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| U.S. Route 93 (Montana) | |
|---|---|
| State | MT |
| Route | 93 |
| Type | U.S. |
| Length mi | 287.63 |
| Direction a | South |
| Terminus a | Idaho |
| Direction b | North |
| Terminus b | Canada–United States border |
| Counties | Mineral, Ravalli, Missoula, Lake, Flathead, Lincoln |
U.S. Route 93 (Montana) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway traversing western Montana from the Idaho state line near Lost Trail Pass to the Canada–United States border at Roosville, Montana. The highway passes through major corridors including Missoula, Kalispell, and Polson, and provides access to national parks, tribal lands, and international crossings. The route links to transcontinental and regional routes such as Interstate 90, U.S. Route 2, and U.S. Route 12, and is integral for tourism, freight, and cross-border travel.
U.S. Route 93 enters Montana from Idaho, following alpine corridors near Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest and skirting the Bitterroot Range before reaching Hamilton and Ravalli County. From there the route continues northward through the Missoula Valley into Missoula, where it intersects Interstate 90 and passes near facilities such as University of Montana and Missoula International Airport. Leaving Missoula, the highway follows the Clark Fork River corridor toward Plains and enters the Flathead Indian Reservation and Flathead Lake region via Polson, adjacent to Flathead Lake State Park. North of Polson the highway rounds the eastern shore of Flathead Lake and advances toward Kalispell, intersecting U.S. Route 2 and providing access to Glacier National Park and Flathead National Forest. Beyond Kalispell the route continues to Whitefish and Somers before reaching the international crossing at Roosville, near Kootenay National Park on the British Columbia side.
The alignment of U.S. 93 traces historic travel corridors used by indigenous nations including the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, and later by explorers such as David Thompson and military figures like John C. Frémont. Early wagon roads and stage routes linked St. Louis-area trade networks to the Pacific Northwest during the 19th century, with steamboat connections on Flathead Lake and rail lines such as the Northern Pacific Railway and Great Northern Railway influencing settlement patterns around Kalispell and Missoula. The U.S. Highway System designation in 1926 assigned the number 93; subsequent realignments paralleled U.S. Route 12 and intersections with U.S. Route 2 were modified during New Deal-era public works and Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 improvements. Construction projects in the late 20th century included bypasses around urban centers like Hamilton and grade separations at Missoula interchanges, while cooperative projects with tribal governments addressed access across the Flathead Reservation. In the 21st century, environmental reviews involved agencies including the Federal Highway Administration, Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for projects near sensitive areas such as National Bison Range and Tally Lake.
The route's primary junctions serve regional and national corridors: at the southern entry, connections to U.S. 95 and Idaho State Highway 41 provide mountain passes to Kootenai National Forest. In Missoula U.S. 93 intersects Interstate 90 and U.S. Route 12, facilitating travel toward Spokane and Bozeman. Northward the highway meets U.S. Route 2 in Kalispell, linking to Glacier and Cut Bank. In the Flathead Lake/Polson area, junctions with Montana Highway 35 and Montana Highway 28 connect to Ronan and Pablo. Approaching the border, state and local routes provide access to Libby and Troy via connectors such as Montana Highway 37 and Montana Highway 82. The northern terminus at Roosville meets British Columbia Highway systems including British Columbia Highway 93 and links toward Golden and Banff National Park corridors.
Several auxiliary and business routes have been designated or proposed along the corridor: business loops through Kalispell and Missoula serve downtown commercial districts and historic districts including Caras Park and Main Hall. Truck routes and bypasses around Hamilton and Plains manage freight movements tied to industries such as timber and agriculture servicing facilities like Weyerhaeuser operations and grain elevators near Shelby. Seasonal detours and temporary alignments have been established for wildfire evacuations involving coordination with Montana Department of Transportation, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, and tribal emergency services of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
Traffic volumes vary from low-density rural segments near Lost Trail Pass to higher urban counts in Missoula and Kalispell, with congestion peaks during Glacier National Park summer tourism seasons and events at venues like Big Sky Brewing Company festivals and University of Montana Grizzlies home games. Safety concerns include wildlife collisions involving species such as elk, moose, and grizzly bear, prompting mitigation measures like wildlife overpasses and fencing coordinated with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Accident data have driven improvements including rumble strips, widened shoulders, and enhanced signage near curves and river crossings over the Clark Fork River and Flathead River, with enforcement partnerships involving the Montana Highway Patrol and county sheriffs in Lake County and Flathead County.
Planned projects include corridor upgrades to improve safety and capacity, such as interchange modernization near Missoula International Airport, multilane expansions approaching Kalispell influenced by growth from Flathead Valley Community College commuting patterns, and pavement rehabilitation programs funded through state and federal transportation bills modeled after initiatives like the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century. Multimodal enhancements propose transit links connecting Missoula International Airport to downtown and expanded park-and-ride facilities supporting tourism to Glacier National Park, while freight-oriented improvements consider rail-truck intermodal connectivity with lines such as the BNSF Railway. Environmental permitting will continue with agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for projects near wetlands and rivers, and tribal consultations with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes will shape alignments crossing reservation lands.
Category:U.S. Highways in Montana