Belt

History

Belt was home to Montana's first coal mine. It supplied fuel to Fort Benton. During the coal boom the town was referred to as "Little Pittsburgh", "Coal Banks", or "Black Diamond City". The post office opened on February 2, 1885, with Eugene Clingan as postmaster. The Belt Museum is housed in the original town jail, also on the National Register of Historic Places. When the Great Falls smelters converted from coal to natural gas in 1930, the town's economy lost a significant source of income.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land. Belt Creek flows through town. The creek has several types of minnows, suckers, and trout. Nearby are the Highwood Mountains and Little Belt Mountains. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Belt has a semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Black-billed Magpie

  Pica hudsonia (Sabine, 1823) · Aves
  175
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  105
• Heath snail

  Xerolenta obvia (Menke, 1828) · Gastropoda
  100
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  80
• Bald Eagle

  Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  78
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  75
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  65
• Western Meadowlark

  Sturnella neglecta Audubon, 1844 · Aves
  64

Most recent

• M 3.7 — 2026-09-18
  7 km NNW of Black Eagle, Montana
• M 2.6 — 2026-02-26
  10 km NNE of Black Eagle, Montana
• M 3.7 — 2026-02-13
  3 km SE of Black Eagle, Montana
• M 3.2 — 2026-02-01
  3 km NW of Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana
• M 2.7 — 2026-01-30
  5 km NNW of Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana
• M 4.2 — 2026-01-29
  9 km N of Black Eagle, Montana