If we were going to make a list of the towns that don't sound like they belong in Montana, of course, we had to follow it up with towns that do sound like they belong. So what makes a town sound Montanan?

A nod to cowboy culture is a good start, like at least one of the towns on our list. But even more so, the towns that acknowledge the land or landscape are fitting for what they are and for how they sound. Montanans are straightforward, and they call it like it is, so if the town is called Big Timber, for example, there's probably a reason why.

With gratitude, we acknowledge the indigenous lands that all Montanans live on, and with respect, appreciate the towns in our state that have indigenous names.

Here's our list of town names that sound like they do belong in Montana.

Twodot, Montana

This town actually gets its name from a cattle brand. You can see the supposed brand here. 

Wolf Point, Montana

Unlike Anaconda, Montana, Wolf Point at least has an animal we see in Montana in the name.

Roundup, Montana

As the word suggests (again, Montanans are a straightforward bunch), this was a place where cowboys would '"round up" their cattle'  according to Wikipedia.

Dillon, Montana

Unlike Kevin, Montana, Dillon has a Montana sound to it. Maybe it's just easier to imagine a cowboy named Dillion than a cowboy named Kevin.

Colstrip, Montana  

With a long history of mining, it doesn't take a lot of guessing to figure out how the strip mining town got its name.

Red Lodge, Montana

Named as one of the best downtowns in Montana, and a town that's now known for its tourism, its name seems fitting.

Big Timber, Montana

As alluded to above, Big Timber was named for its trees by none other than William Clark. 

Hardin, Montana

You could say there's a "hardened" quality to a lot of Montanas because it takes a strong character to deal with our harsh winters. Seems appropriate we'd have at least one town to acknowledge Montana's grit.

Three Forks, Montana

A geographical name, Three Forks is near the place where three rivers, the Jefferson, the Madison, and the Gallatin meet up.

Bigfork, Montana  

Not technically a town, according to Wikipedia, "Some say the name "Bigfork" is derived from the Salish name for the area. However Bigfork is a fork where two rivers, the Flathead River and the Swan River, flow into the Flathead Lake." Bigfork is also on our list of Montana towns with the best downtowns.

Polebridge, Montana 

This town was actually named for a bridge. 

Missoula, Montana

Missoula, "Place of Small Bull Trout" is a Séliš (Salish) word.

Kalispell, Montana

Kalispell is also a Salish word. It means "flat land above the lake." 

Montana's AA School Districts Ranked by Graduation Rates

Based on Public School Review these are the AA schools with the best graduation rate in Montana. Note: Gallatin High School won't be listed as they only opened in 2020, so there isn't enough data to generate their graduation rate yet.

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