Montague is a small city in Siskiyou County, in the Shasta Valley of far Northern California, a few miles from Yreka and Interstate 5 near the Oregon border. Its setting places it between two prominent peaks — Mount Shasta to the south and Mount Ashland to the north — and at the center of a broad agricultural valley that has long supported ranching and farming. The town was founded in 1887 with the arrival of the Yreka Western Railroad and was named for S. S. Montague, a railroad engineer. It incorporated in January 1909. Through the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Montague functioned as a transportation hub for the region, moving freight and passengers for the mining districts and agricultural lands of northern Siskiyou County. The railroad's legacy still shapes the town's compact, historic core. Today Montague is home to roughly 1,200 residents, and its economy remains grounded in agriculture and ranching. The town's signature event is the Montague Hot Air Balloon Fair, co-sponsored by the Montague Rotary Club for more than 60 years, which fills the September skies with dozens of balloons and draws visitors from across the region. Education is provided locally by the Montague Elementary School District, with older students attending high school in nearby Yreka. Recreation draws on the surrounding valley: the Shasta Valley Wildlife Area offers birding, hunting, and fishing just north of town, while Mount Shasta, Mount Ashland, and the forests of the Klamath and Cascade ranges provide hiking, biking, and winter sports within a short drive. For residents and newcomers, Montague offers a quiet, scenic agricultural town in one of California's least crowded corners.