Official Government Website

Facts About Idaho

  • Idaho became a territory when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Territorial Act on March 4, 1863.
  • Idaho became the 43rd state of the United States on July 3, 1890 when President Benjamin Harrison signed the Act.
  • Idaho’s nickname is “The Gem State.”

State Symbols

  • Motto: Esto Perpetua (“It is perpetuated” or “May it endure forever”) appears on the State Seal which was designed by Emma Edwards Green —- the only State seal designed by a woman. The seal was adopted by the legislature on March 14, 1891. Gov. Willey awarded her the honorarium for the design on March 5th.
  • Bird: Mountain Bluebird (1931)
  • Flower: Syringa (1931)
  • Song: Here We Have Idaho (1931)á
  • Tree: Western White Pine (1935)
  • Gem: Star Garnet (1967)
  • Horse: Appaloosa (1975)
  • Fossil: Hagerman Horse Fossil (1988)
  • American Folk Dance: Square Dance (1989)
  • Fish: Cutthroat Trout (1990)
  • Insect: Monarch Butterfly (1992)
  • Fruit: Huckleberry (2000)
  • Vegetable: Potato (2002)
  • Raptor: Peregrine Falcon (2004)

Idaho’s Geography

  • Land Area: 83,557 square miles (13th in land area)
  • Water Area: 880 square miles
  • Highest Point: 12,662 feet above sea level at the summit of Mt. Borah, located in the Lost River Range, Custer County
  • Lowest Point: 770 feet above sea level on the Snake River at Lewiston
  • Length: 479 miles
  • Width: 305 miles
  • Geographic Center: Settlement of Custer on the Yankee Fork River, Custer County
  • Number of Lakes: more than 2,000
  • Navigable Rivers: Snake, Coeur d’Alene, St. Joe, St. Maries, and Kootenai
  • Largest Lake: Lake Pend Oreille, 180 square miles
  • Temperature Extremes: Highest, 118° F at Orofino (July 28, 1934); Lowest, -60° F at Island Park Dam (January 18, 1943)
  • Population: 1.754 million (2018)

Idaho’s Elected Officials

Idaho’s Congressional Delegation

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