Bonner-West Riverside, Montana

Bonner-West Riverside, Montana
Location in Missoula County and the state of Montana
Coordinates: 46°52′25″N 113°52′28″W / 46.87361°N 113.87444°W / 46.87361; -113.87444
CountryUnited States
StateMontana
CountyMissoula
Area
  Total
1.61 sq mi (4.18 km2)
  Land1.53 sq mi (3.97 km2)
  Water0.08 sq mi (0.21 km2)
Elevation
3,288 ft (1,002 m)
Population
 (2020)
  Total
1,690
  Density1,101.69/sq mi (425.34/km2)
Time zoneUTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
  Summer (DST)UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP Code
59851
Area code406
FIPS code30-08462
GNIS feature ID2407883

Bonner-West Riverside (Salish: Nʔaycčstm, "Place of the Big Bull Trout") is a census-designated place (CDP) in Missoula County, Montana, United States, including the unincorporated communities of Bonner, Milltown (formerly Riverside), West Riverside, and Pinegrove. It is part of the Missoula metropolitan area. The population was 1,690 at the 2020 census.

Bonner was named for Edward L. Bonner, president of the Missoula and Bitter Root Valley Railroad. Bonner was also a partner in Eddy, Hammond & Company, who were contracted by the Northern Pacific Railroad for lumber to build their railway between the Thompson and Blackfoot rivers. Eddy, Hammond & Company founded the Montana Improvement Company, which built a sawmill in Bonner in 1886.

Milltown is named for the mill. West Riverside is named for its position west of Milltown, formerly called "Riverside" for its position at the confluence of the Blackfoot and Clark Fork rivers. Pinegrove was named either for the Pine family that settled there or for the many large pines in the area. The associated Piltzville was named for Billy Piltz, early mill worker and yard boss.