If you’ve called Montana home for longer than about five minutes, you know it’s a beautiful — and unique — place to live. That being said, Montanans also have a few bragging rights, both impressive and quirky, that set the state apart from the rest of the country. And when you start to list them, you’ll see what makes Montana unique.

1. Montana is the only state that has a Triple Divide.
Triple Divide Pass, Montana 59434, USA
Troy Smith / Flickr
From the Montana Triple Divide, water flows to three oceans: Hudson Bay (Arctic), Gulf of Mexico (Atlantic), and the Pacific Ocean.
2. Ours is the only state with a constitution that recognizes the cultural heritage of the American Indians and is committed to the preservation of their cultural integrity.
Adib Roy / Flickr
The Crow Fair Celebration Powwow & Rodeo is one of the biggest annual Powwows in the country and one of the many things unique to Montana
3. Even though it's now a toxic, bird-killing vat of acidic death water, Butte's Berkeley Pit is something that's definitely unique to Montana.
ccarlstead / Flickr
The former open-pit copper mine is now a tourist attraction.
4. We have more grizzlies than any other state...
Ny / Flickr

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5. ... and our cows outnumber our human population.
U.S. Department of Agriculture / Flickr
That's the way we prefer it, of course.
6. Montana's Dinosaur Trail is unlike anything else in the country.
Museum of the Rockies Facebook
The Montana Dinosaur Trail is made up of 14 dinosaur museums, state parks, and other attractions that span the state, showing off the discoveries renowned paleontologists have made.
7. At one point in time, Helena had more millionaires per capita than any other place in the world.
Visit Helena Montana Facebook
Considering Helena, Montana was founded during Montana's gold rush era, it's not entirely surprising.
8. We have the Polebridge Mercantile, thank goodness.
Lorie Shaull / Flickr
Please go get a huckleberry bear claw at the Polebridge Mercantile as soon as possible, especially if you never have tried one.
9. Our history could have been very different -- a part of Montana almost became the 49th state.
Dirk Dallas / Flickr
In 1939, some ranchers and farmers in Wyoming got fed up with the federal government and the New Deal and decided to secede and form a new state. It would have been called Absaroka, after a local mountain range, and included a chunk of southeastern Montana, southwestern South Dakota, and northern Wyoming. The movement never gathered enough steam to be productive, although a few license plates were made.

Now that you know all about what makes Montana unique, let us know if there’s anything we’ve forgotten. If you’re looking to embrace all the individuality of Montana, take a look at our list of bizarre habits of Montanans so you can better blend in with the locals.

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What Makes Montana Unique?

Sara Dager | June 03, 2022

What stereotypes are there about Montanans?

The citizens of Big Sky Country have a lot of heart and unlimited kindness, but there are definitely some stereotypes about Montanans that even the natives can agree upon. Montanans love hunting, good meat, and their state more than most. Citizens in this great state have embraced our unique way of life that should anyone threaten it, they are in for a bad time! While there are certainly negative stereotypes about Montana that should be put to rest, no one is going to fight you if you tease us a bit about our propensity for going a little too fast on the highway.

What are the worst things about living in Montana?

While we love so much about the Treasure State, it's fair to say that it's not for everyone and there are some bad things about living in Montana. In fact, we think you may want to consider all aspects of Big Sky Country before packing up and making the big move! First and foremost, it is COLD! It is so cold that there are still visible glaciers to be seen! Of course, we can't forget about all of the bears. But if you can overlook all of that, Montana is full of lovely people, stunning nature, and exciting attractions that will make you forget the few negatives.

What are the weirdest things that have happened in Montana?

With a nickname like Big Sky Country, it makes sense that there have been some strange occurrences in Montana. There is so much natural space for wildlife to act up, people to behave oddly, and even aliens to appear! While we may not learn about these stories in history class, these weird things that happened in Montana are very important to the state. Imagine a bear breaking into your school? Or fending off a bear with a zucchini? Stories like that don't happen everywhere and they're part of what makes Montana so unique.

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