Virginia City Historic District · National Register of Historic Places
Virginia City’s story
163 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1863Virginia City is settled
Virginia CityMT
A town of 260, settled in 1863.
Photo: Jason Woodhead · CC BY 4.0
Population
260
2025 Census estimate · +19.8% since 2020
Median home value
$352K
Census ACS
Household income
$62K
median
Median age
59.8
years
Jobs based here
148
A job hub
Is Virginia City a good place to live?
Virginia City’s median age is 59.8 years, above both Montana’s towns (38.9 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). Only 2 of the 43 Montana towns we compare have a lower July high than Virginia City. Virginia City Historic District and Dr. Don L. Byam House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Virginia City has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Virginia City stand out
Where Virginia City beats most towns.
Small town
260 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Virginia City: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Virginia City, and how to reach them.
PowerNorthWestern Energy14.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterVirginia City Water Dept5 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Virginia City’s trash rules yet
Register to voteIn personMontana has no online registration; you can register in person up to and including Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereMadison County Election AdministratorMadison County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2021
ZIP code5975559755 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Virginia City.
Work & commute
A job hub: Virginia City has 1.9 jobs for every working resident and draws in 136 commuters
Most working residents leave Virginia City for work: only 15% work in town. Virginia City’s average trip to work is 11 minutes, below both the Montana town median (17 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Since 2013, Virginia City has lost 42 jobs, to 148 in 2023.
15%work in town
| Virginia City | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 11 minutes | 17 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 39% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 7% | 10% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Virginia City15%
Sheridan14%
Billings8%
Twin Bridges5%
Missoula5%
17 mi
median commute distance
148
jobs based in Virginia City
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Virginia City, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Virginia City has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 79°, January nights drop to 16° and about 65 inches of snow falls in a winter.
65″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–33°
Spring29–51°
Summer47–75°
Fall32–54°
Sep 18
typical first frost
Jun 4
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Virginia City stands out in Montana and nationally: a smaller share of its adults sleep under 7 hours
24% of Virginia City adults sleep under 7 hours. Of the 42 Montana towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults who binge drink than Virginia City. 13% of Virginia City adults smoke cigarettes.
| Virginia City | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 32% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 32% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 31% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 18% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Montana
12 better13 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Virginia City | MT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.5% | 12.3% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 4.9% | 6.5% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.6% | 6.6% |
Madison Valley Medical Center
10.5 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Virginia City has set aside 7.1% of its land for conservation
0.5 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
7.1%conserved
| Virginia City | Montana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 7.1% | 9.2% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
7.1%
conserved · 43 of 603 acres
0.5 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Virginia City Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
Avalanches leads a moderate hazard risk in Virginia City
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 53% of U.S. communities.
53risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesInland floodingEarthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Virginia City
17pages on Virginia City
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Virginia City; the nearest are
The University of Montana-WesternUniversity or college · Public · Dillon34.7 mi$6,670 in-state tuitionHighlands College of Montana TechCommunity college · Public · Butte52.3 mi$4,130 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Virginia City residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Montana.
A job hub
Every workday, about 136 people come to Virginia City for work
Where Virginia City’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
148jobs based in Virginia City
15%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Virginia City
Town in Montana, United States
Virginia City is a town in and the county seat of Madison County, Montana, United States. Virginia City was the territorial capital of Montana from 1865 to 1875. In 1961 the town and the surrounding area were designated a National Historic Landmark District, the Virginia City Historic District. The population was 219 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1863
- Area
- 0.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 5,761 ft
- ZIP code
- 59755
- Area code
- 406
Questions about Virginia City
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Virginia City, MT a good place to live?
Virginia City has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.