Ennis, Montana

History

In 1863, gold was discovered in Alder Gulch. This brought on "the rush". Two months later, William Ennis homesteaded the site along the Madison River that was soon to become the town of Ennis, his namesake.

In 1886, a mystery creature was noted for making livestock kills in the Madison Valley. A local rancher, Israel Ammon Hutchins, finally shot and killed the beast, after accidentally shooting one of his cattle, which was on the other side of some brush. A local taxidermist stuffed the canine. Jack Kirby (Hutchins' grandson) tracked the mount to a museum in Pocatello, Idaho, circa 2007.

Avid Aircraft, a manufacturer of homebuilt aircraft, was located in Ennis. The company ceased operations in 2003.

The 2003 Ennis shooting took place on June 14 of that year, when 44-year-old George Harold Davis opened fire outside the Silver Dollar Saloon bar on Main Street. He killed one man and injured six others. He then fled to Missoula County, where he was finally stopped and arrested by police. He was sentenced to eleven life terms for the crime.

The Thexton Ranch is located approximately 7 mi south of Ennis, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

The town is flanked by the Tobacco Root Mountains to the northwest, the Gravelly Range to the southwest and the Madison Range to the east. Approximately 12 mi north of town, the Madison Dam creates Ennis Lake at the head of Bear Trap Canyon.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.74 sqmi, of which 0.001 sqmi, or 0.14%, are water. The Madison River, one of the three headwater tributaries of the Missouri River, runs along the eastern border of the town.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Ennis has a warm-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

|Jan record high F = 61 |Feb record high F = 65 |Mar record high F = 76 |Apr record high F = 85 |May record high F = 94 |Jun record high F = 99 |Jul record high F = 100 |Aug record high F = 101 |Sep record high F = 98 |Oct record high F = 90 |Nov record high F = 72 |Dec record high F = 68

|Jan avg record high F = 50.6 |Feb avg record high F = 53.8 |Mar avg record high F = 63.9 |Apr avg record high F = 73.9 |May avg record high F = 81.9 |Jun avg record high F = 88.4 |Jul avg record high F = 93.7 |Aug avg record high F = 93.0 |Sep avg record high F = 88.7 |Oct avg record high F = 77.9 |Nov avg record high F = 63.1 |Dec avg record high F = 50.1 |year avg record high F = 95.0

|Jan avg record low F = -10.0 |Feb avg record low F = -8.3 |Mar avg record low F = 3.3 |Apr avg record low F = 14.2 |May avg record low F = 21.9 |Jun avg record low F = 31.0 |Jul avg record low F = 37.4 |Aug avg record low F = 35.0 |Sep avg record low F = 25.5 |Oct avg record low F = 11.2 |Nov avg record low F = -2.0 |Dec avg record low F = -9.3 |year avg record low F = -20.0

|Jan record low F = -43 |Feb record low F = -43 |Mar record low F = -34 |Apr record low F = -7 |May record low F = 12 |Jun record low F = 24 |Jul record low F = 29 |Aug record low F = 27 |Sep record low F = 10 |Oct record low F = -12 |Nov record low F = -27 |Dec record low F = -35

|access-date = September 4, 2022 |access-date = September 4, 2022

Demographics

|align-fn=center

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 838 people, 416 households, and 207 families residing in the town. The population density was 1074.4 PD/sqmi. There were 527 housing units at an average density of 675.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 96.9% White, 0.1% African American, 0.8% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.9% of the population.

There were 416 households, of which 20.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.8% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 50.2% were non-families. 42.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.91 and the average family size was 2.60.

The median age in the town was 49.8 years. 15.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.2% were from 25 to 44; 30.7% were from 45 to 64; and 25.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.4% male and 50.6% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 840 people, 367 households, and 219 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,240.2 PD/sqmi. There were 434 housing units at an average density of 640.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.98% White, 0.48% from other races, and 1.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.71% of the population.

There were 367 households, out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.1% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $30,735, and the median income for a family was $38,542. Males had a median income of $30,956 versus $16,875 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,310. About 7.7% of families and 11.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.9% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Ennis is the center of a long-standing ranching economy in the Madison River valley. Large cattle and sheep ranches dot the valley north and south of the town along the river. Ennis is also a major tourist attraction and angling destination for fly fishermen targeting rainbow and brown trout. The small town hosts at least three fly shops and numerous resorts that cater to fly anglers with guided fishing trips on the Madison and in nearby Yellowstone National Park. Ennis is home to Willie's Distillery, known for its bourbon and moonshine, and one of the growing number of micro-distilleries in Montana.

Arts and culture

Ennis has a public library, the Madison Valley Public Library.

Events

• Ennis has an annual July 4 parade, which includes a rodeo event.
• Ennis on the Madison Fly Fishing Festival occurs in August.
• The Madison Trifecta is a duathlon held on the 4th of July weekend between Ennis and Virginia City, Montana. A full marathon, the highest elevation run (over 9000 ft) in the United States, is held in July. The Madison Triathlon is held in August between Ennis and Harrison, Montana.
• In October, the annual Hunters Feed takes place the day before rifle season opens.
• Tap Into Ennis is Montana's first combined brewery and distillery festival, and includes breweries and distilleries, artists, and local music.
• Ennis hosts the Madison Valley Arts Festival.

Government

Ennis has a mayor and town commissioners. As of January 2026 the Mayor of Ennis, Montana is Lisa Roberts . Lisa Roberts ran unopposed in November of 2025.

Previous Mayor Nici Haas 2022-2025 .

Education

It is in the Ennis K-12 Schools school district.

Ennis Schools educates students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Ennis High School's team name is the Mustangs.

Media

The Madisonian is a newspaper serving Madison County. It is printed weekly and offers an e-edition.

Infrastructure

Ennis is located on U.S. Highway 287 and Montana Highway 287.

The town is served by the Big Sky Airport. The closest airport with regularly scheduled commercial service is Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, 54 mi away.

The Madison Valley Medical Center provides healthcare to the community.

References

References

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2. "2023 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Montana". United States Census Bureau.
3. "P1. Race – Ennis town, Montana: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)". U.S. Census Bureau.
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21. https://www.ennismontana.org/departments/mayor/
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