Idaho

State of Idaho
Flag of Idaho Seal
Nickname(s): Gem State
Motto(s): Esto perpetua
Official language	None
Capital	Boise
Largest city	Boise
Area	Ranked 14th
- Total	83,642 sq mi (216,632 km2)
- Width	305 miles (491 km)
- Length	479 miles (771 km)
- % water	0.98
- Latitude	42° N to 49° N
- Longitude	111° W to 117° W
Number of people	Ranked 40th
- Total	1,567,582
- Density	19.0/sq mi  (7.2/km2) Ranked 46th
Height above sea level
- Highest point	Borah Peak 12,662 ft (3,862 m)
- Average	5,000 ft  (1,524 m)
- Lowest point	Snake River 710 ft (217 m)
Became part of the U.S.	July 3, 1890 (43rd)
Governor	Butch Otter (R)
U.S. Senators	James Risch (R) Mike Crapo (R)
Time zones
- north of Salmon River	Pacific: UTC−8/−7
- remainder	Mountain: UTC 7/ 6
Abbreviations	ID, US-ID
Website	www.idaho.gov

Idaho is a state in the United States. Its capital and biggest city is Boise. Idaho potatoes are famous around the country.

Idaho became a state in 1890. Its current Governor is Butch Otter. It is the 11th largest state in land area. The population of Idaho is estimated at 1,523,816 by the United States Census Bureau in 2008.

Idaho is bordered by Washington and Oregon on the west, Montana on the east, Utah and Nevada on the south and the country of Canada (British Columbia) on the north side. The climate in Idaho can sometimes be hot, reaching up to 100 °F. Humidity is normally low with cooler evenings in summer months. In winter, temperatures normally drop to lower twenty's, upper teens. Sometimes, the temperature drops to several degrees below zero.

Idaho's state motto is Esto perpetua. This is Latin for "Let it be forever".

Important cities and towns

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

Smaller Towns and Cities American Falls – First town to be entirely relocated Arco – First city to be lit by electricity from a nuclear power plant Bonners Ferry – Northernmost major town in Idaho Buhl – "Trout capital of the world" Bone- Population 2 Driggs – skiing Eden Emmett Greenleaf Firth Fruitland Filer – Suburb of Twin Falls Hazelton Homedale – town's name was chosen from a hat Island Park Kimberly – Suburb of Twin Falls Kellogg – skiing Malad City McCall – skiing Melba, Idaho - South of Nampa, Idaho Middleton Montpelier bank robbed by the wild bunch Mullan – mining for silver, lead, zinc New Meadows - at the 45th parallel north New Plymouth – first planned community in Idaho, third west of the Rocky Mountains Notus Oakley – pioneer town, home of many historic buildings Orofino – Clearwater County seat, site of Dworshak Dam Paris – Bear Lake County seat Parma Payette – Payette County seat Plummer- CDA tribal headquarters Preston- location of the 2004 film Napoleon Dynamite and the annual International Bed Races Rupert- Minidoka County seat Rigby – Television birthplace Salmon – Gateway to "River of No Return" (Salmon River) Sandpoint – skiing (Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort) and Recreation Lake Pend Oreille Shelley – Home of the Russet SPUD Soda Springs – U.S.'s only captive geyser St. Anthony – sand dunes and several lava tubes St. Maries – Benewah County seat Stanley, Idaho – center of the Sawtooth mountains Star, Idaho Sun Valley – Year-round resort with skiing Wallace – Historic district and Shoshone County seat Weiser – Washington County seat, home of the National Oldtime Fiddlers' Contest Wilder Worley – casino

Related pages

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