55 Fun Facts About Idaho

55 Fun Facts About Idaho

1. Idaho is known for its heavy wine consumption.

A study in 2021 states that Idaho drinks more wine per capita than any state. Cheers to that!

2. Idaho got its name based on a lie and the name stuck!

A man named George Willing claimed that Idaho was a Shoshone word for ‘gem of the mountains’, but it’s not. 

3. You can eat the Westside’s Famous Idaho Ice Cream Potato at Westside Drive-In in Boise, ID.

That’s right, it is a potato-shaped ice cream topped with whipped cream and it is delicious!

4. In addition to eating potatoes, you can also stay in one!

The famous Idaho Potato Hotel is an Airbnb favorite and has also become a bucket list item for many. See it for yourself during your next trip.

5. You can visit the Idaho Potato Museum & Potato Station Cafe in Blackfoot, Idaho.

Here you can try a variety of baked potatoes in the cafe while learning the history behind them.

6. Oh, and did I mention the Idaho Potato Museum is home to the world’s largest potato chip? 

The World’s Largest Potato Chip is a Pringles brand chip engineered in Jackson, Tennessee then transported to Idaho. 

7. Idaho has some of the richest agricultural lands in the United States, making the ag economy here booming.

8. Idaho is filled with many famous people including the renowned Ernest Hemingway.

He was buried in Ketchum Cemetery after living in Sun Valley, Idaho for many years.

9. The state fruit of Idaho is the huckleberry and there are so many different ways to try it.

From huckleberry ice cream to huckleberry cocktails, I am sure you will find something that fits your style. 

10. Around 1% of Yellowstone National Park is located in Idaho.

The rest of the park is located in Montana and Wyoming.

11. Idaho is also known as the Gem State.

In fact, it got its name from the 72-plus gems that can be found in Idaho. 

12. The official state gem is the Idaho Star Garnet.

13. Take the longest gondola ride in North America by visiting Silver Mountain Resort in Kellogg.

A 3.1-mile-long journey from Kellogg’s downtown high up onto Silver Mountain,

14. The state of Idaho is bigger than all of New England.

This is crazy considering New England is made up of six states, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Maine.

15. With that being said, Idaho is the 14th largest state by land area.

16. Coeur D’Alene Idaho is known for having one of the largest holiday light shows in the United States.

17. The BLM manages about 12 million acres of public lands for multiple uses in Idaho.

These public lands represent nearly one-fourth of the state’s total land area.

18. “Tina, come get some ham!” The famous Napoleon Dynamite movie was filmed in Idaho.

Some locations were the Preston High School and different areas in Franklin County, Idaho.

19. Idaho’s Population is around 1.9 million. 

This is with about 600,000 living in the Boise metro area.

20. The Snake River is the longest tributary of the Columbia River and the largest North American river to empty into the Pacific Ocean.

21. There are more than 26,000 miles of fishable streams in the State of Idaho.

22. Idaho is even rumored to have some of the best fishing in the western United States.

Thanks to Steelhead trout and Chinook salmon swimming in the water.

23. The Idaho Panhandle National Forests is one of the only two places in the world where you can find Star Garnets, India is the other location.

They are called star garments thanks to the reflection displaying a four or six-pointed star.

24. Boise is the capital of Idaho and where I currently live!

25. Wonder what an Idaho accent is? Chances are you won’t find one.

Idaho has the most neutral dialect of any state in the country. 

26. Idaho’s motto is Esto Perpetua.

This is Latin for “let it be perpetual” or “it is forever”.

27. You can throw your bra on the Brundage Bra Tree at Brundage Mountain Ski Resort.

This quirky tree gets bras from people on the ski lifts at Brundage Mountain Ski Resort. It’s officially called the Centennial Tree.

28. Idaho sits at Area 83,569 square miles of land area.

This makes it an outdoor lovers’ playground.

29. The state tree of Idaho is the Western White Pine.

It grows almost exclusively in the Northern Rockies Ecoregion.

30. No official record remains of the adoption of the first Great Seal of Idaho when it became a territory in 1863.

31. Whiskey Sour is known to be one of the most popular cocktails ordered in the state.

32. On New Year’s Eve, Boise showcases the Idaho Potato Drop.

Which is literally a huge potato being dropped instead of the famous NYC Times Square Ball.

33. Hiking is a big hobby in Idaho.

This comes as no surprise as there are 80 mountain ranges throughout the state. See some of the best backpacking trails in Idaho and also the best hikes near Boise!

34. Idaho has over 1,446 hiking trails!

35. The Nez Perce Tribe is a federally recognized tribe in north-central Idaho in Lapwai.

They have more than 3,500 enrolled citizens. 

36. Hells Canyon in Idaho is the deepest river gorge in North America.

37. Hells Canyon is also deeper than the Grand Canyon!

38. Emma Edwards Green designed the state seal.

She entered a contest in 1890 and her design won! In addition, it was a huge deal since it was the only seal designed by a woman.

39. People from Idaho are typically called Idahoans.

40. The television was first invented by a high school student in Idaho named Philo Farnsworth.

41. You can drive to two places at once by visiting the Time Zone Bridge.

Crossing the bridge sends you over into the Pacific Time Zone from Mountain Standard Time.

42. Idaho’s state bird is the Mountain Bluebird. 

43. Cottonwood, Idaho is home to the “World’s Largest Beagle”!

The 12-foot-tall beagle named “Toby” calls the Dog Bark Park home. Stay at this charming Beagle-shaped bed and breakfast during your next trip.

44. Idaho became the 43rd US state in 1890.

45. Evel Knievel was fond of Idaho.

And even tried jumping over the Snake River Canyon on September 8th, 1974 in Twin Falls and he landed safely!

46. The Craters of the Moon Monument is the size of Rhode Island.

47. Craters of the Moon is also home to the youngest volcano

This also means it could erupt at any time.

48. Idaho’s crime rate is the lowest in the West.

It is said that serious crimes are 21% lower than the national average.

49. Shoshone Falls is one of the largest natural waterfalls in the United States.

Sitting at 212 feet tall and 900 feet wide. This means it is even bigger than the infamous Niagara Falls.

50. Idaho has the longest floating boardwalk in the world!

In 1985, The Coeur d’Alene Resort Floating Boardwalk is 3,300 feet long, 12 feet wide, with a 60-foot-long bridge.

51. Wallace, Idaho, has been declared the Center of the Universe!

You can actually go visit this.  

52. People from North Idaho call where they are from “North Idaho” and not Northern Idaho

53. Boise is pronounced “Boy-see”, and not “Boy-zee”.

Locals might correct you on that one!

54. Idaho has quite a lot of ghost towns from back in the mining days!

See some great ones to visit here. 

55. Idaho has over 130 soakable hot springs to enjoy!

So if you visit any, be sure to use proper hot spring etiquette!