montana is the 44th warmest state in the United States.
  22. The warmest temperature ever recorded in Montana was 117 °F on July 5th, 1937.
  23. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Montana was -70 °F on January 20th, 1954.
  24. A couple natural disasters that can affect Montana are blizzards and wildfires.
  25. Montana is in one time zone, Mountain Time Zone (MT).
  26. The USPS abbreviation for Montana is MT.
  27. Montana is also known as Big Sky Country and the Treasure State.
  28. The motto of the U.S. state of Montana is “Gold and Silver”.
  29. The official state flower of Montana is the bitterroot (Lewisia rediviva).
  30. The official state tree of Montana is the ponderosa tree (Pinus ponderosa).
  31. The official state bird of Montana is the western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta).

Additional Resources on Montana

  • About Montana – Discover more about the U.S. state of Montana on the National Geographic Kids website.
  • History of Montana – Learn about the history of Montana on the Montana State Government website.
  • Facts About Montana – Find more facts about Montana on the Visit Montana website.
  • Montana – Wikipedia – Read this detailed article about the U.S. state of Montana on the Wikipedia website.

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