Local Information

Helena was founded after the discovery of gold in 1864 on Last Chance Gulch (now Helena's main street) and grew rapidly. In 1875 a general election ratified Helena to replace Virginia City as territorial capital. In the 1890s it maintained its position as state capital against the rivalry of Anaconda. As the area's stores of gold and silver were depleted, other minerals, including copper, lead, and zinc were discovered and exploited.

Carroll College is located in Helena and landmarks include the Original Governor's Mansion, the Holter Museum of Art, the Montana Historical Society Museum, and the Myrna Loy Center for the Performing and Media Arts. The capitol building and the civic center also have noteworthy historical and artistic collections. The city is surrounded by scenic mountains and is the headquarters of Helena National Forest.

Helena Vitals

Population (year 2000): 25,780
Est. population in July 2002: 26,353 (+1.9% change)
Males: 12,283 (47.6%), Females: 13,497 (52.4%)
Elevation: 4090 feet
County: Lewis and Clark
Land area: 14.0 square miles
Zip codes: 59601, 59602
Median resident age: 38.8 years
Median household income: $34,416 (year 2000)
Median house value: $113,000 (year 2000)
Airlines: Delta, Northwest, Horizon
Surrounding Communities: East Helena, Townsend, Clancy, Jefferson City, Boulder, Elliston, Avon, Lincoln

Average Weather in Helena

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Average Temp. (°F)	20.2	26.2	34.7	43.6	52.4	60.6	67.2	66.1	55.7	44.5	30.6	21.4
High Temp. (°F)	30.4	37.0	46.3	56.4	65.4	74.5	82.8	81.9	70.5	57.9	40.9	31.3
Low Temp. (°F)	10.1	15.6	23.2	30.8	39.2	46.8	51.6	50.2	40.8	31.1	20.2	11.5
Precipitation	0.6	0.4	0.7	1.0	1.9	1.8	1.4	1.3	1.1	0.7	0.6	0.5

Colleges/Universities in Helena

Carroll College (Full-time enrollment: 1,124; Location: 1601 N. Benton Ave.; Private, not-for-profit; www.carroll.edu
Helena College of Technology of University of Montana (FT enrollment: 622; Location: 1115 N. Roberts St.; Public; www.umhelena.edu/

Hospitals/Medical Centers in Helena

Shodair Children's Hospital (2755 Colonial Dr., PO Box 5539)
St Peters Community Hospital (2475 Broadway); http://www.stpetes.org/

Public High Schools in Helena

Helena High School (Students: 1,750; Location: 1300 Billings Ave.; Grades: 9-12)
Capital High School (Students: 1,372; Location: 100 Valley Dr.; Grades: 9-12)

Private High Schools in Helena

St. Andrews School (Students: 126; Location: PO Box 231; Grades: KG-12)
Rocky Mountain Christian High (Students: 70; Location: 1421 N. Roberts; Grades: 9-12)

Largest Public Primary/Middle Schools in Helena

C R Anderson Middle School (Students: 996; Location: 1200 Knight; Grades: 6-8)
Helena Middle School (Students: 723; Location: 1025 N. Rodney; Grades: 6-8)
Rossiter School (Students: 488; Location: 1497 Sierra Rd. E.; Grades: PK-5)
Four Georgians School (Students: 469; Location: 555 Custer Ave.; Grades: KG-5)
Smith School (Students: 311; Location: 2320 5TH Ave.; Grades: KG-5)
Central School (Students: 293; Location: 402 N. Warren; Grades: KG-5)
Warren School (Students: 277; Location: 2690 York Rd.; Grades: KG-5)
Jim Darcy School (Students: 273; Location: 990 Lincoln Rd. W.; Grades: KG-5)
Broadwater School (Students: 273; Location: 900 Hollins; Grades: PK-5)
Bryant School (Students: 246; Location: 1529 Boulder; Grades: KG-5)

Private Primary/Middle Schools in Helena

Cornerstone Academy (Students: 152; Location: PO Box 4848, 118 Placer St.; Grades: KG-8)
Intermountain Children's Home (Students: 40; Location: 500 S. Lamborn; Grades: 1-7)
Helena Community School (Students: 26; Location: 32 S. Ewing; Grades: UG-UG)
Helena Adventist Christian School (Students: 8; Location: 2410 Belt View Dr.; Grades: 1-8)
Christ's Church Academy (Students: 6; Location: 921 E 6th; Grades: 2-10)

Library in Helena

Lewis and Clark Library (Location: 120 S. Last Chance Gulch; 118,314 books; 2,323 audio materials; 2,545 video materials; 195 serial subscriptions)