Montana’s Smallest Town Has “Hall Of Fame” Past

Montana is full of small towns, and while some of these charming little towns are full of character, many of them are nothing more than a dot on the map.

As you drive across this great state of ours, you'll come across all kinds of communities. Some might have a little more history than others, but they all have a past, and digging into that past can reveal a treasure trove of information.

And so it goes with Montana's smallest town.

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There's a joke that the only thing you need to have a town in Montana is a church, grain elevator, post office, and a bar and while there might be a little bit of truth to that, Montana's smallest town has a population of right around 17 people, give or take and only has a church and a post office.

Which town is Montana's smallest?

Before we reveal Montana's smallest towns, let's take a look at the most "Montana" towns in Montana.

According to Visit MT the smallest incorporated town in Montana is the little town of Ismay, located in Custer Country. Ismay was in the spotlight in the 1990s after an out-of-state radio station decided to do a promotion that would receive national attention.

Back in 1993, the Kansas City Chiefs had signed Joe Montana to be their quarterback, and a Kansas City rock radio station had the idea to find a town in Montana that would change their name to "Joe". Well, the folks in Ismay were looking for funds to build a community center and agreed to the temporary name change.

What followed would become that of radio folklore.

Not only did the town change its name, but the residents of the town were all flown to Kansas City, where they were wined and dined, had tickets to a Chiefs game, and got to meet the Hall of Fame Quarterback and spend time with him. Oh, and the folks of Ismay got their community center and named it after Joe himself.

According to the 2020 census, Ismay has around 17 residents in 12 homes.  So, if you're heading to Ismay anytime soon, keep in mind there aren't a lot of services offered, but the folks are friendly, and you can always stop by the Joe Montana Community Center.