Pocatello, Idaho

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

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" 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.

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, Chubbuck, further north, opposed a similar merger and remained a separate municipality. 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.

Flag

Main article: Flag of Pocatello, Idaho

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. After a 2015 TED Talk by Roman Mars made Pocatello's flag infamous, the city's newly created flag design committee met for the first time in April 2016, with Mars in attendance. 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.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 33.36 sqmi, of which 32.22 sqmi is land and 0.16 sqmi is water.

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 on August 2, 1969, August 8, 1990, July 22, 2000, and July 31, 2020, while the coldest temperature recorded was -33 °F on February 1, 1985. |Jan record high F = 61 |Feb record high F = 65 |Mar record high F = 75 |Apr record high F = 86 |May record high F = 97 |Jun record high F = 103 |Jul record high F = 104 |Aug record high F = 104 |Sep record high F = 102 |Oct record high F = 91 |Nov record high F = 75 |Dec record high F = 64

|Jan avg record high F = 48.8 |Feb avg record high F = 53.3 |Mar avg record high F = 66.8 |Apr avg record high F = 77.1 |May avg record high F = 86.2 |Jun avg record high F = 93.9 |Jul avg record high F = 99.6 |Aug avg record high F = 98.6 |Sep avg record high F = 92.2 |Oct avg record high F = 80.6 |Nov avg record high F = 64.0 |Dec avg record high F = 51.6 |year avg record high F = 100.2

|Jan avg record low F = -3.5 |Feb avg record low F = 0.8 |Mar avg record low F = 12.6 |Apr avg record low F = 20.0 |May avg record low F = 26.1 |Jun avg record low F = 34.0 |Jul avg record low F = 41.2 |Aug avg record low F = 38.5 |Sep avg record low F = 28.7 |Oct avg record low F = 17.0 |Nov avg record low F = 5.4 |Dec avg record low F = -3.4 |year avg record low F = -9.6

|Jan record low F = -31 |Feb record low F = -33 |Mar record low F = -12 |Apr record low F = 12 |May record low F = 20 |Jun record low F = 28 |Jul record low F = 34 |Aug record low F = 30 |Sep record low F = 19 |Oct record low F = -6 |Nov record low F = -14 |Dec record low F = -29

Demographics

Alameda annexed in 1962. American Community Survey estimates, there were people and households. The population density was 1685.4 PD/sqmi. There were housing units at an average density of 695.7 /sqmi. 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. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 9.6% of the population.

Of the 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. The median household size was and the median family size was .

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 years. For every 100 females, there were males.

The median income for a household was $, with family households having a median income of $ and non-family households $. The per capita income was $. Males working full-time jobs had median earnings of $ compared to $ for females. Out of the 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.

In the survey, residents self-identified with various ethnic ancestries. People of English descent made up 20.5% of the population of the town, followed by German at 14.2%, Irish at 9.8%, American at 6.0%, Scottish at 4.0%, Italian at 3.0%, Danish at 3.0%, Swedish at 2.7%, Norwegian at 2.6%, French at 2.0%, Welsh at 2.0%, Polish at 1.4%, Swiss at 1.3%, Scotch-Irish at 1.2%, and Dutch at 1.0%.

Government

Pocatello's current mayor is Mark Dahlquist, who was sworn into office on January 8th, 2026. The 2025 mayoral election saw incumbent Brian Blad, who had previously governed over Pocatello since 2010, eliminated, with Dahlquist then defeating candidate Greg Cates in the runoff election to become mayor-elect.

Economy

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

The United States Postal Service operates the Pocatello, Bannock, and Gateway Station post offices.

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.

Top employers

According to Pocatello's 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Arts and culture

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.

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.

Sports

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.

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.

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. They were NUL champions in both 2015 and 2016.

Education

Primary and secondary education

All of the Bannock County portion of 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.

The portion of Pocatello in Power County is within American Falls Joint School District 381.

High schools

• Century High School
• Highland High School
• Pocatello High School

Middle schools

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

Elementary schools

• [[File:Pocatello Elementary Boundaries.png|thumb|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
• 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 123000 sqft 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

• Chris Abernathy, electrician and member of the Idaho House of Representatives
• Torey Adamcik, one of two perpetrators of the Murder of Cassie Jo Stoddart.
• Neil L. Andersen, member of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
• Don Aslett, entrepreneur and founder of the town's Museum of Clean
• Kayla Barron, NASA astronaut
• Billie Bird (1908–2002), comedian and actress
• Greg Byrne, athletic director at University of Alabama
• Shay Carl, vlogger, one of the original founders of Maker Studios, which was sold to Walt Disney Co. in 2014
• Gloria Dickson, actress
• Jan Broberg Felt, actress
• George V. Hansen, politician
• Taysom Hill, NFL tight end for the New Orleans Saints
• Merril Hoge, analyst for ESPN, NFL running back
• Tristen Hoge, offensive guard for the New York Jets
• Bryan Johnson, NFL football player
• James Edmund Johnson, Medal of Honor recipient, posthumously, for valor in combat in the Korean War
• Dirk Koetter, interim offensive coordinator for the Boise State Broncos
• Wendy J. Olson, U.S. Attorney for the District of Idaho
• C. Ben Ross, Mayor of Pocatello and 15th Governor of Idaho
• Bill Salkeld, Major League Baseball catcher
• Richard G. Scott, member of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
• Tom Spanbauer, writer, winner of the Stonewall Book Award
• Brandon Steineckert, drummer
• Edward Stevenson, costume designer for numerous films including Citizen Kane and It's a Wonderful Life
• Minerva Teichert, artist
• Tommy Togiai, defensive tackle for the Cleveland Browns
• Celeste West, librarian and lesbian author, born Pocatello 1942
• Logan Wilde, professional archer
• Reo Wilde, professional archer
• Jack Williams, news anchor on WBZ-TV in Boston, Massachusetts
• Benedicte Wrensted, photographer, lived in Pocatello from 1895 to 1912

In popular culture

• 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.
• In ''Millennium'''s first season episode "Force Majeure", a doomsday cult has chosen Pocatello, Idaho as their place of refuge due to its geological stability.

References

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