Idaho (/ˈaɪdəhoʊ/ ⓘ EYE-də-hoh) 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.
Idaho | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s): The Gem State (official), The Potato State | |
| Motto: Esto perpetua (Latin for "Let it be perpetual") | |
| Anthem: "Here We Have Idaho" | |
 Location of Idaho within the United States | |
| 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 |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Brad Little (R) |
| • Lieutenant Governor | Scott Bedke (R) |
| Legislature | 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) |
| Area | |
• Total | 83,571 sq mi (216,444 km2) |
| • Land | 82,644 sq mi (214,046 km2) |
| • Water | 927 sq mi (2,399 km2) 1.11% |
| • Rank | 11th |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 479 mi (771 km) |
| • Width | 305 mi (491 km) |
| Elevation | 5,000 ft (1,520 m) |
| Highest elevation | 12,662 ft (3,859 m) |
| Lowest elevation | 713 ft (217 m) |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total |  2,001,619 |
| • Rank | 38th |
| • Density | 23.63/sq mi (8.33/km2) |
| • Rank | 44th |
| • Median household income | $74,900 (2023) |
| • Income rank | 24th |
| Demonym | Idahoan |
| Language | |
| • Official language | English |
| Time zones | |
| primary | UTC−07:00 (Mountain) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−06:00 (MDT) |
| Idaho Panhandle | UTC−08:00 (Pacific) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−07:00 (PDT) |
| USPS abbreviation | ID |
| ISO 3166 code | US-ID |
| Latitude | 42° N to 49° N |
| Longitude | 111°03′ W to 117°15′ W |
| Website | idaho |
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".
Ibaloi
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ʔidaho/ [ʔɪ.d̪ɑ.hʊ]
- Hyphenation: i‧da‧ho
Verb
idaho
- alternative form of idako
