Helena, MT Metro Area
The Helena, MT metro area is made up of 3 counties in Montana: Lewis and Clark, Jefferson, and Broadwater, largest first. About 97,153 people lived there on July 1, 2025 (Census estimate), 8.2% more than in April 2020.
- Population, July 2025
- 97,153 8.2% more than in April 2020
- Type
- Metropolitan statistical area
- Counties
- 3: 1 central, 2 outlying
- Land area
- 6,308 sq mi (16,337 km²)
- Time zone
- Mountain TimeUTC-07:00 in January; UTC-06:00 in July
- State
- Montana
- CBSA code
- 25740
Counties in the Helena, MT metro area, largest first
| County | Role | Population, July 2025 | Share of the area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis and Clark County | Central | 75,331 | 77.5% |
| Jefferson County | Outlying | 13,329 | 13.7% |
| Broadwater County | Outlying | 8,493 | 8.7% |
A central county holds the area’s core, an urban area of at least 50,000 people. An outlying county is in the area because of commuting: at least a quarter of its workers have jobs in the central county, or at least a quarter of the people working there live in them. A county belongs to one metro or micro area at most, and it counts whole, countryside included.
Principal city
- Helena33,639 people
OMB names the area after its largest principal cities. A principal city is the area’s largest city, plus any other city that is very large or a big job center, and smaller ones with at least as many jobs as working residents (2020 Census and commuting figures). People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Bordering metro and micro areas, nearest first
Areas with a county on this area’s edge. Distances are straight lines between the areas’ largest cities.
- Butte-Silver Bow, MT Micro Area57 mi southwest
- Great Falls, MT Metro Area71 mi northeast
- Bozeman, MT Metro Area78 mi southeast
- Kalispell, MT Micro Area156 mi northwest
Before using this answer on a form
A metro or micro area is a statistical area that OMB draws for federal statistics. It is not a city, a local government or a mailing address, and it is not a measure of urban and rural: whole counties count, rural parts included. Programs that use metro areas, such as housing income limits or wage rates, can use their own version of these lists; check the program’s own list for an address.
Find the metro area where you are now, find your county, or see every metro and micro area by population.