Within the state of Montana, the city of Billings is the largest city. Billings is in fact the biggest metro area within 800 km or 500 miles and is the major city for the Billings Metropolitan Area. This trade area comprises over a half a million people making it the largest metropolitan area between Calgary and Denver and between Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Spokane, Washington.
Billings is situated within the south-central area of the state of Montana and serves as the county seat of Yellowstone County. The population of the city of Billings has reached 147,972, based on 2010 numbers. The city of Billings had a population of roughly 104,170 in the 2010 Census, making it the only city within the state of Montana to surpass 100,000. Billings continues to have the largest growth out of any city in Montana and is experiencing rapid growth and a strong economy.
Fortunately, the city of Billings has been able to avoid most of the severe economic slump that hit most of the nation including the housing bust. This is mostly due to the Bakken oil play located in western North Dakota and eastern Montana. This is currently the biggest discovery of oil in the United States history. The Heath shale oil play is situated just north of Billings. This business is projected to escalate the city's already rapid growth rate.
During the year 1882, the city was called the "Magic City", owing to the growth as a founding railroad. The city got its name from Frederick H. Billings, a former president of the Northern Pacific Railroad. The city is the distribution and trade center for the majority of Montana, western parts of South and North Dakota and Northern Wyoming. As amongst the biggest trade regions in the whole United States, the city of Billings has likewise become the retail destination for much of the same region. There are much more hotel accommodations within Billings than within any region within a 5-state area. This makes it a great city to host sporting events, concerts and various conventions.
There are a variety of attractions within Montana like for instance: Pompey's Pillar, Yellowstone National Park, Zoo Montana, Pictograph Cave, the Beartooth Highway, Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Red Lodge Mountain Resort and the Bighorn National Recreation Area.
The city's economic success is in large part because of its strategic geographic location. It is situated in the centre of a big area bounded by Denver, Colorado to the south, Calgary, Alberta, Canada towards the north, Seattle, Washington to the west and Minneapolis, Minnesota to the east.
Being established as a main railway hub practically ensured Billings' future as a major distribution and trade hub. The city of Billings rapidly outgrew various cities within the area since it became the economic center in the area. There are more than a half million businesses and people served by the Billings trade area. Many corporate and regional head offices are situated within the area. Moreover, since there is no sales tax within Montana, Billings is a retail destination for much of North Dakota, Wyoming, South Dakota, together with most of the state of Montana. The city of Billings is also an energy center because it sits among vast natural oil and gas fields along with being situated on the biggest coal reserves within the USA.