The Bitterroot Valley is located just south of Missoula, in west-central Montana. The valley runs north-south approximately 100 miles long stretching from Missoula at the north end, to Lost Trail Pass and the Idaho border to the south. The magnificent Bitterroot Mountains create the western border and the smaller, yet equally majestic Sapphire Mountains and Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness Area to the create the eastern border. US Highway 93 splits the valley in half along with the Bitterroot River. Interestingly, the Bitterroot River is one of the only rivers in the world that runs directly north.
photo by Jakes 2007
Starting with Missoula and continuing south, the communities of Lolo (Missoula County), Florence, Stevensville, Victor, Corvallis, Hamilton, Darby and Sula make up the population of Ravalli County of just over 40,000 residents. Hamilton is the largest of these towns with about 5,000 residents and is the county seat and hub of the Bitterroot Valley.
The Bitterroot Valley is a largely agricultural, but in the recent housing boon, has been discovered as a community of second homes and overflow from Missoula and Missoula County commuters. Ravalli County is one of the fastest growing counties in Montana. With future prospects of a community college and biotech entrepreneurial center and recent additions to the Rocky Mountain Labs and Glaxo-Smith-Kline facilities, Ravalli County is set for even more growth.
