Ketchum, Idaho facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ketchum, Idaho
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Ketchum in September 2007
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| Motto(s):
"Small town, big life."
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Location of Ketchum in Blaine County, Idaho.
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| Country | United States |
| State | Idaho |
| County | Blaine |
| Founded | 1880 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.25 sq mi (8.43 km2) |
| • Land | 3.21 sq mi (8.31 km2) |
| • Water | 0.05 sq mi (0.12 km2) |
| Elevation | 5,804 ft (1,769 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 3,555 |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
83340
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| Area code(s) | 208, 986 |
| FIPS code | 16-43030 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2411539 |
Ketchum is a cool city located in Blaine County, Idaho, in the United States. It's right in the middle of the state! In 2020, about 3,555 people lived there.
Ketchum is part of the Wood River Valley. It's super close to Sun Valley, and they share a lot of things. Both cities are nestled in the same valley, right under Bald Mountain, which is famous for skiing.
People love to visit Ketchum for many reasons. You can go fishing, hiking, trail riding, play tennis, or enjoy shopping and art galleries. The closest airport is Friedman Memorial Airport, about 15 miles (24 km) south in Hailey.
Contents
A Look Back: Ketchum's History
Ketchum started as a mining town! In 1880, it was first called Leadville. This was because it was a big center for smelting, which is a process to get metal from rocks, especially lead.
The postal service thought "Leadville" was too common. So, they renamed the town after David Ketchum. He was a local trapper and guide who had found a mining claim there a year before. Big smelters were built in the 1880s. The Philadelphia Smelter, for example, processed tons of lead and silver for about ten years.
From Mining to Sheep Herding
After the mining boom slowed down in the 1890s, Ketchum became important for a different reason: sheep! Shepherds from the south would bring their huge flocks north through Ketchum in the summer. They would graze the sheep in the high mountains like the Pioneer, Boulder, and Sawtooth ranges.
By 1920, Ketchum was the biggest place in the West for shipping sheep. In the fall, massive herds would come back to town. They would use the livestock corrals at the Union Pacific Railroad's train station, which connected to the main train line.
Ketchum's Celebrity Connection
In 1936, the Union Pacific Railroad developed Sun Valley. This made Ketchum a popular spot for famous people! Celebrities like Gary Cooper and Ernest Hemingway started visiting.
Ernest Hemingway, a famous writer, especially loved the area. He enjoyed fishing and hunting. In the late 1950s, he even bought a home nearby. He and his granddaughter, model and actress Margaux Hemingway, are buried in the Ketchum Cemetery. The local elementary school is named after him!
Wagon Days Festival
Every year on Labor Day weekend, Ketchum hosts the exciting Wagon Days festival. This carnival celebrates the Old West with wagon trains and narrow ore wagons. There's a big parade and even pretend street gunfights!
Ketchum's Geography and Landscape
Ketchum is located high up, at an elevation of about 5,853 feet (1,784 meters) above sea level.
The city covers about 3.08 square miles (7.98 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. However, two mountain streams, Trail Creek and Warm Springs Creek, meet the Big Wood River right in Ketchum.
Ketchum's Population and Community
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1890 | 450 | — | |
| 1950 | 757 | — | |
| 1960 | 746 | −1.5% | |
| 1970 | 1,454 | 94.9% | |
| 1980 | 2,200 | 51.3% | |
| 1990 | 2,523 | 14.7% | |
| 2000 | 3,003 | 19.0% | |
| 2010 | 2,689 | −10.5% | |
| 2020 | 3,555 | 32.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2010, there were 2,689 people living in Ketchum. About 1,431 households were in the city. The average household had about 1.88 people. The average age of residents was 44 years old.
Ketchum is home to several different faith communities. These include the Presbyterian Church of the Bigwood, St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church, and the Wood River Jewish Community.
Learning in Ketchum: Education
The Blaine County School District serves the entire county, including Ketchum. Students in Ketchum attend Ernest Hemingway STEAM School for kindergarten through fifth grade. After that, they go to Wood River Middle School and then Wood River High School.
The county is also connected to the College of Southern Idaho.
Famous Faces: Notable People from Ketchum
Many interesting people have lived in or have connections to Ketchum:
- Melissa Arnot - a mountain guide
- Alan Blinken - a businessman and former ambassador
- Peter Cetera - a musician from the band Chicago
- Christin Cooper - an alpine ski racer
- Dick Fosbury - an Olympic Gold Medalist in high jump
- Gretchen Fraser - an alpine ski racer and the first US winter Olympic Gold medalist
- Scott Glenn - an actor
- Tom Hanks - an Oscar-winning actor
- Ernest Hemingway - a Nobel Prize-winning author
- Mariel Hemingway - an actress and granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway
- Steve Miller - a rock musician (from the Steve Miller Band)
- Carson Palmer - a Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL football player
- Picabo Street - an Olympic and world champion ski racer
- Ed Viesturs - the only American to climb all 14 of the world's highest peaks
- Adam West - an actor, famous for playing Batman on TV
Fun Places to Visit: Points of Interest
Ketchum and the surrounding area offer many cool places to explore:
- Sawtooth Botanical Garden - a beautiful garden to visit.
- Wood River Museum of History and Culture - learn about the area's past.
- The Community Library - a great place to read and learn.
- Sawtooth National Recreation Area - a huge area for outdoor adventures.
- Sun Valley's Bald Mountain or "Baldy" - this mountain has 13 chairlifts and 65 ski runs! It covers 2,054 acres (8.31 km²) and has a vertical drop of 3,400 feet (1,036 meters).
Exciting Times: Special Events
Ketchum hosts several fun events throughout the year:
- Trailing of the Sheep - a unique festival celebrating sheep herding.
- Ride Sun Valley Bike Festival - for bike lovers!
- Sun Valley Jazz Festival - enjoy some great music.
- Sun Valley Summer Symphony - classical music under the stars.
- Wagon Days - the Old West festival mentioned earlier.
- Sun Valley Film Festival - for movie fans.
- TEDxSunValley - inspiring talks and ideas.
Global Friends: Sister Cities
Ketchum has special connections with two cities in other countries:
See also
In Spanish: Ketchum (Idaho) para niños
