While we don't have a date for the founding of Alta, you might consider that their post office opened in 1898.
Alta is 4,980 feet [1,518 m] above sea level.<2> In other words, the altitude of Alta is about 1 mile [or ~1½ km] above sea level.
Time Zone: Alta lies in the Mountain Time Zone (MST/MDT) and observes daylight saving time
Note: If you leave Alta and travel west, you will leave Mountain Time and cross into the Pacific Time Zone (PST/PDT).
Area Code for Alta: 406
Communities Also Named Alta ...
Using our Gazetteer, we found that there are two Montana communities named Alta: This one is located in Ravalli County and the other is located in Jefferson County.
Beyond Montana, there are 21 communities that are also named Alta - they are located in Alabama, California (2), Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas (3), Kentucky, North Dakota, Ohio (2), Tennessee, Utah (2), West Virginia (2) and Wyoming.
Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Gibbonsville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<5>
Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Leesburg. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<5>
We have a couple of sections for those tracing their genealogy.
We're compiling a list of cemeteries that are in the area around Alta. Our list includes the location of those cemeteries and we provide an overhead view. See our Cemetery List for Alta.
Using the information from an 1895 Atlas, we've created a list of communities that were in the area of Alta. Our list includes information such as whether the 1895 community had a post office or railroad service. See our List of 1890's Communities around Alta.
We also have a detailed list of newspapers that have been published in the area around Alta. See our Newspapers Page for Alta.
TripAdvisor Tourism Pages for Alta ...
Looking for more information about Alta? A wonderful source is the TripAdvisor website. We always start with the TripAdvisor Tourism page, where you can read an overview with links that will help you find lodging, restaurants and attractions.
While we are unaware of a Tourism page that is specific to Alta, there are neighboring communities that do have Tourism pages. A map of those communities can be found with our TripAdvisor Page for Alta.
Adding Alta to Our Gazetteer ...
We originally found mention of Alta in both the FIPS-55 and the GNIS. For more information, see the FIPS and GNIS Codes sections on our Miscellaneous Page.
From our notes, the earliest published mention we've found for Alta was in the document titled List of Post Offices from Cameron Blevins and Richard Helbock.<6>
From that list, the Alta post office opened in 1898.
If you're interested in how the shape of Montana's counties, including Ravalli, have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
<2>
The elevation is an estimate for the area around Alta - it will be higher in some places and lower in others.
<3>
The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<4>
While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<5>
An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<6>
A copy of their list with background information can be found at: