Billings, Montana

"Billings" redirects here. For other uses, see Billings (disambiguation).

Billings
Crow: Ammalapáshkuua
Cheyenne: É'êxováhtóva
City
From top to bottom, left to right: The Billings Skyline, Four Dances Natural Area, First Interstate Tower, Billings Logan International Airport, Yellowstone County Courthouse, Moss Mansion
Flag of Billings
Flag
Official seal of Billings
Seal
Official logo of Billings
Logo
Nickname(s): 
"Magic City", "City by the Rims", "Star of the Big Sky Country", "Montana's Trailhead"
Location within Yellowstone County
Location within Yellowstone County
Billings is located in Montana
Billings
Billings
Location within Montana
Billings is located in the United States
Billings
Billings
Location within the United States
Coordinates: 45°47′01″N 108°30′22″W / 45.78361°N 108.50611°W / 45.78361; -108.50611
CountryUnited States
StateMontana
CountyYellowstone
Founded1877
IncorporatedMarch 24, 1882
Named forFrederick H. Billings
Government
 • TypeMayor-Council
 • MayorBill Cole
 • City AdministratorChris Kukulski[citation needed]
 • Governing bodyCity Council
Area
[1]
 • City45.39 sq mi (117.57 km2)
 • Land45.29 sq mi (117.29 km2)
 • Water0.11 sq mi (0.28 km2)
Elevation
[2]
3,212 ft (979 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • City117,116
 • RankUS: 242nd
MT: 1st
 • Density2,586.08/sq mi (998.50/km2)
 • Urban
114,773 (US: 273rd)
 • Metro
187,037 (US: 232nd)
Time zoneUTC−7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (Mountain)
ZIP codes
59101-59117[3]
Area code406
FIPS code30-06550
GNIS feature ID2409849[2]
Highways
Websitewww.billingsmt.gov

Billings is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Montana, with a population of 117,116 as of the 2020 census.[4] Located in the south-central portion of the state, it is the seat of Yellowstone County and the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area, which had a population of 184,167 in the 2020 census.[5] With one of the largest trade areas in the United States,[6] Billings is the trade and distribution center for much of Montana east of the Continental Divide. Billings is also the largest retail destination for much of the same area. The Billings Chamber of Commerce claims the area of commerce covers more than 125,000 square miles (320,000 km2).[7] In 2009, it was estimated to serve over 500,000 people.[8]

Billings was nicknamed the "Magic City" because of its rapid growth from its founding as a railroad town in March 1882. The nearby Crow and Cheyenne peoples called the city Ammalapáshkuua[9] and É'êxováhtóva[10] respectively, meaning 'where they cut wood', named as such because of a sawmill built in the area by early white settlers. The city has experienced rapid growth and maintains a strong economy. From 1969 to 2021, the Billings area population growth was 89%, compared to Montana's overall increase of 59%.[11] Parts of the metro area are seeing hyper growth. From 2000 to 2010 Lockwood, an eastern suburb, saw growth of 57.8%, the largest growth rate of any community in Montana.[12] In 2020, the area experienced its highest growth rate in a decade with a 2.3% increase.[13] Billings avoided the economic downturn that affected most of the nation from 2008 to 2012 as well as the housing bust.[14][15] With more hotel accommodations than any area within a five-state region, the city hosts a variety of conventions, concerts, sporting events, and other rallies.[6] With the nearby Bakken oil development, the largest oil discovery in U.S. history,[16][17] as well as the Heath Shale oil discovery north of Billings,[18] the city's growth rate stayed high during the shale oil boom.[19][20]

Attractions in and around Billings include ZooMontana, the Yellowstone Art Museum, Pompey's Pillar, Pictograph Cave, Chief Plenty Coups State Park, Little Bighorn Battlefield, Bighorn Canyon, Red Lodge Mountain, and the Beartooth Highway. The northeast entrance to Yellowstone National Park is a little over 100 miles (160 km) from Billings.

  1. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Billings, Montana
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference ZIPcode was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Explore Census Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  5. ^ "Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas". Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference bigskyeda-edc was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Montana's Trailhead". Billings Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference autogenerated1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Doyle, Shane; Doyle, Megkian (June 6, 2016). "30 Apsáalooke Place Names Along the Lewis & Clark Trail" (PDF). University of Oregon. p. 37. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  10. ^ "Cheyenne placenames".
  11. ^ "Billings MSA vs. Montana". Montana Regional Economic Analysis Project. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  12. ^ "Lockwood CDP QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau". Quickfacts.census.gov. Archived from the original on June 16, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  13. ^ "Our Changing Population: Yellowstone County, Montana". USAfacts. July 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  14. ^ Lutey, Tom (December 19, 2010). "Billings economy not an illusion". Missoulian.com. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference BillGaz 2010-12-26 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference marketwire.com was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference wallstreet-online.de was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ "A piece of the oil action". BillingsGazette.com. March 6, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  19. ^ "Experts say Billings will benefit from energy boom". BillingsGazette.com. March 4, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  20. ^ Cite error: The named reference 2012poleshift.wetpaint.com was invoked but never defined (see the help page).