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County · code 30063

Missoula CountyMontana

Missoula County is a county in western Montana with its seat in Missoula. It was created by Washington Territory on December 14, 1860, from Spokane County.

  • Founded1860
  • County seatMissoula
  • Land area2,593 sq mi + 25 sq mi water
  • Population117,922 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped58,115 checked 16 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in Missoula County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

LakeGraniteRavalliPowellMineralFlatheadSandersClearwater, IDIdaho, ID Missoula Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Missoula on the map of Montana

Montana has 56 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Beaverhead CountyBig Horn CountyBlaine CountyBroadwater CountyCarbon CountyCarter CountyCascade CountyChouteau CountyCuster CountyDaniels CountyDawson CountyDeer Lodge CountyFallon CountyFergus CountyFlathead CountyGallatin CountyGarfield CountyGlacier CountyGolden Valley CountyGranite CountyHill CountyJefferson CountyJudith Basin CountyLake CountyLewis and Clark CountyLiberty CountyLincoln CountyMcCone CountyMadison CountyMeagher CountyMineral CountyMusselshell CountyPark CountyPetroleum CountyPhillips CountyPondera CountyPowder River CountyPowell CountyPrairie CountyRavalli CountyRichland CountyRoosevelt CountyRosebud CountySanders CountySheridan CountySilver Bow CountyStillwater CountySweet Grass CountyTeton CountyToole CountyTreasure CountyValley CountyWheatland CountyWibaux CountyYellowstone CountyMissoula County Missoula
Counties of Montana · Missoula highlighted

History

Formed in 1860 from Spokane County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Missoula County was created by Washington Territory from Spokane County in 1860, initially including parts of present Idaho and Montana. It lost territory to Idaho counties Nez Perce and Shoshone in 1861. When Idaho Territory was created in 1863, Missoula became an Idaho Territory county, then moved to Montana Territory in 1864 when that territory was established.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

  1. 1860
    Missoula County created Missoula created by Washington Territory from Spokane (Wash. Terr., original, extinct); included parts of present Idaho and Montana.
    from Spokane
    · Wash. Terr. Laws 1860, 8th sess., pp. 7-8
  2. 1863
    Became part of Montana Missoula became a county in Idaho Territory. · U.S. Stat., vol. 12, ch. 117 [1863]/pp. 808-814; Van Zandt, 156
  3. 1864
    Missoula County created Missoula re-created by Idaho Territory. Missoula gained from Idaho (Idaho) and non-county areas, lost to creation of Deer Lodge.
    from Idahofrom Deer Lodge
    · Idaho Terr. Laws 1863, 1st sess., sec. 1/p. 674
  4. 1864
    Became part of Montana Missoula became a county in Montana Territory. On 22 September 1864, Montana Territorial Governor, Sidney Edgerton, recognized the counties created by Idaho Territory in an election proclamation. · U.S. Stat., vol. 13, ch. 95 [1864], sec. 1/pp. 85-92; Sanders, Helen F., 1:329; Van Zandt, 145
  5. 1865
    Missoula County created Missoula re-created by Montana Territory with no change in boundaries. · Mont. Terr. Laws 1864, 1st leg., sec. 1/p. 528
Show all 20 changes (15 more)
  1. 1860
    Missoula County created Missoula created by Washington Territory from Spokane (Wash. Terr., original, extinct); included parts of present Idaho and Montana.
    from Spokane
    · Wash. Terr. Laws 1860, 8th sess., pp. 7-8
  2. 1861
    Lost territory Missoula lost to Shoshone (Idaho) and lost to creation of Nez Perce (Idaho); area within present Montana was unchanged.
    to Shoshoneto Nez Perce
    · Wash. Terr. Laws 1861, 9th sess., pp. 3-5
  3. 1863
    Became part of Montana Missoula became a county in Idaho Territory. · U.S. Stat., vol. 12, ch. 117 [1863]/pp. 808-814; Van Zandt, 156
  4. 1864
    Missoula County created Missoula re-created by Idaho Territory. Missoula gained from Idaho (Idaho) and non-county areas, lost to creation of Deer Lodge.
    from Idahofrom Deer Lodge
    · Idaho Terr. Laws 1863, 1st sess., sec. 1/p. 674
  5. 1864
    Became part of Montana Missoula became a county in Montana Territory. On 22 September 1864, Montana Territorial Governor, Sidney Edgerton, recognized the counties created by Idaho Territory in an election proclamation. · U.S. Stat., vol. 13, ch. 95 [1864], sec. 1/pp. 85-92; Sanders, Helen F., 1:329; Van Zandt, 145
  6. 1865
    Missoula County created Missoula re-created by Montana Territory with no change in boundaries. · Mont. Terr. Laws 1864, 1st leg., sec. 1/p. 528
  7. 1867
    Exchanged territory Missoula exchanged with Deer Lodge.
    with Deer Lodge
    · Mont. Terr. Laws 1867, 4th leg., pp. 105-106
  8. 1872
    Boundary clarified Missoula boundaries redefined (no change).
    no change
    · Mont. Terr. Laws 1871, 7th leg., ch. 20, sec. 1/pp. 428-429
  9. 1887
    Boundary clarified Missoula boundaries redefined (no change).
    no change
    · Mont. Terr. Laws 1887, 15th leg., sec. 730/p. 833
  10. 1889
    Became part of Montana Missoula became a county in the state of Montana. · U.S. Stat., vol. 26, pp. 1551-1552 and vol. 25, ch. 180 [1889]/pp. 676-684; Swindler, 6:82-83
  11. 1893
    Lost territory Missoula lost to creation of Flathead and Teton. Acts passed 6 February and 7 February 1893, respectively; both took effect 1 March 1893.
    to Flatheadto Teton
    · Mont. Laws 1893, 3d leg., pp. 198-201, 205-209
  12. 1893
    Lost territory Missoula lost to creation of Granite.
    to Granite
    · Mont. Laws 1893, 3d leg., pp. 212-217
  13. 1893
    Lost territory Missoula lost to creation of Ravalli. Acts passed 16 February and 2 March 1893; took effect 1 April 1893.
    to Ravalli
    · Mont. Laws 1893, 3d leg., pp. 209-213
  14. 1906
    Lost territory Missoula lost to creation of Sanders. Act passed 7 February 1905; took effect 1 March 1906.
    to Sanders
    · Mont. Laws 1905, 9th leg., ch. 9/pp. 18-24
  15. 1911
    Exchanged territory Missoula exchanged with Sanders.
    with Sanders
    · Mont. Laws 1911, 12th leg., ch. 54/pp. 90-91
  16. 1913
    Gained territory Missoula gained from Flathead when boundary was adjusted to run on federal land survey lines.
    from Flathead
    · Mont. Laws 1913, 13th leg., ch. 42/pp. 58-59
  17. 1914
    Lost territory Missoula lost to creation of Mineral.
    to Mineral
    · Mont. Rev. Code 1921, sec. 4334/pp. 1593-1594; Burlingame, 17-19
  18. 1915
    Gained territory Missoula gained from Powell.
    from Powell
    · Mont. Laws 1915, 14th leg., ch. 46/pp. 69-70
  19. 1923
    Lost territory Missoula lost to creation of Lake.
    to Lake
    · Mont. Laws 1923, 18th leg., pp. 623-627
  20. 1943
    Exchanged territory Missoula exchanged with Granite.
    with Granite
    · Mont. Laws 1943, 28th leg., ch. 223/pp. 453-455

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Missoula

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Official
from the office that keeps the record
Good enough
a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback
a guide only; check the official record
Missing
nothing public found yet

People and land

Missoula by the Census

Population
117,922 2020 Census count
Housing units
54,542 2020 Census count
Land area
2,593 square miles
Water area
25 square miles
People per sq mi
45 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Who to ask before you build, dig or sell

Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.

Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.

Permits

Zoning and code

County government

See your own lot on these maps

Open Missoula County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

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Questions

Common questions about Missoula County

When was Missoula County founded?
Missoula County was founded in 1860, formed from Spokane County.
What is the county seat of Missoula County?
The county seat of Missoula County is Missoula.
Is there an online parcel map for Missoula County?
Yes. Missoula County publishes a parcel map of 58,115 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Missoula County's boundary or name changed?
Missoula County was created in 1860 from Spokane County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 17 later changes, chiefly involving Deer Lodge County, Flathead County and Granite County.
Who issues building permits in Missoula County?
The county's page on building permits: Building permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Missoula County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Counties next door