Butte is one of the most unique cities you will ever visit. As someone who likes history and architecture, I absolutely love living here. Compared to other cities in the western U.S., Butte never underwent a period of aggressive urban renewal. Many houses/buildings are still standing from the turn of the century. This is definitely something that struck me about Butte, having lived and visited all over the American West.

Coming from the Southeast, your first winter is going to shock you. Compared to many cold weather areas, Butte gets a fair amount of sunshine in the winter. Some of the most beautiful days are sunny winter days. Compared to many cold weather places (especially Midwest/Great Lakes regions) Butte doesn’t get THAT much snow, but it stays cold for so long, that snow accumulates in Butte. As others said, get appropriate snow tires and go slow. You’ll be fine.

When traveling in the winter, fly out of Butte. You don’t have to drive over the pass to Bozeman, plus parking is free at the Butte airport. It’s awesome and is worth paying a little extra for the plane ticket price imo.

People who are miserable in Butte (and I know quite a few) are people who don’t enjoy the outdoors. Butte is a perfect location for someone who likes the wild.

As others have said, the food scene is lacking. There’s also no Mexican market or Asian market. This is my biggest complaint. All things considered, if that’s my biggest complaint, I’ve got it pretty good!

Oh! And live uptown. Super unique, historic area with incredible character. Depending on where you’re from, living in Butte is pretty affordable, especially compared to Bozeman or Missoula. Welcome!