Billings Montana
Billings, Montana 59105 was founded in 1882 and is the county seat of
Yellowstone County. Billings soon became known as the “Magic City” because of
its magic population growth rate. Located on the Yellowstone River and
Interstate highway 90 in south central Montana Billings is the largest city in
Montana. Billings Montana city web site.
The delight you can have in Billings is infinite – theatres, museums,
shopping, fishing, pack trips, golfing, photography or just climbing the “Rims”.
This is part of the "Big Sky" country!
Billings is nestled in the Yellowstone River valley east of the Continental
Divide. Billings was laid out by the Minnesota and Montana Land and Improvement
Company which had purchased Northern Pacific grant lands in the area. The grant
embraced alternate sections of land for forty miles on either side of the
railroad tracks in the territories. Montana was a territory then, not achieving
statehood until November 1889.
Billings was named for Frederick H. Billings, a president of the Northern
Pacific Railroad. Billings was founded in 1882 near the already-existing town of
Coulson. Coulson had been situated on the Yellowstone River, which made it ideal
for the commerce that Steamboats brought up the river. However, when the Montana
and Minnesota Land Company oversaw the development of potential railroad land,
they ignored Coulson, and platted the new town of Billings several miles to the
West. When the Northern Pacific Railroad was built, Coulson died as Billings
flourished.
The more famous people who have lived in Billings include Charles Lindbergh,
who once worked as a mechanic at the Billings Logan Airport and performed as a
barn stormer. "Calamity Jane" Canary also lived in the Billings area toward the
end of her life. Arlo Guthrie was briefly a student in Billings.
The census of 2000 found: there are 89,847 people, 37,525 households, and
23,152 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,029.1/km˛
(2,665.1/mi˛). There are 39,293 housing units at an average density of 450.0/km˛
(1,165.6/mi˛). The racial makeup of the city is 92% White, 0.6% African
American, 3% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1% from other
races, and 2% from two or more races. 4% of the population are Hispanic or
Latino of any race. There are 37,525 households out of which 29% have children
under the age of 18 living with them, 47% are married couples living together,
11% have a female householder with no husband present, and 38% are non-families.
31% of all households are made up of individuals and 11% have someone living
alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2 and the
average family size is 3. In the city the population is spread out with 24%
under the age of 18, 10% from 18 to 24, 29% from 25 to 44, 22% from 45 to 64,
and 15% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every
100 females there are 93 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are
89 males. So fellows, you have a chance!
The median income for a household in the city is $35,147, and the median
income for a family is $45,032. Males have a median income of $32,525 versus
$21,824 for females. The per capita income for the city is $19,207. 12% of the
population and 9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total
population, 16.5% of those under the age of 18 and 7% of those 65 and older are
living below the poverty line.
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