Little Laurel calls itself "the Hub of Montana" and is home to the largest rail yard located between St. Paul, Minnesota and Pasco, Washington. If you look closer at this little town on the Yellowstone River, you'll find that its history has been important to the state.
Laurel was founded following the Battle of the the Little Bighorn
Little Laurel calls itself "the Hub of Montana" and is home to the largest rail yard located between St. Paul, Minnesota and Pasco, Washington. If you look closer at this little town on the Yellowstone River, you'll find that its history has been important to the state.
Laurel was founded following the Battle of the the Little Bighorn. It (understandably) took a while for settlers to feel safe in the area, but the Yellowstone Valley location was attractive, and the promise of gold brought people by river steamer and wagon train. This wide open land is still part of the old West and has a fiercely independent spirit. Laurel is the third-largest community in the Billing's area, with a population just shy of 7,000 calling its roughly two square miles home.
If a move to Laurel is on your agenda, you might be surprised by any number of facts. First, don't let any residents hear you call it suburb of nearby Billings. Laurel is very independent. It has local pride, a rugged spirit and plenty to keep you occupied and make you happy. It also has a mix of residents and housing types, a good business and retail base and leisure activities as well as easy access to the wider delights of Montana. And its own oil refinery to boot!
Even though two-thirds of the residents own their own homes, you can find rental houses as well as modern two-bedroom apartments and the occasional month-to-month rental opportunity. Cost of living is reasonable in Laurel, and almost all housing is situated close to Interstate 90, with ranch land spreading out from the town's center.
For Montana, the weather is fairly mild with low humidity. But don't be fooled by the descriptor "mild" -- we're talking mild by Montana standards -- and that can mean below-zero temperatures in the winter and near 100 degrees in the heat of summer. You'll take it all in stride, though, because the stars at night in that big sky are just breathtaking, and the sun shines brightly throughout the year.
Folks in this part of Montana are friendly and helpful and will welcome you into the fold. They are as open and uncomplicated as their state -- honest, hard-working and straight-talking. It's the Montana way. Sometimes, a handshake here is good enough, but be prepared to sign a lease when you rent an apartment and have the proper documents ready to show.
Laurel is small enough to not have separate neighborhoods, but generally homes and apartments are clustered on the north side of Interstate 90 which runs through town. Larger homes tend to be farther from the old section of downtown and the business district. Newer homes for sale and rental have been built on larger lots on the edges of town. Homes in Laurel tend to be rather modest, with three-bedroom models being the most prevalent. Apartment units generally are two-bedroom or smaller, and the majority of housing, whether rented or owner-occupied, dates from the decade of the 70s. Most people prefer to get out to the edges, where the views seem like they go on forever. And even though Laurel is small, people do like their space.
Getting around Laurel is easy. The crime rate is low, and the town is small enough so that in good weather, it is possible to walk or ride your bike almost everywhere. There's a bus that you can ride to Billings, should you choose to commute there for work or visit the city for shopping and entertainment.
From this "hub," you can easily get to the parks -- the great granddaddy of national parks is nearby Yellowstone, and Glacier National Park is less than a day's drive through some of the most stunning mountain scenery in the country. Fort Peck Dam, still a marvel of engineering after almost 80 years, holds back the waters of the fifth largest lake in the United States. It is a hugely popular fishing and recreation area in Northwestern Montana. Other attractions are the Custer Battlefield and Little Big Horn Memorial, Pompey's Pillar National Monument, which bears the carved name of William Clark from the famous Lewis and Clark expedition. Miles City, which hosts the renowned Bucking Horse Sale and Rodeo each May, lies to the east.
For some good food in friendly surroundings, head to Emma's Kitchen, Cafe Mabel's or the Owl Junction Diner in Laurel. For an unforgettable experience, load a group of friends in your car on a perfect spring or fall afternoon and head east to the Jersey Lilly Saloon in Ingomar, just a few miles north of old Highway 12 between Roundup and Forsyth. Only in Montana would you drive 100 miles or so just to go to dinner, but it's an evening and a dinner you'll never forget.
