Bonner-West Riverside, MT

Located just five miles east of Missoula, Bonner-West Riverside brings together a cluster of historic neighborhoods right where the Blackfoot and Clark Fork rivers meet. Home to around 1,700 residents across Bonner, Milltown, West Riverside, and Pine Grove, the area offers a relaxed, semi-rural feel tucked against forested hillsides. For anyone moving to the region, it delivers the pace and charm of a small river community paired with a quick ten-minute drive into downtown Missoula.

The community took root during western Montana's timber boom in the late 1800s, starting as a sawmill settlement that welcomed workers and railroad crews from across Europe and North America. For generations, lumber mills drove daily life and left behind deep local heritage. A major restoration effort and the removal of the old Milltown Dam transformed the riverfront, replacing old industrial infrastructure with clean water and revived habitat.

Today, outdoor recreation is a major draw for residents. Milltown State Park covers hundreds of acres with easy walking trails, fishing spots, and scenic overlooks where the two rivers join. During the summer, locals spend their weekends floating the Blackfoot, fly-fishing, or taking in live music at the riverside KettleHouse Amphitheater. With Bonner School serving local families and Missoula's shops and employers just down the road, Bonner-West Riverside strikes a comfortable balance between mountain scenery and everyday convenience.