Missoula, city, seat of Missoula County, western Montana, on the Clark Fork of the Columbia River; settled 1865, incorporated 1885. It is a distribution and manufacturing center, situated near several national forests. Products include lumber, plywood, paper, and processed food. The University of Montana (1893) and a center for training forest-fire fighters are here; the Flathead Indian Reservation and resorts on Flathead Lake are nearby. Missoula grew after the coming of the railroad in 1883. The name Missoula is derived from a Flathead (Salish) term meaning “by the cold, chilling waters.” Population 33,388 (1980); 42,918 (1990); 57,053 (2000).
