Bonner County, Idaho facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bonner County
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Bonner County Courthouse in Sandpoint
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Location within the U.S. state of Idaho
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 Idaho's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Idaho |
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| Founded | February 21, 1907 | |
| Named for | Edwin L. Bonner | |
| Seat | Sandpoint | |
| Largest city | Sandpoint | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 1,919 sq mi (4,970 km2) | |
| • Land | 1,735 sq mi (4,490 km2) | |
| • Water | 185 sq mi (480 km2) 9.6% | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 47,110 | |
| • Density | 24.549/sq mi (9.479/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) | |
| Congressional district | 1st | |
Bonner County is a county in the northern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 census, the population was 47,110. The county seat and largest city is Sandpoint. Partitioned from Kootenai County and established in 1907, it was named for Edwin L. Bonner, a ferry operator.
Bonner County comprises the Sandpoint, Idaho Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Contents
History
Bonner County was formed on February 21, 1907. It was named for travel entrepreneur Edwin L. Bonner, a ferry operator.
In 1864, the Idaho Legislature created the counties of Lah-Toh and Kootenai. Kootenai County initially covered all of present-day Bonner and Boundary counties and a portion of present-day Kootenai County. It also overlapped part of the existing boundary of Shoshone County. Sin-na-ac-qua-teen, a trading post in present-day Bonner County on the south shore of the Pend Oreille River near Laclede, was named county seat. The government of Kootenai failed to organize due to lack of settlement within the county boundary. In 1867, the legislature repealed the act that created the two counties and consolidated them into a county that retained the Kootenai name. Rathdrum became the county seat when Kootenai County organized in 1881.
The tiny portion of Bonner County south of the 48th parallel and east of Shoshone County was not in any of Idaho's counties from 1863 to 1907, the longest time frame any non-county area existed in the State of Idaho. The Idaho panhandle north of the Clearwater River's basin was in Spokane County, Washington, prior to Idaho's creation as a territory in 1863. When Idaho defined its original counties by February 1864, it attached the former Spokane County area to Nez Perce County for judicial purposes. Legislators creating Kootenai County in December 1864 lacked knowledge of the geography of the area and failed to fully include the non-county area within the county boundaries of Kootenai or Lah-Toh. The non-county area was fully included within Bonner County when it was formed in 1907.
Boundary County was formed from Bonner County in 1915.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,919 square miles (4,970 km2), of which 1,735 square miles (4,490 km2) is land and 185 square miles (480 km2) (9.6%) is water. The highest point in the county is Scotchman Peak, elevation 7,018 feet (2,139 m).
Adjacent counties
- Pend Oreille County, Washington– northwest
- Boundary County – north
- Lincoln County, Montana – east/Mountain Time Border
- Sanders County, Montana – southeast/Mountain Time Border
- Shoshone County – southeast
- Kootenai County – south
- Spokane County, Washington – southwest
National protected areas
- Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail (part)
- Coeur d'Alene National Forest (part)
- Kaniksu National Forest (part)
- Kootenai National Forest (part)
Major highways
US 2
US 95
SH-41
SH-57
SH-200
Rivers and lakes
- Albeni Falls Dam
- Clark Fork River
- Cocolalla
- Kelso Lake
- Lake Pend Oreille
- Pack River
- Pend Oreille River
- Priest Lake
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 13,588 | — | |
| 1920 | 12,957 | −4.6% | |
| 1930 | 13,152 | 1.5% | |
| 1940 | 15,667 | 19.1% | |
| 1950 | 14,853 | −5.2% | |
| 1960 | 15,587 | 4.9% | |
| 1970 | 15,560 | −0.2% | |
| 1980 | 24,163 | 55.3% | |
| 1990 | 26,622 | 10.2% | |
| 2000 | 36,835 | 38.4% | |
| 2010 | 40,877 | 11.0% | |
| 2020 | 47,110 | 15.2% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 52,547 | 28.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020 |
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2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 40,877 people, 17,100 households, and 11,591 families living in the county. The population density was 23.6 inhabitants per square mile (9.1/km2). There were 24,669 housing units at an average density of 14.2 units per square mile (5.5 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.0% white, 0.8% American Indian, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.1% black or African American, 0.4% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 25.4% were German, 15.3% were Irish, 15.2% were English, 6.2% were Norwegian, and 5.0% were American.
Of the 17,100 households, 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.2% were non-families, and 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.82. The median age was 45.8 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $41,943 and the median income for a family was $51,377. Males had a median income of $40,076 versus $30,829 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,745. About 10.1% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.3% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Cities
Census-designated place
Unincorporated communities
Ski area
Education
School districts include:
- Lake Pend Oreille School District 84
- Lakeland Joint School District 272
- West Bonner County School District 83
It is in the catchment area, but not the taxation zone, for North Idaho College.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Bonner para niños
