Darby ( Salish: snk̓ʷɫxʷexʷem̓i, "Place Where They Would Lift Something") is a town in Ravalli County,

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

, United States. The population was 783 at the 2020 census. Darby is located near the southwestern border of Montana and Idaho, along the Continental Divide. Officially established in 1889, the town was named after James W. Darby who signed the post office application.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , all land. Darby is located at the southern end of the Bitterroot Valley. The valley is formed between the Bitterroot Range on the west and the smaller Sapphire Mountains on the east. The area south of Darby is called ''nɫpapʔá'' in Salish.

Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Darby has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. Visitors to Darby may wish to seek shelter during thunderstorms. In July 2012, "A cowboy and two spectators were taken by ambulance to a Hamilton hospital ..after lightning hit a power pole at the Elite Bull Connection, sending an electric shock through the grandstands,

rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working vaqu ...

chutes and bull pens." On July 14, 2014, 45 cattle on a ranch near Darby were killed in a single

lightning strike A lightning strike or lightning bolt is a lightning event in which an electric discharge takes place between the atmosphere and the ground. Most originate in a cumulonimbus cloud and terminate on the ground, called cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning ...

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 720 people, 303 households, and 179 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 360 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 91.3%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.1%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 4.2% Native American, 0.8% Asian, and 3.6% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 2.2% of the population. There were 303 households, of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.6% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.9% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age in the town was 40.8 years. 24% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.1% were from 25 to 44; 29.6% were from 45 to 64; and 15% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.9% male and 50.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 710 people, 279 households, and 176 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 316 housing units at an average density of 230.2/km² or 594.8/sq mi. The racial makeup of the town was 90.56%

, 0.14%

, 3.24% Native American, 2.39% from other races, and 3.66% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 3.52% of the population. There were 279 households, out of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.9% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.20. In the town, the population was spread out, with 32.3% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 99.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $25,221, and the median income for a family was $27,500. Males had a median income of $21,071 versus $20,781 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $11,658. About 19.5% of families and 24.0% 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 ...

, including 30.6% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

The Darby Pioneer Memorial Museum has an extensive collection of pioneer artifacts. The Darby Ranger Station Museum showcases information about the station and the people who worked there. In addition it serves as a Visitor Center. The town has an assortment of annual events. In January the Bitterroot Mushers hold the Darby Dog Derby. The event has multiple

dog sled A dog sled or dog sleigh is a sled pulled by one or more sled dogs used to travel over ice and through snow, a practice known as mushing. Numerous types of sleds are used, depending on their function. They can be used for Sled dog racing, dog sl ...

races with a variety of distances. During summer the town enjoys Last Fridays at the Main Street Park, which has live music, art, and vendors. In July, the community celebrates with the Strawberry Festival, a fundraiser for the fire department. Strawberry shortcake is served and live bluegrass music is shared in the afternoon. There is also the Hardtimes Bluegrass Festival held north of town. In 2023 thirteen bands performed. The Darby Rodeo Association sponsors several

s during the year. The Yellowstone Darby Xtreme Bareback Event is a PRCA sanctioned event. The Twisted Nut festival in July is used as a fundraiser for testicular cancer. Darby Community Public Library serves the town.

Parks and recreation

The town has five city parks, plus a skatepark and trail system. The Darby Skatepark was built by Evergreen Skateparks, an award-winning international company. Several hiking trails have trailheads near Darby. The Bitterroot River directly next to town is particularly known for fly fishing. The town is near both the West Fork and East Fork parts of the river, offering variety in fishing options. At only away, Lake Como offers fishing, kayaking, and hiking. The picturesque lake is in the Bitterroot National Forest. Nearby Painted Rocks State Park has a

reservoir A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation. Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...

with boating and camping available. South of Darby is Lost Trail Powder Mountain which is used for both downhill skiing and snowboarding.

Government

Darby has a mayor-council form of government. The Darby Town Council has two wards and an at-large position. In 2023, the Mayor was Nancy McKinney.

Education

Darby K-12 Schools is the area school district.
Text list
/ref> Darby School District educates students from kindergarten through 12th grade. There are three schools in the district, elementary, middle for grades 7 and 8, and high school. In 2022, there were 349 students. Darby High School's team name is the Tigers.

Media

The ''Ravalli Republic'' newspaper is published in nearby Hamilton and covers Darby news. The FM radio station KHDV is licensed in Darby. It airs a classic hits music format.

Television filmed in Darby

'' Yellowstone'' is an American television series created by Taylor Sheridan that premiered on June 20, 2018, on the Paramount Network. The series went into production in August 2017 at the Chief Joseph Ranch, which stands in as the home of character John Dutton.

Infrastructure

US Route 93 passes through town from north to south. The nearest commercial airport is Missoula Montana Airport, north. In 2023, Bitterroot Health began construction on a clinic in Darby. Other healthcare facilities are in Hamilton or Missoula.

Scenic Community Gallery

File:DarbyFishing.jpg, Fishing north of Darby (Lost Horse) File:DarbyMainPark.jpg, Main street park File:DarbyVets.jpg, Veterans Memorial at Loggers Day field File:DarbyMuseum.jpg, Pioneer Memorial Museum File:DarbyLibrary.jpg, District Library File:DarbyCommunityCenter.jpg, Community clubhouse File:DarbyTrailsWest.jpg, Discovery nature trail (West side near Rodeo grounds) File:DarbyTrailsEast.jpg, Discovery nature trail (East side towards river) File:DarbyRodeoGround.jpg, Richard Cromwell Memorial Rodeo Grounds File:DarbyTennis.jpg, Tennis courts next to school File:DarbyTownHall.jpg, Town Hall (Tanner Ave and Hwy 93)

References

External links

* {{Ravalli County, Montana Towns in Ravalli County, Montana