Darby, Montana

The town of Darby in western Montana’s Ravalli County is located in the scenic Bitterroot Valley, 60-odd miles from Missoula.

The area is surrounded on both sides by two different mountain ranges, and the valley runs through the middle of it.

The town’s profile was raised significantly in recent years when it appeared on the popular TV show—Yellowstone—some of which was actually filmed at a Darby ranch, the Chief Joseph Ranch.  The ranch is one of many Yellowstone filming locations in the state of Montana.

Also, the Triple Creek Ranch which is the closest dude ranch to Yellowstone’s Dutton Ranch is located near Darby.

The town was first settled in 1882, although it didn’t become official until 1888. Darby is the southernmost town in the valley and was originally known as Doolittle, then Harrison.

It was by a quirk of fate that the local postmaster, James Darby, discovered there was another town named Harrison already in existence, so he sent his own name in as an option–which was accepted.

The town expanded significantly, although the growing number of local businesses suffered something of a reshuffle in later years by way of a fire that swept through the town and leveled pretty much everything aside from the old Miles building on Main Street. 

Darby started out as a mining and fur trading town, transitioning later on to logging, agriculture, and cattle ranching. In 1917, Darby became incorporated and the town’s blacksmith became the first mayor.

Darby is probably most well-known for its impressive scenery which includes more than its share of awe-inspiring views and recreation.

The main downtown area is charming and friendly, and you can drive straight into town on the main street by heading south along Highway 93.

This is a region of Montana rife with small towns scattered along a visually stunning corridor of mountain peaks and valleys in the midst of sprawling ranch land, as well as lakes and rivers.

All of this obviously makes Darby something of an outdoor recreation hotspot and also a highly popular area for scenic drives.

The Top 3 Hotels in Darby