Idaho

Coordinates: 45°N 115°W / 45°N 115°W / 45; -115 (State of Idaho)
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Idaho
PDT)
USPS abbreviation
ID
ISO 3166 codeUS-ID
Latitude42° N to 49° N
Longitude111°03′ W to 117°15′ W
Websiteidaho.gov
State symbols of Idaho
Star garnet
SoilThreebear
State route marker
Route marker
Lists of United States state symbols

Idaho (

50 U.S. states
.

For thousands of years, and prior to European colonization, Idaho had been inhabited by native peoples. In the early 19th century, Idaho was considered part of the Oregon Country, an area of dispute between the U.S. and the British Empire. It officially became a U.S. territory with the signing of the Oregon Treaty of 1846, but a separate Idaho Territory was not organized until 1863, instead being included for periods in Oregon Territory and Washington Territory. Idaho was eventually admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, becoming the 43rd state.

Forming part of the Pacific Northwest (and the associated

Idaho Panhandle, is closely linked with Eastern Washington, with which it shares the Pacific Time Zone—the rest of the state uses the Mountain Time Zone. The state's south includes the Snake River Plain (which has most of the population and agricultural land), and the southeast incorporates part of the Great Basin. Idaho is quite mountainous and contains several stretches of the Rocky Mountains. The United States Forest Service holds about 38% of Idaho's land, the highest proportion of any state.[7]

Industries significant for the state economy include manufacturing, agriculture, mining, forestry, and tourism. Several science and technology firms are either headquartered in Idaho or have factories there, and the state also contains the

official state nickname is the "Gem State."[8]

Etymology

The name's origin remains a mystery.

Shoshone term meaning "the sun comes from the mountains" or "gem of the mountains",[11] but it was revealed later that there was no such term and Willing claimed that he had been inspired to coin the name when he met a little girl named Ida.[12] Since the name appeared to be fabricated, the U.S. Congress ultimately decided to name the area Colorado Territory instead when it was created in February 1861, but by the time this decision was made, the town of Idaho Springs, Colorado
had already been named after Willing's proposal.

The same year Congress created Colorado Territory, a county called Idaho County was created in eastern Washington Territory. The county was named after a steamship named Idaho, which was launched on the Columbia River in 1860. It is unclear whether the steamship was named before or after Willing's claim was revealed. Regardless, part of Washington Territory, including Idaho County, was used to create Idaho Territory in 1863.[13] Idaho Territory would later change its boundaries to the area that became the U.S. state.[14]

History

Humans may have been present in the Idaho area as long as 14,500 years ago. Excavations at

Nez Percé in the north and the Northern and Western Shoshone in the south.[15]

A Late Upper Paleolithic site was identified at Cooper's Ferry in western Idaho near the town of Cottonwood by archaeologists in 2019. Based on evidence found at the site, first people lived in this area 15,300 to 16,600 years ago, predating the Beringia land bridge by about a thousand years. The discoverers emphasized that they possess similarities with tools and artifacts discovered in Japan that date from 16,000 to 13,000 years ago.[15][16] The discovery also showed that the first people might not have come to North America by land, as previously theorized. On the contrary, they probably came through the water, using a Pacific coastal route.[17]

The most parsimonious explanation we think is that people came down the Pacific Coast, and as they encountered the mouth of the Columbia River, they essentially found an off-ramp from this coastal migration and also found their first viable interior route to the areas that are south of the ice sheet.[16]

An early presence of French-Canadian trappers is visible in names and

Lewis and Clark and Astorian expeditions, which included significant numbers of French and Métis guides recruited for their familiarity with the terrain.[citation needed
]

Idaho, as part of the Oregon Country, was claimed by both the United States and Great Britain until the United States gained undisputed jurisdiction in 1846. From 1843 to 1859, present-day Idaho was under the de facto jurisdiction of the Provisional Government of Oregon. When Oregon became a state in 1859, what is now Idaho was situated in what remained of the original Oregon Territory, designated as the Washington Territory.

Between 1849 and the creation of the

Donald Mackenzie, working for the Pacific Fur Company at the time, established a post on the lower Clearwater River near present-day Lewiston. This post, known as "MacKenzie's Post" or "Clearwater", operated until the Pacific Fur Company was bought out by the North West Company in 1813, after which the post was abandoned.[20][21] The first organized non-indigenous communities within the present borders of Idaho were established by Mormon pioneers in 1860.[22][23] The first permanent, substantial incorporated community was Lewiston, in 1861. Early in its history, Idaho saw a large influx of Chinese immigrants, who by 1870 made up about 28.5% of the territory's population.[24]

Idaho achieved statehood in 1890, following a difficult start as a territory, including the chaotic transfer of the territorial capital from

U.S. Supreme Court in 1890,[26] and a federal attempt to split the territory between Washington Territory, which gained statehood in 1889, a year before Idaho, and the state of Nevada which had been a state since 1864.[27]

Idaho was one of the hardest hit of the Pacific Northwest states during the Great Depression.[28] Prices plummeted for Idaho's major crops: in 1932 a bushel of potatoes brought only ten cents compared to 1919 for $1.51, while Idaho farmers saw their annual income of $686 in 1929 drop to $250 by 1932.[29]

In recent years, Idaho has expanded its commercial base as a tourism and agricultural state to include science and technology industries. Science and technology have become the largest single economic center (over 25% of the state's total revenue) within the state and are greater than agriculture, forestry and mining combined.[30]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Idaho enacted statewide crisis standards of care as COVID-19 patients overwhelmed hospitals.[31] The state had one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country as of mid-October 2021.[32]

Geography

Idaho shares a border with six U.S. states and one Canadian province. The states of Washington and Oregon are to the west, Nevada and Utah are to the south, and Montana and Wyoming are to the east. Idaho also shares a short border with the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north.[33]

The landscape is rugged, with some of the largest unspoiled natural areas in the United States. For example, at 2.3 million acres (930,000 ha), the

Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness Area is the largest contiguous area of protected wilderness in the continental United States. Idaho is a Rocky Mountain state with abundant natural resources and scenic areas. The state has snow-capped mountain ranges, rapids, vast lakes and steep canyons. The waters of the Snake River run through Hells Canyon, the deepest gorge in the United States. Shoshone Falls falls down cliffs from a height greater than Niagara Falls.[34]

By far, the most important river in Idaho is the Snake River, a major tributary of the Columbia River. The Snake River flows from

seaport on the West Coast at 465 river miles from the Pacific at Astoria, Oregon.[35]

A portion of Yellowstone national Park is located in Idaho. The other parts are in Montana and Wyoming.

The vast majority of Idaho's population lives in the Snake River Plain, a valley running from across the entirety of southern Idaho from east to west. The valley contains the major cities of

Pocatello. The plain served as an easy pass through the Rocky Mountains for westward-bound settlers on the Oregon Trail, and many settlers chose to settle the area rather than risking the treacherous route through the Blue Mountains and the Cascade Range to the west. The western region of the plain is known as the Treasure Valley, bound between the Owyhee Mountains to the southwest and the Boise Mountains to the northeast. The central region of the Snake River Plain is known as the Magic Valley
.

Idaho's highest point is Borah Peak, 12,662 ft (3,859 m), in the Lost River Range north of Mackay. Idaho's lowest point, 710 ft (216 m), is in Lewiston, where the Clearwater River joins the Snake River and continues into Washington. The Sawtooth Range is often considered Idaho's most famous mountain range.[36] Other mountain ranges in Idaho include the Bitterroot Range, the White Cloud Mountains, the Lost River Range, the Clearwater Mountains, and the Salmon River Mountains.

Salmon-Challis National Forest is located in the east central sections of the state, with Salmon National Forest to the north and Challis National Forest to the south. The forest is in an area known as the Idaho Cobalt Belt, which consists of a 34 miles (55 km) long geological formation of sedimentary rock that contains some of the largest cobalt deposits in the U.S.[37]

Idaho has two time zones, with the dividing line approximately midway between Canada and Nevada. Southern Idaho, including the Boise metropolitan area, Idaho Falls, Pocatello, and Twin Falls, are in the Mountain Time Zone. A legislative error (15 U.S.C. ch. 6 §264) theoretically placed this region in the Central Time Zone, but this was corrected with a 2007 amendment.[38] Areas north of the Salmon River, including Coeur d'Alene, Moscow, Lewiston, and Sandpoint, are in the Pacific Time Zone, which contains less than a quarter of the state's population and land area.[citation needed]

Climate

Köppen climate types of Idaho, using 1991–2020 climate normals

Idaho's

precipitation are at their maximum extent. This influence has a moderating effect in the winter where temperatures are not as low as would otherwise be expected for a northern state with predominantly high elevations.[39] In the panhandle, moist air masses from the coast are released as precipitation over the North Central Rockies forests, creating the North American inland temperate rainforest.[40] The maritime influence is least prominent in the state's eastern part where the precipitation patterns are often reversed, with wetter summers and drier winters, and seasonal temperature differences are more extreme, showing a more semi-arid continental climate.[41]

Idaho can be hot, although extended periods over 98 °F (37 °C) are rare, except for the lowest point in elevation, Lewiston, which correspondingly sees little snow. Hot summer days are tempered by the low relative humidity and cooler evenings during summer months since, for most of the state, the highest diurnal difference in temperature is often in the summer.[42] Winters can be cold, although extended periods of bitter cold weather below zero are unusual. Idaho's all-time highest temperature of 118 °F (48 °C) was recorded at Orofino on July 28, 1934; the all-time lowest temperature of −60 °F (−51 °C) was recorded at Island Park Dam on January 18, 1943.

Monthly normal high and low temperatures for various Idaho cities. (°F)
City Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Boise 38/24 45/27 55/33 62/38 72/46 81/53 91/59 90/59 79/50 65/40 48/31 38/23
Lewiston 42/30 47/32 55/36 62/41 72/48 79/54 91/61 90/60 80/52 63/42 49/35 41/30
Pocatello 33/16 38/19 49/27 59/33 68/40 78/46 88/52 88/51 76/42 62/33 45/24 33/16
Orofino 38/25 46/28 55/32 64/38 72/44 80/50 89/54 90/53 79/45 63/36 46/31 37/26
[43]

Lakes and rivers

Lake Coeur d'Alene in North Idaho
Redfish Lake in central Idaho
Priest River winds through mountains with a checkerboard design of trees to its east
Priest River winding through Whitetail Butte

Protected areas

As of 2018:[44]

National parks, reserves, monuments and historic sites

National recreation areas

National wildlife refuges and Wilderness Areas

National conservation areas

  • Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area
Bear Lake viewed from Bear Lake State Park

State parks

Bruneau Dunes State Park

Demographics

Population

Idaho population density map
Historical population
CensusPop.Note
187014,999
188032,610117.4%
189088,548171.5%
1900161,77282.7%
1910325,594101.3%
1920431,86632.6%
1930445,0323.0%
1940524,87317.9%
1950588,63712.1%
1960667,19113.3%
1970712,5676.8%
1980943,93532.5%
19901,006,7496.7%
20001,293,95328.5%
20101,567,58221.1%
20201,839,10617.3%
2023 (est.)1,964,7266.8%
Source: 1910–2020[45]
2023[46]

The United States Census Bureau determined Idaho's population was 1,900,923 on July 1, 2021, a 21% increase since the 2010 U.S. census.[47]

Idaho had an estimated population of 1,754,208 in 2018, which was an increase of 37,265, from the prior year and an increase of 186,626, or 11.91%, since 2010. This included a natural increase since the last census of 58,884 (111,131 births minus 52,247 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 75,795 people into the state. There are large numbers of Americans of English and German ancestry in Idaho. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 14,522 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 61,273 people.

According to the American Immigration Council, in 2018, the top countries of origin for Idaho's immigrants were Mexico, Canada, the Philippines, China and Germany.[48]

Idaho's population increased by 17.3% from 2010 to 2020, the second fastest state growth rate in the decade.[49]

Nampa, about 20 miles (30 km) west of downtown Boise, became the state's second largest city in the late 1990s, passing Pocatello and Idaho Falls. Nampa's population was under 29,000 in 1990 and grew to over 81,000 by 2010. Located between Nampa and Boise, Meridian also experienced high growth, from fewer than 10,000 residents in 1990 to more than 75,000 in 2010 and is now Idaho's third largest city. Growth of 5% or more over the same period has also been observed in Caldwell, Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls, and Twin Falls.[50]

From 1990 to 2010, Idaho's population increased by over 560,000 (55%). The Boise metropolitan area (officially known as the Boise City-Nampa, ID Metropolitan Statistical Area) is Idaho's largest metropolitan area. Other metropolitan areas in order of size are Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Falls, Pocatello and Lewiston.[51]

According to HUD's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were an estimated 1,998 homeless people in Idaho.[52][53]

Ethnic origins in Idaho
Idaho historical racial composition
Racial composition 1970[54] 1990[54] 2000[55] 2010[56] 2020[57]
White or European American 98.1% 94.4% 90.1% 89.1% 82.1%
Indigenous 0.9% 1.4% 1.4% 1.4% 1.4%
Asian
0.5% 0.9% 0.9% 1.2% 1.5%
Black
0.3% 0.3% 0.4% 0.6% 0.9%
Native Hawaiian and
other Pacific Islander
0.1% 0.1% 0.2%
Other race
0.2% 3.0% 4.2% 5.1% 5.6%
Two or more races
2.0% 2.5% 8.3%
There are large numbers of Americans of German and English ancestry in Idaho.

According to the 2017 American Community Survey, 12.2% of Idaho's population were of Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race): Mexican (10.6%), Puerto Rican (0.2%), Cuban (0.1%), and other Hispanic or Latino origin (1.3%).[58] The five largest ancestry groups were: German (17.5%), English (16.4%), Irish (9.3%), American (8.1%), and Scottish (3.2%).[59]

The majority of Idaho's population is of European (white) descent. Most Idaho's white population trace their ancestry to the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, France, Italy, or Poland. Latinos constitute around one-tenth of the population. There are also small numbers of Native Americans, Asians, and African Americans in the state.[60]

In 2018, The top countries of origin for Idaho's immigrants were Mexico, Canada, the Philippines, China and Germany.[61]

There are 5 federally recognized Native American tribes in the state. These tribes include the Shoshone-Bannock, the Shoshone-Paiute, the Coeur d’Alene, the Kootenai and the Nez Perce.[62]

Birth data

Map of counties in Idaho by racial plurality, per the 2020 census
Legend

Note: Births in table don't add up, because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number.

Live Births by Single Race/Ethnicity of Mother
Race
2013[63] 2014[64] 2015[65] 2016[66] 2017[67] 2018[68] 2019[69] 2020[70] 2021[71] 2022[72]
White
:
21,246 (94.9%) 21,696 (94.8%) 21,618 (94.7%) ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
> Non-Hispanic White 17,951 (80.2%) 18,188 (79.5%) 18,087 (79.2%) 17,543 (78.0%) 17,151 (77.3%) 16,574 (77.4%) 16,959 (76.9%) 16,463 (76.4%) 17,039 (76.0%) 16,894 (75.4%)
Asian 491 (2.2%) 501 (2.2%) 516 (2.3%) 363 (1.6%) 366 (1.7%) 348 (1.6%) 350 (1.6%) 327 (1.5%) 380 (1.7%) 378 (1.7%)
Black 225 (1.0%) 250 (1.1%) 287 (1.2%) 217 (1.0%) 243 (1.1%) 233 (1.1%) 261 (1.2%) 265 (1.2%) 271 (1.2%) 258 (1.2%)
American Indian 421 (1.9%) 429 (1.9%) 406 (1.8%) 261 (1.2%) 337 (1.5%) 285 (1.3%) 291 (1.3%) 206 (0.9%) 232 (1.0%) 260 (1.2%)
Hispanic (of any race) 3,422 (15.3%) 3,651 (16.0%) 3,645 (16.0%) 3,614 (16.1%) 3,598 (16.2%) 3,549 (16.6%) 3,702 (16.8%) 3,687 (17.1%) 3,887 (17.3%) 4,002 (17.9%)
Total Idaho 22,383 (100%) 22,876 (100%) 22,827 (100%) 22,482 (100%) 22,181 (100%) 21,403 (100%) 22,063 (100%) 21,533 (100%) 22,427 (100%) 22,391 (100%)
  • Since 2016, data for births of White Hispanic origin are not collected, but included in one Hispanic group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.

Religion

The Idaho Falls Idaho Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2006

Religious self-identification, per Public Religion Research Institute's 2022 American Values Survey[73]

  Protestantism (37%)
  Mormonism (24%)
  Catholicism (9%)
  Unaffiliated (26%)
  New Age (3%)

According to the Pew Research Center on Religion & Public Life, the self-identified religious affiliations of Idahoans over the age of 18 in 2008 and 2014 were:

Denomination 2008[74] 2014[75][76]
Christian, including: 81% 67%
*
Evangelical Protestant
22% 21%
* Mainline Protestant 16% 16%
* Catholic 18% 10%
*
Eastern Orthodox
< 0.5% 1%
* Historically Black Protestant < 0.5% < 1%
* The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 23% 19%
* Jehovah's Witnesses 1% < 1%
* Other Christian < 0.5% < 1%
Unaffiliated, including: 18% 27%
* Nothing in particular n/d 22%
*
Agnostic
n/d 3%
*
Atheist
n/d 2%
Non-Christian faiths, including: n/d 4%
* Muslim < 0.5% 1%
* Jewish < 0.5% < 1%
*
Buddhist
< 0.5% < 1%
*
Hindu
< 0.5% < 1%
* Other world religions < 0.5% < 1%
* Other faiths (
Native American
, etc.)
n/d 2%
Don't know/refused < 0.5% 1%

According to the Association of Religion Data Archives, the largest denominations by number of members in 2010 were The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with 409,265; the Catholic Church with 123,400; the non-denominational Protestants with 62,637; and the Assemblies of God with 22,183.[77] In 2020, the Association of Religion Data Archives revealed Mormons remained the largest with 462,069, followed by Catholics (203,790), and non-denominational Protestantism (98,996).[78]

In 2022, the Public Religion Research Institute's American Values Survey estimated altogether, 72% of the population was Christian, 26% were religiously unaffiliated, and 3% were New Agers. Of its Christian population, 37% were Protestant, 24% Mormon, 9% Catholic, and 2% Jehovah's Witnesses.

Language

English is the state's predominant language. Minority languages include Spanish[79] and various Native American languages.

Economy