Helena, Montana

Helena, Montana
City
Clockwise from top: Helena skyline; Cathedral of Saint Helena; Montana State Capitol; Benton Avenue Cemetery; Original Montana Governor's Mansion; and Carroll College
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): Queen City of the Rockies, The Capital City
Location in Lewis and Clark County, Montana
Coordinates: 46°35′44.9″N 112°1′37.31″W / 46.595806°N 112.0270306°W / 46.595806; -112.0270306
Country	United States
State	Montana
County	Lewis and Clark
Founded	October 30, 1864
Government
• Mayor	James E. Smith
Area
• City	16.39 sq mi (42.45 km2)
• Land	16.35 sq mi (42.35 km2)
• Water	0.04 sq mi (0.10 km2)
Elevation	3,875 (Helena Regional Airport) ft (1,181 m)
Population (2010)
• City	28,190
• Estimate (2015)	30,581
• Density	1,724.2/sq mi (665.7/km2)
• Metro	77,414
Time zone	Mountain (UTC-7)
• Summer (DST)	Mountain (UTC-6)
ZIP code	59601-02, 59626; 59604, 59620, 59624 (P.O. Boxes); 59623, 59625 (organisations)
Area code(s)	406
FIPS code	30-35600
GNIS feature ID	0802116
Website	City of Helena, Montana

Helena /ˈhɛlᵻnə/ is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. It was founded as a gold camp during the Montana gold rush, and was established in 1864. Over $3.6 billion of gold was extracted in the city limits over a duration of two decades, making it one of the wealthiest cities in America in the mid-nineteenth century. The concentration of wealth contributed to the city's prominent, elaborate Victorian architecture.

The 2010 census put the population at 28,190 and the Lewis and Clark County population at 63,395. Helena is the principal city of the Helena Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Lewis and Clark and Jefferson counties; its population is 77,414 according to the 2015 Census Estimate.

The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. Professional sports teams include the Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns Tier III Junior A hockey team. The city is served by Helena Regional Airport (HLN).

The Helena area was long used by various indigenous peoples. Evidence from the McHaffie and Indian Creek sites on opposite sides of the Elkhorn Mountains southeast of the Helena Valley show that people of the Folsom culture lived in the area more than 10,000 years ago. Before the introduction of the horse some 300 years ago, and since, other native peoples, including the Salish and the Blackfeet, utilized the area seasonally on their nomadic rounds.