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St. Maries, Idaho facts for kids

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St. Maries, Idaho
The Benewah County Courthouse in St. Maries
The Benewah County Courthouse in St. Maries
Location of St. Maries in Benewah County, Idaho.
Location of St. Maries in Benewah County, Idaho.
St. Maries, Idaho is located in the United States
St. Maries, Idaho
St. Maries, Idaho
Location in the United States
Country United States
State Idaho
County Benewah
Area
 • Total 1.19 sq mi (3.08 km2)
 • Land 1.19 sq mi (3.08 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
2,225 ft (678 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 2,402
 • Density 2,062.34/sq mi (796.01/km2)
Time zone UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP Code
83861
Area code(s) 208, 986
FIPS code 16-71470
GNIS feature ID 2411762

St. Maries (pronounced saynt MARIE'S) is a city in north central Idaho. It is the largest city in Benewah County and serves as its county seat. In 2010, about 2,402 people lived there.

History of St. Maries

Steamer Colfax at Highest Draw Bridge in U.S., circa 1910 - St. Maries, Idaho (52424881273)
The steamer Colfax departing St. Maries on St. Joe River around 1910.

The area where St. Maries is located was chosen by Joseph Fisher. He picked this spot because it was near where the St. Maries River and St. Joe River meet. This was a great place for a sawmill, which was first built in 1889.

The rivers and nearby lakes were perfect for moving logs to the mills. Steamboats also used these waterways to carry finished wood products to markets. The St. Joe River flows west from the city. It goes through several lakes and eventually into the southern part of Lake Coeur d'Alene.

The Milwaukee Road railroad reached St. Maries in 1908. The city was officially formed in 1913. This happened when Benewah County was created from the southern part of Kootenai County. In 1915, St. Maries was chosen to be the county seat.

Geography and Climate

Where is St. Maries Located?

St. Maries is a small city, covering about 1.10 square miles (3.08 square kilometers). All of this area is land. The city is surrounded by two rivers. The St. Maries River is to the east, and the St. Joe River is to the north.

St. Maries Climate Information

St. Maries has a climate known as a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. This means it has warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters.

Climate data for St. Maries, Idaho, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1897–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 59
(15)
67
(19)
79
(26)
95
(35)
95
(35)
108
(42)
106
(41)
110
(43)
104
(40)
96
(36)
73
(23)
64
(18)
110
(43)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 49.2
(9.6)
53.7
(12.1)
65.2
(18.4)
76.3
(24.6)
84.7
(29.3)
89.9
(32.2)
96.3
(35.7)
95.7
(35.4)
88.8
(31.6)
75.1
(23.9)
57.9
(14.4)
47.8
(8.8)
98.3
(36.8)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 36.7
(2.6)
41.5
(5.3)
49.6
(9.8)
58.0
(14.4)
67.8
(19.9)
73.7
(23.2)
84.3
(29.1)
84.5
(29.2)
74.5
(23.6)
58.7
(14.8)
43.7
(6.5)
35.8
(2.1)
59.1
(15.0)
Daily mean °F (°C) 30.4
(−0.9)
33.4
(0.8)
39.5
(4.2)
46.5
(8.1)
54.9
(12.7)
60.8
(16.0)
68.2
(20.1)
67.8
(19.9)
59.1
(15.1)
47.2
(8.4)
36.6
(2.6)
30.1
(−1.1)
47.9
(8.8)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 24.2
(−4.3)
25.2
(−3.8)
29.5
(−1.4)
34.9
(1.6)
42.0
(5.6)
47.8
(8.8)
52.1
(11.2)
51.0
(10.6)
43.7
(6.5)
35.6
(2.0)
29.6
(−1.3)
24.4
(−4.2)
36.7
(2.6)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 6.1
(−14.4)
10.0
(−12.2)
18.4
(−7.6)
26.3
(−3.2)
31.0
(−0.6)
38.4
(3.6)
42.8
(6.0)
41.4
(5.2)
33.0
(0.6)
24.1
(−4.4)
16.1
(−8.8)
8.5
(−13.1)
−0.3
(−17.9)
Record low °F (°C) −26
(−32)
−23
(−31)
−10
(−23)
8
(−13)
20
(−7)
26
(−3)
30
(−1)
29
(−2)
18
(−8)
9
(−13)
−6
(−21)
−29
(−34)
−29
(−34)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 4.41
(112)
2.99
(76)
3.28
(83)
2.30
(58)
2.43
(62)
2.12
(54)
0.79
(20)
0.74
(19)
1.04
(26)
2.42
(61)
4.15
(105)
4.44
(113)
31.11
(789)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 16.3
(41)
8.6
(22)
5.2
(13)
0.7
(1.8)
0.1
(0.25)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.2
(0.51)
6.6
(17)
18.3
(46)
56.0
(142)
Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) 11.8
(30)
9.1
(23)
6.1
(15)
0.3
(0.76)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.1
(0.25)
3.5
(8.9)
9.0
(23)
16.5
(42)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 16.1 12.9 14.2 12.9 12.4 10.7 5.0 4.1 6.3 11.2 15.0 15.6 136.4
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 8.9 5.7 3.7 0.9 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 3.5 8.9 31.9
Source 1: NOAA
Source 2: National Weather Service

Population and People

How Many People Live in St. Maries?

The population of St. Maries has changed over the years.

Historical population
Census Pop.
1910 869
1920 1,962 125.8%
1930 1,996 1.7%
1940 2,234 11.9%
1950 2,220 −0.6%
1960 2,435 9.7%
1970 2,571 5.6%
1980 2,794 8.7%
1990 2,442 −12.6%
2000 2,652 8.6%
2010 2,402 −9.4%
2019 (est.) 2,448 1.9%
U.S. Decennial Census

What is the Population Like?

In 2010, there were 2,402 people living in St. Maries. These people made up 999 households and 641 families. The city had about 2,183 people per square mile.

Most of the people in St. Maries were White (96.0%). There were also small numbers of African American, Native American, and Asian residents. About 1.6% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Many households (32.1%) had children under 18 living with them. About 47.4% of households were married couples. The average household had 2.34 people, and the average family had 2.88 people.

The average age of people in the city was 40.9 years old. About 24.5% of residents were under 18. About 19.6% were 65 years or older. The population was almost evenly split between males (49.4%) and females (50.6%).

Education in St. Maries

The public schools in St. Maries are run by the St. Maries Joint School District #41.

Name Type Grades
St. Maries High School High 9–12
St. Maries Middle School Middle 6–8
Heyburn Elementary Elementary K–5

The sports teams for the high school, middle school, and elementary school are called the Lumberjacks. Their school colors are forest green and old gold. You can see a lumberjack statue at the elementary school on Main Street. This statue used to be a "Big Friend" from Texaco in the 1960s.

Notable People from St. Maries

  • Vernon Baker (1919–2010) – A United States Army soldier who received the Medal of Honor.
  • Pappy Boyington – A famous World War II fighter pilot in the US Marine Corps, also a Medal of Honor recipient.
  • Jeff Choate – A college football coach.
  • Georgia Coleman – A diver who won four medals at the 1928 and 1932 Summer Olympics.
  • Tom Mueller – A rocket engineer and one of the first employees at SpaceX.
  • C. A. Robins (1947–1951) – A doctor who became the 22nd Governor of Idaho.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: St. Maries (Idaho) para niños

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St. Maries, Idaho Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.