Idaho

Idaho ( ) is a landlocked state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and 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 and largest city is Boise. With an area of 83,569 square miles (216,440 km2), Idaho is the 14th-largest state by land area. The state has a population of approximately two million people; it ranks as the 13th-least populous and the seventh-least densely populated of the 50 U.S. states. For thousands of years, and prior to European colonization, Idaho had been inhabited by 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 a U.S. territory with the signing of the Oregon Treaty of 1846, but a separate Idaho Territory was not organized until 1863, instead being included for periods in Oregon Territory and Washington Territory. The state was eventually admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, becoming the 43rd state. Forming part of the Pacific Northwest (and the associated 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. 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 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 crop, which comprises around one-third of the nationwide yield. Its official state nickname is the "Gem State".

Infobox

Country

United States

Before statehood

Oregon Territory, Washington Territory, Idaho Territory

Admitted to the Union

July 3, 1890 (43rd)

Capital (and largest city)

Boise

Largest county or equivalent

Ada

Largest metro and urban areas

Boise

• Governor

Brad Little (R)

• Lieutenant Governor

Scott Bedke (R)

Legislature

• Upper house

Senate

• Lower house

House of Representatives

Judiciary

Idaho Supreme Court

U.S. senators

Mike Crapo (R) Jim Risch (R)

U.S. House delegation

1. Russ Fulcher (R) 2. Mike Simpson (R) (list)

• Total

2,001,619

• Land

82,644 sq mi (214,046 km2)

• Water

926 sq mi (2,399 km2) 1.11%

• Rank

44th

• Length

479 mi (771 km)

• Width

305 mi (491 km)

Elevation

4,990 ft (1,520 m)

Highest elevation (Borah Peak[a])

12,661 ft (3,859 m)

Lowest elevation (Confluence of Snake and Clearwater River; Lewiston[a])

712 ft (217 m)

• Density

21.6/sq mi (8.33/km2)

• Median household income

$74,900 (2023)

• Income rank

24th

Demonym

Idahoan

• Official language

English

primary

UTC−07:00 (Mountain)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−07:00 (PDT)

Idaho Panhandle

UTC−08:00 (Pacific)

USPS abbreviation

ISO 3166 code

US-ID

Latitude

42° N to 49° N

Longitude

111°03′ W to 117°15′ W

Website

idaho.gov