Malta, city in and county seat of Phillips County, Montana, United States
Malta is a small county seat city located in Phillips County, Montana, situated on open prairie grasslands with sparse trees and rolling terrain stretching in all directions. The streets are quiet with modest buildings, and the pace of daily life moves slowly with a friendly, tight-knit community.
The town developed along a railroad built in the late 1800s, which made Malta a stop for travelers and cargo throughout the region. The railway remains central to the town's identity and continues to operate today with regular Amtrak service.
Malta was named after the Mediterranean island when a railway worker spun a globe and his finger landed on that location, a quirky origin that locals still talk about with pride. The town identifies with its railroad heritage and the role trains played in bringing settlers and commerce to this remote prairie community.
Visitors can reach Malta by car via US Routes 2 and 191 or by Amtrak train, which stops daily on its route between Chicago and the Pacific Northwest. The town is small and walkable, with modest hotels, local restaurants, and basic services for travelers.
In 2000, scientists discovered an exceptionally well-preserved dinosaur fossil called Leonardo near Malta, one of only four of its kind ever found anywhere. The local museum displays this remarkable fossil, showing visitors that ancient creatures once roamed these plains millions of years ago.
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