🥔Idaho

The Gem State

Idaho is the western United States at its most rugged — a state of deep river canyons, high desert, and the largest contiguous wilderness in the lower 48. It leads the nation in potato production, hosts the deepest river gorge in North America, and was once home to one of the country's largest silver mines. The state's name has no confirmed meaning despite many colorful explanations.

Lewis, Clark, and the Mines

The Lewis and Clark Expedition crossed what is now Idaho in 1805, becoming the first Americans to traverse the region. Serious American settlement waited until the 1860s, when gold strikes along the Clearwater River and silver discoveries in the Coeur d'Alenes drew tens of thousands of miners. Boise was founded in 1863 as an outfitting stop along the Oregon Trail. Idaho Territory was organized the same year; statehood followed in 1890.

Potato Country

Idaho produces about one-third of America's potatoes, thanks to the Snake River Plain's volcanic soil, irrigation from the Snake River, and cool nights ideal for tuber formation. The Russet Burbank — the classic Idaho potato used for most french fries — was developed in the 1870s by horticulturist Luther Burbank. The state's license plates have featured "Famous Potatoes" since 1957.

Wilderness and Canyons

Hells Canyon on the Snake River, forming Idaho's western border with Oregon, is the deepest river gorge in North America — nearly 8,000 feet from rim to river, deeper than the Grand Canyon. Central Idaho contains the Frank Church–River of No Return Wilderness, at 2.4 million acres the largest contiguous designated wilderness in the lower 48. The Sawtooth Range near Stanley is one of the most dramatic mountain skylines in North America.

Tech in Boise

Boise has emerged as a Pacific Northwest technology and semiconductor hub. Micron Technology, founded in 1978, is the only major U.S. manufacturer of DRAM memory chips, and its Boise campus employs thousands. Idaho's low taxes and comparatively affordable housing have fueled rapid population growth through the 2010s and 2020s.

Idaho Facts

• The origin of the name "Idaho" is unknown — it was suggested to Congress in the 1860s as a supposedly Shoshone word, but the claim turned out to be fabricated.
• Idaho is one of only two states (with Oregon) whose name begins with the letter "I" but is not pronounced with an initial "E" sound.
• Ernest Hemingway lived in Sun Valley and is buried in Ketchum.
• The Idaho State Capitol is the only capitol building in the country heated by geothermal energy.
• Shoshone Falls on the Snake River is 212 feet high — taller than Niagara Falls.

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