BILLINGS RELOCATION INFORMATION
Highlights | Topography |Geography | Climate | Demographics | Cost of Living | Government | Workforce & Employment Facts | Education | Healthcare | Transportation | Culture/Entertainment | Parks | Childcare Facilities & Resources | Real Estate | Taxes | Recreation & Sports | Points of Interest | Churches | Community Information and Frequently Called Numbers | Utilities & Services

Highlights
BILLINGS, Yellowstone County seat and the largest city in Montana, became known as the "Magic City" soon after its founding in 1882. Billings was named after Frederick Billings, President of the Northern Pacific Railroad from 1879 to 1881. The city earned the nickname of "magic" because its growth was immediate and phenomenal. From its humble beginnings as a railhead for the Northern Pacific, Billings has blossomed into a cosmopolitan city whose population has nearly doubled every thirty years.

Today, Billings is the undisputed hub for the distribution of goods and services to a region of vast dimensions. In excess of 125,000 square miles, the city's primary trade area is one of the largest in the United States. Excellent road, rail and air transportation networks have helped in achieving this distinction. In 2000 total retail sales in Billings exceeded $1.9 billion.

The city is also a regional center for the energy industry and a wide range of agriculturally related businesses. A multi-million dollar crop of sugar beets is processed each year at the Western Sugar Cooperative plant. Three oil refineries, two in Billings and one in nearby Laurel, make this area the oil-refining capital of the northern Rockies. Coal is a vast natural resource; water is plentiful and of excellent quality. This wealth of long-term energy sources has resulted in utility rates that are among the lowest in the nation. Residential electrical rates, for example, are below the national average. The city's current annual average rate is about 9.0 cents per kwh.

In addition to its role as a trade, service, and energy center, Billings is the medical and educational center for the region. The city's medical community provides the most advanced health care services in a four-state area. Two modern and fully-equipped hospitals, over forty clinics, and hundreds of physicians offer every major medical specialty and a complete range of medical services, surgical services, and emergency care.

Montana State University - Billings, Rocky Mountain College and Montana State University - Billings College of Technology offer innovative and timely programs that draw students from a wide radius. Elementary and secondary schools are a real source of civic pride. Billings' high schools consistently rank in the top percentile nationwide in score achievement for the American College Test (ACT). Billings' students participate in the Montana Comprehensive Assessment/ Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). These tests are nationally recognized educational barometers.

The recreational advantages of this area are hard to exaggerate. Each of the four seasons offers something different -- hiking, backpacking, biking, camping, rafting, skiing, snowmobiling, fishing, hunting, golfing, etc. Yellowstone National Park, in the city's backyard, is one of the most scenic and recreational wonders of Montana. There is much to discover in our wide-open spaces. Come join us!