Idaho

**Idaho** is a state in the northwestern United States, and was the 43rd state to join the union.

Idaho became a state in 1890, and it is the 11th largest state in land area, and the 14th largest in total area (land and water). Despite this, the population of Idaho was only 1,839,106 in 2020, making it ranked the 38th largest state by population.

Idaho is bordered by Washington and Oregon on the west, Montana and Wyoming on the east, Utah and Nevada on the south and the country of Canada (British Columbia) on the north side. Idaho is known for its vast mountainous landscapes, and it is literally covered from north to south by the Rocky Mountains. Idaho is also home to the massive Snake River, which comes from the Grand Tetons in Wyoming and eventually flows to meld with the Columbia River in Washington state. This river dissects Hell's Canyon, the deepest gorge in America, which lies the state's Oregon border, and flows through south central Idaho. This river provides a fertile plain which is the base for most of the state's agricultural industries,  and the production of the potatoes for which Idaho is known. Idaho's state nickname is the "Gem State", despite also being known as the "Spud State", because of a man named George M. Willing who claimed it was derived from a Shoshone term.

Idaho's most prominent universities are Boise State University in its capital, Idaho State University in Pocatello, and the University of Idaho in Moscow.

Idaho's state motto is _Esto perpetua_, which is Latin for "Let it be forever".

## Cities and towns

**Population > 100,000 (city area)**
- Boise (state capital)
- Meridian – Suburb of Boise
- Nampa – Home of Northwest Nazarene University
**Population > 50,000 (city area)**
- Idaho Falls – The main offices of the Idaho National Laboratory are here
- Caldwell – Home of the College of Idaho
- Pocatello – Home of Idaho State University
- Coeur d'Alene – Home of North Idaho College, major tourist hub
- Twin Falls – Home of College of Southern Idaho
**Population > 30,000 (city area)**
- Rexburg – Home of Brigham Young University-Idaho
- Post Falls
- Lewiston – Home of Lewis-Clark State College
- Eagle – Suburb of Boise
**Population > 10,000 (city area)**
- Ammon – Suburb of Idaho Falls
- Blackfoot – Home of the Idaho Potato Museum
- Burley
- Chubbuck
- Garden City – Suburb of Boise
- Hayden
- Jerome
- Kuna – Suburb of Boise
- Moscow – Home of the University of Idaho
- Mountain Home – U.S. Air Force Base
- Star

**Smaller Towns and Cities**

- American Falls – First town to be entirely moved
- Arco – First city to be lit by electricity from a nuclear power plant
- Bonners Ferry – Northernmost major town in Idaho
- Buhl – "Trout capital of the world"
- Driggs – skiing
- Eden
- Emmett
- Filer – Suburb of Twin Falls
- Firth
- Fruitland
- Greenleaf
- Hazelton
- Homedale – town's name was chosen from a hat
- Island Park
- Kellogg – skiing
- Kimberly – Suburb of Twin Falls
- Malad City
- McCall – skiing
- Melba, Idaho - South of Nampa, Idaho
- Middleton
- Montpelier bank robbed by the wild bunch
- Mullan – mining for silver, lead, zinc
- New Meadows - at the 45th parallel north

- New Plymouth – first planned community in Idaho, third west of the Rocky Mountains
- Notus
- Oakley – pioneer town, home of many historic buildings
- Orofino – Clearwater County seat, site of Dworshak Dam
- Paris – Bear Lake County seat
- Parma
- Payette – Payette County seat
- Plummer- CDA tribal headquarters
- Preston- location of the 2004 film _Napoleon Dynamite_ and the annual International Bed Races
- Rigby – Television birthplace
- Rupert- Minidoka County seat
- Salmon – Gateway to "River of No Return" (Salmon River)
- Sandpoint – skiing (Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort) and Recreation Lake Pend Oreille
- Shelley – Home of the Russet SPUD
- Soda Springs – U.S.'s only captive geyser
- St. Anthony – sand dunes and several lava tubes
- St. Maries – Benewah County seat
- Stanley, Idaho – center of the Sawtooth mountains
- Sun Valley – Year-round resort with skiing
- Wallace – Historic district and Shoshone County seat
- Weiser – Washington County seat, home of the National Oldtime Fiddlers' Contest
- Wilder
- Worley – casino

## History of Idaho

Idaho was formerly Idaho Territory, until July 27, 1890, when it became the 43rd state. In the 1930s, Idaho suffered a lot economically as a result of the Great Depression. Prices plummeted for Idaho's major crops: in 1932, a bushel of potatoes was worth only ten cents compared to $1.51 in 1919, while Idaho farmers´  annual income of $686 in 1929 fell to just $250 by 1932.

## Politics

Today, Idaho is a very conservative state. In the 2024 election, just two counties in Idaho voted for the Democrat, Kamala Harris. Idaho as a whole last voted Democratic in 1964, and that by a narrow margin of less than 2 percent. Both of Idaho's senators (Jim Risch and Mike Crapo) are Republican.

## Related pages

- Colleges and universities in Idaho
- List of counties in Idaho
- List of rivers of Idaho

## Infobox (u.s. state)

- **name**: Idaho
- **official name**: State of Idaho
- **image flag**: Flag of Idaho.svg
- **flag link**: Flag of Idaho
- **image seal**: Seal of Idaho.svg
- **image map**: Idaho in United States.svg
- **nickname**: Gem State
- **motto**: _Esto perpetua_ (Latin (language), Latin for "Let it be perpetual")
- **mottoenglish**: May it endure forever
- **anthem**: "Here We Have Idaho"
- **former**: Oregon Territory, Washington Territory, Idaho Territory
- **population demonym**: Idahoan
- **seat**: Boise, Idaho, Boise
- **officiallang**: English language, English
- **largestcity**: capital
- **largestmetro**: Boise metropolitan area, Boise
- **legislature**: Idaho Legislature, Legislature
- **upperhouse**: Idaho Senate, Senate
- **lowerhouse**: Idaho House of Representatives, House of Representatives
- **judiciary**: Idaho Supreme Court
- **senators**: Mike Crapo (R)
Jim Risch (R)
- **representative**: Idaho's 1st congressional district, 1. Russ Fulcher (R)
Idaho's 2nd congressional district, 2. Mike Simpson (R)
- **medianhouseholdincome**: $52,225
- **incomerank**: 41st
- **postal code**: ID
- **area rank**: 14th
- **area total km2**: 216,443
- **area water sq mi**: 926
- **area water km2**: 2,398
- **area water percent**: .99
- **population rank**: 38th
- **population as of**: 2020
- **2010pop**: 1,839,106
- **population density rank**: 44th
- **admittanceorder**: 43rd
- **admittancedate**: July 3, 1890
- **timezone1**: Mountain Time Zone, Mountain
- **utc offset1**: −07:00
- **timezone1 dst**: Mountain Daylight Time, MDT
- **utc offset1 dst**: −06:00
- **timezone1 location**: primary
- **timezone2**: Pacific Time Zone, Pacific
- **utc offset2**: −08:00
- **timezone2 dst**: Pacific Daylight Time, PDT
- **utc offset2 dst**: −07:00
- **timezone2 location**: Idaho Panhandle
- **latitude**: 42nd parallel north, 42° N to 49th parallel north, 49° N
- **longitude**: 111°03′ W to 117°15′ W
- **width mi**: 305
- **width km**: 491
- **length mi**: 479
- **length km**: 771
- **elevation m**: 1,520
- **elevation ft**: 5,000
- **elevation max m**: 3,859
- **elevation max point**: Mt. Borah
- **elevation min m**: 217
- **elevation min point**: Lewiston, ID
- **iso code**: US-ID
- **website**: www.idaho.gov
- **2010densityus**: 21.6
- **2010density**: 8.33
- **capital**: Boise


## Infobox (u.s. state symbols)

- **flag**: Flag of Idaho.svg
- **seal**: Seal of Idaho.svg
- **name**: Idaho
- **amphibian**: Tiger salamander (_Ambystoma tigrinum_)
- **fish**: Cutthroat trout (_Oncorhynchus clarkii_)
- **flower**: Syringa (_Philadelphus lewisii_)
- **horse**: Appaloosa
- **insect**: Monarch butterfly (_Danaus plexippus_)
- **tree**: Western white pine (_Pinus monticola_)
- **dance**: Square dance
- **fossil**: Hagerman horse (_Equus simplicidens_)
- **gemstone**: Star garnet
- **soil**: Threebear (soil), Threebear
- **route marker**: ID-75.svg
- **quarterreleasedate**: 2007