city, seat (1830) of Phillips county, eastern Arkansas, U.S., port of the Mississippi River, about 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Memphis, Tennessee, and adjacent to the city of West Helena. The community, originally settled in 1797 and first called Monticello and then St. Francis, grew around a warehouse built for barge shipping. In 1811 the steamboat “New Orleans” called there, opening a prosperous era of river traffic. The county was named for Sylvanus Phillips, and the settlement was renamed (1821) for his daughter. The city was a Union supply depot during the American Civil War, and the Battle of Helena (July 4, 1863) was a futile attempt by the Confederates to capture it.

The economy, traditionally based on cotton and lumber, became increasingly industrialized after World War II, especially at West Helena (founded 1909, incorporated 1917). One of the largest harbors on an inland waterway was completed in the 1990s, making Helena a hub of industrial development. Helena is the seat of Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas (Arkansas, University of) (1965). St. Francis National Forest (Ozark–Saint Francis National Forest) is immediately to the north. Helena has been called the “cradle of the Delta Blues,” and each October the city's King Biscuit Blues Festival draws fans from around the world. Inc. town, 1833; city, 1856. Pop. (1990) 7,491; (2000) 6,323.

city and capital of Montana, U.S., seat (1867) of Lewis and Clark county. The city is situated near the Missouri River, at the eastern foot of the Continental Divide (elevation 3,955 feet 【1,205 metres】), in Prickly Pear Valley, a fertile region surrounded by rolling hills and lofty mountains. Mount Helena (5,462 feet 【1,665 metres】) and Mount Ascension (5,360 feet 【1,634 metres】) form scenic backdrops. According to the Federal Writers' Project guide to Montana (1939), the region in which Helena grew was never the “regular abode” of any Native Americans, although artifacts reveal that they were present periodically, perhaps in hunting parties. The area was traversed by the expedition of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark (Lewis and Clark Expedition) in 1805. Gold was discovered in July 1864 in Last Chance Gulch, now occupied by the city's main street.

The town (named for Helena, Minnesota) was founded on October 30, 1864. It became capital of the territory in 1875 and of the state in 1889. By 1893 the mining boom (based on gold, silver, and lead) had passed, and future prosperity came in cycles—with the building of the Canyon Ferry, Hauser, and Holter dams on the Missouri River (1900–10); with the renewal of mining activities brought about by the demand for metals in World War I; and with the piping of natural gas from surrounding fields.

In addition to state government activities, Helena is an agricultural and livestock trade centre and has light manufactures. It is the headquarters of Helena National Forest, and tourism provides an added source of income. Adjacent East Helena has lead and zinc smelting and refining works. Helena is the seat of the Carroll College (1909; Roman Catholic) and of the Montana Historical Society (with a museum, photo and manuscript archives, a library, and an art gallery). The capitol building has a copper-covered dome surmounted by a reproduction of the Statue of Liberty. Several state recreation areas are near the city. Inc. 1881. Pop. (1990) 24,569; (2000) 25,780.