Pocatello
City
City of Pocatello
Flag of Pocatello
Flag
Official logo of Pocatello
Logo
Nickname(s): 
"Poky", "U.S. Smile Capital", "The Gate City"
Motto: 
"Gateway to the Northwest"
Location of Pocatello in Bannock County and Power County, Idaho.
Location of Pocatello in Bannock County and Power County, Idaho.
Pocatello is located in the United States
Pocatello
Pocatello
Location in the United States
Pocatello is located in Idaho
Pocatello
Pocatello
Location in Idaho
Coordinates: 42°52′31″N 112°26′50″W / 42.87528°N 112.44722°W / 42.87528; -112.44722
CountryUnited States
StateIdaho
CountiesBannock, Power
Established1889
Government
 • MayorBrian Blad (R)
Area
[1]
 • City33.40 sq mi (86.50 km2)
 • Land33.24 sq mi (86.09 km2)
 • Water0.16 sq mi (0.41 km2)
Elevation
4,462 ft (1,360 m)
Population
 (2020)[2]
 • City56,326
 • Estimate 
(2021)[3]
57,947
 • Density1,688.1/sq mi (651.78/km2)
 • Metro
90,656
Time zoneUTC−7 (Mountain Standard Time (MST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (Mountain Daylight Time (MDT))
ZIP Code
83201, 83204, 83205, 83206, 83209
Area code(s)208, 986
FIPS code16-64090
GNIS feature ID0397053
Websitepocatello.gov

Pocatello (/ˈpoʊkəˈtɛloʊ/ ⓘ) is the county seat and largest city of Bannock County,[4] with a small portion on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in neighboring Power County, in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. It is the principal city of the Pocatello metropolitan area, which encompasses all of Bannock County.

As of the 2020 census, the population of Pocatello was 56,326.[5] Pocatello is the 6th most populous city in the state, just behind Caldwell.

The city is at an elevation of 4,462 feet (1.360 km) above sea level and it sits on the Portneuf River in the Snake River Plain ecoregion. Pocatello covers a land area of 33.36 square miles (86.4 square kilometers).

In 2019, Pocatello was ranked fifteenth on Forbes' list of Best Small Places for Business and Careers.[6] Pocatello is the home of Idaho State University and the manufacturing facility of ON Semiconductor Corporation, and is served by the Pocatello Regional Airport.

History

Indigenous tribes

Shoshone and Bannock Indigenous tribes inhabited southeastern Idaho for hundreds of years before the Lewis and Clark Expedition across Idaho in 1805. The expedition's reports of the many riches of the region attracted fur trappers and traders to southeastern Idaho. The city is named after Chief Pocatello, a 19th-century Northern Shoshone leader.

Permanent settlements

Pocatello in 1892, probably photographed by Charles Roscoe Savage

Nathaniel Wyeth of Massachusetts established one of the first permanent settlements at Fort Hall in 1834, which is only a few miles northeast of Pocatello. When over-trapping and a shift in fashion to silk hats put an end to the fur trade, Fort Hall became a supply point for immigrants traveling the Oregon Trail.

Although thousands of immigrants passed through Idaho, it was not until the discovery of gold in 1860 that Idaho attracted settlers in large numbers. The gold rush brought a need for goods and services to many towns, and the Portneuf Valley, home of Pocatello, was the corridor initially used by stage and freight lines. The coming of the railroad provided further development of Idaho's mineral resources and "Pocatello junction" became an important transportation crossroads as the Union Pacific Railroad expanded its service.

Gate City

After its founding in 1889, Pocatello became known as the "Gate City"[7] for being a gateway to Idaho and the Pacific Northwest. As pioneers, gold miners and settlers traveled the Oregon Trail, they passed through the Portneuf Gap south of town. Stage and freight lines and the railroad soon followed, turning the community into a trade center and transportation junction.

Advertisement of Pocatello for homesteaders in the Sunset Travel Bureau of Information, April 1910.

Gold rush and agriculture

After the gold rush played out, the settlers who remained turned to agriculture. With the help of irrigation from the nearby Snake River, the region became a large supplier of potatoes, grain and other crops. Residential and commercial development gradually appeared by 1882.

Alameda consolidation

The adjacent city of Alameda was consolidated into Pocatello in 1962,[8][9] Chubbuck, further north, opposed a similar merger and remained a separate municipality.[9] In the 1960 census, Alameda had a population of 10,660 and Pocatello was at 28,534; the consolidation made Pocatello the state's largest city based on those numbers, passing Boise and Idaho Falls.[8][9]

Flag

Pocatello's original city logo, considered to the worst city flag in North America

The Pocatello flag used from 2001 to 2017 was considered by the North American Vexillological Association to be the worst city flag in North America.[10] In April 2016, the city's newly created flag design committee met for the first time. Attending the meeting was Roman Mars – whose 2015 TED Talk made Pocatello's flag infamous.[11] On July 20, 2017, after a year and a half of work by the flag committee, the Pocatello City Council approved the adoption of a new flag with the informal name of "Mountains Left" out of a total of 709 designs.[12][13][14]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 33.36 square miles (86.40 km2), of which 32.22 square miles (83.45 km2) is land and 0.16 square miles (0.41 km2) is water.[15][16]

A main water feature of Pocatello is the Portneuf River, which runs southeast to northwest on the western side of the city. Since 1992, the city and the Portneuf Greenway Foundation have worked to create a system of trails that follow the river and connect to other trails in the greater Portneuf Valley. Currently, 15+ miles of trails have been constructed with 27 planned total miles.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Pocatello has a warm-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Pocatello was 104 °F (40 °C) on August 2, 1969, August 8, 1990, July 22, 2000, and July 31, 2020, while the coldest temperature recorded was −33 °F (−36 °C) on February 1, 1985.[17]

Climate data for Pocatello, Idaho (Pocatello Regional Airport), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1939–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 61
(16)		 65
(18)		 75
(24)		 86
(30)		 97
(36)		 103
(39)		 104
(40)		 104
(40)		 102
(39)		 91
(33)		 75
(24)		 64
(18)		 104
(40)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 48.8
(9.3)		 53.3
(11.8)		 66.8
(19.3)		 77.1
(25.1)		 86.2
(30.1)		 93.9
(34.4)		 99.6
(37.6)		 98.6
(37.0)		 92.2
(33.4)		 80.6
(27.0)		 64.0
(17.8)		 51.6
(10.9)		 100.2
(37.9)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 34.2
(1.2)		 39.0
(3.9)		 50.5
(10.3)		 58.6
(14.8)		 68.7
(20.4)		 78.5
(25.8)		 89.3
(31.8)		 88.1
(31.2)		 77.2
(25.1)		 61.5
(16.4)		 46.1
(7.8)		 34.3
(1.3)		 60.5
(15.8)
Daily mean °F (°C) 25.6
(−3.6)		 29.7
(−1.3)		 39.1
(3.9)		 45.7
(7.6)		 54.2
(12.3)		 62.2
(16.8)		 70.8
(21.6)		 69.3
(20.7)		 59.7
(15.4)		 47.1
(8.4)		 34.9
(1.6)		 25.8
(−3.4)		 47.0
(8.3)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 17.1
(−8.3)		 20.3
(−6.5)		 27.8
(−2.3)		 32.8
(0.4)		 39.7
(4.3)		 46.0
(7.8)		 52.3
(11.3)		 50.5
(10.3)		 42.2
(5.7)		 32.8
(0.4)		 23.8
(−4.6)		 17.3
(−8.2)		 33.6
(0.9)
Mean minimum °F (°C) −3.5
(−19.7)		 0.8
(−17.3)		 12.6
(−10.8)		 20.0
(−6.7)		 26.1
(−3.3)		 34.0
(1.1)		 41.2
(5.1)		 38.5
(3.6)		 28.7
(−1.8)		 17.0
(−8.3)		 5.4
(−14.8)		 −3.4
(−19.7)		 −9.6
(−23.1)
Record low °F (°C) −31
(−35)		 −33
(−36)		 −12
(−24)		 12
(−11)		 20
(−7)		 28
(−2)		 34
(1)		 30
(−1)		 19
(−7)		 −6
(−21)		 −14
(−26)		 −29
(−34)		 −33
(−36)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.11
(28)		 0.97
(25)		 1.21
(31)		 1.20
(30)		 1.40
(36)		 0.93
(24)		 0.51
(13)		 0.53
(13)		 0.89
(23)		 0.99
(25)		 0.95
(24)		 1.13
(29)		 11.82
(301)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 8.5
(22)		 7.6
(19)		 4.1
(10)		 2.6
(6.6)		 0.4
(1.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 1.2
(3.0)		 4.0
(10)		 10.1
(26)		 38.5
(97.6)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 10.5 9.1 9.4 9.6 9.2 6.1 4.1 4.4 5.0 6.4 8.0 10.9 92.7
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 8.6 6.6 4.1 2.6 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.9 3.9 9.2 36.2
Source 1: NOAA[18]
Source 2: National Weather Service[17]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
19004,046—
19109,110125.2%
192015,00164.7%
193016,4719.8%
194018,13310.1%
195026,13144.1%
196026,5341.5%
197040,03650.9%
198046,34015.7%
199046,080−0.6%
200051,46611.7%
201054,2555.4%
202056,3263.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[19]
Alameda annexed in 1962.[8][9]

The 2020 census showed Pocatello's population to be 56,320, an increase of 3.73% from the 2010 census.[16] There were 21,277 households, and the population density was 1,688.1 inhabitants per square mile.

The racial makeup of the city was 86.4% White, 1.1% Black or African American, 2.1% American Indian and Alaskan Native, 2.4% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 6.1% two or more races, 9.4% Hispanic or Latino, and 81.5% White alone (not Hispanic or Latino).

Economy

Downtown Pocatello Idaho 2004

Idaho Department of Correction operates the Pocatello Women's Correctional Center (PWCC) in Pocatello.[20]

The United States Postal Service operates the Pocatello,[21] Bannock,[22] and Gateway Station post offices.[23]

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is building a data center in Pocatello as part of an initiative to consolidate operations into three enterprise data centers.[24]

Top employers

Idaho State University Administration Building

According to Pocatello's 2021 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[25] the top employers in the city are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 Idaho State University 3,450
2 Pocatello School District #25 1,725
3 Portneuf Medical Center 1,250
4 Idaho Central Credit Union 925
5 Amy's Kitchen 750
6 City of Pocatello 725
7 ON Semiconductor 650
8 Allstate Insurance 640
9 Bannock County 450
10 Walmart 350

Arts and culture

Museum of Clean

Pocatello is home to Idaho Museum of Natural History, Museum of Clean, Bannock County Historical Complex, and the Fort Hall Replica and Museum.

Idaho State University's L.E. and Thelma E. Stephens Performing Arts Center is the largest such complex in Pocatello and hosts dance, theater, music, and other entertainment events. The grand concert hall seats up to 1,200 people.

The Westside Players is a non-profit community theatre company that hosts shows at The Warehouse in the Warehouse District of Pocatello.

St. Joseph's Catholic Church Pocatello (built 1897)

There are over twenty National Historic Places in Pocatello including St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Trinity Episcopal Church, Church of the Assumption, Bethel Baptist Church, A.F.R. Building, Standrod House, John Hood House, Idaho State University Administration Building, Pocatello Carnegie Library, and multiple historic districts.[26]

Sports

Holt Arena, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho

Pocatello is home to Holt Arena, a multipurpose indoor stadium that opened in 1970 on the ISU campus. Known as the "Minidome" until 1988, Holt Arena was the home of the Real Dairy Bowl, a junior college football Bowl game. Holt Arena also plays host to the Simplot Games, the nation's largest indoor high school track-and-field meet.

The Pocatello Marathon and Half Marathon are held annually. Times from the course may be used to qualify for the Boston and New York marathons.[27]

Outdoor sports, both winter and summer, play an important role in the culture of Pocatello. Pebble Creek, Idaho is a ski resort located just south of Pocatello and offers skiing and snowboarding.[28]

Pocatello is also home to a semi-pro baseball team, the Gate City Grays, who are a member of the Northern Utah League. The Grays play in Halliwell Park located at 1100 W. Alameda.[29] They were NUL champions in both 2015 and 2016.

Education

Western Pocatello in 2009,
from Red Hill on the ISU campus

Primary and secondary education

Pocatello is served by the Pocatello/Chubbuck School District #25. The district is home to three public high schools, four public middle schools and thirteen public elementary schools. Additionally, there are two public charter schools, and various alternative and church-based private schools and academies.

High schools

Middle schools

  • Alameda Middle School
  • Franklin Middle School
  • Hawthorne Middle School
  • Irving Middle School

Elementary schools

  • Elementary school boundaries of Pocatello
    Chubbuck Elementary School
  • Edahow Elementary School
  • Ellis Elementary School
  • Gate City Elementary School
  • Gem Prep
  • Greenacres Elementary School
  • Indian Hills Elementary School
  • Jefferson Elementary School
  • Lewis & Clark Elementary School
  • Syringa Elementary School
  • Tendoy Elementary School
  • Tyhee Elementary School
  • Washington Elementary School
  • Wilcox Elementary School

Higher education

Idaho State University (ISU) is a public university operated by the state of Idaho. Originally an auxiliary campus of the University of Idaho and then a state college, it became the second university in the state in 1963. The ISU campus is in Pocatello, with outreach programs in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Falls, Boise, and Twin Falls. The university's 123,000-square-foot (11,400 m2) L.E. and Thelma E. Stephens Performing Arts Center occupies a prominent location overlooking Pocatello and the lower Portneuf River Valley. The center's three venues provide performance space, including the Joseph C. and Cheryl H. Jensen Grand Concert Hall. Idaho State's athletics teams compete in the Big Sky Conference, the football and basketball teams play in Holt Arena.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Commercial air service is available via Pocatello Regional Airport. Pocatello Regional Transit provides bus service on five hourly routes, Monday through Saturday. There is currently no evening or Sunday service.

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ↑ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  2. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
  3. ↑
  4. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  5. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau. "QuickFacts Pocatello city, Idaho". Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Best Small Places for Business and Careers 2019". Forbes. 2019. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  7. ↑ Wrigley, Robert L. “The Early History of Pocatello, Idaho.” The Pacific Northwest Quarterly, vol. 34, no. 4, 1943, pp. 353–65. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40486626. Accessed 18 Nov. 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 "Will Pocatello be Idaho's metropolis?". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). (editorial). March 15, 1962. p. 4.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Pocatello, Alameda vote to join as biggest Idaho city". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. March 21, 1962. p. 1.
  10. ↑ TED (May 14, 2015). "Why city flags may be the worst-designed thing you've never noticed – Roman Mars". YouTube. Archived from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Pocatello starts effort to improve derided city flag". The Washington Times. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Pocatello City Council Approves Flag Resolution, New and Official City Flag to be Raised" (Press release). City of Pocatello, Idaho. July 20, 2017. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
  13. ↑ Inglet, Misty (July 21, 2017). "Pocatello officially has new city flag". KIFI-TV. Archived from the original on July 21, 2017. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Pocatello council approves new flag for Gate City". Idaho State Journal (Press release). July 20, 2017. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
  15. ↑ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 2, 2012. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
  16. 1 2 "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Pocatello city, Idaho". www.census.gov. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  17. 1 2 "NOAA Online Weather Data". National Weather Service. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
  18. ↑ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  20. ↑ "Static Printable Map of Pocatello & Chubbuck Archived September 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine." City of Pocatello. Retrieved on June 4, 2011.
  21. ↑ "Post Office™ Location – POCATELLO Archived April 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on June 3, 2011.
  22. ↑ "Post Office™ Location – BANNOCK Archived April 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on June 3, 2011.
  23. ↑ "Post Office™ Location – GATEWAY STATION Archived April 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on June 3, 2011.
  24. ↑ Sverdlik, Yevgeniy (April 29, 2016). "FBI to Build Data Center in Idaho". Data Center Knowledge. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  25. ↑ "City of Pocatello CAFR". Pocatello.gov. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  26. ↑ "National Register Database and Research - National Register of Historic Places (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  27. ↑ "Pocatello Marathon – Event is held the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend: Sept. 2, 2017". Pocatellomarathon.com. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  28. ↑ "Index - Pebble Creek Ski Area". Archived from the original on January 4, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
  29. ↑ "Gate City Grays". Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  30. ↑ "Neil L. Andersen".
  31. ↑ Garcia, Mark (February 7, 2018). "Astronaut Candidate Kayla Barron". National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  32. ↑ "Maker Studios Founders, YouTubers Shay Carl, Lisa Nova & More React To $500 Million Walt Disney Co. Acquisition". Ibtimes.com. March 25, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  33. ↑ Remembering James Edmund Johnson, USMC, by Terrence W. Barrett PhD
  34. ↑ "Elder Richard G. Scott".
  35. ↑ Toni Samek; Keller R. Roberto; Moyra Lang, eds. (2010). She Was a Booklegger: Remembering Celeste West. Library Juice Press. p. 81. ISBN 9781936117444. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  36. ↑ "Benedicte Wrensted: An Idaho Photographer in Focus" Archived July 15, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
  37. ↑ "Pocatello Is All About Potatoes, You Dig?". Food Network. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
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