Getting to Know Missoula’s Neighborhoods: Riverfront

The Riverfront neighborhood is a special area of Missoula. Even if it's not as popular as the Heart of Missoula or the University District, its appeal grows yearly.

In this series, we'll take a look at information from the City of Missoula's Neighborhood Profiles for each of Missoula's Neighborhoods, with all data cited below coming from the Neighborhood Profile. In this article, we'll look at the Riverfront Neighborhood.

Where is the Riverfront Neighborhood?

The Riverfront Neighborhood contains part of the Hip Strip, the stretch of South Higgins Avenue from the Clark Fork River to South Sixth Street W. That includes some of Missoula's favorite businesses, like Clyde Coffee, Big Dipper Ice Cream, and Betty's Divine. The neighborhood extends west to Russel Street so Le Petit Outre, Bernice's Bakery, Flipper's Tavern-Grill-Casino, Noteworthy Paper & Press, and even Orange Street Food Farm are all in this neighborhood.

Thanks to the boundary along the Clark Fork River, this neighborhood also includes several parks like McCormick, Silver, and Ogren.

READ MORE: Getting to Know All of Missoula's Neighborhoods 

Who Lives in the Riverfront Neighborhood?

Even with all of the businesses identified above located in the Riverfront Neighborhood, a fair portion of the neighborhood is dedicated to housing. In just the period between 2010 and 2022, the Riverfront Neighborhood saw 19% growth while the city as a whole grew 10%. The largest age demographic is people 15 - 34 which comprises 48% of the neighborhood's population.

What is Housing Like in the Riverfront Neighborhood?

A little over 1,700 housing units are in the neighborhood with the majority occupied by renters. The housing also shows how this neighborhood has gone through significant change. While many houses were built in the 1920s and 1930s, another significant number of houses were built between 2011 and 2021, the later development reflected in microneighborhoods like the Old Sawmill District.

Key Feature of the Riverfront Neighborhood: Connectivity

The Riverfront Neighborhood's many parks all seem to flow together with Silver Park meeting Ogren Park, home of the Missoula Paddleheads, then flowing into McCormick Park which includes Currens Aquatic Center, and Mobash Skate Park. All of this is bordered by the Milwaukee Trail which connects to the Riverfront Trail. With 52.1 acres of open space, the Riverfront Neighborhood blends some of the best aspects of Missoula--the outdoors, eclectic local businesses, and community activities.