Located at the foot of the Anaconda Range (known locally as the "Pintlers"), the Continental Divide passes within 8 mi (13 km) south of the community.

[4] There exists another story that the name was selected by the United States postmaster of the time, Clinton Moore.

The campaigns for the referendums were heated, ending with a victory for Helena, the location supported by Daly's rival William A. Clark.

In the long run, labor lost ground in Anaconda and the company exerted ever greater political control.

[6] The Anaconda Company expanded smelting capacity over time; by 1919 the Washoe Reduction Works could boast that its 585-foot (178 m) smokestack (Anaconda Smelter Stack) was the tallest masonry structure in the world and that the smelter-refining complex constituted the world's largest non-ferrous processing plant.

In 1980, Atlantic Richfield Company closed the smelter, bringing an end to almost a century of mineral processing.

[7] While some aspects of the operation had been cleaned up under environmental laws, closing the smelter resulted in a large area contaminated with hazardous wastes.

The county area is 736.53 square miles (1,907.6 km2), characterized by densely timbered forestlands, lakes, mountains and recreation grounds.

In that election the original Democratic nominee, Chet Blaylock, died and Marc Racicot carried every county.

[13] The city is currently in the 39th district of the Montana Senate and is represented by Republican Terry Vermeire in the 2023 legislative session.

It is owned by Butte Broadcasting Inc.[24] Anaconda has been a filming location for a few movies, documentaries and a TV show, including: