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).
Pocatello in 1892, probably photographed by Charles Roscoe SavageView of Pocatello, 1932
Indigenous tribes
Shoshone and Bannock Indigenous tribes inhabited southeastern Idaho for hundreds of years before the Lewis and Clark Expedition across Idaho in 1805.[6] 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
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 be 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 [17] 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.[18]
Climate data for Pocatello, Idaho (Pocatello Regional Airport), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1939–present
U.S. Decennial Census[20] Alameda annexed in 1962.[8][9]
As of the 2022[update]American Community Survey estimates, there were 56,582 people and 21,657 households.[21][22] The population density was 1,685.4 inhabitants per square mile (650.7/km2). There were 23,357 housing units at an average density of 695.7 per square mile (268.6/km2).[21][23][24] The racial makeup of the city was 86.2% White, 2.4% Asian, 2.3% some other race, 1.5% Native American or Alaskan Native, 1.4% Black or African American, and 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, with 6.0% from two or more races.[21]Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 9.6% of the population.[21]
Of the 21,657 households, 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.1% had seniors 65 years or older living with them, 44.3% were married couples living together, 7.3% were couples cohabitating, 22.7% had a male householder with no partner present, and 25.8% had a female householder with no partner present.[22] The median household size was 2.48 and the median family size was 3.30.[22]
The age distribution was 24.8% under 18, 12.5% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32.9 years.[25] For every 100 females, there were 102.7 males.[21]
The median income for a household was $56,115, with family households having a median income of $76,299 and non-family households $35,964. The per capita income was $28,922.[26][27] Males working full-time jobs had median earnings of $52,873 compared to $42,456 for females.[28] Out of the 53,680 people with a determined poverty status, 14.4% were below the poverty line. Further, 17.0% of minors and 12.3% of seniors were below the poverty line.[29]
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.[34]
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)
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.[37]
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.[38]
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.[39] 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
All of the Bannock County portion of Pocatello is served by the Pocatello/Chubbuck School District #25.[40] 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.
The portion of Pocatello in Power County is within American Falls Joint School District 381.[41]
Elementary school boundaries of PocatelloChubbuck 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.
Benedicte Wrensted, photographer, lived in Pocatello from 1895 to 1912[49]
In popular culture
In the Roger Edens - Leonard Gershe song "Born in a Trunk", which featured in the film A Star is Born (1954), the character Esther Blodgett (Judy Garland) sings about being "born in a trunk at the Princess Theater in Pocatello, Idaho".
The Great Food Truck Race Season 4, Episode 3, "Potatoes in Pocatello". Pocatello, Idaho is the location of episode 3 food truck race challenge. Much of the city is shown, as well as the local foot traffic.[50]
^ ab"Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2024. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
^"Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
^U.S. Census Bureau. "QuickFacts Pocatello city, Idaho". Retrieved November 20, 2022.
^"A Native American encyclopedia : History, culture, and peoples". 2000.
^Wrigley, Robert L. “The Early History of Pocatello, Idaho.” The Pacific Northwest Quarterly, vol. 34, no. 4, 1943, pp. 353–65. JSTOR, JSTOR 40486626. Accessed 18 Nov. 2023.
^ abc"Will Pocatello be Idaho's metropolis?". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). (editorial). March 15, 1962. p. 4.
^ abcd"Pocatello, Alameda vote to join as biggest Idaho city". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. March 21, 1962. p. 1.
^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.
^"Pocatello starts effort to improve derided city flag". The Washington Times. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
^"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.[permanent dead link]
^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.
^"Pocatello council approves new flag for Gate City". Idaho State Journal (Press release). July 20, 2017. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
^"US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 2, 2012. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
^"U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Pocatello city, Idaho". www.census.gov. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
^ ab "NOAA Online Weather Data". National Weather Service. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
^"Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
^ abcde"2022 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimate: Demographic and Housing Estimates for Pocatello city, ID". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
^ abcd"2022 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimate: Selected Social Characteristics in the United States for Pocatello city, ID". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
^To calculate density we use the land area figure from the places file in "The 2023 U.S. Gazetteer Files".
^"2022 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimate: Housing Units for Pocatello city, ID". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
^"2022 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimate: Age and Sex for Pocatello city, ID". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
^"2022 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimate: Mean Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2022 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars) for Pocatello city, ID". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
^"2022 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimate: Income in the Past 12 Months (in 2022 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars) for Pocatello city, ID". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
^"2022 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimate: Earnings in the Past 12 Months (in 2022 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars) for Pocatello city, ID". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
^"2022 American Community Survey 5 Year Estimate: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months for Pocatello city, ID". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
^"Static Printable Map of Pocatello & Chubbuck Archived September 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine." City of Pocatello. Retrieved on June 4, 2011.
^Sverdlik, Yevgeniy (April 29, 2016). "FBI to Build Data Center in Idaho". Data Center Knowledge. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
^"City of Pocatello CAFR". Pocatello.gov. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
^"National Register Database and Research - National Register of Historic Places (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
^"Pocatello Marathon – Event is held the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend: Sept. 2, 2017". Pocatellomarathon.com. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
^"Index - Pebble Creek Ski Area". Archived from the original on January 4, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2013.
^Garcia, Mark (February 7, 2018). "Astronaut Candidate Kayla Barron". National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Archived from the original on June 24, 2017. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
^"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.
^Remembering James Edmund Johnson, USMC, by Terrence W. Barrett PhD
^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.
^"Brian Draper (17) and Torey Adamcik (17) stabbed Cassie Jo Stoddart (16) to death". Retrieved July 27, 2011.
^"Benedicte Wrensted: An Idaho Photographer in Focus" Archived July 15, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
^"Pocatello Is All About Potatoes, You Dig?". Food Network. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
External links
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Municipalities and communities of Bannock County, Idaho, United States