Superior is a town in, and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

of,

Mineral County, Montana Mineral County is a county located in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 4,535. Its county seat is Superior, Montana, Superior. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau ...

, United States. The population was 830 at the 2020 census.

History

Superior was named after its founders' hometown of

Superior, Wisconsin Superior (; ) is a city in Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. The population was 26,751 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located at the western end of Lake Superior in northwestern Wisconsin, the city l ...

, in 1869. The post office was established in 1871 after Mineral County became the site of one of the largest gold strikes that helped settle the West. In the 1860s and '70s, several thousand miners converged on Cedar Creek. Mining has remained central to the economy, along with the development of logging and

United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture. It administers the nation's 154 United States National Forest, national forests and 20 United States Natio ...

activities. In 1908, the Superior Hotel received the first Bibles to be placed in hotel rooms by The Gideons. This is noted on a historic plaque on

Mullan Road Mullan Road was the first covered wagon, wagon road to cross the Rocky Mountains to the Inland Empire (Pacific Northwest), Inland of the Pacific Northwest. It was built by United States Army, U.S. Army troops under the command of Lt. John Mullan ( ...

. The Mineral County Museum is located in Superior.

Geography

Superior is located on the northeast side of the

Bitterroot Range The Bitterroot Range is a mountain range and a subrange of the Rocky Mountains that runs along the border of Montana and Idaho in the northwestern United States. The range spans an area of and is named after the bitterroot (''Lewisia rediviva ...

of mountains in western Montana. Via

Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...

, it is northwest of

Missoula Missoula ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is located along the Clark Fork River near its confluence with the Bitterroot River, Bitterroot and Blackfoot River (Montana), ...

and southeast of

Wallace, Idaho Wallace, Idaho is a city in and the county seat of Shoshone County, Idaho, Shoshone County, Idaho, in the Silver Valley (Idaho), Silver Valley mining district of the Idaho Panhandle. Founded in 1884, Wallace sits alongside the South Fork of the C ...

. The Clark Fork flows through downtown, heading northwest towards St. Regis and ultimately emptying into

Lake Pend Oreille Lake Pend Oreille ( ) in the northern Idaho Panhandle is the largest lake in the U.S. state of Idaho and the 38th-largest lake by area in the United States, with a surface area of . It is long, and deep in some regions, making it the fifth-deep ...

near

Cabinet, Idaho Cabinet is a populated place located in Bonner County, Idaho, United States. Its elevation is . Population Its population is 1,137 with 1,085 (95.43%) White, 3 (0.26%) of Black, 19 (1.67%) Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish ...

. The Bitterroots to the west of Superior along the Montana/

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...

border receive a large amount of precipitation annually, mostly due to the amount of snow in the winter months. Nearby

Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area Lookout Pass Ski and Recreation Area is a ski area in the western United States. It is at Lookout Pass on Interstate 90, on the border of Idaho and Montana, east of Mullan, Idaho. It has a summit elevation of on Eagle Peak and on Runt Mount ...

receives approximately of snow each winter. The snow pack melts throughout the spring and summer months, feeding the many mountain streams and creeks with water. All the water eventually reaches the Clark Fork in the valley below, where Superior is located. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the town has a total area of , of which are land and , or 10.75%, are water.

Climate

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 812 people, 386 households, and 220 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 431 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 93.8%

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 ...

, 0.7%

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 ...

, 1.2% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 2.5% 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 2.3% of the population. There were 386 households, of which 20.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.0% were non-families. 37.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.64. The median age in the town was 52.1 years. 15.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 15.9% were from 25 to 44; 35.4% were from 45 to 64; and 25.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 893 people, 358 households, and 218 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 410 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 92.83%

, 0.11%

, 2.91% Native American, 0.78% Asian, 0.11% from other races, and 3.25% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.90% of the population. There were 358 households, out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were

living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.1% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.93. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.3% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 99.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $25,333, and the median income for a family was $31,650. Males had a median income of $24,688 versus $18,750 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 $14,154. About 10.4% of families and 17.0% 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 23.0% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Superior School District educates students from kindergarten to 12th grade. There are three schools: Elementary (K-6), Middle (7-8), and

Superior High School Superior High School may refer to any of the following: *Superior Junior/Senior High School Superior Junior/Senior High School is a junior high and high school in Superior, Arizona. It is operated by the Superior Unified School District, which ...

(9-12). The high school had 110 student enrolled during the 2021-2022 school year. The Mineral County Public Library is located in Superior. It has branches in Alberton and St. Regis.

Media

The ''Mineral Independent'' is the newspaper serving Mineral County. It is printed weekly and also has an e-edition. The FM radio station KENR is licensed in Superior.

Infrastructure

passes the town at the southern border. Access is via exit 47. Mineral County Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located two miles (3.7 km) southeast of town.

Notable people

* Pokey Allen, professional and college football player and coach, born in Superior.

References

External links

*
Mineral County Chamber
{{Montana county seats Towns in Mineral County, Montana County seats in Montana Populated places established in 1869 1869 establishments in Montana Territory