Known as the Garden City, Missoula is located in a beautiful valley by the Clark Ford River, and is the county seat for Missoula County, Montana. The state flower, the bitteroot, grows only near Missoula.

They city's economy is based on retail and trade, as people from hundreds of miles around use Missoula as their base for shopping and for finding medical and other professional services. The University of Montana and the Forest Service are the major employers in the city.

Missoula is best known as a liberal college city with a very politcally-active community. It is home to the University of Montana. The city holds the highest Democratic voting district in the state, and was one of the counties with the highest percentages of votes for left-wing candidate Ralph Nader in the country in the 2000 election.

Missoula is also a wonderland for outdoor enthusiasts as it is surrounded by national forests and a handful of wilderness areas. Activities are varied - be it fly-fishing on Rock Creek, skiing at Snowbowl, hiking in the Selway-Bitterroot, or cross-country skiing on Lolo Pass. The city is located 3 hours south of Glacier National Park and 3 hours west of Yellowstone National Park.

The love of outdoors has led to a strong pro-environment sentiment among the populace. In short, Missoula is one of the best places to hang out through all seasons of the year.