Clinton, MT

Clinton is an unincorporated Missoula County census-designated place in the Missoula metro, with 1,018 residents in the 2020 census. It sits in the Clark Fork River valley about 17 miles east of Missoula, with Interstate 90 running through the community at Exit 120. The place began in 1883 as Betters' Station, a stage stop and post office, and its road-and-river setting still links a small settlement to the larger Missoula area. Clinton's local routines gather around the school and the community park.

Clinton Elementary and the Missoula High School District serve the area; the Clinton Community Council meets monthly at the school, and a food pantry operates twice a month at the School Annex. The county's 2026 park grant is funding an accessible picnic pavilion at Clinton Community Park, while the irrigation district and rural fire district reflect the valley's practical working map. Clinton is a rural Missoula outpost with I-90 at the door and county services in the background.