Malta ( ) is a city in, and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of, Phillips County,

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

, United States, located at the intersection of U.S. Routes 2 and 191. The population was 1,860 at the 2020 census.

History

Great Plains Dinosaur Museum in Malta MT

After James Hill and his partners built the St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba railway (which in 1890 became the Great Northern Railway) across Montana's "High Line" in 1887, Malta evolved from

rail siding A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line, branch line, or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end. Sidings often have lighte ...

number 54. What came to be Saco, Montana, to the east and Dodson, Montana, to the west grew from other nearby sidings. A post office was established in Malta in 1890. Its name is said to have been determined by a spin of the globe by a Great Northern official whose finger came to rest on the island of

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

in the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...

. On July 3, 1901, Kid Curry (

Harvey Logan (Known month and day) (known month) (known year) --> , birth_place = Iowa, United States , death_date = , death_place = Parachute, Colorado, United States , resting_place = Linwood Cemetery, G ...

), as part of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch, robbed a train just west of Malta, near Wagner, Montana, making off with about $40,000. One of the best preserved dinosaurs ever discovered and one of only four that were fossilized is a 77-million-year-old ''

Brachylophosaurus ''Brachylophosaurus'' ( or ; meaning "short-crested lizard", Greek ''brachys'' = short + ''lophos'' = crest + ''sauros'' = lizard, referring to its small crest) was a mid-sized member of the hadrosaurid family of dinosaurs. It is known from sev ...

'' nicknamed Leonardo, unearthed north of Malta in 2000. Leonardo, together with brachylophosaurs Elvis (1994), Roberta (2003) and Peanut (2002), is on display at The Great Plains Dinosaur Museum. Two stops on The Montana Dinosaur Trail are located in Malta. They are: * The Great Plains Dinosaur Museum and Field Station (home to the Judith River Dinosaur Institute) * The Phillips County Museum and the H.G. Robinson House and Gardens

Geography

Malta is on the High Plains of Montana. The Little Rocky Mountains are located south of the town. The city of Malta gets their water from wells. The well water is pumped to two water tanks located at the top of a residential area known as Hillcrest. The water is treated to meet safety standards, then it enters the city water distribution system. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the city has a total area of , all land. Malta experiences a

semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of sem ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

''BSk'') with long, cold, dry winters and hot, wetter summers.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2020, there were 1,860 people, 912 households, and (not yet available) families residing in the city. There were 1,016 housing units, of which 857 were occupied. The racial makeup of the city was 1,564 (84.1%)

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 1

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 88 (4.7%) Native American, 9 (0.5%)

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 46 (2.5%) from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 152 (8.2%) from two or more races. There were 70 (3.8%)

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

. 47.8% of households were married couples living together, 26% had a female householder with no husband present, 25.5% had a male householder with no wife present. The average family size was 2.98. 50.9% were married, not separated, 12.9% widowed, 9.8% divorced, and 26.3% never married (29.8% in MT overall). The median age was 51.4 (compared to 40.5 in MT overall), 5.6% were under 5 years, 21.4% were under 18, 78.6% were 18 and older, and 27.6% were 65 and older (19.5% in MT). 44.7% claimed German ancestry, 21.3% Norwegian ancestry, and 16.7% Irish ancestry. 12.8% were veterans. The median income for a household in the city was $44,189 ($57,153 in MT overall), and the median income for a family was $52,974. Males had a median income of $30,117 versus $18,636 for females. About 8.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

(12.6% in MT overall), including 1.6% of those under age 18, 13.7% of those 18 - 64, and 3.4% of those age 65 or over. 18.6% of residents had a Bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 33.6% in MT overall.

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 1,997 people, 902 households, and 539 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 1,006 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.2%

, 0.1%

, 5.5% Native American, 0.4%

, 0.3% from

, and 5.7% from two or more races.

of any race were 2.0% of the population. There were 902 households, of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.2% were non-families. 36.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.81. The median age in the city was 46.8 years. 23.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.6% were from 25 to 44; 29.5% were from 45 to 64; and 23.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.7% male and 53.3% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,120 people, 907 households, and 565 families residing in the city. The

was 2,006.1 people per square mile (772.2/km²). There were 1,067 housing units at an average density of 1,009.7 per square mile (388.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.83%

, 0.05%

, 4.67% Native American, 0.24%

, 0.05%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.19% from

, and 1.98% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.04% of the population. There were 907 households, out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.90. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.7% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 22.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $31,212, and the median income for a family was $41,422. Males had a median income of $30,117 versus $18,636 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $16,405. About 8.8% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the

, including 14.4% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Malta Public Schools educates students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Malta High School's team name is the Mustangs/Mustangettes. Phillips County Library is a public library in Malta.

Transportation

* Amtrak serves Malta (Amtrak station) daily with the

Empire Builder The ''Empire Builder'' is an Amtrak long-distance passenger train that operates daily between Chicago and either Seattle or Portland via two sections west of Spokane. Introduced in 1929, it was the flagship passenger train of the Great Northe ...

service running between Chicago and Seattle/Portland. * Malta Airport

Media

* KMMR FM 100.1 (

Country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

)

References

External links

* {{official website, https://www.cityofmalta.com/

History

Geography

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

2000 census

Education

Transportation

Media

See also

References

Further reading

External links