Pocatello, Idaho

Pocatello, Idaho
Pocatello is the county seat and largest city of Bannock County, with a small portion on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in neighboring Power County, in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. It is the principal city of the Pocatello metropolitan area, which encompasses all of Bannock County. As of the 2020 census, the population of Pocatello was 56,326.
Pocatello is the 6th most populous city in the state, just behind Caldwell. In 2007, Pocatello was ranked twentieth on Forbes' list of Best Small Places for Business and Careers. Pocatello is the home of Idaho State University and the manufacturing facility of ON Semiconductor. The city is at an elevation of above sea level and is served by the Pocatello Regional Airport.
History
Indigenous tribes
Shoshone and Bannock Indigenous tribes inhabited southeastern Idaho for hundreds of years before the trek by Lewis and Clark across Idaho in 1805. Their reports of the many riches of the region attracted fur trappers and traders to southeastern Idaho. The city is named after Chief Pocatello, a 19th-century Shoshone leader.
Permanent settlements
Nathaniel Wyeth of Massachusetts established one of the first permanent settlements at Fort Hall in 1834, which is only a few miles northeast of Pocatello. When over-trapping and a shift in fashion to silk hats put an end to the fur trade, Fort Hall became a supply point for immigrants traveling the Oregon Trail.
Although thousands of immigrants passed through Idaho, it was not until the discovery of gold in 1860 that Idaho attracted settlers in large numbers. The gold rush brought a need for goods and services to many towns, and the Portneuf Valley, home of Pocatello, was the corridor initially used by stage and freight lines. The coming of the railroad provided further development of Idaho's mineral resources and "Pocatello junction" became an important transportation crossroads as the Union Pacific Railroad expanded its service.
Gateway to the Northwest
After its founding in 1889, Pocatello became known as the "Gateway to the Northwest". As pioneers, gold miners and settlers traveled the Oregon Trail, they passed through the Portneuf Gap south of town. Stage and freight lines and the railroad soon followed, turning the community into a trade center and transportation junction.
Gold rush and agriculture
After the gold rush played out, the settlers who remained turned to agriculture. With the help of irrigation from the nearby Snake River, the region became a large supplier of potatoes, grain and other crops. Residential and commercial development gradually appeared by 1882.
Alameda consolidation
The adjacent city of Alameda was consolidated into Pocatello in 1962, Chubbuck, further north, opposed a similar merger and remained a separate municipality. In the 1960 census, Alameda had a population of 10,660 and Pocatello was at 28,534; the consolidation made Pocatello the state's largest city based on those numbers, passing Boise and Idaho Falls.
Flag
The Pocatello flag used from 2001 to 2017 was considered by the North American Vexillological Association to be the worst city flag in North America. In April 2016, the city's newly created flag design committee met for the first time. Attending the meeting was Roman Mars – whose 2015 TED Talk made Pocatello's flag infamous. On July 20, 2017, after a year and a half of work by the flag committee, the Pocatello City Council approved the adoption of a new flag with the informal name of "Mountains Left" out of a total of 709 designs.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
A main water feature of Pocatello is the Portneuf River, which runs southeast to northwest on the western side of the city. Since 1992, the city and the Portneuf Greenway Foundation have worked to create a system of trails that follow the river and connect to other trails in the greater Portneuf Valley. Currently, 15+ miles of trails have been constructed with 27 planned total miles.
Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Pocatello has a warm-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Pocatello was on August 2, 1969, August 8, 1990, July 22, 2000, and July 31, 2020, while the coldest temperature recorded was on February 1, 1985.
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 54,255 people, 20,832 households, and 13,253 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 22,404 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 90.5% White, 1.0% African American, 1.7% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 2.3% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.2% of the population.
There were 20,832 households, of which 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.4% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.10.
The median age in the city is 30.2 years. 25.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 14.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.4% were from 25 to 44; 21.8% were from 45 to 64; and 10.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.9% male and 50.1% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 51,466 people, 19,334 households, and 12,973 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 20,627 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.32% White, 0.72% African American, 1.35% Native American, 1.15% Asian, 0.20% Pacific Islander, 2.18% from other races, and 2.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.94% of the population. The top 5 ethnic groups in Pocatello are: English – 21%, German – 16%, Irish – 9%, Danish – 4% and Swedish – 4%.
There were 19,334 households, out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.6% under the age of 18, 16.7% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,326, and the median income for a family was $41,884. Males had a median income of $33,984 versus $22,962 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,425. About 10.7% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.9% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Idaho Department of Correction operates the Pocatello Women's Correctional Center (PWCC) in Pocatello.
The United States Postal Service operates the Pocatello, Bannock, and Gateway Station post offices.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is building a data center in Pocatello as part of an initiative to consolidate operations into three enterprise data centers.
Top employers
According to Pocatello's 2021 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
Sports
Pocatello is home to Holt Arena, a multipurpose indoor stadium that opened in 1970 on the ISU campus. Known as the "Minidome" until 1988, Holt Arena was the home of the Real Dairy Bowl, a junior college football Bowl game. Holt Arena also plays host to the Simplot Games, the nation's largest indoor high school track-and-field meet.
The Pocatello Marathon and Half Marathon are held annually. Times from the course may be used to qualify for the Boston and New York marathons.
Outdoor sports, both winter and summer, play an important role in the culture of Pocatello. Pebble Creek, Idaho is a ski resort located just south of Pocatello and offers skiing and snowboarding.
Pocatello is also home to a semi-pro baseball team, the Gate City Grays, who are a member of the Northern Utah League. The Grays play in Halliwell Park located at 1100 W. Alameda. They were NUL champions in both 2015 and 2016.
Education
Primary and secondary education
Pocatello is served by the Pocatello/Chubbuck School District #25. The district is home to three public high schools, four public middle schools and thirteen public elementary schools.
Additionally, there are two public charter schools, and various alternative and church-based private schools and academies.
High schools
Century High School
Highland High School
Pocatello High School
Middle schools
Alameda Middle School
Franklin Middle School
Hawthorne Middle School
Irving Middle School
Elementary schools
Chubbuck Elementary School
Edahow Elementary School
Ellis Elementary School
Gate City Elementary School
Gem Prep
Greenacres Elementary School
Indian Hills Elementary School
Jefferson Elementary School
Lewis & Clark Elementary School
Syringa Elementary School
Tendoy Elementary School
Tyhee Elementary School
Washington Elementary School
Wilcox Elementary School
Higher education
Idaho State University (ISU) is a public university operated by the state of Idaho. Originally an auxiliary campus of the University of Idaho and then a state college, it became the second university in the state in 1963. The ISU campus is in Pocatello, with outreach programs in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Falls, Boise, and Twin Falls. The university's L.E. and Thelma E. Stephens Performing Arts Center occupies a prominent location overlooking Pocatello and the lower Portneuf River Valley. The center's three venues provide performance space, including the Joseph C. and Cheryl H. Jensen Grand Concert Hall.
Idaho State's athletics teams compete in the Big Sky Conference, the football and basketball teams play in Holt Arena.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Commercial air service is available via Pocatello Regional Airport. Pocatello Regional Transit provides bus service on five hourly routes, Monday through Saturday. There is currently no evening or Sunday service.
Notable people
Chris Abernathy, electrician and member of the Idaho House of Representatives
Neil L. Andersen, member of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Don Aslett, entrepreneur and founder of the town's Museum of Clean
Kayla Barron, NASA astronaut
Billie Bird (1908–2002), comedian and actress
Greg Byrne, athletic director at University of Alabama
Shay Carl, vlogger, one of the original founders of Maker Studios, which was sold to Walt Disney Co. in 2014
Gloria Dickson, actress
Jan Broberg Felt, actress
George V. Hansen, politician
Taysom Hill, NFL tight end for the New Orleans Saints
Merril Hoge, analyst for ESPN, NFL running back
Tristen Hoge, offensive guard for the New York Jets
Bryan Johnson, NFL football player
James Edmund Johnson, Medal of Honor recipient, posthumously, for valor in combat in the Korean War
Dirk Koetter, interim offensive coordinator for the Boise State Broncos
Wendy J. Olson, U.S. Attorney for the District of Idaho
C. Ben Ross, Mayor of Pocatello and 15th Governor of Idaho
Bill Salkeld, Major League Baseball catcher
Richard G. Scott, member of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Tom Spanbauer, writer, winner of the Stonewall Book Award
Brandon Steineckert, drummer
Edward Stevenson, costume designer for numerous films including Citizen Kane and It's a Wonderful Life
Minerva Teichert, artist
Tommy Togiai, defensive tackle for the Cleveland Browns
Celeste West, librarian and lesbian author, born Pocatello 1942
Logan Wilde, professional archer
Reo Wilde, professional archer
Jack Williams, City of Boston news anchor
Benedicte Wrensted, photographer, lived in Pocatello from 1895 to 1912
In popular culture
In the Roger Edens - Leonard Gershe song "Born in a Trunk", which featured in the film A Star is Born (1954), the character Esther Blodgett (Judy Garland) sings about being "born in a trunk at the Princess Theater in Pocatello, Idaho".
The Great Food Truck Race Season 4, Episode 3, "Potatoes in Pocatello". Pocatello, Idaho is the location of episode 3 food truck race challenge. Much of the city is shown, as well as the local foot traffic.
The documentary Abducted in Plain Sight takes place in Pocatello
The play Pocatello by Samuel D. Hunter takes place at an eating establishment in Pocatello.
The murder of Cassie Jo Stoddart took place in Pocatello. She, along with her murderers Brian Lee Draper and Torey Michael Adamcik, attended Pocatello High School.
John Fogerty mentions Pocatello in his song "Somebody Help Me" from his 2007 Revival album.
See also
List of counties in Idaho
References
External links
City of Pocatello
Cities in Idaho
Cities in Bannock County, Idaho
Cities in Power County, Idaho
Oregon Trail
County seats in Idaho
Populated places established in 1834
Pocatello, Idaho metropolitan area
1834 establishments in Oregon
Idaho placenames of Native American origin