View source for Idaho

{{Short description|U.S. state}}
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{{Other uses}}
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{{Use American English|date = August 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2025}}
{{Infobox U.S. state
| name = Idaho
| official_name = 
| native_name = 
| image_flag = Flag of Idaho.svg
| flag_link = Flag of Idaho
| image_seal = Seal of Idaho.svg
| image_map = Idaho in United States.svg
| nicknames = The Gem State (official), The Potato State
| motto = ''[[Esto perpetua]]'' ([[Latin (language)|Latin]] for "Let it be perpetual")<ref>{{cite web |title=Facts & Symbols |url=https://www.idaho.gov/about-idaho/facts-symbols/ |website=The Official Website of the State of Idaho |publisher=Access Idaho |access-date=May 8, 2023}}</ref>
| anthem = "[[Here We Have Idaho]]"
| Former = [[Oregon Territory]], [[Washington Territory]], [[Idaho Territory]]
| population_demonym = Idahoan
| seat = [[Boise, Idaho|Boise]]
| OfficialLang = [[English language|English]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Idaho Statutes (73-121)|publisher=State of Idaho|year=2017|url=https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/title73/t73ch1/sect73-121/|access-date=December 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208122627/https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/title73/t73ch1/sect73-121/|archive-date=December 8, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| LargestCity = capital
| LargestCounty = [[Ada County, Idaho|Ada]]
| LargestMetro = [[Boise metropolitan area|Boise]]
| Governor = {{nowrap|[[Brad Little]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])}}
| Lieutenant Governor = {{nowrap|[[Scott Bedke]] (R)}}
| Legislature = [[Idaho Legislature|Legislature]]
| Upperhouse = [[Idaho Senate|Senate]]
| Lowerhouse = [[Idaho House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
| Judiciary = [[Idaho Supreme Court]]
| Senators = [[Mike Crapo]] (R) <br />[[Jim Risch]] (R)
| Representative = [[Idaho's 1st congressional district|1]]. [[Russ Fulcher]] (R) <br />[[Idaho's 2nd congressional district|2]]. [[Mike Simpson]] (R)
| MedianHouseholdIncome = ${{round|74942|-2}} (2<span>0</span>23)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2024/demo/acsbr-023.pdf|title=Household Income in States and Metropolitan Areas: 2023|accessdate=January 12, 2025}}</ref>
| IncomeRank = [[List of U.S. states and territories by income#States and territories ranked by median household income|24th]]
| postal_code = ID
| area_rank = 11th
| area_total_sq_mi = 83,571<ref name="census_basics">[https://www.census.gov] United States Census Bureau—Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010</ref>
| area_total_km2 = 216,444
| area_land_sq_mi = 82,644
| area_land_km2 = 214,046
| area_water_sq_mi = 927
| area_water_km2 = 2,399
| area_water_percent = 1.11
| population_rank = 38th
| population_as_of = 2024
| 2010Pop = {{IncreaseNeutral}} 2,001,619<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/ID/PST045224|accessdate=January 9, 2025|title= United States Census Quick Facts Idaho}}</ref>
| 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_max_point = [[Borah Peak]]<ref>{{cite ngs|id=PZ0770|designation=Beauty Reset|access-date=October 20, 2011}}</ref><ref name=USGS>{{cite web|url=http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html|title=Elevations and Distances in the United States|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|year=2001|access-date=October 21, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015012701/http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html|archive-date=October 15, 2011}}</ref>{{efn|name=NAVD88|Elevation adjusted to [[North American Vertical Datum of 1988]]}}
| elevation_max_ft = 12,662
| elevation_max_m = 3,859
| elevation_ft = 5,000
| elevation_m = 1,520
| elevation_min_point = Confluence of [[Snake River|Snake]] and [[Clearwater River (Idaho)|Clearwater River]]; [[Lewiston, Idaho|Lewiston]]<ref name=USGS/>{{efn|name=NAVD88}}
| elevation_min_ft = 713
| elevation_min_m = 217
| iso_code = US-ID
| website = idaho.gov
| 2010DensityUS = 23.63
| 2010Density = 8.33
| Capital = 
| Representatives = 
}}
{{Redirect|US-ID|identity documents, known colloquially by the initials ID|Identity documents in the United States}}
'''Idaho''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=en-us-Idaho.ogg|ˈ|aɪ|d|ə|h|oʊ}}) is a landlocked [[U.S. state|state]] in the [[Pacific Northwest]] and [[Mountain states|Mountain West]] subregions of the [[Western United States]]. It borders [[Montana]] and [[Wyoming]] to the east, [[Nevada]] and [[Utah]] to the south, and [[Washington (state)|Washington]] and [[Oregon]] to the west; the state shares a small portion of the [[Canada–United States border]] to the north with the Canadian province of [[British Columbia]]. Idaho's [[State capital (United States)|state capital]] and largest city is [[Boise, Idaho|Boise]]. With an area of {{convert|83569|sqmi|km2|abbr=}}, Idaho is the [[List of U.S. states and territories by area|14th-largest]] state by land area. The state has a population of approximately two million people; it ranks as the [[List of U.S. states and territories by population|13th-least populous]] and the [[List of U.S. states by population density|seventh-least densely populated]] of the [[List of US states|50 U.S. states]].

For thousands of years, and prior to European colonization, Idaho had been inhabited by [[Native Americans in the United States|natives]]. In the early 19th century, Idaho was considered part of the [[Oregon Country]], an area which was disputed between the U.S. and the [[British Empire]]. Idaho officially became [[Territories of the United States|a U.S. territory]] with the signing of the [[Oregon Treaty|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]]. The state was eventually [[Admission to the Union|admitted to the Union]] on July 3, 1890, becoming the [[List of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union|43rd state]].

Forming part of the Pacific Northwest (and the associated [[Cascadia (bioregion)|Cascadia bioregion]]), Idaho is divided into several distinct geographic and climatic regions. The state's north, the relatively isolated [[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.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110727120656/http://www.wildlandfire.com/docs/2007/western-states-data-public-land.htm "Western States Data Public Land Acreage"], ''wildlandfire.com''. Archived on July 27, 2011. Retrieved January 3, 2020.</ref>

Industries significant for the state economy include manufacturing, agriculture, mining, forestry, science and technology, and tourism. Idaho has been a predominantly Republican state since statehood, with the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] dominating in both state and national elections; [[abortion]] is severely restricted and the state retains the [[death penalty]], including methods like the [[firing squad]]. The state contains the [[Idaho National Laboratory]]. Idaho's agricultural sector supplies many products, but the state is best known for its [[potato|potato crop]], which comprises around one-third of the nationwide yield. Its [[List of U.S. state nicknames|official state nickname]] is the "Gem State".<ref>{{cite web |url= https://digitalatlas.cose.isu.edu/geog/explore/essay.pdf |title= Origins of the Name "Idaho" and How Idaho Became a Territory in 1863 |last= Wells |first= Merle W |access-date= January 16, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190406151232/https://digitalatlas.cose.isu.edu/geog/explore/essay.pdf |archive-date= April 6, 2019 |url-status= live }}</ref>

==Etymology==
In the early 1860s, when the [[United States Congress|U.S. Congress]] was considering organizing a new territory in the [[Rocky Mountains]], the name "Idaho" was suggested by [[George M. Willing]], a politician posing as an unrecognized delegate from the unofficial [[Jefferson Territory]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/weblog/comments/did_idaho_get_its_name_as_a_result_of_a_hoax |title=Did Idaho Get Its Name As a Result of a Hoax? |publisher=Museum of hoaxes |date=April 25, 2006 |access-date=July 30, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111025133736/http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/weblog/comments/did_idaho_get_its_name_as_a_result_of_a_hoax |archive-date=October 25, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=March 2025|reason=Source describes the story here as an unverified claim of Willing, not fact}} Willing claimed that the name was derived from a [[Shoshone language|Shoshone]] term meaning "the sun comes from the mountains" or "gem of the mountains",<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Idaho |publisher=MSN |encyclopedia=Encarta |url=http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761565515/Idaho.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091028131844/http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761565515/Idaho.html |archive-date=October 28, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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''.<ref name="Ellis">{{Cite journal |last=Ellis |first=Erl H. |title=Idaho |journal=Western Folklore |volume=10 |issue=4 |pages=317–9 |date=October 1951 |doi=10.2307/1496073 |jstor=1496073| issn = 0043-373X|doi-access=free }}</ref> 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, Idaho|Idaho County]] was created in eastern [[Washington Territory]]. The county was named after a [[steamboat|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.<ref>{{Citation |publisher=[[Idaho State University]] |url=http://imnh.isu.edu/digitalatlas/geog/explore/essay.pdf |contribution=Origins of the Name "Idaho" and How Idaho Became a Territory in 1863 |title=Idaho Museum of Natural History |access-date=March 6, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120065016/http://imnh.isu.edu/digitalatlas/geog/explore/essay.pdf |archive-date=January 20, 2013 |url-status=live }}.</ref> Idaho Territory would later change its boundaries to the area that became the U.S. state.<ref>{{Cite web |title=uslaw.link |url=https://uslaw.link/citation/stat/12/808 |access-date=September 1, 2023 |website=uslaw.link}}</ref>

==History==
{{main |History of Idaho}}

Humans may have been present in the Idaho area as long as 14,500 years ago. Excavations at [[Wilson Butte Cave]] near [[Twin Falls, Idaho|Twin Falls]] in 1959 revealed evidence of human activity, including arrowheads, that rank among the oldest dated artifacts in North America. [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian]] peoples predominant in the area included the [[Nez Perce people|Nez Percé]] in the north and the Northern and Western [[Shoshone]] in the south.<ref name = natgeo>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/2019/08/coopers-landing-idaho-site-americas-oldest/|title=15,000-year-old Idaho archaeology site now among America's oldest|date=August 29, 2019|website=Culture & History|access-date=September 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905110333/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/2019/08/coopers-landing-idaho-site-americas-oldest/|archive-date=September 5, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref>

A Late [[Upper Paleolithic]] site was identified at Cooper's Ferry in western Idaho near the town of [[Cottonwood, Idaho|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.<ref name = natgeo/><ref name = science>{{Cite journal|last1=G. Davis|first1=Loren|last2=B. Madsen|first2=David|last3=Higham|first3=Thomas Higham|date=2019|title=Late Upper Paleolithic occupation at Cooper's Ferry, Idaho, USA, ~16,000 years ago|journal=Science|volume=365|issue=6456|pages=891–897|doi=10.1126/science.aax9830|pmid=31467216|bibcode=2019Sci...365..891D|s2cid=201672463|doi-access=free}}</ref> 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 Ocean|Pacific]] coastal route.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://news.yahoo.com/idaho-artifacts-show-human-presence-184042278.html|title=Idaho artifacts show human presence in Americas 16,600 years ago|website=news.yahoo.com|date=August 29, 2019 |access-date=September 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190901181706/https://news.yahoo.com/idaho-artifacts-show-human-presence-184042278.html|archive-date=September 1, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

{{Blockquote|text=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.<ref name = science/>||sign=|source=}}

An early presence of French-Canadian trappers is visible in names and [[toponym]]s: ''Nez Percé, Cœur d'Alène, Boisé, Payette''. Some of these names appeared prior to the [[Lewis and Clark]] and [[Pacific Fur Company|Astorian]] expeditions, which included significant numbers of French and [[Métis]] guides recruited for their familiarity with the terrain.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

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&nbsp;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 [[Idaho Territory]] in 1863, parts of present-day Idaho were included in the [[Oregon Territory|Oregon]], [[Washington Territory|Washington]], and [[Dakota Territory|Dakota]] Territories. The new Idaho territory included present-day Idaho, [[Montana]], and most of [[Wyoming]]. The Lewis and Clark expedition crossed Idaho in 1805 on the way to the Pacific, and in 1806, on the return trip, largely following the [[Clearwater River (Idaho)|Clearwater River]] in both directions, making it one the last states settled by [[European Americans]]. The first non-indigenous settlement was [[Kullyspell House]], established on the shore of [[Lake Pend Oreille]] in 1809 by [[David Thompson (explorer)|David Thompson]] of the [[North West Company]] for fur trading.<ref name="auto2">{{cite web |url=http://www.northamericanforts.com/West/id.html#thompson |title=David Thompson's Trading Post |website=Idaho Forts |publisher=American Forts Network |access-date=December 7, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090813155304/http://www.northamericanforts.com/West/id.html#thompson |archive-date=August 13, 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Meinig |first=DW |author-link=D.W. Meinig |title=The Great Columbia Plain |orig-year=1968 |series=Weyerhaeuser Environmental Classic |year=1995 |publisher=University of Washington Press |isbn=978-0-295-97485-9 |pages=36, 55}}</ref> In 1812 [[Donald Mackenzie (explorer)|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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.idahohistory.net/Reference%20Series/0062.pdf |title=Fur Trade Posts in Idaho |publisher=Idaho State Historical Society |access-date=December 7, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090930220652/http://www.idahohistory.net/Reference%20Series/0062.pdf |archive-date=September 30, 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="auto2" /> The first organized non-indigenous communities within the present borders of Idaho were established by [[Mormon pioneers]] in 1860.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.franklinidaho.org/History2.htm |title=An Early History of Franklin |last=Bennett |first=Eldon T. |publisher=Franklin, ID |access-date=May 19, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513005934/http://www.franklinidaho.org/History2.htm |archive-date=May 13, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.idahohistory.net/Reference%20Series/0008.pdf |title=Elias Davidson Pierce and the Founding of Pierce |date=August 1966 |publisher=Idaho State Historical Society |access-date=May 19, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080528121225/http://www.idahohistory.net/Reference%20Series/0008.pdf |archive-date=May 28, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The first permanent, substantial [[Municipal corporation|incorporated]] community was Lewiston, in 1861. Early in its history, Idaho saw a large influx of [[Chinese Americans|Chinese immigrants]], who by 1870 made up about 28.5% of the territory's population.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Significance of Asians and Asian Americans in Idaho History |url=https://www.uidaho.edu/class/anthrolab/collections/aacc/significance |access-date=July 17, 2023 |website=www.uidaho.edu |language=en}}</ref>

Idaho achieved statehood in 1890, following a difficult start as a territory, including the transfer of the territorial capital from [[Lewiston, Idaho|Lewiston]] to [[Boise, Idaho|Boise]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://history.idaho.gov/sites/default/files/uploads/reference-series/0048.pdf |title=Territorial Government in Idaho, 1863–1869 |series=Reference |number=48 |place=ID, [[United States of America|US]] |publisher=State Historical Society |year=1968 |access-date=September 29, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002124302/http://www.history.idaho.gov/sites/default/files/uploads/reference-series/0048.pdf |archive-date=October 2, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[disenfranchisement]] of [[Mormon]] [[polygamist]]s upheld by the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] in 1890,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nboman.people.wm.edu/MormonsEUSC.pdf |title=Mormon |type=entry |website=The Encyclopedia of the Supreme Court of the United States |first=David S |last=Tanenhaus |access-date=July 30, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100628164120/http://nboman.people.wm.edu/MormonsEUSC.pdf |archive-date=June 28, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/idaho-becomes-43rd-state|title=Idaho becomes 43rd state—Jul 03, 1890—HISTORY.com|work=HISTORY.com|access-date=February 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102053717/http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/idaho-becomes-43rd-state|archive-date=November 2, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>

Idaho was one of the hardest hit of the [[Pacific Northwest]] states during the [[Great Depression]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Schwantes |first=Carlos |year=1991 |title=In Mountain Shadows: a History of Idaho |location=Lincoln |publisher=University of Nebraska Press}}</ref> 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 $685 in 1929 drop to $250 by 1932.<ref>{{cite book |last=Doyle |first=Randall |year=2004 |title=A political dynasty in North Idaho, 1933–1967 |publisher=University Press |isbn=978-0-7618-2842-6 |page=7}}</ref>

Between 1991 and 2002, Idaho expanded its commercial base to include the science and technology sector which accounted for over 25% of its [[gross state product]] in 2001.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ieda.biz/white.html |title=The Power of Idaho |type=whitepaper |year=2004 |place=ID |publisher=Economic Development Association |access-date=October 7, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013194422/http://ieda.biz/white.html |archive-date=October 13, 2007 }}</ref>

During the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], Idaho enacted statewide crisis standards of care as COVID-19 patients overwhelmed hospitals.<ref>{{Cite web|last=erusby@idahopress.com|first=ERIN BANKS RUSBY|title=Idaho issues crisis standards of care statewide|url=https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/idaho-issues-crisis-standards-of-care-statewide/article_6ba90621-f076-504a-8b74-059422f64272.html|access-date=October 10, 2021|website=Idaho Press|date=September 16, 2021 |language=en}}</ref> The state had one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country as of mid-October 2021.<ref>{{Cite news|date=December 17, 2020|title=See How Vaccinations Are Going in Your County and State|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/covid-19-vaccine-doses.html|access-date=October 10, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

==Geography==
{{main|Geography of Idaho}}
{{More citations needed section|date=April 2022}} 
Idaho shares a border with six U.S. states and one Canadian province. The states of [[Washington (state)|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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Map of Idaho |url=https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/map/USA/idaho_map.htm |website=nationsonline.org}}</ref>

[[File:Shoshone Falls near Twin Falls, Idaho.jpg|thumb|Shoshone Falls]]

The landscape is rugged, with some of the largest unspoiled natural areas in the United States. For example, at {{convert|2.3|e6acre|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 Mountains|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]].<ref>{{cite web |title=2015 Idaho Travel Guide by Visit Idaho - Issuu |url=https://issuu.com/visitidaho/docs/2015-travel-guide |website=issuu.com |date=February 13, 2015 |language=en}}</ref>

By far, the most important river in Idaho is the Snake River, a major tributary of the Columbia River. The Snake River flows from [[Yellowstone]] in northwestern [[Wyoming]] through the [[Snake River Plain]] in southern Idaho before turning north, leaving the state at [[Lewiston, Idaho|Lewiston]] before joining the Columbia in [[Kennewick]]. Other major rivers are the [[Clark Fork (river)|Clark Fork]]/[[Pend Oreille River]], the [[Spokane River]], and, many major tributaries of the Snake River, including the [[Clearwater River (Idaho)|Clearwater River]], the [[Salmon River (Idaho)|Salmon River]], the [[Boise River]], and the [[Payette River]]. The Salmon River empties into the Snake in Hells Canyon and forms the southern boundary of Nez Perce County on its north shore, of which Lewiston is the county seat. The Port of [[Lewiston, Idaho|Lewiston]], at the confluence of the [[Clearwater River (Idaho)|Clearwater]] and the Snake Rivers is the farthest inland [[seaport]] on the West Coast at 465&nbsp;[[river mile]]s from the Pacific at [[Astoria, Oregon]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h2812.html |title=Port of Lewiston |publisher=US history |access-date=July 30, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622052243/http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h2812.html |archive-date=June 22, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>

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 [[Boise]], [[Meridian, Idaho|Meridian]], [[Nampa, Idaho|Nampa]], [[Caldwell, Idaho|Caldwell]], [[Twin Falls, Idaho|Twin Falls]], [[Idaho Falls]], and [[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 (Pacific Northwest)|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]].

[[File:Edna Lake.JPG|thumb|Edna Lake, Sawtooth Mountains]]

Idaho's highest point is [[Borah Peak]], {{convert|12662|ft|0|abbr=on}}, in the [[Lost River Range]] north of [[Mackay, Idaho|Mackay]]. Idaho's lowest point, {{convert|710|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}, is in [[Lewiston, Idaho|Lewiston]], where the [[Clearwater River (Idaho)|Clearwater River]] joins the [[Snake River]] and continues into Washington. The [[Sawtooth Range (Idaho)|Sawtooth Range]] is often considered Idaho's most famous mountain range.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.idahoaclimbingguide.com/id27.htm |title= Sawtooth Range |publisher= Idaho climbing guide |access-date= July 30, 2010 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110615075042/http://www.idahoaclimbingguide.com/id27.htm |archive-date= June 15, 2011}}</ref> 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 {{convert|34|mile|km|adj=}} long [[geological formation]] of [[sedimentary rock]] that contains some of the largest [[cobalt]] deposits in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web |title=Idaho Is Sitting on One of the Most Important Elements on Earth |author=Michael Holtz |date=January 24, 2022 |website=The Atlantic |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2022/01/cobalt-clean-energy-climate-change-idaho/621321/}}</ref>

Idaho has two [[Time in the United States|time zones]], with the dividing line approximately midway between Canada and [[Nevada]]. Southern Idaho, including the [[Boise metropolitan area]], [[Idaho Falls, Idaho|Idaho Falls]], [[Pocatello, Idaho|Pocatello]], and [[Twin Falls, Idaho|Twin Falls]], are in the [[Mountain Time Zone]]. A legislative error ({{usctc|15|6}} §264) theoretically placed this region in the [[Central Time Zone]], but this was corrected with a 2007 amendment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/15C6.txt |id=264 |title=Part of Idaho in fourth zone |publisher=House of representatives |place=Washington, D.C., U.S. |website=U.S. Code |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060125180343/http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/15C6.txt |archive-date=January 25, 2006 }}</ref> Areas north of the [[Salmon River (Idaho)|Salmon River]], including [[Coeur d'Alene, Idaho|Coeur d'Alene]], [[Moscow, Idaho|Moscow]], [[Lewiston, Idaho|Lewiston]], and [[Sandpoint, Idaho|Sandpoint]], are in the [[Pacific Time Zone]], which contains less than a quarter of the state's population and land area.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Idaho (ID) time zone |url=https://whichtimezone.com/usa/idaho/ |access-date=February 15, 2025 |website=WhichTimezone |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Climate===
[[File:Köppen Climate Types Idaho.png|left|thumb|300x300px|[[Köppen climate classification|Köppen climate types]] of Idaho, using 1991–2020 [[Climatological normal|climate normals]]]]
Idaho's [[climate]] varies widely. Although the state's western border is about {{convert|330|mi|-1}} from the Pacific Ocean, the maritime influence is still felt in Idaho; especially, in the winter when cloud cover, [[humidity]], and [[precipitation (meteorology)|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.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/narratives/IDAHO.htm | title = Climate of Idaho | website = WRCC | publisher = DRI | date = February 20, 1954 | access-date = July 30, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110909133342/http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/narratives/IDAHO.htm | archive-date = September 9, 2011 | url-status = live }}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{cite web| last = Woodward| first = Susan L.| title = Inland Rainforests of the Northwest| publisher = Radford University| date = 2012–2015| url = https://php.radford.edu/~swoodwar/biomes/?page_id=2286| access-date = May 4, 2021| archive-date = January 6, 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210106064259/https://php.radford.edu/~swoodwar/biomes/?page_id=2286| url-status = dead}}</ref> 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]].<ref name=climate_idaho_wrcc>{{Cite web|url=https://wrcc.dri.edu/narratives/IDAHO.htm|title=Climate of Idaho|website=Western Regional Climate Center|access-date=February 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171120183856/https://wrcc.dri.edu/narratives/IDAHO.htm|archive-date=November 20, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

Idaho can be hot, although extended periods over {{convert|98|°F|°C|abbr=on}} are rare, except for the lowest point in elevation, [[Lewiston, Idaho|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 [[Day|diurnal]] difference in temperature is often in the summer.<ref name=climate_idaho_wrcc /> Winters can be cold, although extended periods of bitter cold weather below zero are unusual. Idaho's all-time highest temperature of {{convert|118|F|C}} was recorded at [[Orofino, Idaho|Orofino]] on July 28, 1934; the all-time lowest temperature of {{convert|-60|F|C}} was recorded at [[Island Park Dam]] on January 18, 1943.

{| class="wikitable"
| colspan="13" style="text-align:center;background:#E8EAFA;" |Monthly normal high and low temperatures for various Idaho cities. (°F)
|-
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000; height:17px;" | City
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;" | Jan
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;" | Feb
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;" | Mar
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;" | Apr
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;" | May
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;" | Jun
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;" | Jul
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;" | Aug
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;" | Sep
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;" | Oct
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;" | Nov
! style="background:#e5afaa; color:#000;" | Dec
|-
! style="background:#f8f3ca; color:#000; height:16px;" | Boise
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;" | 38/24
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;" | 45/27
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;" | 55/33
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;" | 62/38
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;" | 72/46
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;" | 81/53
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;" | 91/59
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;" | 90/59
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;" | 79/50
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;" | 65/40
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;" | 48/31
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;" | 38/23
|-
! style="background:#c5dfe1; color:#000; height:16px;" | Lewiston
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;" | 42/30
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;" | 47/32
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;" | 55/36
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;" | 62/41
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;" | 72/48
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;" | 79/54
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;" | 91/61
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;" | 90/60
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;" | 80/52
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;" | 63/42
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;" | 49/35
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;" | 41/30
|-
! style="background:#f8f3ca; color:#000; height:16px;" | Pocatello
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;" | 33/16
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;" | 38/19
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;" | 49/27
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;" | 59/33
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;" | 68/40
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;" | 78/46
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;" | 88/52
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;" | 88/51
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;" | 76/42
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;" | 62/33
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;" | 45/24
| style="text-align:center; background:#f8f3ca; color:#000;" | 33/16
|-
! style="background:#c5dfe1; color:#000; height:16px;" | Orofino
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;" | 38/25
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;" | 46/28
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;" | 55/32
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;" | 64/38
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;" | 72/44
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;" | 80/50
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;" | 89/54
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;" | 90/53
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;" | 79/45
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;" | 63/36
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;" | 46/31
| style="text-align:center; background:#c5dfe1; color:#000;" | 37/26
|-
| colspan="13" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;background:#E8EAFA;" |''<ref>{{Citation | title = Weather Idaho | url = http://www.ustravelweather.com/weather-idaho/ | publisher = US travel weather | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070705032338/http://www.ustravelweather.com/weather-idaho/ | archive-date = July 5, 2007}}.</ref>''
|}

===Lakes and rivers===
{{See also|List of rivers of Idaho}}
[[File:Lakecoeurdalenebig.jpg|thumb|[[Lake Coeur d'Alene]] in North Idaho]]
[[File:Redfish lake.JPG|thumb|right|[[Redfish Lake]] in central Idaho]]
[[File:Checkerboard forest in Idaho.jpg|alt=Priest River winds through mountains with a checkerboard design of trees to its east|thumb|[[Priest River]] winding through Whitetail Butte]]

<!-- Only notable from full list -->
{{div col|content=

* [[Clark Fork River]]
* [[Alturas Lake]]
* [[Bear River (Great Salt Lake)|Bear River]]
* [[Bear Lake (Idaho–Utah)]]
* [[Boise River]] 
* [[Clearwater River (Idaho)|Clearwater River]]
* [[Hayden Lake]]
* [[Henry's Lake]]
* [[Kootenai River]]
* [[Lake Cascade]]
* [[Lake Cleveland]]
* [[Lake Coeur d'Alene]]
* [[Lake Lowell]]
* [[Lake Walcott]]
* [[Lake Pend Oreille|Pend Oreille]] - Largest in Idaho
* [[Little Redfish Lake]]
* [[Lucky Peak Lake]]
* [[Moyie River]]
* [[North Fork Clearwater River]]
* [[Pack River]]
* [[Payette Lake]], (McCall)
* [[Pettit Lake]]
* [[Priest Lake]]
* [[Perkins Lake]]
* [[Portneuf River (Idaho)|Portneuf River]]
* [[Redfish Lake]]
* [[Salmon River (Idaho)|Salmon River]]
* [[Sawtooth Lake]]
* [[Snake River]] - Longest
* [[Stanley Lake]]
* [[St. Joe River]]
* [[Warm Lake]]
}}

===Protected areas===
{{See also|National Parks in Idaho}}
As of 2018:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stateparks.com/idaho_parks_and_recreation_destinations.html|title=List of parks in Idaho|website=www.stateparks.com}}</ref>

====National parks, reserves, monuments and historic sites====
{{Div col}}
* [[Salmon-Challis National Forest]]
* [[California National Historic Trail]]
* [[City of Rocks National Reserve]]
* [[Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve]]
* [[Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument]]
* [[Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail]]
* [[Minidoka National Historic Site]]
* [[Nez Perce National Historical Park]]
* [[Oregon National Historic Trail]]
* [[Yellowstone National Park]]
* [[Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail]]
{{Div col end}}

====National recreation areas====
{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|
* [[Hells Canyon National Recreation Area]]
* [[Sawtooth National Recreation Area]]
}}

====National wildlife refuges and Wilderness Areas====
{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|
* [[Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge]]
* [[Camas National Wildlife Refuge]]
* [[Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge]]
* [[Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness|Frank Church—River of No Return Wilderness Area]]
* [[Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge]]
* [[Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge]]
* [[Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge]]
}}

====National conservation areas====
* [[Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area]]

[[File:DSCN6179 bearlake e.jpg|thumb|right|[[Bear Lake (Idaho–Utah)|Bear Lake]] viewed from [[Bear Lake State Park (Idaho)|Bear Lake State Park]]]]

====State parks====
[[File:Bruneau Dunes State Park.jpg|thumb|[[Bruneau Dunes State Park]]]]
{{See also|List of Idaho state parks}}

{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|
* [[Bear Lake State Park (Idaho)|Bear Lake State Park]]
* [[Bruneau Dunes State Park]]
* [[Castle Rocks State Park]]
* [[City of Rocks National Reserve]]
* [[Coeur d'Alene Parkway State Park]]
* [[Dworshak State Park]]
* [[Eagle Island State Park (Idaho)|Eagle Island State Park]]
* [[Farragut State Park]]
* [[Harriman State Park (Idaho)|Harriman State Park]]
* [[Hells Gate State Park]]
* [[Henrys Lake State Park]]
* [[Heyburn State Park]]
* [[Lake Cascade State Park]]
* [[Lake Walcott State Park]]
* [[Land of the Yankee Fork State Park]]
* [[Lucky Peak State Park]]
* [[Massacre Rocks State Park]]
* [[McCroskey State Park]]
* [[Old Mission State Park]]
* [[Ponderosa State Park]]
* [[Priest Lake State Park]]
* [[Round Lake State Park]]
* [[Thousand Springs State Park]]
* [[Three Island Crossing State Park]]
* [[Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes]]
* [[Winchester Lake State Park]]
}}

==Demographics==
===Population===
[[File:Idaho population density 2020.png|thumb|upright=0.8|Idaho population density map]]
{{US Census population
| 1870 = 14999
| 1880 = 32610
| 1890 = 88548
| 1900 = 161772
| 1910 = 325594
| 1920 = 431866
| 1930 = 445032
| 1940 = 524873
| 1950 = 588637
| 1960 = 667191
| 1970 = 712567
| 1980 = 943935
| 1990 = 1006749
| 2000 = 1293953
| 2010 = 1567582
| 2020 = 1839106
| estyear = 2024
| estimate = 2001619
| align-fn = center
| footnote = Source: 1910–2020<ref>{{cite web |title=Historical Population Change Data (1910–2020) |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html |website=www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/ID,adacountyidaho/PST045221 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=May 1, 2021 |archive-date=April 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429012609/https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
<br/>2024<ref>{{Cite web |title=QuickFacts: Idaho |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/ID | website=Census.gov | publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=December 21, 2024}}</ref>
}}

The [[United States Census Bureau]] determined Idaho's population was 1,900,923 on July 1, 2021, a 21% increase since the [[2010 US census]].<ref name="PopEstUS">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/ID,adacountyidaho/PST045221|title=QuickFacts Idaho; UNITED STATES|website=2018 Population Estimates|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division|date=March 10, 2019|access-date=March 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190121064053/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/id,US/PST045218|archive-date=January 21, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

Idaho had an estimated population of 1,754,208 in 2018, an increase of 37,265 from the prior year and an increase of 186,626 (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 [[Human migration|migration]] of 75,795 people into the state. There are large numbers of Americans of English and German ancestry in Idaho. [[Immigration to the United States|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.<ref name="auto1">{{cite web|url=https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/sites/default/files/research/immigrants_in_idaho.pdf|title=Immigrants in Idaho}}</ref>

Idaho's population increased by 17.3% from 2010 to 2020, the second fastest rate of growth of any state that decade.<ref>[https://www.census.gov/library/stories/state-by-state/idaho-population-change-between-census-decade.html Idaho: 2020 Census], United States Census Bureau, August 25, 2021.</ref>

Nampa, about {{convert|20|mi|-1}} 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, Idaho|Caldwell]], [[Coeur d'Alene, Idaho|Coeur d'Alene]], [[Post Falls, Idaho|Post Falls]], and Twin Falls.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/16000.html|title=Idaho|website=QuickFacts|place=US|publisher=Census Bureau|access-date=July 30, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120611033538/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/16000.html|archive-date=June 11, 2012}}</ref>

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. Other metropolitan areas, in order of size, are [[Coeur d'Alene, Idaho|Coeur d'Alene]], [[Idaho Falls, Idaho|Idaho Falls]], [[Pocatello, Idaho|Pocatello]] and [[Lewiston, Idaho|Lewiston]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=2022 AHAR: Part 1 - PIT Estimates of Homelessness in the U.S. {{!}} HUD USER |url=https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/ahar/2022-ahar-part-1-pit-estimates-of-homelessness-in-the-us.html |access-date=March 11, 2023 |website=www.huduser.gov}}</ref>

According to [[United States Department of Housing and Urban Development|HUD]]'s 2022 [[Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress]], there were an estimated 1,998 [[Homelessness|homeless]] people in Idaho.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2007-2022 PIT Counts by State |url=https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huduser.gov%2Fportal%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fxls%2F2007-2022-PIT-Counts-by-State.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress |url=https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2022-AHAR-Part-1.pdf}}</ref>

[[File:Ethnic Origins in Idaho.png|thumb|295x295px|Ethnic origins in Idaho]]
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible nowrap" style="font-size: 90%; display:inline-table;"
|+ '''Idaho historical racial composition'''
|-
! Racial composition !! 1970<ref name="census"/>!! 1990<ref name="census">{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0056/twps0056.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725044857/http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0056/twps0056.html|url-status=dead|title=Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals By Race, 1790 to 1990, and By Hispanic Origin, 1970 to 1990, For The United States, Regions, Divisions, and States|archivedate=July 25, 2008}}</ref>!! 2000<ref>{{cite web|url=http://idaho.us.censusviewer.com/client|title=Idaho :: Census Viewer :: CensusViewer :: Powered by Moonshadow Mobile|website=Idaho.us.censusviewer.com|access-date=September 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170430075250/http://idaho.us.censusviewer.com/client|archive-date=April 30, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>!! 2010<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.2010.html|title=2010 Census Data|author=Center for New Media and Promotions (C2PO)|website=Census.gov|access-date=September 4, 2017}}</ref>!! 2020<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/race-and-ethnicity-in-the-united-state-2010-and-2020-census.html |title=Race and Ethnicity in the United States: 2010 Census and 2020 Census
 |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=August 12, 2021 |website=census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=September 26, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[White people|White or European American]] || 98.1% || 94.4% || 90.1% || 89.1% || 82.1%
|-
| [[Native Americans in the United States|Indigenous]] || 0.9% || 1.4% || 1.4% || 1.4% || 1.4%
|-
| [[Asian American|Asian]] || 0.5% || 0.9% || 0.9% || 1.2% || 1.5%
|-
| [[African American|Black]] || 0.3% || 0.3% || 0.4% || 0.6% || 0.9%
|-
| [[Native Hawaiian]] and <br />[[Pacific Islander|other Pacific Islander]] ||—||—|| 0.1% || 0.1% || 0.2%
|-
| [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|Other race]] || 0.2% || 3.0% || 4.2% || 5.1% || 5.6%
|-
| [[Multiracial American|Two or more races]] ||—||—|| 2.0% || 2.5% || 8.3%
|}

[[File:Idaho ancestry.png|thumb|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 was of [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] origin of any race: [[Mexican Americans|Mexican]] (10.6%), [[Stateside Puerto Ricans|Puerto Rican]] (0.2%), [[Cuban Americans|Cuban]] (0.1%), and other Hispanic or Latino origin (1.3%).<ref name="census_basics" /> The five largest ancestry groups were: [[German Americans|German]] (17.5%), [[English Americans|English]] (16.4%), [[Irish Americans|Irish]] (9.3%), [[American ancestry|American]] (8.1%), and [[Scottish Americans|Scottish]] (3.2%).<ref>{{cite web |title=2016 American Community Survey—Selected Social Characteristics |url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/16_5YR/DP02/0400000US16 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=November 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213005501/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/16_5YR/DP02/0400000US16 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The majority of Idaho's population is of European descent. Most of Idaho's white residents trace their ancestry to the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, France, Italy, or Poland. There are also small numbers of Native Americans, Asians, and African Americans in the state.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia| title=Rocky Mountains, Semi-arid Climate |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica | date=October 26, 1998 | url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Idaho/Climate#ref79078}}</ref>

In 2018, the top countries of origin for Idaho's immigrants were [[Mexico]], [[Canada]], the [[Philippines]], [[China]], and [[Germany]].<ref name="auto1" />

=== Native American tribes ===
There are five federally recognized Native American tribes in the state. These tribes include the [[Fort Hall Indian Reservation|Shoshone-Bannock]], the [[Duck Valley Indian Reservation|Shoshone-Paiute]], the [[Coeur d'Alene Reservation|Coeur d’Alene]], the [[Kootenai Tribe of Idaho|Kootenai]], and the [[Nez Perce]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-id/tribal-lands#:~:text=There%20are%20five%20federally%20recognized,Kootenai%2C%20and%20the%20Nez%20Perce.|title=Tribal Lands |date=July 11, 2017 }}</ref>

====Birth data====
[[File:Idaho counties by race.svg|thumb|263x263px|Map of counties in Idaho by racial plurality, per the 2020 census{{Collapsible list
| title = Legend|{{col-begin}}{{col-2}}

'''Non-Hispanic White'''

{{legend|#cc4125|50–60%}}

{{legend|#a61c00|60–70%}}

{{legend|#85200c|70–80%}}

{{legend|#5b0f00|80–90%}}

{{legend|#410b00|90%+}}

{{col-end}}
}}]]
''Note: Births in the table do not add up because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number.''
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:90%"
|+ Live Births by Single Race/Ethnicity of Mother
|-
! [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|Race]]
! 2013<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_01.pdf|title=Births: Final Data for 2013|website=Cdc.gov|access-date=September 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911162514/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_01.pdf|archive-date=September 11, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
! 2014<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_12.pdf|title=Births: Final Data for 2014|website=Cdc.gov|access-date=September 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170214040341/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_12.pdf|archive-date=February 14, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
! 2015<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr66/nvsr66_01.pdf|title=Births: Final Data for 2015|website=Cdc.gov|access-date=September 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831155911/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr66/nvsr66_01.pdf|archive-date=August 31, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
! 2016<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_01.pdf |title=National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 67, No. 1 |access-date=May 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180603002249/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_01.pdf |archive-date=June 3, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref>
! 2017<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_08-508.pdf |title=National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 67, No. 8 |access-date=February 18, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190201210916/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr67/nvsr67_08-508.pdf |archive-date=February 1, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>
! 2018<ref>
{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_13-508.pdf |title=Data |website=www.cdc.gov |access-date=December 2, 2019}}</ref>
! 2019<ref>
{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr70/nvsr70-02-508.pdf |title=Data |website=www.cdc.gov |access-date=March 29, 2021}}</ref>
! 2020<ref>
{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr70/nvsr70-17.pdf |title=Data |website=www.cdc.gov |access-date=February 20, 2022}}</ref>
! 2021<ref>
{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr72/nvsr72-01.pdf |title=Data |website=www.cdc.gov |access-date=February 2, 2022}}</ref>
! 2022<ref>
{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr73/nvsr73-02.pdf |title=Data |website=www.cdc.gov |access-date=April 5, 2024}}</ref>
! 2023<ref>
{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr74/nvsr74-1.pdf |title=Data |website=www.cdc.gov |access-date=April 11, 2025}}</ref>
|-
| [[Non-Hispanic whites|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%)
| 16,649 (74.3%)
|-
| [[Asian Americans|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%)
| 398 (1.8%)
|-
| [[African Americans|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%)
| 291 (1.3%)
|-
| [[Native Americans in the United States|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%)
| 194 (0.9%)
| 174 (0.8%)
|-
| ''[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]]'' (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%)
| ''4,265'' (19.0%)
|-
| '''Total'''
| '''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%)
| '''22,397''' (100%)
|}

* Since 2016, data for births of [[White Hispanic and Latino Americans|White Hispanic]] origin have not been collected but are included in one ''Hispanic'' group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.

===Religion===
[[File:Idaho Falls Temple.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Idaho Falls Idaho Temple]] of [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], 2006]]
{{Pie chart
| thumb = right
| caption = Religious self-identification, per [[Public Religion Research Institute]]'s 2022 ''American Values Survey''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |date=February 24, 2023 |title=American Values Atlas: Religious Tradition in Idaho|url=https://ava.prri.org/#religious/2022/States/religion/m/US-ID|access-date=April 4, 2023 |website=[[Public Religion Research Institute]]}}</ref>
| label1 = [[Protestantism in the United States|Protestantism]] 
| value1 = 37
| color1 = Blue
| label2 = [[Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]]
| value2 = 24
| color2 = Lightblue
| label3 = [[Catholic Church in the United States|Catholicism]]
| value3 = 9
| color3 = Purple
| label4 = [[Jehovah's Witnesses|Jehovah's Witness]]
| value4 = 2
| color4 = Teal
| label5 = [[Irreligion in the United States|Unaffiliated]]
| value5 = 26
| color5 = White
| label6 = [[New Age]]
| value6 = 3
| color6 = Red
}}

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:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Denomination
! 2008<ref>{{cite web | publisher = [[Pew Research Center]] | url = http://www.pewforum.org/files/2013/05/report-religious-landscape-study-full.pdf | title = Religious Landscape Study, february 2008 | access-date = April 12, 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170417032920/http://www.pewforum.org/files/2013/05/report-religious-landscape-study-full.pdf | archive-date = April 17, 2017 | url-status = dead}}</ref>
! 2014<ref>{{cite web | publisher = [[Pew Research Center]] | url = http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/state/idaho/ | title = Religious Landscape Study | access-date = April 12, 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170427093723/http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/state/idaho/ | archive-date = April 27, 2017 | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | publisher = [[Pew Research Center]] | url = http://www.pewforum.org/about-the-religious-landscape-study/ | title = About the Religious Landscape Study | work = Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project | access-date = April 12, 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170428055903/http://www.pewforum.org/about-the-religious-landscape-study/ | archive-date = April 28, 2017 | url-status = live }}</ref>
|-
| '''Christian, including:'''
| align=center|'''81%'''
| align=center|'''67%'''
|-
| * [[Evangelical Protestant]]
| align=center|22%
| align=center|21%
|-
| * [[Mainline Protestant]]
| align=center|16%
| align=center|16%
|-
| * [[Catholic Church|Catholic]]
| align=center|18%
| align=center|10%
|-
| * [[Eastern Orthodox]]
| align=center|< 0.5%
| align=center|1%
|-
| * [[Black church|Historically Black Protestant]]
| align=center|< 0.5%
| align=center|< 1%
|-
| * [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]]
| align=center|23%
| align=center|19%
|-
| * [[Jehovah's Witnesses]]
| align=center|1%
| align=center|< 1%
|-
| * Other Christian
| align=center|< 0.5%
| align=center|< 1%
|-
| '''Unaffiliated, including:'''
| align=center|'''18%'''
| align=center|'''27%'''
|-
| * Nothing in particular
| align=center|n/d
| align=center|22%
|-
| * [[Agnostic]]
| align=center|n/d
| align=center|3%
|-
| * [[Atheist]]
| align=center|n/d
| align=center|2%
|-
| '''Non-Christian faiths, including:'''
| align=center|'''n/d'''
| align=center|'''4%'''
|-
| * [[Islam|Muslim]]
| align=center|< 0.5%
| align=center|1%
|-
| * [[Judaism|Jewish]]
| align=center|< 0.5%
| align=center|< 1%
|-
| * [[Buddhism|Buddhist]]
| align=center|< 0.5%
| align=center|< 1%
|-
| * [[Hinduism|Hindu]]
| align=center|< 0.5%
| align=center|< 1%
|-
| * Other world religions
| align=center|< 0.5%
| align=center|< 1%
|-
| * Other faiths (e.g., [[New Age]] beliefs, [[Native American religion]], etc.)
| align=center|n/d
| align=center|2%
|-
| '''Don't know/refused'''
| align=center|'''< 0.5%'''
| align=center|'''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 in Idaho|the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] with 409,265; the [[Catholic Church]] with 123,400; non-denominational Protestants with 62,637; and the [[Assemblies of God USA|Assemblies of God]] with 22,183.<ref name="www.thearda.com">{{cite web|year=2010|url=http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/16/rcms2010_16_state_adh_2010.asp|website=Data Archives|title=State Membership Report|publisher=The Arda|access-date=November 12, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112161301/http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/16/rcms2010_16_state_adh_2010.asp|archive-date=November 12, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2020, the Association of Religion Data Archives revealed members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints remained the largest with 462,069, followed by Catholics (203,790), and non-denominational Protestants (98,996).<ref>{{Cite web |title=2020 Congregational Membership |url=https://www.thearda.com/us-religion/census/congregational-membership?y=2020&y2=0&t=1&c=16 |access-date=April 15, 2023 |website=www.thearda.com}}</ref>

In 2022, the [[Public Religion Research Institute]]'s ''American Values Survey'' estimated that 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===
{{See also|Native American languages of Idaho}}
English is the state's predominant language. Minority languages include [[Spanish language|Spanish]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.city-data.com/states/Idaho-Languages.html|title=Languages - Idaho|website=www.city-data.com}}</ref> and various [[Native American languages of Idaho|Native American languages]].

==Economy==
{{See also|Economy of Idaho|Idaho locations by per capita income}}{{Update|part=section|date=May 2025}}
The [[gross state product]] (state [[GDP]]) for Idaho was $128.1 billion in 2024,<ref name="GDPByState">{{cite web |title=GDP by State |url=https://www.bea.gov/data/gdp/gdp-state |access-date=May 24, 2024 |website=GDP by State &#124; U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) |publisher=Bureau of Economic Analysis}}</ref> and the state's [[per capita income]] that year was $61,836.<ref name="r095">{{cite web |last=Account |first=Economic |date=March 29, 2024 |title=Personal Income by State |url=https://www.bea.gov/data/income-saving/personal-income-by-state |access-date=May 24, 2024 |website=U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)}}</ref> Idaho has the 46th highest [[GDP per capita]] in the United States of America.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rao |first=Pallavi |date=October 23, 2024 |title=Mapped: GDP per Capita, by U.S. State |url=https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-u-s-states-by-gdp-per-capita/ |access-date=May 2, 2025 |website=Visual Capitalist |language=en-US}}</ref>

As of 2016, Idaho's total employment was 562,282, and the total employer establishments were 45,826.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/ID |title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Idaho |access-date=November 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191111043729/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/ID |archive-date=November 11, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Idaho is the top potato producing state in the United States and almost one-third of the nation's potatoes are grown in the [[Snake River Plain]], a belt of low-lying land that extends across southern Idaho.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 23, 2022 |title=Idaho's Potato Belt |url=https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/150646/idahos-potato-belt |access-date=January 29, 2025 |website=earthobservatory.nasa.gov |language=en}}</ref>

Important industries in Idaho are food processing, lumber and wood products, machinery, chemical products, paper products, electronics manufacturing, silver and other mining, and tourism. The world's largest factory for barrel cheese, the raw product for [[processed cheese]], is in [[Gooding, Idaho]]. It has a capacity of 120,000&nbsp;metric tons per year of barrel cheese and belongs to the [[Glanbia]] group.<ref>{{Citation | title = Zuivelzicht | date = April 25, 2007}}.</ref>

As Idaho neared statehood, mining and other extractive industries played a significant role in its economy. Although the state's reliance on mining has diminished over time, Idaho remains renowned as "The Gem State" due to its production of seventy-two varieties of precious and semi-precious stones. Idaho is a leading national producer of potatoes, trout, Austrian winter peas, and lentils. The state's primary industries include manufacturing, agriculture, food processing, timber, and mining. Tourism is another way that Idaho capitalizes on its natural resources. The same tracts of wilderness that attracted [[Ernest Hemingway]] to the region in the early 1960s, continue to attract outdoor enthusiasts with camping, hunting, fishing, as well as whitewater kayaking and rafting, and skiing.<ref>{{cite web |title=Today in History: March 4 |url=http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/mar04.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100727164920/http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/mar04.html |archive-date=July 27, 2010 |access-date=July 30, 2010 |website=Memory |publisher=Library of Congress |place=Washington, D.C., US}}</ref>

Idaho has a [[Idaho Lottery|state gambling lottery]], which contributed $333.5 million in payments to all Idaho [[School district|public schools]] and [[List of colleges and universities in Idaho|Idaho higher education]] from 1990 to 2006.<ref>{{cite web
 |title=Facts at a Glance
 |publisher=Idaho Lottery
 |year=2007
 |url=http://idaholottery.com/facts.asp
 |access-date=April 29, 2007
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613232433/http://idaholottery.com/facts.asp
 |archive-date=June 13, 2007
|url-status=dead
}}</ref>

<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px">
US ID AmericanFalls.jpg|[[American Falls Dam]]
Wheat harvest.jpg|Wheat harvest on the [[Palouse]]
</gallery>

===Taxation===
Tax is collected by the [[Idaho State Tax Commission]].<ref>{{cite web| url = https://tax.idaho.gov/| title = Idaho State Tax Commission - Official Website}}</ref>

The state personal [[income tax]] is a flat 5.8%. Idahoans may apply for state [[tax credit]]s for taxes paid to other states, as well as for donations to Idaho state educational entities and some nonprofit youth and rehabilitation facilities.{{Citation needed|date=November 2023}}

The state [[sales tax]] is 6% with a very limited, selective local option up to 6.5%. Sales tax applies to the sale, rental or lease of tangible personal property and some services. Food is taxed, but [[prescription drug]]s are not. Hotel, [[motel]], and [[campground]] accommodations are taxed at a higher rate (7% to 11%). Some jurisdictions impose local option sales tax.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Local Option Tax |url=https://bonnersferry.id.gov/local-option-tax/ |access-date=April 15, 2024 |website=City of Bonners Ferry |language=en-US}}</ref>

The sales tax was introduced at 3% in 1965, easily approved by voters,<ref name="csrv">{{cite news |url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kw0zAAAAIBAJ&pg=6680%2C2966915 |newspaper = Spokesman-Review |agency = Associated Press |title = Conservatism given credit by Samuelson |date = November 10, 1966 |page = 1 |access-date = November 20, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151121000834/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kw0zAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rugDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6680%2C2966915 |archive-date = November 21, 2015 |url-status = live }}</ref> where it remained at 3% until 1983.<ref name=stxhis>{{cite web|url=http://tax.idaho.gov/i-1023.cfm#sub3|publisher=State of Idaho|title=Sales tax rate history|access-date=June 11, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521023534/http://tax.idaho.gov/i-1023.cfm#sub3|archive-date=May 21, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Energy==
{{See also|List of power stations in Idaho}}

Idaho has a regulated electricity market, with the [[Idaho Public Utilities Commission]] regulating the three major utilities of [[Avista|Avista Utilities]], [[Idaho Power]], and [[PacifiCorp|Rocky Mountain Power]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Energy_policy_in_Idaho|title=Energy policy in Idaho|website=Ballotpedia|access-date=July 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181108120418/https://ballotpedia.org/Energy_policy_in_Idaho|archive-date=November 8, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

Idaho consumes almost four times more energy than it produces. In 2022, renewable energy sources accounted for 75% of the total electricity generated in the state, the fourth-highest share of renewable electricity for any state.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.eia.gov/state/print.php?sid=ID |title=Idaho State Energy Profile, Utility-Scale Net Electricity Generation (share of total) |publisher=U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) |date=April 20, 2023 |access-date=July 14, 2023}}</ref> In 2022, half of Idaho's utility-scale (1 megawatt or larger) electricity generating capacity is at hydroelectric power plants, 25% from natural gas, 17% of the state's total in-state electricity net generation came from wind facilities, 4% from solar and 1% from geothermal.<ref>[https://www.eia.gov/state/analysis.php?sid=ID Idaho, State Profile and Energy Estimates], EIA, Updated April 20, 2023</ref> Washington State provides most of the natural gas used in Idaho through one of the two major pipeline systems supplying the state.{{Citation needed|date=November 2023}}

Idaho has an upper-boundary estimate of development potential to generate 44,320&nbsp;GWh/year from 18,076&nbsp;MW of wind power, and 7,467,000&nbsp;GWh/year from [[Solar power in Idaho|solar power]] using 2,061,000&nbsp;MW of photovoltaics (PV), including 3,224&nbsp;MW of rooftop photovoltaics, and 1,267,000&nbsp;MW of [[concentrated solar power]].<ref>{{Citation | url = http://www.nrel.gov/gis/re_potential.html | work= GIS |date= August 2, 2012 | title= Renewable Energy Technical Potential | publisher = NREL | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120915115931/http://www.nrel.gov/gis/re_potential.html | archive-date = September 15, 2012 }}.</ref> Idaho had 973&nbsp;MW of installed wind power as of 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |title=State Wind Energy Facts |url=https://www.awea.org/resources/fact-sheets/state-facts-sheets|access-date=October 29, 2020|website=AWEA|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031084511/https://www.awea.org/resources/fact-sheets/state-facts-sheets |archive-date= October 31, 2020 }}</ref>

==Transportation==
The [[Idaho Transportation Department]] is the [[government agency]] responsible for Idaho's transportation infrastructure, including [[Maintenance, repair and operations|operations and maintenance]], as well as planning for future needs. The agency is also responsible for overseeing the disbursement of [[Administration of federal assistance in the United States|federal]], state, and [[Grant (money)|grant]] [[funding]] for the transportation programs of the state.<ref name="faq">{{Cite web | title = FAQs | publisher = ITD | date = January 24, 2007 | url = http://itd.idaho.gov/NewsAndInfo/faqs.htm | access-date = April 22, 2007 | quote = The transportation department also oversees federal grants to 15 rural and urban public transportation systems, provides state rail planning and rail-project development and supports bicycle and pedestrian projects. | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070426120934/http://itd.idaho.gov/NewsAndInfo/faqs.htm | archive-date = April 26, 2007 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

===Highways===
{{Main|List of state highways in Idaho}}
[[File:I-15.svg|thumb|upright=0.22|[[Interstate 15 in Idaho|I-15]] shield]]
[[File:US 95.svg|thumb|upright=0.22|[[U.S. Route 95 in Idaho|US-95 shield]]]]

Major federal aid highways in Idaho:
{{div col|colwidth=8em|content=
* '''North/South'''
** {{jct|state=ID|US|89}}
** {{jct|state=ID|US|91}}
** {{jct|state=ID|US|93}}
** {{jct|state=ID|US|95}}
* '''West/East'''
** {{jct|state=ID|US|2}}
** {{jct|state=ID|US|12}}
** {{jct|state=ID|US|20}}
** {{jct|state=ID|US|26}}
** {{jct|state=ID|US|30}}
* '''Interstates'''
** {{jct|state=ID|I|15}}
** {{jct|state=ID|I|84}}
** {{jct|state=ID|I|86}}
** {{jct|state=ID|I|90}}
** {{jct|state=ID|I|184}}
}}

===Airports===
Major airports include the [[Boise Airport]] which serves the southwest region of Idaho and the [[Spokane International Airport]] (in [[Spokane, Washington]]) which serves northern Idaho. Other airports with scheduled service are the [[Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport]] serving the [[Palouse]]; the [[Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airport]], serving the Lewis-Clark Valley and [[North Central Idaho|north central]] and west central Idaho; The [[Magic Valley Regional Airport]] in Twin Falls; [[Friedman Memorial Airport]] in Hailey; the [[Idaho Falls Regional Airport]]; and the [[Pocatello Regional Airport]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://traveltips.usatoday.com/major-airports-idaho-25709.html|title=Major Airports in Idaho|website=Traveltips.usatoday.com|access-date=September 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904043747/http://traveltips.usatoday.com/major-airports-idaho-25709.html|archive-date=September 4, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Railroads===
{{Unreferenced section|date=April 2022}}
Idaho is served by three transcontinental railroads. The [[Burlington Northern Santa Fe]] (BNSF) connects the [[Idaho Panhandle]] with [[Seattle]], [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]], and [[Spokane, Washington|Spokane]] to the west, and [[Minneapolis]] and Chicago to the east. The [[BNSF]] travels through [[Kootenai County, Idaho|Kootenai]], [[Bonner County, Idaho|Bonner]], and [[Boundary County, Idaho|Boundary]] counties. The [[Union Pacific Railroad]] crosses North Idaho, entering from Canada through [[Boundary County, Idaho|Boundary]] and [[Bonner County, Idaho|Bonner]], and proceeding to Spokane. [[Canadian Pacific Railway]] uses [[Union Pacific Railroad]] tracks in North Idaho, carrying products from [[Alberta, Canada|Alberta]] to [[Spokane, Washington|Spokane]] and [[Portland, Oregon]]. [[Amtrak]]'s Empire Builder crosses northern Idaho, with its only stop being in [[Sandpoint, Idaho|Sandpoint]]. [[Montana Rail Link]] also operates between [[Billings, Montana]], and [[Sandpoint, Idaho]].

The [[Union Pacific Railroad]] also crosses southern Idaho traveling between Portland, Oregon, Green River, [[Wyoming]], and [[Ogden, Utah]], and serves [[Boise, Idaho|Boise]], [[Nampa, Idaho|Nampa]], [[Twin Falls, Idaho|Twin Falls]], and Pocatello.

===Ports===
The Port of Lewiston is the farthest inland Pacific port on the west coast. A series of dams and locks on the Snake River and Columbia River facilitate barge travel from Lewiston to Portland, where goods are loaded on ocean-going vessels.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Who We Are |url=https://portoflewiston.com/our-port/who-we-are/ |access-date=October 17, 2023 |website=Port of Lewiston |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Law and government==
[[File:Boise Idaho.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Idaho State Capitol]] in [[Boise, Idaho|Boise]]]]

===State constitution===
{{see also|Idaho Constitutional Convention}}
[[File:State of Idaho logo.svg|thumb|189x189px|Logo for the State of Idaho.]]
The Constitution of Idaho is roughly modeled after the national Constitution, with several additions. The constitution defines the form and functions of the state government, and may be amended through [[plebiscite]]. The state constitution presently requires the state government to maintain a [[balanced budget]].<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web|url=https://history.idaho.gov/sites/default/files/uploads/ID%20Constitution%2010_30_2014.pdf|title=Constitution of the State of Idaho|website=History.idaho.gov|access-date=September 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525200628/https://history.idaho.gov/sites/default/files/uploads/ID%20Constitution%2010_30_2014.pdf|archive-date=May 25, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Idaho Code and Statutes===
All of Idaho's state laws are contained in the Idaho Code and Statutes. The code is amended through the legislature with the governor's approval. Idaho still operates under its original (1889) state constitution.<ref name=autogenerated1 />

Idaho has one of the [[Abortion law in the United States by state|strictest abortion laws in the nation]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bendix |first=Aria |date=April 6, 2023 |title=Idaho becomes one of the most extreme anti-abortion states with law restricting travel for abortions |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/health/womens-health/idaho-most-extreme-anti-abortion-state-law-restricts-travel-rcna78225 |access-date=April 6, 2023 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref> In April 2023, Idaho became the first state to restrict interstate travel for abortion services.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Elizabeth Nolan |date=April 6, 2023 |title=Idaho takes aim at interstate travel for abortion. Health care providers are suing. |url=https://reason.com/2023/04/06/idaho-takes-aim-at-interstate-travel-for-abortion-health-care-providers-are-suing/ |access-date=April 6, 2023 |website=Reason.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Staff |date=April 6, 2023 |title=Idaho governor signs 'abortion trafficking' bill into law |url=https://apnews.com/article/idaho-abortion-minors-criminalization-b8fb4b6feb9b520d63f75432a1219588 |access-date=April 6, 2023 |website=[[Associated Press]] |language=en}}</ref> Nearly all abortions are banned and private citizens can sue abortion providers. The Idaho Supreme Court has ruled there is no constitutional right to abortion. A federal judge ruled in 2022 that doctors cannot be punished for performing an abortion to protect a patient's health.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/us/abortion-laws-roe-v-wade.html Tracking the States Where Abortion Is Now Banned], The New York Times, updated May 10, 2023.</ref> The state abortion laws have led to an outmigration of physicians who specialize in maternal/fetal care.<ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/13/us/idaho-abortion-doctors-drain/index.html , Idaho's murky abortion law is driving doctors out of the state], Randi Kaye, Stephen Samaniego, CNN, May 13, 2023</ref>

===State government===
{{Unreferenced section|date=April 2022}}
The constitution of Idaho provides for three branches of government: the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Idaho has a [[bicameral]] legislature, elected from 35 legislative districts, each represented by one senator and two representatives.

Since 1946, statewide elected constitutional officers have been elected to four-year terms. They include: [[List of Governors of Idaho|Governor]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Idaho|Lieutenant Governor]], [[Secretary of State of Idaho|Secretary of State]], [[Idaho state controller]] (Auditor before 1994), Treasurer, [[Idaho Attorney General|Attorney General]], and Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Last contested in 1966, the office of Inspector of Mines was originally an elected constitutional position. Afterward, it was an appointed position and ultimately done away with entirely in 1974.

Idaho's government has an [[Alcoholic beverage control state|alcohol monopoly]]; the [[Idaho State Liquor Division]].

====Executive branch====
{{Further |List of Governors of Idaho||Lieutenant Governor of Idaho|Secretary of State of Idaho}}

The governor of Idaho serves a four-year term and is elected during what is nationally referred to as midterm elections. As such, the governor is not elected in the same election year as the president of the United States. The current governor is [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Brad Little]], who was first elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. Idaho is one of 13 states that has no term limits for its governor.<ref>The other 12 are Washington, Utah, Texas, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, & New Hampshire. [https://www.termlimits.com/which-states-have-term-limits-on-governor/]</ref>

====Legislative branch====
{{Main |Idaho Legislature}}
[[File:House of Representatives Chamber, Idaho State Capitol.jpg|thumb|right|Chamber of the House of Representatives in 2018]]

Idaho's [[State legislature (United States)|legislature]] is part-time. Because of this, Idaho's legislators are considered "citizen legislators", meaning their position as a legislator is not their main occupation. However, the session may be extended if necessary, and often is.

Terms for both the [[Idaho Senate|Senate]] and [[Idaho House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] are two years. Legislative elections occur every even-numbered year.

Both of Idaho's state legislative chambers have been continuously controlled by Republicans since 1960. However, Democratic legislators are routinely elected from Boise, Pocatello, [[Blaine County, Idaho|Blaine County]], and the northern Panhandle.

====Judicial branch====
{{Main |Courts of Idaho}}

The highest court in Idaho is the [[Idaho Supreme Court]]. There is also an intermediate [[appellate court]], the [[Idaho Court of Appeals]], which hears cases assigned to it from the Supreme Court. The state's District Courts serve seven judicial districts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.isc.idaho.gov/district.htm |title=Idaho District Court Websites |publisher=ISC |place=ID |access-date=December 17, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216011413/http://www.isc.idaho.gov/district.htm |archive-date=December 16, 2008 }}</ref>

=== Politics ===
{{See also|Political party strength in Idaho|United States presidential elections in Idaho}}{{More citations needed section|date=November 2020}}[[File:Party registration by Idaho county.svg|thumb|Party registration by Idaho county (January 2023):
{{legend|#ffb2b2|2=Republican >= 40%}}
{{legend|#e27f7f|2=Republican >= 50%}}
{{legend|#d75d5d|2=Republican >= 60%}}
{{legend|#d72f30|2=Republican >= 70%}}
{{legend|#c21b18|2=Republican >= 80%}}
{{legend|#80ff80|2=Unaffiliated >= 40%}}
]]
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Voter Registration Totals as of October 1, 2025:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sos.idaho.gov/elections-division/voter-registration-totals/|title=Voter Registration Totals|publisher=Idaho Department of State}}</ref>
|-
! colspan = 2 | Party
! Number of Voters
! Percentage
|-
| {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}}
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 626,417
| style="text-align:center;"| 61.71%
|-
| {{party color cell|Independent politician}}
| [[Independent politician|Unaffiliated]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 254,542
| style="text-align:center;"| 25.07%
|-
| {{party color cell|Democratic Party (United States)}}
|[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 119,759
| style="text-align:center;"| 11.79%
|-
| {{party color cell|Libertarian Party (United States)}}
|[[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 10,262
| style="text-align:center;"| 1.01%
|-
| {{party color cell|Constitution Party (United States)}}
|[[Constitution Party (United States)|Constitution]]
| style="text-align:center;" | 4,114
| style="text-align:center;" | 0.40%
|-
! colspan="2" | Total
! style="text-align:center;" | 1,015,094
! style="text-align:center;" | 100.00%
|-
|}
After the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], many Midwestern and Southern [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]] moved to the [[Idaho Territory]]. As a result, the early territorial legislatures were solidly controlled by Democrats. In contrast, most of the territorial governors were appointed by [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] presidents and were Republicans. This led to sometimes-bitter clashes between the two parties, including a range war with the Democrats backing the sheepherders and the Republicans backing the cattlemen, which ended in the [[Jack Davis (prospector)|"Diamondfield" Jack Davis]] murder trial. In the 1880s, Republicans gained prominence in local politics.

In 1864, Clinton DeWitt Smith removed the territorial seal and the state constitution from a locked safe and took them to Boise. This effectively moved the capital from where they were stored ([[Lewiston, Idaho]]) to the current capital, Boise.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://idahoptv.org/capitoloflight/article-05.cfm|title=Capitol Move or Theft?—Essays—Capitol of Light (Idaho Public Television)|website=Idahotv.org|access-date=September 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525200618/http://idahoptv.org/capitoloflight/article-05.cfm|archive-date=May 25, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Since Idaho's statehood, the Republican Party has typically been the dominant party in the state. At one time, Idaho had two Democratic parties, one being the mainstream and the other called the Anti-Mormon Democrats, lasting into the early 20th century. In the 1890s and early 1900s, the [[Populist Party (United States)|Populist Party]] enjoyed prominence, while the Democratic Party maintained a brief dominance in the 1930s during the [[Great Depression]]. Since World War{{nbsp}}II, most statewide-elected officials have been Republicans, though the Democrats did hold the majority in the House (by one seat) in 1958 and the governorship from 1971 to 1995.

Idaho's congressional delegation has also been generally Republican since statehood. Several Idaho Democrats have had electoral success in the [[U.S. House of Representatives]] over the years, but the [[United States Senate|Senate]] delegation has been a Republican stronghold for decades. Several Idaho Republicans, including current Senators [[Mike Crapo]] and [[Jim Risch]], have won reelection to the Senate, but only [[Frank Church]] has won reelection as a Democrat. Church's [[1974 United States Senate election in Idaho|1974]] victory was the last win for his party for either Senate seat, and [[Walt Minnick]]'s 2008 victory in the [[Idaho's 1st congressional district|1st congressional district]] was the last Democratic win in any congressional race.

In modern times, Idaho has been a reliably Republican state in presidential politics. It has not supported a Democrat for [[president of the United States|president]] since [[1964 United States presidential election|1964]]. Even in that election, [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] defeated [[Barry Goldwater]] in the state by fewer than two percentage points, compared to a landslide nationally. In the [[2004 United States presidential election]], Republican [[George W. Bush]] carried Idaho by a margin of 38 percentage points and with 68.4% of the vote, winning in 43 of 44 counties. Only [[Blaine County, Idaho|Blaine County]], which contains the [[Sun Valley, Idaho|Sun Valley]] ski resort, supported [[John Kerry]], who owns a home in the area. In [[2008 United States presidential election|2008]] [[Barack Obama]]'s 36.1&nbsp;percent<ref>{{Citation | url = http://www.idsos.state.id.us/elect/RESULTS/2008/general/tot_stwd.htm | place = ID | publisher = Secretary of State Election Division | date = November 4, 2008 | title = General Election Results | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081215210242/http://www.idsos.state.id.us/ELECT/RESULTS/2008/general/tot_stwd.htm | archive-date = December 15, 2008}}.</ref> showing was the best for a Democratic presidential candidate in Idaho since [[1976 United States presidential election|1976]]. However, Republican margins were narrower in [[1992 United States presidential election|1992]] and [[1976 United States presidential election|1976]].

In the 2006 elections, Republicans, led by gubernatorial candidate [[C. L. Otter|Butch Otter]], won all the state's constitutional offices and retained both of the state's seats in the House. However, Democrats picked up several seats in the Idaho Legislature, notably in the Boise area.<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.ncsl.org/ncsldb/elect98/profile.cfm?yearsel=2006&statesel=ID |publisher=NCSL |title=Elections 1 998 |type=profile |year=2006 |contribution=ID |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090501023622/http://www.ncsl.org/ncsldb/elect98/profile.cfm?yearsel=2006&statesel=ID |archive-date=May 1, 2009 }}</ref>

Idaho retains the [[death penalty]]. Pending the outcome of a legal challenge on a bill passed on March 20, 2023, authorized methods of execution include the [[firing squad]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://apnews.com/article/idaho-firing-squad-executions-410bd284ffbdb50d3b4a162fe8088dad | title=Idaho poised to allow firing-squad executions in some cases | website=[[Associated Press]] | date=March 20, 2023 }}</ref> [[Abortion in Idaho|Abortion]] is severely restricted in Idaho.<ref>{{cite web |title=Idaho |url=https://reproductiverights.org/maps/state/idaho |website=Center for Reproductive Rights |access-date=September 4, 2024}}</ref>

==Education==
{{More citations needed section|date=April 2022}}

===K–12===
{{see also|List of school districts in Idaho|List of high schools in Idaho|List of colleges and universities in Idaho}}
As of January 2020, the State of Idaho contains 105 [[school district]]s<ref>{{cite web |title=School Districts |url=https://www.idaho.gov/education/school-districts/ |website=idaho.gov |publisher=State of Idaho |access-date=January 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200121052701/https://www.idaho.gov/education/school-districts/ |archive-date=January 21, 2020}}</ref> and 62 [[charter school]]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Charter School List |url=https://www.sde.idaho.gov/school-choice/charter/files/idaho-schools/List-of-Charter-Schools.pdf |website=sde.idaho.gov |publisher=Idaho State Department of Education |access-date=January 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200121052532/https://www.sde.idaho.gov/school-choice/charter/files/idaho-schools/List-of-Charter-Schools.pdf |archive-date=January 21, 2020}}</ref> The school districts range in enrollment from two to 39,507 students.<ref>{{cite web |title=Enrollment-by-District-and-Charter-School |url=https://www.sde.idaho.gov/finance/files/attendance-enrollment/enrollment/Enrollment-by-District-and-Charter.xlsx |website=sde.idaho.gov |publisher=Idaho State Department of Education |access-date=January 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200121054528/https://www.sde.idaho.gov/finance/files/attendance-enrollment/enrollment/Enrollment-by-District-and-Charter.xlsx |archive-date=January 21, 2020}}</ref>

Idaho school districts are governed by elected school boards, which are elected in November of odd-numbered years,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Richert |first1=Kevin |title=Coming Tuesday: A First-of-its-kind School Election Day |url=https://www.idahoednews.org/news/coming-tuesday-a-first-of-its-kind-school-election-day/ |website=idahoednews.org |date=October 31, 2019 |publisher=Idaho Ed News |access-date=January 21, 2020}}</ref> except for the [[Boise School District]], whose elections are held in September.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ward |first1=Xavier |title=Boise School District could align with election calendar, but opts not to |url=https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/boise-school-district-could-align-with-election-calendar-but-opts/article_1db06dab-e768-5307-b052-65424a35053e.html |website=idahopress.com |date=January 19, 2019 |publisher=Idaho Press |access-date=January 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123175059/https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/boise-school-district-could-align-with-election-calendar-but-opts/article_1db06dab-e768-5307-b052-65424a35053e.html |archive-date=January 23, 2019}}</ref>

===Colleges and universities===
[[File:Spori Building.jpg|right|thumb|The Jacob Spori Building at [[Brigham Young University-Idaho]] in Rexburg]]
[[File:Idaho State University.jpg|thumb|right|[[Idaho State University]] in [[Pocatello, Idaho|Pocatello]]]]
[[File:UI-arboretum-spring-moscow-id-us.png|thumb|right|[[University of Idaho]] [[University of Idaho Arboretum and Botanical Garden|Arboretum]] in [[Moscow, Idaho|Moscow]]]]

The Idaho State Board of Education oversees three comprehensive universities.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://boardofed.idaho.gov/board-facts/board-governance-structure/state-public-education-institutions/| title = Public Education Institutions {{!}} Idaho State Board of Education}}</ref> The [[University of Idaho]] in [[Moscow, Idaho|Moscow]] was the first university in the state (founded in 1889). It opened its doors in 1892 and is the [[Land-grant university|land-grant institution]] and primary research university of the state. [[Idaho State University]] in Pocatello opened in 1901 as the Academy of Idaho, attained four-year status in 1947 and university status in 1963. [[Boise State University]] is the most recent school to attain university status in Idaho. The school opened in 1932 as Boise Junior College and became Boise State University in 1974. [[Lewis-Clark State College]] in [[Lewiston, Idaho|Lewiston]] is the only public, non-university four-year college in Idaho. It opened as a [[normal school]] in 1893.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History & Overview - Office of the President {{!}} Lewis-Clark State |url=https://www.lcsc.edu/president/history-overview |access-date=September 23, 2022 |website=Lewis-Clark State College |language=en-US}}</ref>

Idaho has four regional community colleges: [[North Idaho College]] in [[Coeur d'Alene, Idaho|Coeur d'Alene]]; [[College of Southern Idaho]] in [[Twin Falls, Idaho|Twin Falls]]; [[College of Western Idaho]] in [[Nampa, Idaho|Nampa]], which opened in 2009, [[College of Eastern Idaho]] in [[Idaho Falls, Idaho|Idaho Falls]], which transitioned from a [[technical college]] in 2017.

Private institutions in Idaho are [[Boise Bible College]], affiliated with congregations of the [[Christian churches and churches of Christ]]; [[Brigham Young University-Idaho]] in [[Rexburg, Idaho|Rexburg]], which is affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a [[sister college]] to [[Brigham Young University]]; The [[College of Idaho]] in [[Caldwell, Idaho|Caldwell]], which still maintains a loose affiliation with the Presbyterian Church{{specify|date=July 2025}}; [[Northwest Nazarene University]] in [[Nampa, Idaho|Nampa]]; and [[New Saint Andrews College]] in [[Moscow, Idaho|Moscow]], of [[Reformed Christian]] theological background. [[McCall College]] is a non-affiliated two-year private college in [[McCall, Idaho|McCall]] that was founded in 2011 and later opened in 2013.
{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|
* [[Boise Bible College]]
* [[Boise State University]]
* [[Brigham Young University-Idaho]] (formerly Ricks College)
* [[College of Idaho]] (formerly Albertson College of Idaho)
* [[College of Southern Idaho]]
* [[College of Western Idaho]]
* [[College of Eastern Idaho]]
* [[Idaho State University]]
* [[Lewis-Clark State College]]
* [[McCall College]]
* [[New Saint Andrews College]]
* [[North Idaho College]]
* [[Northwest Nazarene University]]
* [[University of Idaho]]
}}

==Health==
===Ban on COVID-19 vaccines===
In October 2024, a health department in Idaho voted 4–3 to stop providing [[COVID-19 vaccine]]s to residents in six counties. Opposite mainstream healthcare providers' and epidemiologists' pleas against the decision were more than 290 public comments, many of which called for an end to vaccine mandates or taxpayer funding of the vaccines, neither of which was happening in the district.<ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/covid-ap-idaho-vaccinations-florida-b2639823.html
|title=An Idaho health department isn't allowed to give COVID-19 vaccines anymore. Experts say it's a first
|date= November 1, 2024
|work=The Independent 
}}</ref>

==Sports==
{{More citations needed section|date=April 2022}}
Central Idaho is home to one of North America's oldest [[ski resorts]], [[Sun Valley, Idaho|Sun Valley]], where the world's first [[chairlift]] was installed in 1936.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Engber|first1=Daniel|title=Who Made That Ski Lift?|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/23/magazine/who-made-that-ski-lift.html?_r=0|newspaper=The New York Times|date=February 21, 2014|access-date=December 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160717205054/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/23/magazine/who-made-that-ski-lift.html?_r=0|archive-date=July 17, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Other noted outdoor sites include [[Hells Canyon]], the [[Salmon River (Idaho)|Salmon River]], and its embarkation point of [[Riggins, Idaho|Riggins]].

{| class="wikitable" "text-align:center;;"
|-
! Club
! Sport
! League
|-
| [[Boise Hawks]]
| align=center|[[Minor League Baseball|Baseball]]
| align=center|[[Pioneer League (baseball)|Pioneer League]]
|-
| [[Boise State Broncos]]
| align=center|[[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]
| align=center|[[Football Bowl Subdivision|Div I FBS]], [[Mountain West Conference|MWC]]
|-
|[[Idaho Vandals]]
| align=center|[[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]
| align=center|[[Football Championship Subdivision|Div I FCS]], [[Big Sky Conference|Big Sky]]
|-
|[[Idaho State Bengals]]
|align=center|[[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]
|align=center|[[Football Championship Subdivision|Div I FCS]], [[Big Sky Conference|Big Sky]]
|-
|[[Idaho Falls Chukars]]
|align=center|[[Minor League Baseball|Baseball]]
|align=center|[[Pioneer League (baseball)|Pioneer League]]
|-
|[[Idaho Steelheads]]
|align=center|[[Minor league ice hockey|Ice hockey]]
|align=center|[[ECHL]]
|-
|[[Idaho Horsemen]]
|align=center|[[Minor league football|Indoor football]]
|align=center|[[National Arena League]]
|-
|Idaho Falls Spud Kings 
|align=center|[[Minor league ice hockey|Ice hockey]]
|align=center|[[United States Premier Hockey League|USPHL]]
|}

The [[Boise Open]] professional golf tournament has been played at [[Hillcrest Country Club (Boise, Idaho)|Hillcrest Country Club]] since [[1990 Ben Hogan Tour|1990]] as part of the [[Korn Ferry Tour]]. The Open has been part of the [[Korn Ferry Tour Finals]] since [[2016 Web.com Tour|2016]].

High school sports are overseen by the [[Idaho High School Activities Association]] (IHSAA).

In 2016, [[Meridian High School (Idaho)|Meridian's]] Michael Slagowski ran [[800 metres|800 meters]] in 1:48.70, one of the 35 fastest times ever run by a high school boy in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.milesplit.com/rankings/events/high-school-boys/outdoor-track-and-field/800m?year=all|title=United States High School Boys Rankings {{!}} Outdoor Track And Field All-Time800 Meter Run|website=MileSplit United States|access-date=April 11, 2016}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
The 1980 movie ''[[Bronco Billy]]'' was filmed in [[Boise, Idaho|Boise]] for two months.<ref name=csrv/> ''[[Pale Rider]]'' (1985) was primarily filmed in the [[Boulder Mountains (Idaho)|Boulder Mountains]] and the [[Sawtooth National Recreation Area]] in central Idaho, just north of [[Sun Valley, Idaho|Sun Valley]].<ref name=csrv/> [[River Phoenix]] and [[Keanu Reeves]] starred in the 1991 movie ''[[My Own Private Idaho]]'', portions of which take place in Idaho.<ref name="Robb, Brian">{{cite news|last=Robb|first=Brian J|title=River Phoenix: A Short Life|publisher=Perennial|year=1995}}</ref><ref name="Greenberg, Harvey">{{cite news|last=Greenberg|first=Harvey|title=''My Own Private Idaho''|work= Film Quarterly|date=Fall 1992}}</ref> The 1997 film ''[[Dante's Peak]]'' was shot on location in [[Wallace, Idaho|Wallace]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Kershner|first=Jim|title=That's A Wrap After A Summer Of Filming In Wallace, Idaho, 'Dante's Peak' Heads Back To L.A. {{!}} The Spokesman-Review|url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1996/aug/04/thats-a-wrap-after-a-summer-of-filming-in-wallace/|access-date=September 8, 2025|website=www.spokesman.com|date=August 4, 1996}}</ref> The 2004 [[cult film]] ''[[Napoleon Dynamite]]'' takes place in [[Preston, Idaho|Preston]]; the film's director, [[Jared Hess]], attended [[Preston High School (Idaho)|Preston High School]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.localnews8.com/news/kifi-top-story/a-look-at-preston-10-years-after-napoleon-dynamite/58540729|title=A look at Preston 10 years after 'Napoleon Dynamite'|last=Berg|first=Tyler|date=June 27, 2014|publisher=KIFI|access-date=January 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180129004604/http://www.localnews8.com/news/kifi-top-story/a-look-at-preston-10-years-after-napoleon-dynamite/58540729|archive-date=January 29, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> The 2013 [[Coming-of-age story|coming-of-age film]] ''[[The To Do List]]'' is set in Boise, the hometown of its director [[Maggie Carey]].<ref>{{cite magazine|last=McNary|first=Dave|title='The To-Do List': Director Maggie Carey Goes Home in Aubrey Plaza Comedy|url=https://variety.com/2013/film/news/aubrey-plaza-to-do-list-maggie-carey-1200385759|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Idaho|Pacific Northwest}}
* [[Index of Idaho-related articles]]
* [[Outline of Idaho]]
* [[USS Idaho|USS ''Idaho'']], five ships

==Explanatory notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Schwantes, Carlos A. ''In mountain shadows: A history of Idaho'' (U of Nebraska Press, 1991). [https://archive.org/details/inmountainshadow0000schw online]
* Schwantes, Carlos A. ''The Pacific Northwest: an interpretive history'' (U of Nebraska Press, 1996).
*{{cite book
  | last = Sims
  | first = Robert C.
  |author2=Hope A. Benedict
  | title = Idaho's Governors
  | publisher = College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs, Boise State University
  | year = 1992
  | location = Boise, Idaho
  | isbn = 0-932129-13-7}}
* Stapilus, Randy. ''Idaho Myths and Legends: The True Stories Behind History's Mysteries'' (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020) [https://books.google.com/books?id=EX3IDwAAQBAJ&dq=HISTORY+IDAHO&pg=PR3 online]

==External links==
{{Sister project links|Idaho|voy=Idaho}}
* [http://www.idaho.gov/ State of Idaho government]
* [https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/states/idaho/index.html/ Idaho State Guide, from the Library of Congress]
* {{Citation | url = http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=ID | title = Energy Profile for Idaho | publisher = DoE | place = [[United States of America|US]] | access-date = December 1, 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101117133720/http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=ID | archive-date = November 17, 2010 | url-status = dead}}.
* [http://www.parksandrecreation.idaho.gov/  Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation]
* {{Citation | url = http://www.usnewspapers.org/state/idaho | contribution = Idaho Newspapers | title = US newspapers | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120620062930/http://www.usnewspapers.org/state/idaho/ | archive-date = June 20, 2012}}.
* {{Citation | url = http://wikis.ala.org/godort/index.php/Idaho | title = Idaho State Databases | format = wiki | publisher = Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association | access-date = June 12, 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080515221248/http://wikis.ala.org/godort/index.php/Idaho | archive-date = May 15, 2008 | url-status = dead }}—Annotated list of searchable databases produced by Idaho state agencies.
* [http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/state-fact-sheets/state-data.aspx?StateFIPS=16&Statestate=Idaho#.U8Lah_ldUeo Idaho State Facts]{{dead link|date=June 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}—USDA
* {{Citation | url = http://www.nps.gov/history/NR/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/4logcabins/4logcabins.htm | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120805090703/http://www.nps.gov/history/NR/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/4logcabins/4logcabins.htm | url-status = dead | archive-date = August 5, 2012 | title = Log Cabins in America: The Finnish Experience | publisher = National Park Service | type = teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan}}.
* {{Citation | url = http://gov.idaho.gov/fyi/history/history_index.html | title = The History of Idaho | publisher = State government | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080509090534/http://gov.idaho.gov/fyi/history/history_index.html | archive-date = May 9, 2008}}.
* {{Citation | url = http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/16000.html | place = US | publisher = Census Bureau | title = Quick facts | contribution = States | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120611033538/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/16000.html | archive-date = June 11, 2012}}.
* {{Citation | url = http://www.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=ID | publisher = USGS | title = Real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of Idaho | access-date = January 18, 2007 | archive-date = December 9, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161209115436/https://www2.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=ID | url-status = dead }}.
* {{Citation | url = http://www.visitidaho.org/ | title = Visit Idaho | type = official state tourism website}}.
* {{Citation | url = https://uspopulation2019.com/population-of-idaho-2019.html | title = Idaho population of 2019}}.
* {{OSM relation|162116}}

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{{s-ttl|title=[[List of U.S. states by date of statehood]]|years=Admitted on July 3, 1890 (43rd)}}
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{{Navboxes
| title = [[File:Nuvola apps kpdf2.png|25px]] Topics related to Idaho
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[[Category:Idaho| ]]
[[Category:1890 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Contiguous United States]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1890]]
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